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2025-03-31-accounts

UK Men’s Sheds Association

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

UK Men’s Sheds Association A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity No. 1162409 www.menssheds.org.uk

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Who we are

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, while supporting local communities.

We support the growth of Men’s Sheds by:

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

• Representing our members and the Men’s Shed movement at local, national and international level. We do this by working with organisations, government, companies, other national Shed associations, and related charities. We develop partnerships, help inform policy, generate funding opportunities, and negotiate sponsorship deals to deliver real value to our member Sheds.

• Providing evidence and insight into the benefits of Men’s Sheds through empirical data and social research. We can show that Sheds play an active part in reducing isolation and loneliness, build communities and connections, and reduce anxiety and depression. Our most recent Health and Wellbeing Survey (2023) suggests that 39% of Sheds believe that they have, or may have, saved lives that otherwise might have been lost to suicide.

“There is something about coming here, mainly the support and friendship of people which has helped me through difficult times, especially when I lost my wife. It puts a smile on my face. I still have bad days but being here lifts a weight from my shoulders.”

Terry, Bexley Shed

Contents
Contents Page no.
Chair’s Statement 4
Legal and Administrative Information 5
Trustees’ Annual Report 6
Independent Examiner’s Report 21
Statement of Financial Activities 22
Balance Sheet
Cashfow Statement
Notes to the Financial Statements		 23
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Many Sheds use branded
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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Chair’s Statement

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

This has been another year of growth, change and success for UKMSA as well as for the Men’s Shed movement in this country.

Shed numbers continue to grow, as does the demand on existing Sheds, many of which are at capacity (with waiting lists). Some Sheds have opened satellite Sheds or other ‘branches’ to meet rising demand, while others have been successful in obtaining larger premises (although finding premises remains one of the biggest obstacles facing most new or growing Sheds). Highlighting what Sheds need as well as what Sheds offer remains one of the key ways in which we can use our UKMSA voice to help the grassroots movement.

UKMSA has grown and changed significantly. As well as some churn, including the departure of our CEO, Charlie Bethel, who had been with the charity for five years, we added staff posts and brought in two contractors: at year end we had 13 employees. (Since May that has been 15, with the arrival of our new CEO, Caroline Ellis, who brings an exciting skill set and a depth of experience in supporting men’s wellbeing, and an Armed Forces Lead, Stuart Gray. Four new posts added during the year were Shed Development Officers, our first step down this path but one which is proving successful, and which therefore may bear repeating in other geographic areas where Shed growth has not happened organically as it has in many parts of the UK. The Trustees also decided to create a new three-strong Senior Leadership Team under the CEO to replace the previous flat management structure. Two new posts have been created (one filled on promotion and one via external recruitment), with the existing Trusts & Foundations post added in. While we are cautious about too much further growth in the short term, it is likely that there will be at least two more posts created and filled in the coming year, including one for which we already have funding (communications lead). On the subject of funding, we continue to be grateful to those that have supported us financially over the year, especially those providing vital unrestricted funds that have enabled us to deliver our core operations.

Other internal changes have also been quite significant. They are detailed elsewhere in this report and are a positive sign of UKMSA meeting the concurrent challenge of growth while ensuring continued good governance and management. While this change has created an additional pressure for staff and volunteers alike, it is a key part of our transformation journey, the plan for which is detailed in our new five-year strategy and manifesto, which will be launched following our AGM in July. The four pillars of the strategy are outlined in this Annual Report, and an Income and Investment Plan will support the achievement of our aims and UKMSA’s long-term sustainability.

The successes of the Sheds and of UKMSA are too numerous to cover comprehensively in this Annual Report, but a flavour of them is conveyed throughout, with some specific examples given in more detail. They showcase the work of the CIO but also the Sheds and the Shed movement we support. The report also shows not only the hard work of our incredible staff, but also that of the range of volunteers, our UKMSA Ambassadors and Trustees, and all those who give their time to run Sheds and Shed networks, without whom the Shed movement, and all the benefits it brings, would not exist. On a personal note, I would like to pay particular tribute to two of those volunteers, David Webber (our Treasurer for over four years) and Victoria Coker, who have stepped down as Trustees but who have made significant contributions to the Board and the running of UKMSA.

When I took over as Chair of UKMSA two years ago I decided to prioritise visiting member Sheds in all four home nations. Having achieved that goal, and in the process experienced many Sheds, across the UK, I observe that while every Shed is unique, I am more struck by the commonality. The accents, the locations, the craft interests, and the buildings may all be different, but the stories, the sense of purpose, the values, and that palpable sense of companionship, that essence of shoulder to shoulder, are absolutely the same. As a funder, a partner, employee, or volunteer, this is what you support, this incredible, lifechanging, life-enhancing, and often life-saving movement. To all of you, on behalf of UKMSA, I give my heartfelt thanks.

Rob Lloyd

Chair of Trustees, UKMSA

24 June 2025

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

Hon. Life President Patron

Mike Jenn

Lord Kyte Hardwick, Christopher Warwick-Fisher RPT

Trustees

Rob Lloyd, Chair (re-elected July 2024) David Webber, Treasurer (resigned June 2025) Joanne Phillips (re-elected July 2024) Kate Martin, Interim Treasurer (from June 2025) Victoria Coker (resigned June 2025) Mark O’Neill

John Rushforth, Vice Chair Andrew Johnston John Jarvis (re-elected July 2024) John Latchford (re-elected July 2024) Chris Griffiths

Staff up to 31 March 2025

Senior Leadership Team

Chief Executive Officer

Charlie Bethel (resigned October 2024) Alison Hands Rachel Meadows Amy Robinson

Head of Trusts & Foundations Head of Development Head of Operations

Other Staff

Karen Coates Laura Winkley Bernadette McElhatton Allan Ogle Robert Visintainer Simon Poole Ruth Gibbsmith Anne Whelan Keira Summerhayes Ian Francis Leo Pswarayi (resigned March 2025)

Finance Manager

Shed Development Support Manager Shed Development Support Officer

Partnerships & Community Development Manager Regional Development Manager (Wales) Shed Development Officer (Wales) Shed Development Officer (East Midlands) Shed Development Officer (North of England) Shed Development Officer (Universities) Shed Development Officer (Greater London) Digital Communications Manager

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank plc P.O. Box 101 1 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP

Redwood Bank Limited Hampshire Trust Bank plc The Nexus Building 55 Bishopsgate Broadway London Letchworth Garden City EC2N 3AS SG6 3TA

Monmouthshire Building Society Monmouthshire House John Frost Square Newport NP20 1PX

Reliance Bank Limited Faith House 23-24 Lovat Lane London EC3R 8EB

Independent Examiner

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

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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

UKMSA Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-2025

The staff and volunteers of UKMSA have achieved a great deal during the year to meet the objectives of the charity and to support Sheds and Shedders in the UK. The following is a summary of that activity between April 2024 and March 2025. Some activities are referenced in more detail in the rest of this annual report, as particular illustrations of the work of UKMSA.

crafts and activities in which Sheds engage, and to hear firsthand from Shedders about the benefits of the movement.

Events

ShedConnect Regional Events: East Midlands, North East and North West

Staff and volunteers delivered events focussed on Shed management and health and wellbeing. The target audience was new and existing Sheds, and each event was fully attended, confirming demand for this sort of UKMSA support. Our key aims were to encourage connection, peer support, and to develop a foundation on which to build new regional Shed networks. This model will be replicated in other areas, including Wales and London, in the coming year.

Increased Staff Support

Shed Development Officers

Suicide prevention funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (our only government funding to date) allowed us to recruit two full time staff to focus on Shed development in two geographic areas where there are few Sheds and growth has not happened organically, as it has in many other regions. These regions were identified as having high levels of inequality and include communities which are often overlooked and underserved. This targeted approach has enabled us to support the development of 52 new Sheds over the ten months since the new staff were recruited. And the early success of the approach led us to secure funding for a similar Shed Development Officer in the Greater London area (urban areas generally having a low number of Sheds proportionate to population and likely need). This post was filled in January 2025.

ShedFest 2024

2024 saw the highest turnout of Shedders at ShedFest to date. The event was supported by staff and volunteers, and featured practical demonstrations alongside workshops on IT and cybersecurity, the DBS service, the role of trustees in Sheds, suicide awareness, and dealing with grief and loss. This is one of our two flagship events, drawing in Shedders from across the UK.

