West Tyrone Voice

 

AGM Tuesday 21^st April 2009

Silver Birch Hotel, Omagh

 

Director’s Annual Report

 

I wish to begin my report to the AGM this year by paying tribute to those members of committee who have given the work of the group, and myself as Director, solid support throughout the year.  Without your reliable support, your valued insight and your wholehearted encouragement, my work, and that of the group, would have been much more difficult.  The support of my staff during this year’s work and in the previous years, has also been an ongoing feature, for which I am grateful.  I also want to acknowledge the enormous personal support that group members have given to me, unstinting and generous, and this support is gratefully acknowledged and greatly appreciated by me.

 

Outgoing Chairman

May I pay tribute to our outgoing Chairman, Mr Gamble Moore, for the way he chaired the, at times, very difficult and bordering on the impossible, committee meetings.  This has been extremely difficult for him, but his determination to see things done correctly is an example to us all.  I want also to thank the committee for the courage it had in dealing with unacceptable behaviour by a few committee members, who reported WTV to every funder who supported our work for and with you, and in carrying out a full review of our membership, bringing it more closely into line with the requirements of our constitution.  I do not want you to be ignorant, men and women, but these funding bodies, especially the SEUPB which manages the PEACE monies and which employs staff 80% of whom are not supportive of work with the victims of terrorism; other funders are clearly pro-republican, so some committee members reported us to these bodies, thus jeopardising the group’s future.  Those committee members have been duly disciplined by the committee.

 

This was not an easy course of action for the committee to take, but it was necessary for the survival of WTV.  The committee acted decisively, and the prospect of an ever better future now lies within our reach.

 

Let me give you some idea of the work we continue to do, and the things we have done this year. 

 

Core Funding

Firstly, WTV is still being Core Funded by the Community Relations Council, and for this we are grateful.  While there was an unacceptable delay by OFMDFM, the Joint First Ministers’ Office, this year again about being informed about the funding situation, thankfully, this situation has been resolved, and we have secured Core Funding until 31^st March 2010.

 

However, our two project officers are again on a four-day week, due to funding mess-ups by OFMDFM.  The group has been trying to raise funds over the years, as you know, and unfortunately, the Sponsored Walk and BBQ did not run this year, thus depriving the group of much needed additional funding.  These fund-raising efforts, I trust, will resume, and I know how willing most of our active members are to contribute to group funds.  Had it not been for this private money that WTV has raised, we would have lost staff this year again; however, we have been able to pay staff from our private account. 

 

Group Dinner

Our annual group dinner did not run this year either, the first time we missed this since we began, and this was a big disappointment to those who enjoyed this get together.  We apologise to our faithful members for this, but it was also outside our control as well. 

 

PEACE III

The massive disappointment to victims of terrorism groups of the Joint First Ministers’ Office has been repeated this year again.  As you know, the new PEACE III scheme was launched many months ago, and until 31^st March this year, the only organisations that the two First Ministers agreed funding for were groups linked with terrorist organisations.  £10.5m was awarded, almost £8m to republican groups  linked to terrorism, and about £2.5m to groups linked with loyalist ‘provo’ groups.  Not one penny had been agreed by the two First Ministers for victims of terrorism groups.  I am sure that you, like me, find this grossly insulting and totally unacceptable.

 

Stormont Assembly or the London Government

On the matter of work with the victims of terrorism, it is my considered opinion that it is a waste of time and energy to spend much time working with the Stormont Assembly or the London government and for this reason – each of them is wedded to the false idea that there is no difference between terrorists and their victims; that’s why we are now insulted on a daily basis by the spectacle of having terrorists governing us and making decisions concerning those whom they made victims in the first place.  For Northern Ireland to go forward with confidence, this immoral situation must be completely changed. 

 

Brussels and the E.C.  

We must now turn our attention to Brussels and to the E.C.  The unambiguously clear stance taken by M. Jacques Barrot has been an enormous encouragement to the victims of terrorism throughout Europe.  He, and the EC, support the work of the European-wide Association of Victims of Terrorism, of which I was invited to become a member, and which is totally AGAINST terrorism and FOR victims of terrorism.  The only route for us is to by-pass Belfast and London and concentrate our attention on Brussels.  Here we can work towards legislative and attitudinal change that will favour the victims of terrorism, and not the terrorists.  It appears that the only countries that have a softly-softly attitude toward terrorists is the UK (Belfast and London), the Irish Republic (Dublin), and now the USA.

 

 

Four Victims’ Commissioners

The appointment of four victims’ commissioners by the Joint First Ministers’ Office still causes great concern and distress among many victims of terrorism. The illegality of this is currently following due process.  WTV will not be working with this quango, a decision with which you will heartily agree. 

