2024-03-31-accounts - UK Men's Sheds Association

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024

UK Men’s sheds AssociAtion A Charitable Incorporated Organisation www.menssheds.org.uk

chArity no. 1162409

What we do:

The UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) is a national charity providing support and guidance to individuals and groups across the UK in starting, managing, and maintaining Men’s Sheds. We champion and raise awareness of the social and health benefits of Men’s Sheds in reducing loneliness, improving wellbeing, and transforming and saving lives, whilst supporting local communities.

We support the growth of Men’s Sheds by:

Building awareness such that Men’s Sheds become a household name in the UK, so everyone knows what they are and how to find one. Where there isn’t an existing Men’s Shed, we enable anyone to learn how to create one in their community.
Promoting Men’s Sheds to connect communities with their nearest Men’s Sheds. We do this by maintaining an upto-date map of UK Sheds on our website, through social and print media, and by forwarding enquiries to the relevant local Shed groups and attracting support for member Sheds.
Providing guidance on starting up and running a Shed to help grow the number of UK Men’s Sheds. We do this by offering practical, best practice information guides, example documents and toolkits on topics such as registering as a charity, insurance, funding, sourcing equipment and venues, and volunteer recruitment. We provide telephone, email and in-person support to individuals and groups wanting to start a Men’s Shed. We equip them with the knowledge to develop and sustain a thriving Men’s Shed in their community for years to come.
Training volunteer Ambassadors with experience of starting their own Men’s Sheds to mentor and guide likeminded individuals and groups in starting and managing Men’s Sheds across the UK.
Training Shed Advocates and enabling Shed Connector Sessions to widen and strengthen the Men’s Shed network.
Holding and supporting networking events to connect men from different Men’s Sheds across the UK. Here they can share experiences, knowledge and skills, and make contact with others who share interests and a common purpose.
Developing active partnerships with other organisations and charities. Some of our partners provide practical skills support (e.g. first aid training at reduced rates or suicide awareness packages), some use their platform to promote UKMSA and Men’s Sheds (for example, Wickes has UKMSA publicity in all its stores), and others provide products and services for free or at reduced rates. All of this directly benefits Sheds and their members, including financially.

We raise wider awareness of Men’s Sheds and their many benefits by:

Promoting the social and health benefits of Men’s Sheds in reducing isolation and empowering local communities. We do this through various communication channels, including public events, online and in the media.
Representing our members and the UK Men’s Shed movement at local, national and international level. We do this by working with organisations, government authorities, companies, other Men’s Shed associations, and related charities. We help develop partnerships, generate funding opportunities, and negotiate sponsorship deals to deliver real value to our member Sheds.
Providing insight into the impact of Men’s Sheds, which is increasingly supported by hard data as well as strong anecdotal input. We can show that Men’s Sheds play an active part in reducing isolation and loneliness, as well as building communities and connections, and reducing anxiety, and depression. We know they can and do save lives: our Health and Wellbeing Survey (2023) suggests that 39% of Sheds believe that they have, or may have, saved lives.
Leveraging the platforms and audiences of partner organisations to give us greater reach.
Celebrating by telling the stories of how Men’s Sheds transform and save lives.

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Contents
Chair’s Statement	pg 4
Legal and Administrative Information	pg 6
Trustees’ Annual Report	pg 7
Independent Examiner’s Report	pg 21
Statement of Financial Activities	pg 22
Balance Sheet	pg 23
Notes to the Financial Statements	pg 24

Men’s Sheds Work 88% felt more connected to the community. UKMSA Wellbeing Survey 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Chair’s Statement

By any measure this has been a successful year for the UK Men’s Sheds Association and for the wider Men’s Sheds movement in the UK, where there are now over 1100 open Sheds, passing a major milestone, and offering symmetry with the publication this year of our 1000 Faces of Sheds project, a valuable piece of social research which helps evidence the immense good that Sheds do.

We began the financial year with a continuation of the celebrations for UKMSA’s 10th anniversary and saw our biggest ever ShedFest (the second face-to-face one since the pandemic) in July. For the first time, we separated the Shed of the Year Awards from ShedFest, having held the former earlier in 2023 at the House of Lords in a combined anniversary celebration hosted by Baroness Grey-Thompson and attended by parliamentarians including the Rt Hon Maria Caulfield, MP, the Minister for Mental Health, who made some of the award presentations. The surroundings and success of the event have convinced us to do the same again, and this year’s venue will be the State Apartments of the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Financially, we are in a strong position, with solid reserves, as the 2023/24 end of year accounts demonstrate. Our decision to recruit a Trusts and Foundations Manager has more than justified itself, with great work being done by Hannah Warner and her successor, Alison Hands. Additional grant funding enabled us to continue the work of Rob Visintainer and Simon Poole in Wales with our acquisition of the Men’s Shed Cymru brand after the original project sponsors, Stori, approached us to see if we would take on the role of providing support for Sheds in Wales. With Allan Ogle replacing David Meli as our Partnerships Manager, we ended the financial year with 10 (6 full-time equivalent) paid staff and contractors. However, we have for some time recognised that this is not sufficient to run a charity of the size and complexity UKMSA has already reached, let alone address our strategic ambitions, so we have secured funding to recruit additional staff members, which will also result in a change to the leadership structure, providing greater resilience and responsiveness.

Thanks to our first-ever government funding, from the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, we have recruited two full time Shed Development Officers to drive the establishment of Men’s Sheds in the North and East Midlands of England. This will be UKMSA’s first use of paid professionals in England to establish Men’s Sheds and builds on the Men’s Sheds Cymru approach in Wales. If it is successful we will consider replicating the model in other parts of the UK where Sheds are under-represented and need support.

Our new strategy is scheduled for publication in the 2024/25 Financial Year. However we have already established a desire and need to be more engaged with central government on the sorts of issues that impact members of Men’s Sheds, and to show the extent to which Sheds are already part of the solution to a range of issues and can offer even more in the future. During the last year, as well as applying for the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, our CEO, Charlie Bethel, and one of our most experienced volunteers, Patrick Abrahams, were part of a range of discussions hosted by parliamentarians, including providing evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Men’s Health and being invited to form part of the Minister for Mental Health’s Task and Finish Group for a Men’s Health Strategy. This kind of central government representative function is new to UKMSA, and we feel it is an essential part of our role, especially around men’s health and health issues particularly affecting Shed members. Our association with Parliament reached something of a crescendo in March when we erected a Men’s Shed on the Parliamentary Estate for a week. The literal shed (provided by Wickes and adapted by members of Black Park Shed) was set up

Our town has one of the highest suicide rates among men, and we know the Men’s Shed has saved lives. There was one man who was walking down to the sea to end his life, but someone stopped him and told him about the Men’s Shed. He turned back, gave it a try and he’s still here. 4 Redcar Men’s Shed, England

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Chair’s Statement continued

in the central atrium of Portcullis House, in direct line of most MPs heading to and from their Westminster offices. There is a separate feature on the Parliament Shed elsewhere in this report. The event was a huge success, allowing us to engage directly with a significant number of Ministers, MPs and their staff. The Parliament Shed was made possible by a range of people, and especially by the efforts of UKMSA staff and volunteers. We would not have got anywhere without the permission and encouragement of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, to whom we are very grateful.

As with everything we do as a national association working to grow, sustain and promote Men’s Sheds in the UK, we rely heavily on volunteers alongside our paid employees and contractors. This is always evident at events like ShedFest and the Parliament Shed, but the work of our volunteers takes place every single day and is a critical part of the Men’s Shed movement. During the year we have expanded the Ambassador network and as part of our strategic development we will be considering an expansion of support for regional networks.