Shed of the Year Awards 2024

University Sheds

In 2022 we took the decision to separate our Awards event from ShedFest, to allow us to seek prestigious settings. This year, our Awards were held in the formal apartments of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Awards bring together representatives of shortlisted Sheds, as well as volunteers, partners, funders, MPs and other dignitaries to celebrate and recognise the incredible contributions made by Sheds over the past year. Details of the winners and a feature on the Shed Volunteer of the Year feature in this report.

This pilot was founded on the understanding that the student experience in tertiary education has changed dramatically in recent years. With the aim of tackling increased loneliness and isolation, and consequently heightened risk of suicide, among students and academic staff, we obtained funding for a year-long study (with a research element) focussed on supporting the development of Sheds in ten universities. We hope that the pilot will also introduce a younger demographic to the benefits of the Shedding Movement, which they may carry forward in their lives.

Muslim Council of Britain Conference 2024

Following conversations and a visit by then Secretary General Zara Mohammed to our Shed in Parliament (March 2024), UKMSA were invited to the Muslim Council of Britain’s leadership conference in June. A mix of staff and volunteers attended the event, meeting and hearing from change makers, leaders and thinkers from across the Muslim community, and engaging in discussions about the benefits of Men’s Sheds, especially around mental health and wellbeing.

Armed Forces Lead

As a recognition of the number of men from the Armed Forces community in Sheds, the benefit Sheds can bring to them (as well as the value they add in return), and as part of our partnership with the Royal British Legion, we won funding to bring in a full-time staff member as our Armed Forces Lead. The role was developed in year and filled in May 2025. The Armed Forces Lead will work across the UK in a targeted approach, showcasing how Sheds can make a real difference to veterans, serving personnel, and dependants alike. We will also encourage existing Sheds to become ‘Armed Forces Friendly’ with a new accreditation scheme.

Woodworking Shows

Outreach at large, regional woodworking events continues to be a proactive way of engaging with both existing and potential new Shedders, as well as other partners. We had a presence at both the North England Woodworking Show and the Midlands Woodworking Show, promoting the benefits of Men’s Sheds. In Harrogate, we hosted a Shedder get-together which attracted members of 30 different Sheds, alongside staff and volunteers. We partnered with local Sheds to give members of the public an opportunity to see the sorts of

Recruitment of New CEO

Among several other staff recruitment campaigns, we ran a national campaign for a new, full time CEO. This was managed in-house and attracted more than 270 applicants from across the UK.

New Systems

Reflecting the increased size and complexity of the CIO, during the year we introduced a new HR management system, and moved our IT support to a professionally managed service contract. We also introduced a range of additional training and safety measures for our staff, acknowledging the greater degree of travelling many are doing (and with all our employees working remotely). The trustees also approved a significant upgrade to our accounting software.

Directly Supporting & Connecting with our Members

Shed Visits

Staff and volunteers are frequent Shed visitors. Ambassadors make visits as part of their volunteer role, helping new Sheds establish and continue to remain viable. For staff and trustees (especially those who are not also Shed Leaders) visits are integral to remaining connected to the Shed Movement, hearing from Shedders about issues, learning about best practice and seeing how best UKMSA can best support Sheds. The geographic dispersion of our staff and trustees, and the addition this year of regional development staff, has meant that a far greater proportion of UK Sheds have received a visit from an Ambassador, staff member or Trustee than in any previous year.

Blue Plaque Presentations

To celebrate those Sheds in the UK which were already in existence when UKMSA was founded in 2013, we commissioned commemorative ‘blue plaques’, which were made by our partner, Carveco. Due to illness, the roll out of the plaques was delayed, but have now been presented to the relevant Sheds by staff, Trustees or Ambassadors.

Recruitment of new Ambassadors

Ambassadors are a key volunteer function for UKMSA. During the year we recruited and trained five more, covering Suffolk, Wales, Lincolnshire and Hampshire. All have a wide range of skills and experience to share, both in the Shed movement and beyond.

Online sessions – suicide prevention

Using some of the Department of Health and Social Care funding awarded, we delivered online suicide prevention sessions to our members, working jointly with our longstanding partners, Zero Suicide Alliance. The content was developed with input from members of the UKMSA Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group and Bootle Tool Shed, including Shed-based scenarios based on real life experiences. The live sessions were well attended, and the content is now available as an open resource for Shedders.

Health and Wellbeing videos

We worked with The Light Fund to produce three new health and wellbeing videos aimed at demonstrating the impact Sheds can have for people living with arthritis, prostate cancer and mental health challenges. These videos were filmed in Sheds, with Shedders sharing their experiences, and supported by professionals working in each field. The videos are intended not only as a resource for our members, but also to inform those in the health and social care sector about the part Sheds can play in enabling people to live well with these common health issues.

Men on a Mission campaign

The UKMSA Partnership with Diageo (and their responsible drinking platform, DrinkiQ) saw the launch of Men on a Mission, a drink awareness campaign fronted by former boxing champion Tony Bellew. The moving videos featured Shedders talking about their experiences with alcohol and how they have found their Sheds to be places of support. Diageo are currently working with us to develop further alcohol moderation resources for release later this year.

IT information sessions for Sheds delivered online

In addition to IT sessions delivered at ShedFest, online sessions were delivered in May and June 2024 by a UKMSA volunteer with support from staff. The sessions were aimed specifically at the needs of Sheds and Shed Leaders, with information on how IT and technology could be harnessed to help them protect data, manage membership, and more generally run Sheds to best effect. The popularity of these sessions led to the creation of a small group to support Shedders via email with technology queries.

‘Men’s Sheds Save Lives’ banners

Our Department of Health and Social Care funding also enabled us to launch a visual campaign based on 200 large banners advertising the concept of Sheds. The banners were developed jointly with UKMSA Ambassadors and featured impactful quotes as well as a QR code linking to information about Men’s Sheds. The banners were distributed to Sheds and partners across the UK, for use at Shed gatherings, craft fairs and other events, to encourage more people to find out about Sheds. Examples can be seen in this Annual Report.

The Board of Trustees

Skills Audit of Board

The skills audit provided a detailed picture of the particular skills each Trustee brings, and an understanding of the trustees’ collective experience, set against the generally accepted set of skills for a charity Board. The detailed scoring exercise was followed up with a face to face ‘Board awayday’ to examine the results in detail and also to look at other ways in which we might make the Board even more effective, including confirming our resilience against the loss of individual Trustees in key posts, and consolidating our position of aiming to have at least one Trustee based in each of the four UK home nations, as well as a proportion of trustees who have experience as Shed leaders.

People Committee

After the creation of the Audit & Risk Committee last year, it was agreed that the size and complexity of the CIO now merited a formal sub-committee of the Board to oversee issues to do with people, especially around staff and volunteers, but also some oversight of how the charity manages its connection with members. This sub-committee, called ‘The People Committee’ comprises three Trustees, one of whom will always be the Trustee Safeguarding Lead, and it works in close partnership with the UKMSA Executive team.

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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

UKMSA Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-2025

The Trustees of UKMSA present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. 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 & Management

Senior Leadership Team, working under the direction of the Chair. Our work is supported by 40 volunteers who act as Ambassadors within the Shed community.

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. The Trustees are allowed to appoint additional Trustees during the year. All new Trustees are provided with a pack which includes copies of the CIO’s Constitution, the most recent UKMSA Annual Report, 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 meet at least every quarter in person, and additionally online when necessary, to oversee the governance requirements. 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.

Arrangements for setting staff pay

The charity pays its staff market rate salaries, which are determined by benchmarking across the sector and taking into consideration any specialist skills. This process applies to all staff, including key management personnel. Salary levels are approved by the Trustees (with recommendations from the CEO and the Board’s People Committee) as part of the annual budget setting process.

Objectives & 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

At the end of March, UKMSA had 13 employees delivering the organisation’s objectives. At the time of writing, this number has risen to 15 following the arrival of the new CEO and the appointment of our Armed Forces Lead. During the period UKMSA was without a CEO, it was led by the

voted in favour of a proposal to reduce the Board quorum from two-thirds to one-half because the existing higher requirement was proving an inhibitor. There were key changes in both the organisational structure and the staff during the year. The CEO departed during the Autumn. Following an exhaustive process, a new CEO was appointed and started in May 2025. The hiatus accelerated the Board’s existing plans to move away from the previous flat management structure to create a new, broader senior leadership team, reflecting the changed needs of the CIO. In addition to the existing Head of Trusts & Foundations post, we created a Head of Development and a Head of Operations. The former was filled on internal promotion and the latter by external application. As well as increased senior leadership capacity created by the new roles, the CEO and all three SLT appointments are full time.

