RUAS welcomes John Henning as the organisation’s new president

He joined the society as a member in 1979,was electedto Council in 1995 and has served on the Council Show Stewards, Sheep and Show Safety committees. He has also held the role of Chairman of the Cattle Committee and was elected twice as Chairman of the Winter Fair Committee.

Having stewarded at the Balmoral Show and Winter Fair on over 65 occasions, John’s expertise in the ring has proved invaluable to the Society in recent years.

The 2024 Balmoral Show will not only mark his first engagement as President of the RUAS,but also his 30thconsecutive year as an exhibitor.

Originally from Markethill in County Armagh,he grew up on a dairy farm and from here developed a passion for cattle.John alongside his wife and fellow Society member Ann, built their own herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle in Maghaberry which they show regularly.

From 1978 until 2016, John’s name was synonymous with Danske Bank (formerly Northern Bank) particularly within the agribusiness division,and his career and voluntary roles have seen him meet industry leaders and producers from across the province.

From his involvement in the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS), to the Ulster Grassland Society, Lantra, northern division of the Guild of Agri Journalists of Ireland and supportive roles within Gleno Valley Young Farmers Club, John has reached the industry at a variety of levels and continues to engage with producers on a regular basis.

Speaking about his appointment, John commented:

“It is a huge honour to be elected President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society. I attended my first Show almost sixty years ago and have been actively involved with the Society in various roles since 1979.

“It’s a pleasure to succeed my good friend Mrs Christine Adams as President, and I look forward to working with all the Council and staff as we celebrate 170 years of the RUAS.

Turn to page 33

“I cannot wait to welcome everyone to this year’s Balmoral Show from Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th May at the Eikon Exhibition Centre”.

At the Annual Meeting of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society held on Friday 8th March 2024 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Mr John Martin, Chairman of the Finance Committee, said:

The year to 31st October 2023 has seen the Society continue to operate within a challenging environment, which is reflected in the financial results presented today. The Society has returned a surplus from ordinary activities of £375,411 for the financial year, before an unrealised loss on investments of £52,437.

During the year, the Society received membership subscriptions totalling £52,410. The Society is grateful to its steadfast membership, who recognise that the sustained payment of their membership subscriptions contributes to the Society's delivery of its charitable aims and objectives.The fixed assets of the Group have a net book value of £18,073,006, which includes property assets at the King's Hall Complex and Balmoral Park. At the reporting date, the Society's total funds were £30,549,223, having peaked in 2019 at £31,711,018.

The 5th Royal Ulster Premier Beef & Lamb Championships took place on Tuesday 22nd November 2022 in the Logan Hall with ninety-two cattle, twenty-six calves and sixty-five pairs of sheep coming forward on the day.

The Society hosted the 36th Royal Ulster Winter Fair in association with Danske Bank on Thursday 8th December 2022. Along with substantial visitor numbers, the event hosted 190 sector-specific trade stands, including companies from Italy, France, and Germany. The event drew 159 entries, with 113 cattle coming forward on the day, demonstrating excellent support for the event.

The Society hosted the 154th Balmoral Show from 10th to 13th May 2023 and was delighted to welcome a significant number of visitors over the four days. The Show was well supported by livestock exhibitors, with 3,127 animals competing in the livestock competitions. The Healthy Horticulture Marquee was well-received, and educational content was delivered to a broad audience. The Balmoral Show Schools Trail attracted over three thousand children from primary and special needs schools who enjoyed an interactive and educational day out.The Schools Trail programme aims to help school children better understand food and agriculture within Northern Ireland in an exciting and dynamic environment.

The Society is grateful for this vital support from the exhibitors who support its agri events. The Show’s success also depends on the continued support of the Show sponsors, including the efforts of our principal sponsor, Ulster Bank and our platinum sponsors, ABP, Marks & Spencer, SPAR and Tesco.

The subsidiary companies of the Society engage in commercial activities solely to generate funds to enable the Society to fulfil its charitable objectives. During the financial year, the subsidiaries contributed £320,286 of net revenue income to the Society.

The financial year was a period of growth for the Eikon Exhibition Centre, with long-standing commercial clients returning and a diverse range of new events hosted. The Venue welcomed the organisers and participants of the ABP Youth Challenge, and the Holstein Young Breeders Competition. The events sector faced uncertainty arising from the ongoing cost of living crisis and inflationary pressures on supply chains. However, the Company remains buoyed by event organisers’ interest in hosting events at the Venue in future periods.

KH Balmoral Estates Limited has been carefully implementing the development agreement at King’s Hall Complex with the internal roadworks for the junction with Lisburn Road completed and the Choice Housing Association project due to be completed in Spring 2024.The 16-acre site is also set to deliver options for retirement living, further medical services, car parking, retail space and leisure facilities. King’s Hall Harberton Estates Limited oversaw the completion of dwellings and the transfer of the associated land. The funds generated are now finite and must be prudently managed so that Society’s future generations can realise their ambitions, grasp unforeseen opportunities and deal with the challenges that the Society will inevitably face.

John Martin concluded by confirming that the years ahead are an exciting prospect. Following a comprehensive review of the Society’s governance, the Finance Committee has initiated a strategic review to create the Society’s plan for the next five years, which will set the ambitions for the Society’s future and determine how best to achieve them. This journey will ensure its future sustainability, clarity of purpose and direction, and enhance its reputation and relevance.