On the Board of Trustees, we were joined by Chris Griffiths, a Shed leader from Wales, meaning that for the first time UKMSA has at least one Trustee based in each of the four home nations.

The next few years will see even more changes to UKMSA and how we support both Sheds and Shedders in the UK. It’s going to be a period of growth and of trying to tackle some of the perennial issues, especially access to suitable premises and Shed development in areas where Sheds are under-represented. To everyone who has played a part in the journey so far, including all the UKMSA volunteers, especially our Ambassadors, Shed network co-ordinators, our Trustees and other Board members, our wonderful staff, and everyone who gives their time to run Men’s Sheds across the UK, I offer a heartfelt thank you. You are the heartbeat of this incredible, life-changing, and often life-saving movement and it simply would not exist without you. I hope that all of you feel very proud of the role you play, and I trust that we will continue to make even more of a difference to lives over the coming year.

Rob Lloyd

Chair of Trustees, UKMSA 20[th] June 2023

“Being able to ‘go to my shed’ has helped me, and I KNOW it has saved my life”. Chris Morgan

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Legal and Administrative Information

The UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered on 25 June 2015.

Registered charity number - 1162409

Principal address 49 Station Road Polegate, East Sussex BN26 6EA

Hon. Life President Mike Jenn Patron Chris Fisher RPT Trustees Rob Lloyd, Chair John Rushforth, Vice Chair (re-elected July 2023) John Jarvis David Webber, Treasurer (re-elected July 2023) Joanne Phillips John Latchford Andrew Johnston Victoria Coker Kate Martin Mark O’Neill Chris Griffiths (elected July 2023)

Staff on 31 March 2024

Charlie Bethel Chief Executive Officer Dirk George Finance Manager Leo Pswarayi Digital Communications Manager Rachel Meadows Volunteer and Community Development Manager Allan Ogle Partnerships and Community Development Manager Laura Winkley Shed Development Support Manager Bernadette McElhatton Shed Development Support Officer Alison Hands Trusts and Foundations Manager Robert Visintainer Welsh Development Manager Simon Poole Welsh Shed Development Officer

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank plc Redwood Bank Limited Hampshire Trust Bank plc P.O. Box 101 The Nexus Building 55 Bishopsgate 1 Balloon Street Broadway London Manchester Letchworth Garden City EC2N 3AS M60 4EP SG6 3TA Monmouthshire Building Society Reliance Bank Limited Monmouthshire House Faith House John Frost Square 23-24 Lovat Lane Newport London NP20 1PX EC3R 8EB

Independent Examiner

Paul Colcomb FCCA - Wright Vigar Limited, Statutory Auditors and Business Advisors 15 Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1XG

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

The Trustees of UKMSA present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the CIO’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 1 January 2019.

Structure, governance and management

The UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with voting members other than its charity Trustees.

The CIO is governed by a constitution, with charity Trustees being elected by members at the Annual General Meeting. Any vacant seats may be filled by a verification process, nomination, and co-option by the existing Trustees during the year.

On appointment, new Trustees are provided with a pack which includes copies of the CIO’s Constitution, most recent Trustees’ annual report and accounts, and relevant Charity Commission publications. The UKMSA Trustees are responsible for the strategic leadership of the CIO and, through the Chair, direct and manage the Chief Executive Officer to deliver the strategy of the organisation.

The Trustees have met every quarter in person and additionally by virtual conferencing, when necessary, in order to oversee the governance requirements, and have recently agreed to increase the frequency of meetings in line with the growing organisation.

All Trustees are volunteers and undertake activities to further the objects of the UKMSA as required with no remuneration or financial benefit received for their time.

UKMSA had 10 employees at the end of March (rising to 12 in May) who work under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer to deliver the organisation’s objectives. Our work is supported by over 40 volunteers who act as Ambassadors within the Shed community. The UKMSA aims to develop relationships with other national Men’s Sheds associations in the UK, to share best practice and further our common objectives.

Objective & Activities

As set out in UKMSA’s Constitution and with the Charity Commission, the Objects of the CIO are for the public benefit to: promote the efficiency and effectiveness of charities or the effective use of resources for charitable purposes to local Men’s Sheds, and further enable information sharing, communication, and co-operation between them and so act as a support body for Men’s Sheds. In deciding our annual objectives and in planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance “Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)”.

Connection

This being a grassroots movement, almost every Men’s Shed is an independent entity. However, in many parts of the UK regional connections through local networks are flourishing and demonstrating the immense value that these in-person connections can add to Shedders activities and lives. The number of Shed networks exceeds 20, with more in development. Although UKMSA is not directly responsible for the delivery of regional or local Shed networks, we believe they are an essential part of community connection, promoting mutual support and strengthening ways in which innovation and best practice can flourish. We therefore support local networks, especially by encouraging our Ambassadors to play a facilitation and enabling role looking at how we can increase our support. UKMSA will continue to help regional network creation and development, and we have an ambition to be even more proactive in this area. We are also grateful to those other charities that fund regional network meetings, including most recently the Royal British Legion’s sponsorship of the Isle of Wight ShedFest.

“The Shed has been very good at making me feel part of the team and gives me tasks that I never have thought I was capable of. I have had a sense of being useful restored to me.” Rolf, Dalbeattie Men’s Shed, Scotland

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Connection continued

While we have a strong set of staff and volunteers, the ever-increasing number of Sheds and their geographic spread means that the majority of our contact has to be online and digitally. As well as our monthly publication, Shoulder to Shoulder, our new website has improved access for our members to all of the material we curate on their behalf, albeit that we experienced some teething issues with the implementation. Alongside these we have further increased our active social media presence, which is the primary vehicle for sharing much of our online material, including webinars, wellbeing talks and important updates, and we have secured funding to recruit a Communications and Campaigns Officer in the coming months.

Our digital resources, created internally by the Digital Communications Manager and with partners, have enabled us to communicate effectively to differing audiences including Shedders and health care professionals. Feedback suggests this is making a real difference.

Our insight and ongoing analysis of open-source data continues and has raised our awareness of Sheds or Shed-like entities in the UK which appear to have no regional or national association to other Sheds. Whilst they may not wish to join UKMSA (or another national association) we hope that they might engage with regional or local networks, to the benefit of all.

To meet increasing demand from both Sheds and the general public, we have taken steps to increase capacity within UKMSA around membership support and Shed development. We anticipate, however, that this demand, and our requirement to meet it, will grow even further in coming years due to the success of the Men’s Shed movement.

““I believe that Men’s Sheds not only play a very important role in men’s mental health, but in their overall general health. Men will discuss health issues while working or while gathered around drinking coffee. We have also had informative talks from health professionals which have been very useful”. Stephen, Saintfield Men’s Shed, Northern Ireland 8

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Trustees respond to change

The Board itself has experienced a year of stability. One new Trustee – Chris Griffiths – was elected at the 2023 AGM, and all four of those co-opted by the Board in January 2023 were also elected at the AGM. No Trustee has indicated their indication to step down permanently and the one-third of Trustees who will step down in July in accordance with the Constitution all intend to stand for re-election.

However, the Board has recognised a need for change in a number of areas.