Trustees Respond to Change

The body of Trustees (‘the Board’) remained unchanged during the financial year; four members stood down under the rotation required by the governing document, but all were re-elected at the AGM. The Trustees also voted to re-appoint Rob Lloyd as Chair of the Board after he was re-elected as a Trustee. Between the end of the financial year and the time of publication of this report, two trustees stood down, David Webber (our Treasurer) and Victoria Coker. The Board appointed Kate Martin as interim Treasurer following David’s departure. A skills audit conducted during the year revealed no major gaps but will be refreshed after each new Board appointment and will be used as part of the next recruitment process for new Trustees. Recognising the increasing size and complexity of the CIO (and following the decision last year to create an Audit & Risk Committee), the Trustees agreed to the creation of a second formal subcommittee (The People Committee) to support UKMSA in achieving its strategic objectives related to workforce, volunteer management, and member engagement. At the AGM, members

The contractor who provided our Finance Manager function also left during the year and was replaced by our previous Finance Manager, who rejoins us as a member of staff. Funding was secured for four other new staff posts which we filled during the year, bringing in Shed Development Officers

“It is an awkward truth that men find it more difficult to speak about their health… that’s why we set up the Nest a few years ago – we knew that if we pooled our skills, we could make something bigger and better than we had as individuals, whilst offering a chance for guys to get out and meet and talk.” Alan, Squirrel’s Nest Shed

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

Reflecting the grassroots origins of the movement, most Men’s Sheds are independent entities. However, regional connections through local networks are flourishing, and we believe these are an essential part of community connection and Shed sustainability, promoting mutual support and strengthening ways in which innovation and best practice can flourish. UKMSA is not directly responsible for the delivery of these Shed networks (which are run either by the Sheds or by a third party, often another charity) but we believe it is important for us to support the growth and sustainability of local networks, including through our Shed Development Officers and our volunteers playing a facilitation and enabling role. Our new strategy highlights an ambition to be even more proactive in this area, and we plan to take our successful ShedConnect event format to other parts of the UK in the coming year. We remain especially grateful to those other charities that fund and enable regional networks.

Our staff and volunteer numbers have grown over the last few years, and we have an ambitious programme of visits, but the rapid growth in Shed numbers and their geographic spread means that most of our contact with Shedders is online and digital. Our monthly publication, Shoulder to Shoulder, has grown in circulation and we are about to begin an audit of our social media and comms presence to better reach our members, new or non-member Sheds, and our partners, as well as other interested parties. At the same time, we are embarking on a project to further refine online access to material and tools on our website.

for three geographic regions and for a pilot study at ten UK universities. This recruitment of dedicated Shed Development staff is a new step for UKMSA but one we may extend if it continues to show the success we have seen so far. (Details of the two regional posts made possible by our first ever grant of government funding, and of the university pilot appear elsewhere in this report.) We also secured funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to create a new post of Armed Forces Lead, reflecting our desire to engage more with men who serve or have served in the Armed Forces and to make them more aware of Sheds. This post was filled in May 2025. Other changes are likely: we already have funding to appoint a Communications Officer; and we are likely to require additional support to drive our work to develop a new income strategy, diversifying our income streams and making them more sustainable, addressing one of our key risks and goals.

Other important changes made this year, reflecting the increase in size and complexity of the CIO, have included: the shift to an IT support contract (we had been reliant on the excellent but increasingly under pressure services of a volunteer); Trustee agreement for a significant upgrade to our accounting software; the introduction of a HR management system; and a switch to a different information management system. We have also introduced additional safety measures for our staff, all of whom work remotely and several of whom travel extensively.

A great deal of our material has been refreshed, and we have increased the number of webinars and wellbeing talks we offer online, including recent sessions on suicide.

Our ongoing detailed analysis of opensource data continues and remains a key source of information about new Sheds or Shed-like entities in the UK which appear to have no link to other Sheds nor affiliation with any regional network or national Shed association. UKMSA Patron, Chris The data search and analysis allow us to Fisher RPT, Speaking at be confident about the Shed figures we ShedConnect in Newark present across the UK. We aim to contact

Sheds discovered through our data work in the hope that they might engage with regional or local networks, to the benefit of all.

ShedFest remains our key annual event to connect Sheds from across the UK (ShedFest 2024 is covered later in this report).

ShedConnect Event – Newark, February 2024

Future Plans

Following our AGM in July, we will formally launch our new UKMSA strategy for the next five years. The strategy is already approved as a working document by the Trustees and is in the final stages of working through with staff to develop the action plans and confirm the targets. The strategy outlines four main areas of activity, which are all inter-related but provide the framework:

Although this Annual Report is reflective of the past financial year, and the strategy is to be launched in the current one, the definition of the four areas of activity does clearly follow from the work UKMSA has been doing, and the connections and the path to the strategy development are visibly implicit throughout this document.

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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Trustees Respond to Change – Detailed Insight 1

First Government Funding – Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC)

In May 2024, UKMSA received an allocation through the DHSC’s Suicide Prevention Fund (SPF). We used the money for a range of initiatives, in particular facilitating the development of new Sheds across specific areas of need, and highlighting the Men’s Shed Movement as a key intervention for combatting the underlying factors that increase risk of suicide.

Shed Development. Until now, UKMSA has generally supported the grassroots development of Men’s Sheds in the UK through our online material and our network of volunteer Ambassadors. However, in a strategic shift, we used the SPF grant to recruit two regional Shed Development Officers: Anne Whelan and Ruth Gibbsmith. We wanted to drive and support Shed development across two geographic areas which historically have not seen much grassroots growth: the North and the East Midlands. Our aim was to have 48 – 60 new Sheds ‘in development’ (a benchmarked stage where a Shed may lack premises, but the membership is already meeting) by the end of March 2025. Like others across the country, it was intended that these new Sheds would reduce isolation and loneliness, increase social contact and community connection, and help to prevent suicide. Anne and Ruth have only been in post for nine months, but there are already 51 new Sheds open or in development across the two regions, and a further 43 are in the early planning or ‘predevelopment’ stages.

Shed Sustainability & Connection. As Anne and Ruth established themselves in their respective regions, existing Sheds asked for increased contact, support and the facilitation of connection. We responded by running three ‘ShedConnect’ events during February and March, for existing and newly developing Sheds. Each day-long event offered panel and group discussions, drawing on the skills and input of experienced Shedders, UKMSA staff, and external partners, with additional emphasis on networking. Each event split the formal discussions between health and wellbeing, and practical Shed management. In all, 185 Shedders from 94 existing Sheds and Sheds in development attended the three events.

Anne & Ruth – Our two new Shed Development Officers funded by the Suicide Prevention Grant

Suicide Prevention. In partnership with Zero Suicide Alliance, we hosted three suicide prevention sessions tailored to a Shedder audience, created with input from our Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group and a small number of Shed Leaders. These sessions delivered information about appropriate language, suicide myths, how to engage in conversations around suicide, safety planning, signposting and a scenario based on real life experiences. Delivered online, the sessions reached over 600 viewers and remain available on our website. Additionally, the SPF allowed us to produce 200 banners, each with a powerful message about Men’s Sheds. Through partners and Shedders, these banners have been distributed across the UK and will be used at events where Men’s Sheds are represented.

The SPF allowed us to make some material differences to communities in the North and East Midlands of England, but the success has equally importantly enabled the Trustees to take the Shed Development Officer model forward, including recruitment of one for London and another for universities (see the following profile).

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. Redcar Men’s Shed, England

Trustees Respond to Change – Detailed Insight 2

New Post – University Shed Development Officer

Keira Summerhayes

“In 2024, UKMSA secured funding from the David Riddell Memorial CIO to create a new post running a pilot project setting up Sheds at ten UK universities and undertaking research about Shed benefits on university campuses. When I first heard of this new project, I knew it would be a perfect position for me as I was very drawn to the charity sector, especially around men’s mental health. My own university experience is quite recent, which helps in how I approach the project, and the jobs I have done since leaving education have also helped shape what I can bring to the new role.