 

Group Activities

My work this year again has involved me in meetings with other victims’ groups, encouraging networking with each other, meeting with political people, lunches for the 117 elderly victims of terrorism which we were able to run twice this year and hope to do the same this incoming year, letter writing, help with forms, war pension claims for UDR soldiers, appeals against decisions by government departments, meetings with funders, small grant applications for small projects, hospital visits, counselling victims in the office and at home, interviews with researchers, many radio and TV interviews (some from foreign media), meetings with local council officials, speaking at the EU Victims of Terrorism Day in Madrid, update and manage website, attended CRC conferences, annual holiday to Fuengirola in Spain, London for Remembrance Sunday, tour around Palace of Westminster, meal hosted by again by the Lord Laird of Artigarvan in House of Lords.  We visited the RUC GC Memorial Garden, Schomberg House and had a ride on the big wheel at Belfast City hall.  We had a guided tour around St Columb’s cathedral in Londonderry, and a tour around the ancient walls of Derry.  For each of these visits we enjoyed morning tea/coffee and a beautiful lunch.  There was some group administration and overall project management, and dealing with thousands of emails.  We are grateful to our funders – e.g, Strabane District Council, and Community Relations Council for Northern Ireland, for providing the funding for these events.

 

New Participants

Let me say something that has encouraged us tremendously – we are seeing terrorist victims who have not been greatly involved in group activities, if at all, joining in and benefiting from these events.  It is a particular thrill for me when I attend as many of these events as possible to see new people present.  After what was a most turbulent year for staff, committee members and group members, there are positive signs that things are coming together again, and for that we are delighted and grateful.  Please get as fully involved as you can in group events, and you’ll know the benefit of participating in events with people who have had a similar experience to you, and this will encourage you.

 

WTV has again provided excellent services for its victim members.  We have excelled in value for money trips.  In three weeks time we are going to Cyprus for two weeks, 16 of us.  What is really thrilling is that six new people are going this year who haven’t been with us in the past.  This is another sign of things to come, and members are feeling much more confident to participate in group activities than has been the case for a few years.  Indeed, the Craft Class, which lost eight members over the years, is now beginning to attract new members, see earlier members return to a very different atmosphere, and a good group went to the crafts fair in Belfast last week.  

 

Our trips away are done at a fraction of the price it would cost if they were to do it themselves.  Our people have been to places that they would not have gone to had WTV not organised these trips, and met people that they would not normally meet.  I am particularly proud of our achievements.

 

Eames/Bradley report

Let me highlight just two very important and high profile events of this past year.  With the launch of the Eames/ Bradley report on dealing with the past, I had opportunity to submit our response to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.  This report, written by apparently intelligent people, said there was no real difference between terrorists and their victims.  They tried to buy us off with £12,000 to every immediate family that had someone killed in the ‘troubles.’   Thankfully the government has withdrawn this grossly offensive recommendation.  Our submission is calling on HMG to reject the report in total, because everything else that is recommended in it is based on the idea that there is no difference between terrorists and their victims. This we regard as insulting and offensive.

 

Members, this is what a self-help group is about – providing mutual support for victims of terrorism and their families, organising events that help restore the dignity and confidence of victims of terrorism, and standing shoulder to shoulder by those who are finding things difficult.

 

It is also about representing your views at the highest levels and through as many channels as possible.  I have sought at all times to represent the concerns and views of victims in WTV as faithfully as I can.  My commitment to the group, I think, is obvious to all.  I have sought to give leadership at all levels, to be inventive in the events and activities I have organised, have tried to push the boundaries at times and to stretch our active members to think about important issues and to meet challenging situations.  I enjoy my work, and I want my work, and that of my staff, to be an enjoyable experience. 

 

We are organising interesting trips and events for our victims over the incoming months, and have some ideas about what we could do together. 

 

To finish, I have to say a big thank-you to Margaret, to whom this group owes a debt of gratitude.  She has supported me all the way, and especially when I was feeling exhausted.  She has shared my frustrations and my joys.  Margaret, thank you for your love and unstinting support over this past year again.

 

Thank you.

 

J. E. Hazlett Lynch

Director

Director's Annual Reports

West Tyrone Voice

 

AGM Tuesday 4^th March 2008

 

Director’s Annual Report

 

I wish to begin my report to the AGM this year by paying tribute to those members of committee who have given the work of the group, and myself as Director, solid support throughout the year.  Without this reliable support, valued insight and wholehearted encouragement, my work, and that of the group, would have been much more difficult.  The support of my staff has also been a feature of this year’s work and of the previous years, for which I am grateful.  I also want to acknowledge the enormous personal support that group members have given to me, unstinting and generous, and this support is gratefully acknowledged and greatly appreciated by me.

 

Let me give you some idea of the work we continue to do, and the things we have done this year. 

 

Firstly, WTV is Core Funded by the Community Relations Council.  While there was an unacceptable delay about being informed about the funding situation this year, thankfully, this situation has been resolved.