In relation to the Board’s governance role, we have agreed that a cycle of quarterly meetings (with the option for ad hoc online sessions) is no longer suitable for a now medium-sized charity with increased volume and complexity of work and more significant financial responsibilities. We will begin a new rhythm of formal meetings every second month. We have also established that the current quoracy requirement for Trustee meetings is an inhibitor: currently we need two-thirds of Trustees to be present, but this has proved challenging with Trustees living across the breadth of the UK. We have resolved to take to the AGM a proposal to change the quoracy requirement for the Trustee Board to one-half. The Board also agreed during the year to formally constitute an Audit & Risk Committee, under the chairship of one of our Trustees, Andrew Johnston, independent of the Board Chair and Treasurer, in line with good practice and Charity Commission guidelines. This is another step towards acknowledging the additional levels of governance and oversight needed in a more complex CIO.

In relation to the working of UKMSA, it has become clear that the far greater volume and complexity of our business requires both additional staff and a new staffing structure. Our current flat management structure will be replaced by one which includes a full-time operational lead (who will also deputise for the CEO), for which we already have funding, and a stronger structure to support development. This new senior leadership team will allow us greater flexibility, resilience, and control over our current workload, even more so as we begin some of our other workstreams. Additionally, the Board recognised that we need communications support, so we agreed the CEO’s request to seek funding from a Trust for such a post and we anticipate further development in this area in the coming months. Finally, recognising the particular challenge of getting Sheds started in some areas of the UK, we supported the CEO’s (successful) initiative to apply to the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund for funding for two Shed Development Officers, one each in the North and East Midlands of England. This is a major shift in strategy for UKMSA – we have never before employed people to proactively go into communities to ‘grow’ Sheds (though we have seen the success of this in Wales under Men’s Sheds Cymru). We will likely seek to do more of this if the model proves successful and additional funding is available.

Looking ahead, the Board and CEO are aware that with likely further growth (in staff, volunteers, Sheds, fraud and broader cyber risk, and business complexity) we must begin to develop our IT strategy. Thanks in the most part to the work of one particular volunteer, Tony Smith-Crallan, our existing systems deliver almost all of what we need now, but we are continually seeking how to improve the reliability and efficiency of our work.

----- Start of picture text -----
9
----- End of picture text -----

“I come to the Shed and I can forget about being lonely. I’ve found another reason to exist”.

Bill, Desborough Men’s Shed, England

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Sheds open around the UK

As ever, we are deeply appreciative of every Shed Leader and Shedder, and their incredible hard work in developing and running Sheds across the UK, in their many guises, spaces and common aims of creating, connecting, and providing safe spaces to talk. The impact of Sheds is incredible. The model of Sheds is a vibrant one and the opportunities for more Sheds across the UK is simultaneously both a challenge and an inspiration.

Known Sheds	Open	In Development	Total	UKMSA Members	%
31/03/2015	150	75	225	51	23%
31/03/2016	300	95	395	68	17%
31/03/2017	360	85	445	67	15%
31/03/2018	440	155	595	195	33%
31/03/2019	500	210	710	275	39%
31/03/2020	580	143	723	408	56%
31/03/2021	603	145	748	421	56%
31/03/2022	805	230	1,035	453	44%
31/03/2023	905	210	1,115	429	38%
31/03/2024	996	184	1,180	511	43%

There are over 1,100 Sheds now, each in their own way making a positive impact on the lives of their members and their communities. Within the movement, it is often said ‘when you’ve seen one Shed, you’ve seen one Shed’. Each Shed, like each Shedder, is unique. We will continue to offer support to our members as well as to those Sheds that choose not to be members (albeit at different levels). That support, including championing the movement externally, engaging with local and national government on topics related to Shedder’s interests, assisting Sheds to be what they each aspire to be, and celebrating success, will always be at the centre of what we do and driven by the needs of the Sheds we exist to support.

Men’s Sheds Work: 96% felt less lonely. UKMSA Wellbeing Survey 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Sheds in Wales – Men’s Sheds Cymru

Unlike UKMSA and the other two national Shed associations operating in the UK – Scottish MSA and Irish MSA, Men’s Shed Cymru (MSC) was never a formally constituted body, instead being a project run by Stori (previously known as Hafan Cymru), a housing association. UKMSA and MSC enjoyed a particularly close association in recent years, collaborating on several opportunities, but in 2023 Stori decided to draw the MSC project to a close. Stori considered a variety of options for the continuation of Men’s Sheds Cymru, and following consultation with many of the Sheds in Wales and partners, Stori approached UKMSA with the offer for us to take over the MSC brand and to play a lead role in supporting Welsh Sheds. We have been delighted to incorporate the MSC brand into UKMSA. We already had a number of UKMSA member Sheds in Wales, but as part of the new arrangements under the brand transfer, we offered a year’s free membership to any Shed in Wales (and the rest of the UK) that had not been a member of UKMSA within the previous three years. Eighty-three Sheds have taken up that offer.

UKMSA communications now includes bespoke Men’s Sheds Cymru messaging to maintain the existing sense of identity and to foster the regional networks which UKMSA feels are important to Sheds across the UK. In March, Pontypridd Shed hosted a regional gathering of South Wales Sheds which was very well attended, including by the local MP and Senedd member. The event was also attended by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, a position that shows Wales’s positive strides in recognising the needs of a growing part of their population. UKMSA’s Chair spoke at the event and used his trip to visit a number of South Wales Sheds. As health is a devolved issue in the UK, we are also engaged in the development of guidance for the national framework for social prescribing in Wales.

In partnership with Swansea City Opera, ‘Men’s Sheds The Opera’ enjoyed a second successful run this year. It is one of many initiatives unique to Wales as we try to engage new audiences and communities on the power of the Shed movement.

The Parliament Shed

Late last year, encouraged by increasing involvement and offers of support from MPs of all parties, we conceived the idea of erecting a physical shed in Parliament to generate awareness. With generous support from the Speaker of the House of Commons, we were granted a ‘pitch’ in the atrium of Portcullis House from 18-22 March.

The shed was provided by Wickes and PowerShed, roofed by Onduline, and transported and equipped by Axminster Tools, all longstanding partners of UKMSA. All of the adaptation of the shed was done by volunteers at Black Park Shed. There were also generous contributions from TiteFix, Carveco, Ronseal and other partner organisations including the Zero Suicide Alliance, Men’s Health Forum, the Centre for Ageing Better and the Royal British Legion.

Throughout the week, a team of staff and volunteers were present to talk to MPs, Peers, and their staffers, and to showcase wood carving skills. The level of engagement – our primary goal – far exceeded our expectation, with direct contact and substantive conversation with 166 MP’s, over 30 of whom had no Shed in their constituency and were keen to know more about how they might play a part in addressing this. Many of the visiting MPs were aware of Men’s Sheds and some were already active supporters; others had not heard of Men’s Sheds before but were interested to hear of Sheds in their constituency and undertook to make visits. So far, we have had over 160 follow ups by phone or email.

Other visitors to the Parliament Shed included representatives of many of our partners, and some of our Ambassadors as well as a number of Shedders who had either played a role in establishing the Parliament Shed or had been invited by their MP specifically to celebrate the presence of the Parliament Shed.

Whilst there are strict rules governing the use of cameras within Portcullis House, we did receive national and local coverage on Radio 4’s ‘This Week in Parliament’. In addition there was extensive coverage on social media, not least from many of the MPs who attended and wanted to share what they had learned about Men’s Sheds.

This event was probably a unique opportunity, and we approached it with that in mind. We invested significant resources into the project and we feel we have had an excellent return on that investment already, while the true value and impact will likely be felt for some time to come, including opening the door to some exciting potential new partnerships.