My background is in social sciences. After graduation, I worked at John Moores Students’ Union, firstly in Student Voice, and then a more generalised role boosting engagement as a whole, at a time when the Union was struggling to re-engage students post COVID. One project I ran led to a record number of students signing up to represent their courses at decision-making levels within the university and I am already using this experience in shaping both the research and Shed development aspects of my role.

At the end of my contract with the Students Union, I spent a year working in prison education in HMP Liverpool. Perhaps like many people, I had preconceived notions about what it would be like to work in a men’s prison, but most of these proved completely wrong. What I least expected was the intense vulnerability the men were willing to show once some trust had been built. You’d be sat there with a big burly bloke who everyone else on the landing was afraid of, and they’d just turn to you and start a conversation about their mental health. There are clear similarities between the way my classroom operated and how a Shed operates. Once the nine or so men in my class had a chance to get to know each other a little bit, they had some of the most honest conversations about mental health that I’ve ever heard.

Especially since Covid, there has been increasing pressure on universities to improve their mental health provisions, including from students themselves. Students today are far less likely to choose a university based on its academic excellence in their chosen subject, they’re looking for the best overall experience, of which student support is a key part.

I’ve only been in the role for two months, so we are still in the early stages, reaching out to a range of people at our chosen universities, including wellbeing coordinators, Student Union officers, and staff, with targeted approaches to raise awareness and garner interest. Students will be key in deciding the direction the university Sheds go because it’s always the people that make the Shed, not the other way round. But it’s difficult to predict quite what that direction is, as these things always have a certain level of unpredictability – like students!”

Sheds Open Around the UK

There are now more than 1000 open Sheds across the UK (compared to 150 just ten years ago). When we include ‘Sheds in Development’ (a category we use for Sheds with no premises but a group that is meeting regularly and fulfilling many of the functions of a Shed) that figure rises to over 1200. The UK now has the second highest number of Men’s Sheds of any country after Australia, where the movement was born.

Alongside the increase in numbers, we have seen a growing diversity, ranging from the governing structures, to type and size of premises, membership numbers, more Sheds including women (and the growth of ‘She Sheds’), and a wider range of craft activities.

Of the open Sheds, 37% (461) are self-run as charities, and a further 23% (289) are run by a variety of other third-party organisations (usually, but not always, other charities or faith groups). Of the remainder, most are likely to be run as unincorporated organisations.

After a decline in numbers during and immediately after the COVID Pandemic, 49% of known Sheds in the UK (open and in development) are now members of UKMSA (a successful upward trend from 23% ten years ago). Our membership offer continues to be excellent value for money (we have kept the subscription rate the same for several years, despite inflation, in order to ensure our member benefits are accessible to all Sheds, regardless of size and income, while in 2024 we decided to permanently enshrine our offer of 12 months free membership for any Shed which had not previously been a member or which was establishing independence from previous control by a third party organisation.) Members now have access to more resources, and to more benefits offered through partnerships, and further development of the membership offer is a key part of our strategy for the next five years.

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Of course, our
Percentage of Known Sheds UKMSA Members
organisational 60% 1400
heartbeat 50% 1200
is about 40% 1000800
30%
supporting the 20%10% 600400200
development 0%01/01/2015 01/01/2017 01/01/2019 01/01/2021 01/01/2023 01/01/20250
of new Sheds
and helping Total Known Sheds % of Known Sheds as UKMSA Members
existing
Sheds Known Open and In Development Sheds in the UK
continue 1400
1200
to thrive, 1000
so while 800
some of our 600
400
resources and 200
partnership 0
offers are only 01/01/2015 01/01/2017Known Open Sheds01/01/2019 01/01/2021In Development01/01/2023 01/01/2025
available to
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members, UKMSA continues to provide support and advice to any Shed, regardless of membership status. This can be directly from our staff, through the network of UKMSA Volunteer Ambassadors or Shed Advocates, through Shed Networks or through our events (both online and in person).

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Working with our Volunteers

Both UKMSA and the Shed Movement more generally are heavily dependent on volunteers. Approximately 75% of UK Sheds are self-running and so rely on unpaid support to enable the Shed to keep functioning. For UKMSA, we not only need to support these Shed volunteers but to recruit, train and support other volunteers who are essential to what we do at a national level, including our Ambassadors, our Shed Advocates and our Trustees.

UKMSA Ambassadors are recruited from among those with personal knowledge of establishing and running Sheds. They 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. Thanks to funding support, we have a proactive recruitment and training programme and have Ambassadors in all the four home nations, but unsurprisingly our greatest success in recruiting new Ambassadors comes in those geographic areas where Shed density is already high, and not in the areas where the need is arguably greatest. This was part of the reason for our strategic shift to trial the employment of Shed Development Officers in some areas. These officers have a remit not only to encourage and assist the development of new Sheds but to improve UKMSA’s regional infrastructure, including through the recruitment of new Ambassadors who can assist developing and established Sheds alike.

While most people do not join a Shed specifically for health and wellbeing reasons, improvement in this area is a clear and key outcome of Shed membership. Likewise, UKMSA does not describe itself as a health charity, but supporting good health outcomes is a significant part of what we do. To this end, our volunteer-run Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group (HAWAG) has been a central and important component of UKMSA, developing key resources, helping shape UKMSA policy, and informing staff and Trustee thinking about ways to improve our support to our members and to UK Sheds more broadly. HAWAG has also added direct value to Sheds, with advice on matters from Social Prescribing to prostate cancer checks. And while much of our online health and wellbeing resources relate to issues that are either gender neutral or specifically linked to men’s health, in acknowledging the growing number of Sheds opening their doors to women (alongside a growth in Women’s Sheds), HAWAG has this year added to our website links to other sites with advice on aspects of women’s health. The volunteers have also worked with an external contractor to create bespoke literature for Shedders who are going through the loss of a job or a partner. Drawing on the personal experiences of Shedders with direct experience, these leaflets offering practical and emotional support will be distributed at ShedFest 2025.

Because of the central importance of volunteers to UKMSA, we are currently engaged on a project to review both the HAWAG specifically and advisory bodies more generally. The recommendations are being refined and will come to the UKMSA Board later in 2025.

Ambassador Profile

Rob Thomas

“Following the passing of my wife of 38 years, I felt lost, broken and confused. I hated being in my home. It didn’t feel like my home anymore now that my wife wasn’t there, but when I left, I needed to return quickly. I didn’t know where I belonged.

My brother-in-law, a member of the Squirrel’s Nest Men’s Shed, suggested I should attend a session. At first, I rejected the idea - I had lost my confidence, and the thought of meeting new people terrified me. But after weeks of his persuasion, I went to the summer open day in 2019. I remember there was lots of laughter and fun, something that had been missing in my life for a long time, and as I drove home from the Shed, I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Of course, things didn’t change overnight – my grief was still overwhelming, I wasn’t coping well, and I felt that I couldn’t continue living every day with the pain I was experiencing. But that Shed experience stayed with me, so I went back. I started attending one day a week, then two and then three. Along the way I began to realise that grieving is not just associated with losing someone dear to you through death, but can manifest itself in different ways for different people - like losing daily contact with colleagues when you retire or experience redundancy, or grief for a relationship lost to divorce, grief for your health when experiencing a long term illness, or grief when you lose a much-loved pet. All these life changing events can have a major impact on one’s physical and mental

Trustee Profile

John Rushforth

From the age of 19 until he retired nine years ago, John worked in care services. He spent 20 years at the “coal face”, working with what some would consider difficult adolescents, but absolutely loved it, before moving into inspection of care services for the remainder of his professional career.

Shortly after John retired, a friend mentioned Men’s Sheds, something he knew nothing about at the time. “My friend had attended a local meeting where a speaker introduced the idea of Men’s Sheds and from there a small group started meeting. He invited me along; little did I know what I was getting into!”

“I am perhaps the world’s most impractical male, I hate tools, and my idea of hell would be a week in Wickes! However, I liked the idea of meeting people, chatting, and sharing hobbies.

I was part of the formation of Nairn Shed and we were fortunate to secure premises at Nairn Station – the first community group in the UK to obtain premises at a working railway station.”

health resulting in loneliness, isolation, and even in many cases leading to depression and sometimes suicide. Many of my fellow Shedders had experienced similar life changing events and were now supporting me in the way they had also been supported.

When UKMSA staff member Robert Visintainer suggested that I should become an Ambassador, I jumped at the chance. I loved the idea of promoting the advantages of Men’s Sheds and showing what a difference they can make to people’s lives. I’ve now been an Ambassador for 18 months, during which time I represented UKMSA at the Tackle Prostate Cancer national conference, helped at ShedFest 2024, and shared my story to explain the power of Men’s Sheds to audiences including Clarion housing association.