 

However, our two project officers will have to be put on protective notice prior to the 30^th June 2008, since our RDC project ends on that date.  The group has been trying to raise funds over the years through the sponsored walk, membership fees, and the nominal charges we set for various events that we run.  Our own fund-raising efforts, I trust, will continue, and I know how willing most of our active members are to contribute to group funds.  They have received from WTV, and now they want to give back something for the help they have received.  I commend these generous people for their practical support.  Had it not been for this private money that WTV has, we would have lost staff many years ago when funding dried up, and we were able to pay staff from our private account.  This will be needed again from 1^st July 2008.  I trust that our members want to keep Pauline and Ken on!

 

The entire funding situation has been difficult and still is.  While there are four victims groups in our main catchment area of Strabane/Omagh – Koram Centre, Strabane, WAVE, Omagh, Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, and WTV,  I know that Omagh Support group and WTV have always had great difficulties in getting funding.  I think the reason for this is that those groups that believe in “hugging a provo a day” get significantly more funding, and with greater ease, than those groups that do not go about “hugging provos.”  Funders are still putting pressure on us to make it possible for provos to apply for a current job vacancy.   This we will not accept!  And I hope this meeting agrees with this position.

 

Secondly, the appointment of four victims’ commissioners by the First Ministers’ Office has caused great concern and distress among many of our victim members. The legality of this is being challenged in the High Court because the legislation passed by the Westminster parliament provided for one commissioner {The Victims and Survivors (Northern Ireland) Order 2006}, not four.  The matter is currently with the Public Appointments Office for decision. 

 

Further, one of those commissioners, Mrs Patricia Ryan, is from a provo family, and her brother, Anthony McBride from Magherafelt, was killed by the SAS as part of a five man IRA unit involved in planting a mine in Fermanagh; however, in her profile, she stated that her brother was an ‘IRA volunteer’ who ‘died on active service.’  She thus glorified and justified IRA terrorism, and claimed a moral equivalence between her brother and our murdered relatives.  As you know, these appointments are being challenged by two different people in the High Court, where papers have been lodged seeking a Judicial Review of the appointment process.  The outcome of this review looks very promising.

 

Thirdly, my work has involved me in meetings with other victims’ groups, encouraging networking with each other, meeting with political people, lunches for the 100 elderly victims, letter writing, help with forms, war pension claims for UDR soldiers, appeals against decisions by government departments, meetings with funders, small grant applications for small projects, helping police members with PTSD appeals, hospital visits, counselling victims in the office and at home, work with QUB researchers, input to consultations (which means reading lengthy documents before a response can be made), produced and edited  video of victims’ stories, interviews with researchers, many radio and TV interviews (some from foreign media), meeting with PSNI crime prevention officer, meetings with council officials, speaking at Meath Peace Group public meeting at Navan, meeting with Senior officials from Dublin, meetings with HET officers, update and manage website, attended CRC conferences, off on sick after surgery for two months, BBQ, sponsored walk, reconciliation residential at Draperstown, off on sick on work-related acute stress reaction for four weeks, annual holiday to Majorca, meeting at UUM re course for members, attended NIPF conference, London for Remembrance Sunday etc, proof-read Gary McMurray’s book at least three times, VAT seminar in Londonderry, shopping trip to Lisburn, and made representations re Omagh bomb memorial.  There was some group administration and project management, and dealing with thousands of emails.  Apart from these thing’s, I wasn’t too busy.

 

Members, this is what a self-help group is about - standing by those who are finding things difficult, and giving them a ‘leg up’ at such times.  We have done that for each other, and thank you to those members of committee and the group for your individual care of me and others.  This group has been a God-send for me, and I know for others also.  Can I appeal to you to keep on doing what we do best – caring for each other. 

 

I have sought at all times to represent the concerns and views of victims in WTV as faithfully as I can.  My commitment to the group is obvious to all.  I have sought to give leadership at all levels, to be inventive in the events and activities I have organised, have tried to push the boundaries at times and to stretch our active members to think about important issues and to meet challenging situations.  I enjoy my work, and I want my work, and that of my staff, to be an enjoyable experience. 

 

We have achieved some notable ‘firsts’ for the group.  We had our first very successful and memorable trip to London for Remembrance Sunday, and tied in a visit to the Palace of Westminster and a reception at the House of Lords with Lord Laird of Artigarvan; the craft class had its first residential to Co Louth; we have published our first book, “Journeying Through Irish History – Exploding Myths” by our esteemed member and former Training and Education Officer, Gary McMurray.  This book is to be launched at Omagh Library on Friday 7^th March at 11:00 am, when Gary will be present.  Please make a point of being present, if you can.  Discussion groups under the RDC project are up and running successfully (we’ve had nine to date), residentials for discussions (one in February and one in March with a cross-border, cross-community group – but no terrorists!) have been held, and there are more similar events to come.  This year of activity has turned out to be a better year than could have been anticipated.