Charlie Bethel presents Sir Lindsay Hoyle a bowl created in Camden Town Shed

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Working with our volunteers

We have touched elsewhere on the extent to which both UKMSA and the wider Men’s Shed movement is dependent on volunteers. This ranges from reliance on volunteers for some key skills and deliverables at a national level to the smooth running of most individual Sheds.

On the latter, we have become aware of a few Sheds that were developed and funded by other charities that have ceased operating after the associated charity withdrew its support. From these examples and from membership feedback, we have come to understand that there is more we can and should be doing from UKMSA to assist the vitality and smooth running of Sheds, so this will be incorporated into our new strategy. This approach will build on the resources and sessions we already deliver to member Sheds, and we will be looking actively at campaigns to connect those Sheds that need support with people who can help. We hope that a good portion of this will be developed and added to by active Shedders within our social media groups and reinforced by the ‘sharing’ aspect of regional networks.

From our more experienced volunteers, those with personal knowledge of establishing and running Sheds, we recruit our UKMSA Ambassadors. These volunteers are a vital part of the fabric of UKMSA, bringing their experience to bear in both supporting the growth of new Sheds and assisting existing Sheds in becoming sustainable for the longer term. Through proactive recruitment and a training programme, we continue to see some fantastic work and welcome applications for more people across the UK. However, almost by definition our greatest success in recruiting new Ambassadors is in those areas of the UK where we have most Sheds. This is one of the reasons we applied for funding for two professional Shed Development Officers in two regions where Shed coverage is especially sparse. This does not change our need for, and reliance on, Ambassadors in the future, so we will continue to look at other ways we can use to recruit Ambassadors in geographic areas and communities with few or no existing Sheds.

Another vital volunteer-led resource available to UKMSA is the Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group (HAWAG), which continues to shape UKMSA policy and develop key resources for us. Their work informs the thinking of the Trustees and staff team to consider ways of improving and increasing our offers to our members and to UK Sheds more broadly. The positive impact is also felt directly by Sheds. HAWAG has added real value to many Sheds on matters from Social Prescribing to supporting people to get tested for prostate cancer, and we plan to expand the role further given the significant success of the group.

Outside the specific Shed network, we also continue to develop other volunteer roles. In particular, we are targeting local government and charities with the aim to recruit Shed Advocates and Shed Connectors, primarily from organisations in the community, local government, health providers, and the third sector. The Shed Advocate is empowered to influence their own organisations to support existing Sheds and assist in the creation of new Sheds. These Shed Advocates and Shed Connectors will enable greater reach to people who can benefit from Sheds in their communities, and we are actively engaged with the National Academy for Social Prescribing in this initiative.

“I have been an Ambassador for five years and as time progresses I am watching the benefits to Shedders increase and deepen. It has the same effect on me, .. It’s just a good feeling giving something back, you are always on a learning curve and of course you meet some amazing people.” Graham Gowman, Ambassador for Hampshire

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Ambassador Profile

Ambassador Tim Tempest founded Sherwood Men’s Shed in 2015 and holds the position of Chair today. The Shed is situated in Tunbridge Wells, an area known for its affluence. However, Sherwood Men’s Shed is located on the edge of the Sherwood estate, which is known for being an area of higher deprivation and socioeconomic challenges. The Shed provides much needed support and social interaction for men and women in the area, offering sessions twice a week. Tim has a background in business development working with pubs across London and is now the Kent Advisor for the ‘Pub is the Hub’. This charity offers independent advice to pubs on rural services diversification for those that are looking to add social value to their area or provide viable community services.

Tim had been involved in the support and set up of two other local Sheds when he reached out to enquire about the Ambassador role at the beginning of 2023. Since becoming an Ambassador Tim has done talks for West Kent Radio, Adult Learning Wales and Alternative Futures (a health and social care charity). Tim has continued to support new and existing Sheds in the Kent area, working alongside Jon Whitfield, and has recently been involved in supporting Hospice in the Weald to begin the process of starting a Shed in their grounds for patients and their families, attending several meetings onsite, sharing knowledge and signposting to information. Tim volunteered to support at ShedFest last year and also attended the media training session in August 2023.

Tim was chosen to support our Parliament Shed event as he is friendly and approachable, has experience speaking to a range of different people, and is more than capable of giving talks and interviews competently. Tim was interviewed by Sean Curran from the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Today in Parliament’ while he was at the event. Tim also demonstrated and taught carving to visitors to the Parliament Shed, and spoke confidently with MPs and other visitors about the Shed Movement.

“In terms of my Ambassador role I get great satisfaction being able to help new sheds start up and develop. Having started our own shed I am able to pass on the knowledge gained with a high degree of confidence knowing what works and what doesn’t and also recommend best practice in terms of organisation, regulatory compliance and the like.

Working with our local hospice, Hospice in The Weald I am really looking forward to help and guide the development of a Shed within the hospice for patients and their families alike.”

“Sheds are full of mates you never knew you had.” Colwyn Bay Men’s Sheds

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Working With Our Members

UKMSA plays a key role in supporting the development, growth, and continued success of Sheds across the UK alongside championing and celebrating their work. Many of our resources are also available to non-members, which is especially useful for new Sheds in development.

We also play an important role in broadening awareness in order to reach the greatest possible number of potential Shed members. And while every Shed is autonomous, and every user experience unique, we play a part in helping to enhance that experience. For nascent and established Sheds alike, UKMSA provides practical information about getting and keeping going.

Through our development programme led by our Volunteer and Community Development Manager we provide written resources, presentations, workshops and, of course, the direct input of our Ambassadors and staff. This support comes with varying degrees of complexity related to the specific stage on the ‘Shed journey’.

This year we have been taking the opportunity of our new website to refresh information we provide online and enhance the user experience. We continue to build on the insight we gain from Sheds the breadth and depth of the UK and are indebted by everyone’s commitment to sharing what works, particularly when we conduct or support research. We continue to engage with internal research and supporting external organisations and universities in research pertaining to men’s health and Sheds. Amongst this work was the release of the Health and Wellbeing Survey developed by HAWAG that provided real insight into the impact of Sheds on their members. We are also indebted to The Rayne Foundation for their support of the 1,000 Faces of Sheds project, a collection of insights from Shedders, part two of which we hope to publish shortly.

Insight and data are crucial when we are telling the story of Men’s Sheds, especially to those outside the movement who want to know more but may require something evidenced. For many, joining a Shed is all about making and creating, and that is clearly integral to what Sheds are. For others, it can also be about supporting their communities and for some it has the effect of transforming or even saving their lives. It is these latter areas that are, of course, of most interest to local, central, and regional government, as well as funders, when deciding whether to support projects like Sheds, so a key part of UKMSA’s role is to gather and present the relevant data so that not only we can use it but that it is available to individual Sheds too.

The power of the data is to reveal the extraordinary – such as showing that 39% of Sheds that completed our 2023 Health & Wellbeing Survey knew (25%) or believed (14%) that their Shed had saved at least one member’s life. Demonstrating the impact of Sheds requires hard data like this, but it works even more powerfully in tandem with the statements and quotes from Shedders on how being part of a Shed has transformed their lives. Such insight was a key part of our successful application to the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, our first ever funding from central government. And for our own operational management it is vital that we keep abreast of Shed numbers in the UK, including those who are not affiliated to any national association. These quite different but vital sets of data are mostly acquired due to the energy, skill, and dedication of individual volunteers. We are extremely grateful to them and to all those who put time and effort into conducting and supporting research in these areas.