It was also a joy to be selected as one of the four judges for the 2024 Shed of the Year awards. I am a people person, so it was a great honour and privilege to read some of the most uplifting stories I have ever encountered. The hard work and dedication of the people who manage Sheds and who make a difference to so many people’s lives is truly remarkable. It makes it clear why sheds are so important in our society. From everything I read and from my own experiences, I can confidently say that the slogan on the UKMSA banners is true – Men’s Sheds Save Lives.

Sometimes things happen in life that we have no control over. However, since first stepping into a Shed, I have come

Like several Shedders across the UK, despite not being interested in the craft activities offered, John was quickly actively engaged in the running of the Shed. “I enjoyed securing funding, filling out application forms (I know, I’m a bit odd), and helping to create a welcoming place for people, no matter their skills, even if all they could do was make a

a long way on my road to recovery, and I have made many new friends. I also never thought that I would one day be an Ambassador for UKMSA, something which my family and I are very proud of.

There is no better feeling than helping people who are less fortunate than yourself. Although my dear wife is no longer here, one of her sayings lives on with me – ‘the most precious gift that you can give someone is your time.’ Helping run my local Shed and being a UKMSA Ambassador is now a central part of my life, allowing me to help and support others through such a wonderful organisation.”

cuppa!” When the original Shed chairman had to step down due to illness, John assumed the role, realising how key these leadership positions are to Shed sustainability. This led, in turn, to a growing interest in the wider Men’s Shed movement and, because Nairn Shed is a member of UKMSA, in 2019 John decided to apply to be a trustee at the national association.

“As a member of the UKMSA Board, I believe I bring the perspective of an ordinary Shed member to the table, as well as contributing insight based on all my years working in care services. Plus, I am currently the only UKMSA trustee based in Scotland (we do also have trustees based in Northern Ireland and Wales as well as England). I thoroughly enjoy being a trustee - the board meetings are fantastic, discussing the bigger picture of Men’s Sheds, and there is a huge range of skills and experience represented by all the Board members, all harnessed to a common and worthy purpose. Over the past six years, I have watched UKMSA grow massively, growing its support for existing and new Sheds and being an influential force at both local and national government levels. People often ask about the commitment, but I always make clear just how much I get out of it.”

In March, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27 million to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking. The funding will in part expand availability of community and peer support, with particular reference to Men’s Sheds.

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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Working with our Members

UKMSA’s founding objective, and still the core of what we do, is about supporting the development, growth and continued success of Sheds across the UK. To this end, we work with Sheds regardless of whether they are members of our association. Many of our resources are available to non-members, including overseas, which can be especially helpful to new Sheds in the early developmental stages when they are not only working out how to move forward but also may not yet have any funding. This can include access to our Ambassadors and advice from our staff.

But we also recognise that a defined membership offer is important: we are a membership charity. Our growing membership gives UKMSA increasing authority and ability to influence and speak on Sheds and Shedders behalf to potential service providers and to local and national government, and to play a key part helping inform policy. We have therefore not raised our membership fee, despite inflation over the last few years, in order that membership of UKMSA, with all that provides, remains accessible to any UK Shed, regardless of means. We have additionally agreed to maintain our offer of free first year membership to any Shed which has not previously been a member (within the past three years) and for any Shed which is transitioning from being run by a third-party organisation. Our membership offer remains excellent value, both for the additional access to resources and the access to deals from UKMSA partners (the free paint offer from Ronseal alone represents greater value than the annual fee, while judicious use of other discounts can also represent a net gain for many). As part of our strategy to make our income streams more sustainable and diverse, we will also be looking at how we can further improve the partnership benefits for our members.

Staying connected to our members and hearing what they want most from UKMSA is being drawn out in our forthcoming new strategy, and in the coming year we will be looking to conduct another Shed survey which will also help inform our understanding of the UK’s Shed community, including the variations in how they are set up and run. This data will help inform our business planning against our strategic objectives over the next five years. For example, under Shed development we know that a key issue is finding suitable and affordable premises. And under Shed sustainability, we know that we must do even more to provide resources for Shed leaders about running Sheds, securing funding, and filling key volunteer positions.

Showcasing, connecting, and celebrating Men’s Sheds is an important part of UKMSA’s role to support our members, and in the following pages of this report (‘Celebrating Men’s Sheds’) we detail our two ‘flagship’ annual events, ShedFest and the Shed of the Year Awards. Alongside these, we run several online and some in person regional events for the benefit of our members. We also support and run an active social media presence, especially our UK Men’s Sheds Facebook group (open to UKMSA members and non-members alike) where ideas and best practice can be shared, and successes celebrated. And our monthly electronic publication, Shoulder to Shoulder, another source of both information and celebration of all things Shed is available to anyone by signing up to the mailing list.

Filming for The Light Fund Videos, The Octopus Shed, Kent.

We recognise that for many, joining a Shed is fundamentally about making and creating, and finding new friends and connection. For others, it can also be about supporting their communities and for some it has the effect of transforming or even saving their lives. These latter areas are, of course, of most interest to local and national government, as well as funders, when deciding whether to support projects like Sheds, so a key part of UKMSA’s role is to work with our members to gather and present the relevant data, including passing it back to members to use in their own applications and publicity.

As an example of how we work with our members to mutual benefit, several UKMSA member Sheds have collaborated with us on video projects this year. For example, some contributed to the resources created from our partnership with Diageo (detailed in the Working with Partners section of this report) and three others participated in a video project showing how Sheds support their members supported by The Light Fund.

For the latter, we created a series of short videos on mental health, prostate cancer and arthritis. The videos also show some typical Shed activities, capturing members working and socialising. The participants are mostly Shed members, talking about their experiences living with and managing the conditions, and about the commonalities of people living with a variety of different health concerns. The videos also feature professionals from Arthritis Action and Tackle Prostate Cancer, who highlight the informal support Shedders give to and get from each other. The video topics were decided by the UKMSA Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group, based on feedback by Shed Leaders in the 2023 UKMSA Health and Wellbeing Survey.

“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

Celebrating Men’s Sheds

Shed of the Year Awards

By kind permission of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, our annual award ceremony in 2024 took place on International Men’s Day (19 November) in his State Rooms in Westminster Palace. Opening the event, Sir Lindsay spoke of the “incredible stories about the difference Men’s Sheds have made to the mental health and wellbeing of men – and the prevention of suicide” and also referred to UKMSA’s ‘Parliament Shed’ (which resided in Portcullis House for a week during March 2024), describing it as one of the most popular exhibitions to take place there during his tenure. Kim Leadbeater MP and Sarah Green MP also spoke about their support for Men’s Sheds at the event, which was attended by the finalists in each category of award as well as several members of both Houses of Parliament, and a range of our funders, sponsors and partners.

The number and quality of nominations continued the upwards trajectory of previous years, showcasing the incredible work being done by Sheds across the UK, making a positive difference to individuals, families, groups, and communities. The popularity of the event is such that we are considering whether there should be additional award categories beyond the five we have now. The Shed of the Year Awards was again sponsored overall by Tite-Fix (a statement by Richard Rhodes, the Managing Director of Tite-Fix, outlining why supporting UKMSA is so important to him and the company, features later in this report). The awards were provided by Carveco, and each award was sponsored by an individual organisation, to all of whom we are most grateful for their continued support.

Although only open for three years, the Shrewsbury Men’s Shed has established a successful local community space, including extending friendship to people with dementia, men with cancer, woodturners and a horticulture group. They have undertaken some huge projects, such as restoring the greenhouse of legendary celebrity gardener Percy Thrower, and building and running a ferry service, providing a muchneeded connection between the town and the showground. Shed members are keeping alive the heritage craft of coracle making (and passing on those skills to others), and they have forged links with the local Afghan community to share crafts and cookery.

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Shed of the Year Shrewsbury Men’s Shed

Shed Volunteer of the Year Mark Mantle, Ludlow Men’s Shed

Impact in Health & Wellbeing Caerau Men’s Shed Partnerships Pontypridd Men’s Shed Community Project of the Year Rhyl Men’s Shed

The winner of our only award category for an individual, Mark Mantle, was described in the submission by his fellow Shedders as ‘the linchpin and public face’ of Ludlow Men’s Shed. Mark’s story of overcoming social anxiety (he had rarely left his home for 20 years before joining the Shed) is remarkable, yet at the same time his story so resonant in the Shed world that we have featured a piece by him in the following pages of this report.