 

I had thought about organising a trip to London in November, but that all depends on what happens in the days to come.  I had thought about a trip to the Edinburgh Tattoo, and had suggested a charge of £150.  I must apologise to the group for mentioning this amount, for it was wrong.  It is more likely to be around £290 each if funding is granted, or £460 each without it – for four days, including travel there and back.  I can’t really see this going on. 

 

WTV has again provided excellent services for its victim members.  We have excelled in value for money trips.  For example, neither the Police nor the UDR/RIR can come anywhere near us when it comes to organising holidays for our members.  We can give our members a two week holiday for about the same price as these other organisations charge for one week.  Our trips away are done at a fraction of the price it would cost if they were to do it themselves.  Our people have been to places that they would not have gone to had WTV not organised it, and met people that they would not normally meet.  Many of our members got their very first passport because they wanted to go with us on holidays, and other shorter trips.  I am particularly proud of our achievements.

 

I would like to organise interesting trips and events for our victims, and have some ideas about what we could do together.  But whether or not these materialise, remains to be seen.

 

To finish, there was one person whom I have not as yet thanked, and to whom this group owes a debt of gratitude, and that is my wife Margaret.  She has not stopped me working un-social hours for the good of our victims.  In fact, she has encouraged me all the way, and been there for me when I was feeling the draft at times.  She has shared my frustrations and my joys.  Margaret, thank you for your love and unstinting support over this past year again.

 

Thank you.

 

DIRECTOR’S REPORT TO THE AGM OF WEST TYRONE VOICE

Tuesday 20^th March 2007.

 

2006/7 has been an eventful year for this organisation.  Several of our PEACE II projects came to an end, and a new project commenced last autumn.  After being unsuccessful with four PEACE II Extension funding applications, we were delighted to have been awarded funding by the Rural Development Council.  This funding was to develop a programme of outreach activity to our members, and also to those who are not yet groups members, victims in our own normal catchment area of West Tyrone, but also extending into the Mid-Ulster area where there are many innocent victims who have not been given any support over the years.

 

RDC funding has allowed us to employ two outreach/ development officers and admin support for the project, and this is the first time that we have been able to have funded workers under the PEACE II scheme.

 

How did this come about?  In 2005 a group of 20+ made a visit to Brussels, where four of that group met with the Director-General of the Secretariat responsible for PEACE II funding.  When told of our difficulties in getting funding for outreach workers, he expressed deep surprise.  We told him that our needs were made known to various PEACE II funders and to our politicians repeatedly, yet none of them was able to tell us that monies were available for this essential work.  Armed with this information, I promised that the next time funding schemes were open under PEACE II, I would be applying for these staff members.  Thankfully we were successful.

 

Rachel has told you of her work, and she, along with Ken, who is currently off work recovering from an accident, and Pauline, are developing this project steadily, and are working to put in place interesting events that our members can get involved in, and from which they can benefit. 

 

There is a high level of welfare work going on, with members getting help with benefits and entitlements, such as, DLA, war pensions, injury on duty pensions, accompanying and representing members at Veterans Tribunals, benevolent fund assistance, and from the Memorial Fund.  This essential work goes on unnoticed, but I see the growing number of members coming into the office who are accessing this service.

 

In West Tyrone, we are still in a very high terrorist threat situation.  The local police commander was contacted about the upsurge of terrorist-related incidents, and this, he says, is coming mainly from dissident republicans – whoever they are; however, we have been assured that the police are taking all terrorist-related activities very seriously, and all are investigated carefully. 

 

This office has not escaped the attention of terrorists and their friends.  We have had written threats against us sent into the office by post, and, of course, not signed – terrorists do not leave a return address when they act against their enemies; an attempt was made to kill me when my car wheel was tampered with, nearly putting me off the road; and some material was removed from the office.  These things have all been reported to the police.  Just this week, we noticed that strange things have been happening to all the computers. 

 

The terrorists and their friends do not like what WTV stands for, and definitely does not like our stance of NO TERRORISTS IN GOVERNMENT.  We have been in their attention now for years, but that attention appears to be stepping up.  I would not be surprised if that particular campaign does not continue and intensify in the days to come.

 

WTV members have confronted terrorists and their associates when they were serving police officers or soldiers; the good news is that they have done so persistently as ex-service people, and have put some very difficult questions to them; but as always, we got no answers. 

 

Some people might think this a waste of time.  I don’t believe it is, and for this reason.  I believe that God has given every person a conscience, and the more we can present the conscience-pricking truth to these people, the more they will become disturbed by their evil deeds; and if they cannot sleep in their beds at night, all to the g