Our annual conference, ShedFest 2023, proved to be our best attended yet. Many of our partners played key roles, as exhibitors, demonstrators and sponsors. Our Patron, Chris Fisher RPT (‘The Blind Woodturner’) delivered a highly moving keynote address.

The other sessions in the breakout rooms were based on topics requested by the membership – talks on fundraising and being a Shed leader were both well attended and underscored the appetite for us to provide additional support for the members in areas like this, which we are addressing in our strategy and plans for the coming years. The practical demonstrations were as popular as ever, so even more are being planned for ShedFest 2024.

“I ended up without any men friends, so of course coming to our Men’s Shed changed all of that. I’ve got 30 friends, who turn up regularly at our meetings.”

Terry, Pontypridd Men’s Shed, Wales

135

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Celebrating Men’s Sheds

Shed of the Year 2023

Our Annual Awards, Shed of the Year, took place at the Palace of Westminster in May 2023 as part of our 10th Anniversary celebrations. The event, which was made possible by the kind support of Baroness Tanni GreyThompson and the generosity of TiteFix, who sponsored the Awards. This event enabled us to pay a public tribute to UKMSA founder, Mike Jenn, and to present a blue anniversary plaque to Camden Town Shed, which Mike set up. In the next few months we hope to present similar plaques to all the Sheds in the UK, regardless of membership, that were open when UKMSA was established in 2013 as the first national Men’s Shed organisation in the UK. Our sincere thanks to Carveco for the production of these plaques.

The number of entries for the Shed of the Year 2023 awards was the largest yet. All nominations demonstrated the significant contributions that they make to their communities and the wider Men’s Shed

movement. Winners of the categories were: Lancaster Men’s Sheds (Health and Wellbeing); Cotswold Community Shed (Partnerships); Long Sutton Men’s Shed (Community Impact); and Gareth Lloyd from Kessingland, (Volunteer of the Year). The overall Shed of the Year 2023 award went to Bootle Tool Shed for their truly inspirational work across their community.

Chairman’s commendations went to Chris Griffiths of Lisvane Men’s Shed, Patrick Abrahams and Tony SmithCrallan, who both serve as Ambassadors, amongst other roles with UKMSA.

Our thanks go to TiteFix, who again sponsored the Shed of the Year Awards, together with Carveco who produced the Awards and the companies who provided prizes for the Sheds including Axminster Tools, Ronseal, MetalCraft, and Yorkshire Fixings Solutions all of whom helped us create such a memorable occasion.

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Partnerships

2023 saw a furthering of our already broad range of partnerships. Notable among the new partnerships was our agreement with the Royal British Legion (RBL) and a collaboration with Hobson’s Brewery. The former will see the establishment of Men’s Sheds in the RBL’s dementia care homes and increased collaboration around veterans, as well as other initiatives. We were proud to announce this new partnership jointly with RBL representatives at the Parliament Shed event in March. The Hobson’s Brewery partnership is a new type of partnership for us. They have produced a no-alcohol beer, called ‘Shed’, with the tagline “Don’t bottle it up”, with information on Men’s Sheds and a QR code linking to the UKMSA website. A percentage of all sales will go to UKMSA.

Many of our partners provide important practical support, ranging from the provision of premises for Trustee meetings, sponsoring ShedFest and providing Shed of the Year prizes, to providing free or discounted goods and services to our member Sheds. And as mentioned in the report of the Parliament Shed, several partners came together to make our ambition a reality by furnishing tools, material, a shed, and transport.

The Partnerships and Community Development Manager, taken over this year by Allan Ogle, underpins this work and seeks direct association and partnerships with brands and organisations that add value to the movement. The range and span of this is exciting – for example, we were supported by Studio Canal in the promotion of Ken Loache’s film ‘The Old Oak’, and we have attended and spoken at events hosted by a variety of companies and organisations including Wickes, Department of Health and Social Care and CBRE, global leaders in commercial property and facilities management with extensive connections, especially in metropolitan areas where Sheds tend to find it hard to establish. All of this interest points to growing success in raising awareness of Men’s Sheds and will hopefully develop into further opportunities.

Throughout the year we worked in close co-operation with Men’s Sheds Canada, representatives of which spent three days visiting UK Sheds and attending ShedFest 2023. We continue to hold regular online meetings with our Canadian colleagues, to mutual benefit. More recently our CEO met with Japan Community Sheds, and it is hoped that we can both strengthen links more generally but also look at specific research collaboration in coming months.

Some of our partnerships provide direct support to Sheds. These range from Onduline, who provide expertise and support projects with roofing materials, to St John Ambulance, St Andrew Ambulance and St John Cymru Ambulance. Axminster, Titefix and Carveco are amongst our partners offering discounts to Sheds. One project that has expanded this year is support from Ronseal. During this period over 400 requests for support have been processed with a total value to Sheds in excess of £100,000. The partnership with Ronseal is far greater than simply product for Sheds as they also support the development of new projects and digital materials to promote the movement.

As UKMSA also amplifies its voice on issues relevant to Shedders, other partners in this space have been incredibly helpful, including the Men and Boys Coalition, the Royal Voluntary Service, Men’s Health Forum, the Campaign to End Loneliness and Cruse Bereavement Care.

“If I didn’t come here twice a week I’d be sitting in front of the TV drinking. This place is like a second home.” Billy, Keighley Men’s Shed, England

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Working with others

Funding

Thanks to the generosity of our funders, we have been able to not only continue our existing projects but to grow further and faster, including being able to employ two new staff based in Wales. Over the last year particular thanks should be noted to, Barratt Homes Ltd, Developing Youth Practice, The Edith Murphy Foundation, The Edward Gostling Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Helen Hamlyn Trust, The Haramead Trust, The David and Ruth Lewis Charitable Trust, The Light Fund, The Moondance Foundation, The OptiGene Foundation, Pears Foundation, The Penchant Foundation, The Rayne Foundation,The Roger Raymond Charitable Trust, The Shanly Foundation, The Swire Charitable Trust, The Tudor Trust and The Waterloo Foundation.

A restricted fund has been established subsequent to 31 March based on funding in principle from a charitable trust to both support the Ambassador programme and two development staff as detailed in the notes (section 15). In addition a further fund has been created to undertake activity to support the strategic sustainability of UKMSA and to allow greater long-term planning. This support is restricted and additional designated funds will be created (section 15).

And, as referenced elsewhere in this report, during the year we applied for the first time for central government funding through the Department of Health and Social Care’s Suicide Prevention Grant Fund. The application was successful and will cover two Shed Development Officers for a fixed period, one each in the East Midlands and North of England alongside other projects to support Sheds and ultimately save lives.

We are also grateful to Ellandi for their support at their DIY Week for their tremendous fundraising activities for Men’s Sheds. Other supporters that have provided financial contributions to UKMSA have included Axminster Tools, Carveco, Ronseal, TiteFix and Onduline. Their support has enabled us to achieve much more.

Finally, thank you to all those individuals from within and outside our communities who raised funds or made donations, whether in remembrance of a loved one or because they recognise the positive impact of Sheds and our work.

The Trustees are focussed on building and sustaining a broad range of income streams to avoid over-reliance on any one source. It was part of our financial strategy to create a new staff post for a Trusts and Foundations Manager last year and such has been the success of that decision that we have extended the contract to full time. The success is evidenced in the Statement of Financial Activities.