“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

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Celebrating Men’s Sheds

Celebrating Men’s Sheds - Shedder Profile

Mark Mantle - Winner of UKMSA Shed Volunteer of the Year 2024

When local charity, Hands Together Ludlow (HTL), decided to establish a Men’s Shed after the Pandemic, the first volunteer was Mark. With a long history of social anxiety, depression and self-harm, Mark had barely left his home for twenty years so, as he says, joining the nascent Shed was a huge step.

Mark is an excellent self-taught woodworker but had kept these skills largely to himself due to a lack confidence in the presence of others. However, the value and level of his skills was quickly apparent to his fellow Shedders, so Mark led the fitting out of the new workshop and renovated the donated tools. As larger premises followed in 2022, Mark became more and more centrally involved, to the mutual benefit of both him and the 40 other members. From a place of huge social anxiety, Mark is today the face of Ludlow Men’s Shed. As woodwork supervisor, he is responsible for machine maintenance, ensuring procedures are followed, providing expert guidance, and the registration of new members. His own skill in the workshop has also significantly increased income for the Shed through sale of items he has made. And in response to specific requests, Mark now also leads a weekly class for women to learn woodworking skills. He has proven to be an excellent teacher, blending patience, expertise and good humour in a manner greatly appreciated by all. As one participant fed back “I have learnt more in two weeks than in a six-week college course”.

Mark believes that just two years ago he would never have thought any of this to be possible. But joining the Shed, with the support he found there (and in turn has given to others), has been pivotal. “The Men’s Shed has changed my life, and I hope that along the way I have improved the life of others.” The judges were unanimous in declaring Mark the UKMSA Shed Volunteer of the Year, citing not only his remarkable personal journey but his extraordinary willingness to help others and especially to be an inspiration to people who may also have faced a difficult past.

ShedFest

Our annual gathering of Sheds from across the UK – which also coincides with our AGM – was our largest yet, with over 500 Shedders making the journey to the University of Worcester in July to network, share ideas, watch demonstrations, and attend workshop sessions on a range of topics from Digital Design and CNC, to managing grief, and fraud prevention. The keynote speaker this year was Geoff Norcott, the author and comedian, who got the day off to a thoughtful but also humorous start. An array of partners and funders helped to make the day an outstanding success, from the exhibitors to the volunteer speakers at the workshops, and those who contributed this year’s takeaway goody bag.

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

Working with Partners

This year has again seen an expansion of our already broad range of partnerships, many of whom 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. Other partnerships are of a newer sort, and we focus here on three of those.

Royal British Legion – RBL and UKMSA launched a partnership in March 2024, using the backdrop of the Shed in Parliament. Part of the partnership agreement was to establish Sheds in several RBL care homes across the UK, and in August 2024 the first of them was opened in the grounds of Galanos House. The Shed is open to residents of the care home and members of the local community. The project was overseen by Jo-Anne Wilson, Manager of Galanos House, with input by UKMSA volunteer Ambassador (and Chair of our Health & Wellbeing Advisory Group) Paul Egerton. The new Shed has attracted a lot of interest in the local area, with people donating tools and equipment, and volunteering to get involved. Other RBL homes are actively planning the establishment of a Shed, with support from other local Shedders and UKMSA Ambassadors.

Hobsons Brewery – This partnership, a first where UKMSA benefits from a percentage of the sales, centres on a very low alcohol beer, called ‘Shed’, marketed with the tagline “Don’t bottle it up”, with information on Men’s Sheds and a QR code linking to the UKMSA website.

Working with Others

As can be seen from the financial statements in this report, we have again benefited hugely from the generous support of a range of organisations; particularly trusts and foundations, whose trustees, in a very competitive funding environment, have chosen to support UKMSA.

Particular mention should be made of the Worwin UK Foundation, who not only made funding available to support four staff posts, and other UKMSA programmes over this and the next two years, but also made a significant additional three-year grant to support the strategic sustainability of UKMSA. One element in particular is the development of a diversified and sustainable income stream, which is one of the key goals of the Trustees and senior staff.

The Moondance Foundation and the Waterloo Foundation, alongside other generous funders, continue to provide crucial core funding to sustain our operations in Wales.

We also want to recognise here the role of those funders that chose to support us with vital unrestricted funds. Like many other charities, unrestricted funding is essential to the viability of UKMSA. We are especially grateful to all of our funders that choose to support us in this way and would make special mention of the continued support of the Pears Foundation that has once again chosen to provide unrestricted funds, alongside other meaningful benefits, such as meeting space, that are so important to the continuing viability of our core operations.

Diageo - Our biggest corporate partnership to date: UKMSA and Diageo came together to deliver an 18-month pilot partnership to support men’s wellbeing. It is intended to allow UKMSA to further scale its presence, ultimately enabling more people across the UK to access Sheds and so help address loneliness and social isolation. Diageo’s responsible drinking platform, DRINKIQ, worked with UKMSA and several Sheds to co-develop a programme of activity and equip Shed leaders with resources to lead informed conversations about the causes and consequences of harmful drinking.

Nuno Teles of Diageo with UKMSA founder, Mike Jenn at Camden Town Shed.

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

Until this year, UKMSA had not received any government funding, but as detailed earlier in this report, an allocation from the Suicide Prevention Fund, through the Department of Health and Social Care, has made a key difference to our support for Shed development in two geographic areas.

We have long maintained collaborative and supportive relationships with several other charities operating around issues to do with men and men’s health, and particularly the Men & Boys Coalition. We were delighted to be one of the group of charities and others who were invited to Secretary of State Wes Streeting’s announcement of a first Men’s Health Strategy in November 2024, and we are actively engaged in a new Men’s Health Network of charities, academics and other bodies brought together by Movember following that launch, partly in order to collaborate and co-operate in supporting the evidence gathering for that new strategy. We continue to believe that these sorts of partnerships and collaborations work to the benefit of all and we see UKMSA having both a role and responsibilities in the men’s health sector.

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What our Funders, Sponsors and Partners Say

“The UK Men’s Shed Association plays a vital role in the growing Men’s Sheds movement, supporting both new and established sheds as powerful solutions to combat loneliness and improve the well-being of older men. Worwin UK Foundation is pleased to partner with UKMSA in its mission to expand its reach and deepen its impact to create a positive, lasting effect on both individuals and communities.”

Liz Hayes, Worwin UK Foundation

“We see Men’s Sheds as a simple yet powerful concept, creating meaningful connections between people through shared activities. We support the UK Men’s Sheds Association to provide vital infrastructure support for the growing number of local Sheds. Our grant to UKMSA is unrestricted, as we believe they are best placed to decide their own spending priorities. UKMSA also benefits from our support-beyond-funding offer, from our in-house professional development programme to the Pears Hub, our open plan office space and meeting rooms in West Hampstead. The Hub is open to all Pears’ grantees, but we find it is particularly popular with grantees based outside London and those who, like the UKMSA, operate a virtual office.”

Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair, Pears Foundation

”Having been invited to attend an event at the Palace of Westminster some years ago, I stumbled upon the amazing work of the UKMSA and their members (or as they are more affectionately known, Shedders). Just listening to stories of how these incredible places had literally saved lives, given people a place of security and belonging and all whilst giving back to their community, we were immediately hooked. Our return visit was as title sponsor for their Shed of the Year Awards!

Tite-Fix is so proud and privileged to partner with and support the brilliant efforts of UKMSA and their Shedders in combatting loneliness and improving mental wellbeing.”

Richard Rhodes, Managing Director, Tite-Fix Ltd

Amplifying our Voice

As we have said elsewhere in this report, UKMSA’s core function is to support the growth and sustainability of Sheds in the UK. But as a membership CIO we also have a responsibility to speak on behalf of our members, not only in furtherance of those core goals but also on issues directly relevant to the Shedding population and especially to reach into places where currently there is little or limited awareness of what Sheds can offer. We have achieved further success with all of that this year, and using and amplifying our voice continues to be part of our strategic plan.

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.

During 2024, we were invited to be part of then Mental Health Minister Maria Caulfield’s Task & Finish Group for a Men’s Health Strategy. Following the General Election, we were delighted that the first official visit of Baroness Gillian Merron, whose ministerial portfolio covers mental health in

the new Government, was to a Shed (Sunnyside Men’s Shed, Tower Hamlets). Across the UK, many Sheds are reporting engagement with their local MP: some of those relationships are longstanding, and others have been prompted by our activity, such as the UKMSA Parliament Shed. UKMSA and Men’s Sheds have also been referenced during proceedings in the House of Commons. Sam Rushworth MP opened the Backbench Debate marking International Men’s Day and spoke about the value of Men’s Sheds, referencing meeting our Chair and another Trustee at the Shed of the Year Awards. Three further speakers in the opening stages of the debate also referenced Men’s Sheds and the powerful impact they have on both individual lives and communities.

Like many others, UKMSA has been a supporter of a government strategy for men’s health, and we included a request to this effect in evidence we submitted to the Health & Social Care Committee in September 2023. We were therefore delighted to be present when in November 2024 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the government’s commitment to the UK’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy will focus on the biggest health issues affecting men of all ages and will hope to reduce the life expectancy gap between men and women.

Providing evidence to the Department of Health and Social Care in the next phase of developing a Men’s Health Strategy is a priority for UKMSA, not only in terms of the evidence we give as an organisation based on our data and experience, but also in supporting Sheds and Shedders to contribute so that the exercise is truly far reaching, representative and inclusive.

“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

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Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

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

The charity Trustees have given consideration to the major risks to which the charity is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established in order to manage those risks.

In its first year of operating, our Audit & Risk Committee has played a key role in reshaping the way we record and approach risk at UKMSA, in keeping with the Board’s wishes to have something better suited to the governance requirements of what is now a larger and more complex charity.

Although we have been successful with a range of generous grants from trusts and foundations, the prevailing economic climate is a hard one for charities, with a growing demand for services (especially given the scale of Shed growth) exacerbated by a tougher fundraising and income environment. We are therefore focussed on the need to create diversified and sustainable income streams such that we not only match our current levels of activities going forward but are also able to extend our ability to promote the growth and continuing success of Sheds and Shed networks across the UK. The development of our new income and investment strategy (and associated measures), aligned with our over-arching strategy represents good mitigation to what otherwise is one of the key risks facing the CIO.

Staff changes always represent a challenge, but we successfully navigated an eight-month period without a CEO. In that time, we also built a new Senior Leadership Team (SLT), which represents a significant increase in management oversight and organisational resilience. Staff retention remains a key risk, partly shaped by the economic climate, but in addition to the creation of the SLT we have other good mitigations in place, including for the third year running an inflation-matching pay award, though this of course raises our staff costs, as have the new National Insurance changes. Alongside staff retention in considering the operational effectiveness of UKMSA is the retention of key volunteers and the need to recruit new Ambassadors and Shed Advocates to meet increasing demand. A further part of mitigation in this area, as well as strengthening governance of the CIO, is the creation of a People Committee, the remit of which covers volunteers as well as staff. The People Committee is structured to advise and make recommendations to (and sometimes act on behalf of) the Board, but also to be a resource and source of support and sometimes guidance for the CEO and SLT.

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 £926,103 (2024: £234,671) of which £220,495 (2024: £148,318) was unrestricted and £705,608 (2024: £86,353) was restricted. Expenditure on promoting Men’s Sheds was £210,221 (2024: £52,153) and expenditure on supporting Men’s Sheds was £301,614 (2024: £232,332). For the year employee remuneration represented 69% (2024: 67%) of overheads. Overall, the financial outcome for the year was a surplus of £340,064 (2024: deficit of £109,975), of which £168,578 was made up of unrestricted funds (2024: £84,358) and £171,486 of restricted funds (2024: deficit of £194,333).

Reserves Policy

The charity holds reserves to ensure that work can continue if income is lower than expected, and to ensure that the charity has working capital to meet upfront expenditure during the year before income is received. Taking into consideration the organisation’s forward plans and risks, the Trustees have decided that it’s appropriate to hold 4 to 6 months of operating costs which corresponds to a range of £331,827 to £497,622.

At the 31 March 2025, unrestricted reserves stood at £307,910, which was slightly below the target range. This is the result of investing in our leadership capacity, in part in relation to income generation, to ensure the charity’s future financial sustainability.

The organisation has a sustainable forward financial plan and the Board and Executive are working together closely to deliver this alongside the organisational strategy.

Financial Position

The Trustees report that total reserves at the end of the year were £534,552 (2024: £194,488) of which £307,910 (2024: £139,033) were unrestricted and £226,642 (2024: £55,455) were restricted. The restricted reserves represent funds, either accounted for or paid to us, that have been provided for future activities. The Trustees take great care to ensure that funds are spent in line with any restrictions applied. This is managed by the preparation and monitoring of budgets which are reviewed quarterly by the board.

Approved by the Trustees 24 June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Rob Lloyd

Chair of Trustees, UKMSA 24 June 2025

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 company for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. 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 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 company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

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

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

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. Signed:

Paul Colcomb FCCA

Wright Vigar Limited

Statutory Auditors and Business Advisors 15 Newland Lincoln LN1 1XG

24 June 2025

21

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Statement of Financial Activities

(including income and expenditure account)

Balance Sheet

31 March 2025

Year Ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Note
Income and endowments from: Funds Funds 2025 2024
3a, c
£ £ £ £
Donations and legacies
Donations 4 36,033 – 36,033 41,413
Grants 5 164,583 705,608 870,191 167,303
Charitable activities
–
Membership subscriptions 10,188 10,188 10,305
–
Other trading activities 6,450 6,450 12,644
Investment income
Bank interest 3,241 – 3,241 3,006
Total income 220,495 705,608 926,103 234,671
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Note
Expenditure on: Funds Funds 2025 2024
3a, c
£ £ £ £
Raising funds 7 5,489 68,715 74,204 60,161
Charitable activities
Promoting Men’s Sheds 7 6,031 204,190 210,221 52,153
Supporting Men’s Sheds 7 40,397 261,217 301,614 232,332
Total expenditure 51,917 534,122 586,039 344,646
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Note
Funds Funds 2025 2024
3a, c
£ £ £ £
Net movement in funds 17 168,578 171,486 340,064 (109,975)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 17 139,033 55,455 194,488 304,463
Transfer between funds 17 299 (299) – –
Total funds carried forward 307,910 226,642 534,552 194,488
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Note Unrestricted Restricted 2025 2024
3b, d £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 12 487 – 487 1,920
Investments 13 3 – 3 3
490 – 490 1,923
Current assets
Debtors 14 320 99,148 99,468 11,858
Cash at bank and in hand 318,308 230,721 549,029 207,864
318,628 329,869 648,497 219,722
Liabilities:
Creditors: amounts falling due
15 (11,208) (103,227) (114,435) (27,157)
within one year
Net current assets: 307,420 226,642 534,062 192,565
Total net assets 307,910 226,642 534,552 194,488
Funds of the Charity
Restricted income funds 17 – 226,642 226,642 55,455
Unrestricted funds 17 307,910 – 307,910 139,033
Total funds 307,910 226,642 534,552 194,488
----- End of picture text -----

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 35 were approved by the Board of Trustees on 24 June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Katherine Martin CA

Interim Treasurer, UKMSA

24 June 2025

The notes on pages 25 to 35 form part of these financial statements.

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23

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Cashflow Statement

Notes to the Financial Statements - 31 March 2025

Year Ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
£ £
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities (Note A) 337,924 (85,985)
Cash flows from investing activities
Dividends, interest and rents from investment 3,241 3,006
– –
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities 3,241 3,006
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period 341,165 (82,979)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 207,864 290,843
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 549,029 207,864
Note A
Net movement in funds per the financial statements 340,064 (109,975)
Dividends, interest and rents from investment (3,241) (3,006)
(Increase)/Decrease in debtors (87,610) 26,520
Increase in creditors 87,278 1,401
-
Fixed asset additions/(disposals) (2,080)
–
Profit/(loss) on disposal of fixed assets 1,126
Depreciation 307 1,155
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities 337,924 (85,985)
Cash flow
2025 2024
movement
£ £
£
Analysis of changes in net debt
Cash and cash equivalents 549,029 341,165 207,864
Total 549,029 341,165 207,864
----- End of picture text -----

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. Our registered address is 49 Station Road, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6EA.

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.

(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 5 (2024: 4) restricted funds as shown in notes 16, 17 and 18.

(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.