Amplifying our voice

The UKMSA exists primarily to support the development and growth of Sheds, and to celebrate the success of the Shed movement, regardless of UKMSA membership status. To do this ever more effectively, we recognise the need to be a voice for Sheds, and especially to reach into places where currently there is little or limited awareness of what Sheds can offer. Most men (and women) who join a Shed do so primarily in pursuit of their craft or hobby and to make new friends. The Shed is, primarily, a source of enjoyment derived from making or fixing things, chatting with friends, and perhaps doing some good in the community. However, while most may not define it in this way, we know from our own research and that of others that Shed attendance can, for many, help address wellbeing issues such as social isolation, mental ill-health, and prevent people from following through on suicidal intent. To this end, and in line with a greater interest shown in the issues by Shedders, government, and health bodies, we have increasingly engaged with organisations, institutions and groups where the focus is primarily health and wellbeing, especially for men.

Last year we began a partnership with the National Association for Social Prescribing. This year we have reached more into Parliament, giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committees’ enquiry into Men’s Health, and we were invited to be part of Mental Health Minister Maria Caulfield’s Task & Finish Group for a Men’s Health Strategy. We believe that there should be a Shed in the UK for everyone who wants access to one, so having celebrated the milestone of over 1,000 Sheds in the UK, our new goal is to reach 2,400 over the next eight years. As ambitious as that might sound, it is worth reflecting that there were only 40 Sheds a decade ago.

Men’s Sheds work: 96% felt less lonely. UKMSA Wellbeing Survey 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Reserves Policy

The Trustees aim to hold four to six months of operational costs to cover all planned activities in unrestricted reserves as a buffer against any financial setbacks. Activities and events are planned on a self-financing basis to avoid putting pressure on the unrestricted reserves. When unrestricted reserves exceed required levels, the Trustees will consider how best to use any surplus funds to further the objects of the charity.

The restricted reserves in section 3a represent both received and promised funds where an agreement is in place. The unrestricted reserves account for 25% of the operational costs for the next financial year, which demonstrates considerable growth and ambition. This in part is met by in-principal support from a Trust from whom a substantial donation has been received subsequent to 31 March 2024. Please see notes in section 15.

Investment Policy

Short term surplus cash funds are invested in interest bearing UK bank deposit accounts. The Trustees have resolved that deposits should only be made with UK registered and regulated banks and that deposits with any one provider should not exceed the £85,000 guaranteed under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Principle Risks & Uncertainties Facing UKMSA

As indicated elsewhere in this report, during the year the Trustees agreed the formation of an Audit & Risk Committee. This has resulted in changes in the format of UKMSA’s risk register, in accordance with the Board’s wishes to have something better suited to the governance requirements of a larger and more complex charity, especially given a significant uplift in funding over the next three years.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, staff retention remains one of our key risks, but we have in place appropriate mitigations, including increasing the number of staff over the coming year and changing the senior management structure to increase resilience. Alongside this is retention of our key volunteers and the need to increase our recruitment of new volunteers. Again, this risk is significant in terms of impact, but we have mitigations to reduce the likelihood.

The economic situation in the UK continues to offer uncertainty in the work of UKMSA - there is direct impact on our Members (increased energy costs, for example). And whilst as an organisation UKMSA is shielded from many cost of living increases because we have no physical premises, our salary bill has again increased because of our decision that we wanted and needed to raise staff salaries in line with inflation for the second year in succession.

Elsewhere in this report we have drawn out a number of opportunities we hope to bring to fruition over the coming years. A key one of these, made possible by the generous support of one funder, is to meet the challenge of acquiring sustainable and more diversified funding. The staff team and Board alike relish this opportunity, but we recognise the scale of the challenge given how many other charities are looking for financial support to fulfil a growing demand for services that shows no sign of easing since the pandemic and due to spiralling costs.

Men’s Sheds Work: 89% were not as depressed. UKMSA Wellbeing Survey 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

Financial review

Financial performance during the financial year was as planned for UKMSA, full details of which are given in the Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet and accompanying notes. During the year the CIO received further multi-year funding for the promotion and support of Men’s Sheds. Income for the year was £234,671 (2023: £255,665) of which £148,318 (2023: £121,698) was unrestricted and £86,353 (2023: £133,967) was restricted. Expenditure on promoting Men’s Sheds was £52,153 (2023: £44,939) and expenditure on supporting Men’s Sheds was £215,074 (2023: £136,484). For the year employee remuneration represented 67% (2023: 74%) of overheads. The financial outcome for the year was a surplus of £84,358 (2023: £92,529 surplus) of unrestricted funds and a deficit of £194,333 (2023: £69,443) of restricted funds. This financial outcome reflects the Trustees following the reserves policy while spending restricted funds in accordance with the terms of various grants.

Financial position

The Trustees are pleased to report the total reserves at the end of the year were £194,488 (2023: £304,463) of which £139,033 (2023: £199,747) were unrestricted and £55,455 (2023: £104,716) were restricted. The unrestricted reserves represent the saving of prior year surpluses being accumulated to provide a financial buffer in accordance with our reserves policy. The restricted reserves however represent funds, either accounted for or paid to us, that have been provided for future activities. The Trustees take great care to ensure that grant spending is spread evenly over the period for which the funds have been provided. This is managed by the preparation and monitoring of budgets which are reviewed quarterly by the board.

Approved by the Trustees 20[th] June 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Rob Lloyd Chair of Board of Trustees, 20[th] June, 2024

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of UK Men’s Sheds Association

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. The accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Paul Colcomb FCCA

Wright Vigar LimitedW

Statutory Auditors and Business Advisors

15 Newland

Lincoln

LN1 1XG

Date: 19[th] June, 2024

Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account)

Year Ended 31 March 2024 Unrestricted Notes Funds 3a,c £ Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Donations 4 41,413 Grants 5 82,500 Charitable activities Membership subscriptions 10,305 Other trading activities 11,094 Investment income Bank interest 3,006 Total income 148,318 Expenditure on: Raising funds 7 37,097 Charitable activities: Promoting Men’s Sheds 7 13,084 Supporting Men’s Sheds 7 13,779 Total expenditure 63,960 Net movement in funds 16 84,358 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 16 199,747 Transfer between funds (145,072) Total funds carried forward 139,033	Restricted Funds £ 0 84,803 0 1,550 0 86,353 40,322 39,069 201,295 280,686 (194,333) 104,716 145,072 55,455	Total 2024 £ 41,413 167,303 10,305 12,644 3,006 234,671 77,419 52,153 215,074 344,646 (109,975) 304,463 0 194,488	Total 2023
			£ 46,337 189,842 10,506 7,135 1,845
			255,665
			51,156 44,939 136,484
			232,579
			23,086 281,377 0
			304,463

The notes on pages 22 to 38 form part of these financial statements.

Balance Sheet - 31 March 2024

Note Unrestricted 3b,d £ Fixed assets: Tangible assets 11 1,920 Investments 12 3 1,923 Current assets: Debtors 13 11,858 Cash at bank and in hand 132,475 144,333 Liabilities: Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 14 (7,223) Net current assets 137,110 Total net assets 139,033 Funds of the Charity Restricted income funds 16 - Unrestricted funds 16 139,033 Total funds 139,033	Restricted £ 0 0 0 0 75,389 75,389 (19,934) 55,455 55,455 55,455 - 55,455	2024 £ 1,920 3 1,923 11,858 207,864 219,722 (27,157) 192,565 194,488 55,455 139,033 194,488	2023
			£ 995 3
			998
			38,378 290,843
			329,221 (25,756)
			303,465
			304,463
			104,716 199,747
			304,463

The Trustees confirm, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012, that at the year end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on assets of the CIO.

The financial statements on pages 22 to 38 were approved by the Board of Trustees on 20[th] June, 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

David P Webber ACA

Treasurer

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

1 Charity status

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation incorporated with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

2 Accounting policies

(a) Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts.

Statement of compliance

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 1 January 2019 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

Going concern

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the UKMSA’s ability to continue as a going concern. There are no material uncertainties affecting the current year’s accounts or carrying value of the assets held by the CIO.

Cash flow statement

The charity has taken advantage of the following exception in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’:

The requirement of Section 7 Statement of Cash Flows.

(b) Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The Trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for day to day expenses.

Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for specific purposes. During the year the Trustees maintained records for 4 (2023: 4) restricted funds as shown in notes 15, 16 and 17.

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

(c) Incoming resources

All incoming resources are recognised when the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable (more likely than not) that the income will be received and the amount of the income can be measured with sufficient reliability. The following policies are applied to particular categories of income:

Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is recognised when the CIO is notified of the amount and settlement date. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the CIO becomes entitled to the grant.

Incoming resources from grants, where related to performance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.

Membership subscriptions which give member Sheds the right to services and other benefits are recognised as income earned from the provision of goods and services as income from charitable activities.

The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts.

Gift Aid

Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.

(d) Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Apportionment of costs

The employment costs and associated expenses of each member of staff have been apportioned over fundraising costs and charitable activities on an average time basis.

Allocation of support costs

Support costs, including leadership and management time, insurance, administration and governance costs have been apportioned between fundraising costs and charitable activities as follows:

Employee management costs are matched to the employees being managed and then apportioned to key activities using the same average time basis used to allocate the employees costs.

Strategic development costs are apportioned equally between the cost of generating funds, membership support and Shed development activities.

Insurance, administration and governance costs have been split 50:50 between the cost of generating funds and charitable activities. The total for these two is then apportioned to reflect the perceived benefit each activity receives from these costs.

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

(e) Employee benefits: Pension commitments

UKMSA employees are automatically enrolled into the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) workplace pension scheme unless they choose to opt out. The scheme is a defined contribution scheme and the CIO has no liability under the scheme other than for the payment of contributions. At the year end this liability was £nil (2023, £nil). The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by UKMSA to the fund and these amounted to £9,772 (2023, £7,752).

(f) Taxation

HMRC have confirmed recognition of UKMSA as a charity for tax purposes in line with Paragraph 1 of Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and that for tax purposes UKMSA is a CIO. Accordingly the CIO is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

(g) Fixed asset investments

Fixed asset investments represent shareholdings in subsidiary companies which are initially shown in the financial statements at cost and subsequently measured at their fair (market) value. The Statement of Financial Activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals.

(h) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets costing over £250, previously £50, are capitalised. Fixed assets are disclosed at historical cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expected useful economic life, as follows:

IT equipment 3 years, Straight Line Other equipment 3 years, Straight Line

(i) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

(j) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand is held to meet the day to day running costs of the charity as they fall due. Cash equivalents are short term, highly liquid investments, held in 35 to 90 day notice interest bearing savings accounts.

(k) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

Men’s Sheds Work: 75% had decreased anxiety. UKMSA Wellbeing Survey 2023

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

3 Prior year comparatives by type of fund

The primary statements provide prior year comparatives in total; this note provides, on pages 25 to 28, prior period comparatives for the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet for unrestricted and restricted funds.

3a Unrestricted funds: Statement of Financial Activity


3a Unrestricted funds: Statement of Financial Activity Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Donations individual Donations corporate Grants Charitable activities Memberships subscriptions Other trading activities Investment income Bank interest Total income Expenditure: Raising funds Charitable activities: Promoting Men’s Sheds Supporting Men’s Sheds Membership and support Shed development Events Total expenditure Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Transfer between funds Total funds carried forward	2024 £ 26,528 14,885 82,500 10,305 11,094 3,006 148,318 37,097 13,084 2,329 10,288 1,162 63,960 84,358 199,747 (145,072) 139,033	2023
		£ 19,424 20,513 68,000 10,506 1,410 1,845
		121,698
		18,247 5,463 2,184 2,184 1,091
		29,169
		92,529 107,218 -
		199,747

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

3b Unrestricted funds: Balance Sheet

Note Fixed assets Tangible assets 11 Investments 12 Current assets Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities: Creditors: amounts falling due 14 within one year Net current assets Total net assets for unrestricted funds Total unrestricted funds 16	2024 £ 1,920 3 1,923 11,858 132,475 144,333 (7,223) 137,110 139,033 139,033	2023
		£ 995 3
		998
		25,878 184,122
		210,000
		(11,251)
		198,749
		199,747

		199,747

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

3c Restricted funds: Statement of Financial Activity Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Donations Grants Charitable activities Memberships subscriptions Other trading activities Investment income Bank interest Total income Expenditure: Raising funds Charitable activities: Promoting Men’s Sheds Supporting Men’s Sheds Membership and support Shed development Total expenditure Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Transfer between funds Total funds carried forward	2024 £ 0 84,803 - 1,550 - 86,353 40,322 39,069 53,231 148,065 280,686 (194,333) 104,716 145,072 55,455	2023
		£ 6,400 121,842 - 5,725 -
		133,967
		32,909 39,476 29,428 101,597
		203,410
		(69,443) 174,159
		104,716

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

3d Restricted funds: Balance Sheet

Note Fixed assets Tangible assets Investments Current assets Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities: Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 14 Net current assets Total net assets for restricted funds Total restricted funds 16	2024 £ - - - 0 75,389 75,389 (19,934) 55,455 55,455 55,455	2023
		£ - -
		-
		12,500 106,721
		119,221

		(14,505)
		104,716
		104,716

		104,716

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

4 Donations

4 Donations
Individual donations Various Corporate donors 5 Grants Anonymous benefactor 1 Anonymous benefactor 2 Garfield Weston Foundation Edward Gostling David & Ruth Lewis Trust Moondance Foundation Optigene Foundation Pears Foundation Swire Charitable Trust Tudor Trust Various benefactors Waterloo Foundation	Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ 26,528 0 14,885 0 41,413 0 Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ 0 0 0 0 20,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 37,803 0 0 0 0 15,000 35,000 7,000 12,500 15,000 0 25,000 82,500 84,803 0	Total 2024 £ 26,528 14,885 41,413 Total 2024 £ 0 0 20,000 0 0 37,803 0 0 15,000 42,000 27,500 25,000 167,303	Total 2023
			£ 19,424 26,913
			46,337
			Total 2023
			£ 101,842 5,000 0 10,000 15,000 0 5,000 50,000 0 0 3,000 3,000
			189,842

6 Volunteers

A team of volunteer Ambassadors assist the Volunteer and Community Development Manager to deliver support and advice to new groups wishing to start a Men’s Shed and to established Men’s Sheds needing help or experiencing difficulty. These Ambassadors have been recruited from other successful Sheds across the UK and given appropriate training.

They make a valuable and significant contribution to UKMSA and the Men’s Shed movement in the UK. However due to the absence of any reliable measurement basis, and in accordance with the SORP, the financial contribution of these volunteers cannot be recognised in these accounts.

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

7 Expenditure Raising funds: Grant management Membership administration Charitable activities: Promoting Men’s Sheds Digital communication Networking and events Supporting Men’s Sheds Membership and support Shed development Total expenditure Comparative Expenditure Raising funds: Grant management Membership administration Charitable activities: Promoting Men’s Sheds Digital communication Networking and events Supporting Men’s Sheds Membership and support Shed development Total expenditure	Direct costs £ 50,847 14,930 46,333 0 53,230 156,024 321,364 Direct costs £ 26,214 14,020 39,476 0 29,428 101,597 210,735	Support costs £ 9,313 2,329 1,164 4,656 2,329 3,491 23,282 Support costs £ 8,738 2,184 1,093 4,370 2,184 3,275 21,844	Total 2024 £ 60,160 17,259 47,497 4,656 55,559 159,515 344,646	Total 2023
				£ 34,952 16,204 40,569 4,370 31,612 104,872
				232,579
				Total 2023
				£ 34,952 16,204 40,569 4,370 31,612 104,872
				232,579

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

8 Related Party Transactions: Trustee expenses

No remuneration or benefits were paid to any Trustee or connected persons during the year (2023, £Nil). Trustee expenses of £3,796 (2023, £2,954) were either reimbursed or paid directly during the year. These expenses were mostly travel and accommodation costs with some small claims for postage and telephone calls. During the year all current Trustees claimed expenses and/or had their expenses met directly by the CIO. All Trustee expenses were properly incurred in the performance of the Trustees’ duties on behalf of the CIO. There were no other related party transactions during the year (2023, none).

9 Employees

The average number of employees during the year was 8 (2023, 6). No employee receives emoluments of more than £60,000 (2023, no employee).

£60,000 (2023, no employee).
Staff costs Salaries Social security costs Pension contributions Remuneration of key management personnel The cost of the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration and benefits were: Salary Social security costs Pension contributions	Total 2024 £ 206,397 13,423 9,772 229,582 32,244 2,176 1,637 36,057	Total 2023
		£ 155,169 8,956 7,752
		171,877
		29,768 1,884 1,488
		33,140

10 Independent Examiner's fee

The independent Examiner’s fee of £2,400 (2023, £2,100) relates solely to the independent examination of the CIO’s financial statements with no other services being provided.

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

11 Tangible fixed assets

11 Tangible fixed assets
Cost At 1 April 2023 Additions At 31 March 2024 Depreciation At 1 April 2023 Charge for year At 31 March 2024 Net book value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2023	IT equipment £ 7,636 2,080 9,716 6,641 1,155 7,796 1,920 995	Other equipment £ 456 0 456 456 0 456 - -	Total
			£ 8,092 2,080
			10,172
			7,097 1,155
			8,252
			1,920
			995

12 Investments

12 Investments
Unlisted investments At 1 April 2023 Additions at cost At 31 March 2024	Total 2024 £ 3 0 3	Total 2023
		£ 3 0
		3

The investments represent 100% of the ordinary share capital in the following dormant subsidiary companies all registered in England.

	Date of incorporation	Company Number
Men's Sheds Limited	13 March 2019	11879439
UK Men's Sheds Limited	18 March 2019	11889240
ShedFest Limited	10 December 2020	13074874

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

13 Debtors

13 Debtors
Grants & sponsorship Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors	Total 2024 £ 350 238 11,270 11,858	Total 2023
		£ 37,500 827 51
		38,378

14 Creditors

14 Creditors
Trade creditors Other taxation and social security (PAYE liabilities) Accruals and deferred income Other creditors	Total 2024 £ 838 4,689 17,455 4,175 27,157	Total 2023
		£ 633 3,560 19,770 1,793
		25,756

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

15 Restricted Funds

The CIO has 4 restricted funds (2023, 4) and will be commiting to additional funds both designated and restricted in the coming financial year as shown in note 16 the movement of funds pertains to the expenditure of unrestricted funds toward the activities of the CIO. These include Shed Development, Management, The Welsh Development Programme and Leadership.

Welsh Sheds development fund

As presented in the Trustee report, this fund is restricted to development specific to Wales in the development of Sheds and programmes in Wales. This fund allows funders to donate, invest and support specific projects to build communities and support Men’s Sheds in Wales.

Shed development fund

This fund is for the salary costs of the Volunteer and Community Development Manager and the Partnerships and Community Development Manager with the associated costs of running a Shed Ambassador and Development programme. The CIO has received in principal agreement of funding for 2024/5 and subsequent to the 31 March 2024 a donation has been received.

Strategic Sustainability fund

This is a new fund which the CIO has received commitment for the next financial year and again subsequent to the 31 March 2024 a donation has been received. This fund is to strengthen the positon of UKMSA financially to support the sustainability of the organisation and allow for greater long term planning and delivery to support Sheds.

Suicide Prevention fund

This is a new fund which the CIO has received commitment for from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Trustees expect a final agreement to be in place after 31 March 2024.

“I wouldn’t answer the door or the phone. I was on medication and felt suicidal. It’s changed my life completely. I’ve realised I can do things…that person was there all along, it just needed an opportunity like this to bring him out.” Christopher, Caerau Shed, Wales

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

16 Movement in funds

16 Movement in funds
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Leadership and management Shed development Welsh Sheds Total restricted funds Total funds Comparative movement in funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Leadership and management Communication Shed development Membership and support Total restricted funds Total funds	At 01/04/2023 £ 199,747 10,127 94,589 0 104,716 304,463 At 01/04/2022 £ 107,218 40,271 22,542 110,025 1,321 174,159 281,377	Net movement in funds £ 84,358 (41,512) (181,370) 28,549 (194,333) (109,975) Net movement in funds £ 92,529 (30,144) (22,542) (16,757) 0 (69,443) 23,086	Transfer between funds £ (145,072) 31,385 96,304 17,383 145,072 - Transfer between funds £ 0 - - 1,321 (1,321) 0 0	At 31/03/2024
				£ 139,033
				0 9,523 45,932
				55,455

				194,488
				At 31/03/2023
				£ 199,747
				10,127 0 94,589 0
				104,716

				304,463

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2024

17 Net movement in funds 2023/24

17 Net movement in funds 2023/24
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Leadership and management Shed development Welsh Sheds Total restricted funds Total funds Comparative net movement in funds 2022/23 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Leadership and management Communication Shed development Membership and support Total restricted funds Total funds	Incoming resources £ 148,318 0 23,550 62,803 86,353 234,671 Incoming resources £ 121,698 - - 118,967 15,000 133,967 255,665	Outgoing resources £ (63,960) (41,512) (204,920) (34,254) (280,686) (344,646) Outgoing resources £ (29,169) (30,144) (22,542) (135,724) (15,000) (203,410) (232,579)	Movement in funds
			£ 84,358
			(41,512) (181,370) 28,549
			(194,333)

			(109,975)
			Movement in funds
			£ 92,529
			(30,144) (22,542) (16,757) 0
			(69,443)

			23,086

Notes: 39

Notes: 40

Notes: 41

Thank you

The United Kingdom Men’s Sheds Association would like to thank all of our supporters, partners, sponsors, donors and grant-making bodies for their continued support.

Through your support Men’s Sheds are transforming lives, adding years to life and quality of life to years.

“I believe that Men’s Sheds not only play a very important role in men’s mental health, but in their overall general health. Men will discuss health issues while working or while gathered around drinking coffee.” Stephen, Saintfield Men’s Shed, Northern Ireland

ARLIAtstW8HFty PARLIAMENT SIIF. •• alll PARIJAMENTSHeD *iriP

49 Station Road, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6EA

Tel: 0300 772 9626 Website: www.menssheds.org.uk Email: admin@ukmsa.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1162409