Government grants

We recognise statutory income in line with delivery of the related activity. In the current year this has resulted in the recognition of £125,796 from the Government’s Suicide Prevention Fund, with the balance to be recognised in future periods.

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

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25

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

apportioned to reflect the perceived benefit each activity receives from these costs.

(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 (2024: £nil). The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by UKMSA to the fund and these amounted to £17,827 (2024: £9,772).

(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.

There’s a welcome and a drink for everyone at a Men’s Shed!

(h) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets costing over £250, previously £50, are capitalised, except for laptops computers that are written off in the month of acquisition. 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.

3 Prior year comparatives by type of fund

The primary statements provide prior year comparatives in total; this note provides, on pages 27 to 35, prior period comparatives for the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet for unrestricted and restricted funds.

3a Unrestricted funds: Statement of 3b Unrestricted funds: Balance Financial Activity Sheet

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024 2025 2024
Income and endowments from: Note
£ £ £ £
Donations and legacies Fixed assets
Donations individual 22,233 26,528 Tangible assets 12 487 1,920
Donations corporate 13,800 14,885 Investments 13 3 3
Grants 164,583 82,500 490 1,923
Charitable activities Current assets
Memberships subscriptions 10,188 10,305 Debtors 14 320 11,858
Other trading activities 6,450 11,094 Cash at bank and in hand 318,308 132,475
Investment income 318,628 144,333
Bank interest 3,241 3,006 Liabilities
Total income 220,495 148,318 Creditors: amounts falling
15 (11,208) (7,223)
due within one year
2025 2024
Expenditure: Net current assets 307,420 137,110
£ £
Total net assets for
Raising funds 5,489 34,593 307,910 139,033
unrestricted funds
Charitable activities
Total unrestricted funds 17 307,910 139,033
Promoting Men’s Sheds 6,031 13,084
Supporting Men’s Sheds
Membership and support 31,444 4,833
Shed development 579 10,288
Events 8,374 1,162
Total expenditure 51,917 63,960
Net movement in funds 168,578 84,358
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 139,033 199,747
Transfer between funds 299 (145,072)
Total funds carried forward 307,910 139,033
----- End of picture text -----

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27

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

3c Restricted funds: Statement of Financial Activity

3d Restricted funds: Balance Sheet

4 Donations

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2025 2024
2025 2024 2025 2024
Income and endowments from: Note £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £
Donations and legacies Fixed assets Individual donations 22,233 – 22,233 26,528
Donations – – – – Various Corporate donors 13,800 – 13,800 14,885
Tangible assets
Grants 705,608 84,803 Investments – – Total donations 36,033 – 36,033 41,413
Charitable activities – –
– – 5 Grants
Membership subscriptions Current assets
Other trading activities – 1,550 Debtors 14 99,148 – Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2025 2024
Investment income Cash at bank and in hand 230,721 75,389 £ £ £ £
– –
Bank interest – – 329,869 75,389 Blurred (for Diageo) 120,000 120,000
– –
City Bridge Foundation 7,515 7,515
Total income 705,608 86,353 Liabilities
– – –
Garfield Weston Foundation 20,000
Creditors: amounts falling
2025 2024 15 (103,227) (19,934)
Expenditure: £ £ due within one year Edward Gostling – – – –
Raising funds 68,715 25,568 Net current assets 226,642 55,455 David Riddell Memorial CIO – 25,000 25,000 –
Total net assets for
Charitable activities restricted funds 226,642 55,455 Moondance Foundation – – – 37,803
Promoting Men’s Sheds 204,190 39,069 Total restricted funds 17 226,642 55,455 – –
Optigene Foundation 15,000 15,000
Supporting Men’s Sheds Pears Foundation 25,000 – 25,000 –
Membership and support 127,969 67,986 – –
Roger Raymond Trust 25,000 25,000
Shed development 133,248 148,065 Simon Gibson Trust 10,000 10,000 –
Total expenditure 534,122 280,686 DHSC Suicide Prevention Fund – 125,796 125,796 –
Net movement in funds 171,486 (194,333) Swire Charitable Trust – – – 15,000
Reconciliation of funds
Tudor Trust – – – 42,000
Total funds brought forward 55,455 104,716
Various benefactors 4,583 7,297 11,880 27,500
Transfer between funds (299) 145,072 Waterloo Foundation – 70,000 70,000 25,000
Total funds carried forward 226,642 55,455 Worwin Foundation – 435,000 435,000 –
Total grants 164,583 705,608 870,191 167,303
----- End of picture text -----

6 Volunteers

A team of volunteer Ambassadors assist the Head of Development 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.

28

29

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

7 Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
Direct Support Total Total
costs costs 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Raising funds
Grant management 71,888 2,316 74,204 60,160
Charitable activities
Promoting Men’s Sheds
–
Digital communication 112,785 112,785 47,497
Networking and events 94,541 2,895 97,436 4,656
Supporting Men’s Sheds
Membership and support 127,969 31,444 159,413 72,818
Shed development 139,305 2,896 142,201 159,515
Total expenditure 546,488 39,551 586,039 344,646
----- End of picture text -----

Comparative Expenditure 2023/24

----- Start of picture text -----
Direct Support Total
costs costs 2024
£ £ £
Raising funds
Grant management 50,847 9,313 60,160
Charitable activities
Promoting Men’s Sheds
Digital communication 46,333 1,164 47,497
–
Networking and events 4,656 4,656
Supporting Men’s Sheds
Membership and support 68,160 4,658 72,818
Shed development 156,024 3,491 159,515
Total expenditure 321,364 23,282 344,646
----- End of picture text -----

8 Support Costs

----- Start of picture text -----
Governance Management Finance Total
costs costs costs 2025
£ £ £ £
Raising funds 355 1,961 – 2,316
Charitable activities 5,715 31,521 – 37,235
Total 6,070 33,482 – 39,551
----- End of picture text -----

Comparative Support Costs 2023/24

----- Start of picture text -----
Governance Management Finance Total
costs costs costs 2024
£ £ £ £
–
Raising funds 2,838 6,475 9,313
Charitable activities 4,259 9,710 – 13,969
Total 7,097 16,185 – 23,282
----- End of picture text -----

9 Related Party Transactions: Trustee expenses

No remuneration or benefits were paid to any Trustee or connected persons during the year (2024: £Nil).

Trustee expenses of £5,970 for eight Trustees (2024: £3,796, eight Trustees) 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 eight 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 (2024: £nil).

10 Employees

The average number of employees during the year was 12 (2024: 8). No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 (2024: no employee).

----- Start of picture text -----
Total Total Total Total
Remuneration of key
Staff costs 2025 2024 2025 2024
management personnel
£ £ £ £
Salaries 356,438 206,397 The cost of the Chief Executive
Officer’s remuneration and
Social security costs 28,724 13,423 benefits were:
Pension contributions 17,827 9,772 Salary 24,243 32,244
Total 402,989 229,592 Social security costs 2,402 2,176
Pension contributions 1,212 1,637
Total 27,857 36,057
----- End of picture text -----

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31

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

11 Independent Examiner’s fee

The independent Examiner’s fee of £3,000 (2024: £2,400) relates solely to the independent examination of the CIO’s financial statements with no other services being provided.

12 Tangible fixed assets

----- Start of picture text -----
IT Other
Total
equipment equipment
£
£ £
Cost
At 1 April 2024 9,656 456 10,112
Disposal (1,158) _ (1,158)
At 31 March 2025 8,498 456 8,954
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024 7,736 456 8,192
Charge for year 307 _ 307
Eliminated on disposal (32) _ (32)
At 31 March 2025 8,011 456 8,467
Net book value
At 31 March 2025 487 _ 487
At 31 March 2024 1,920 _ 1,920
----- End of picture text -----

15 Creditors

14 Debtors

----- Start of picture text -----
Total Total Total Total
2025 2024 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Grants & sponsorship 94,730 350 Trade creditors 9,184 838
Prepayments and accrued income 1,857 238 Other taxation and social security 11,441 4,689
(PAYE liabilities)
Other debtors 2,881 11,270
Accruals and deferred income 87,289 17,455
Total 99,468 11,858
Other creditors 6,521 4,175
Total 114,435 27,157
----- End of picture text -----

During the period, grant amounts totalling £76,084 (2024: £nil) were included in deferred income. This was deferred on the basis that the amounts are specified by the grant funder to be spent in specific future periods.

16 Restricted Funds

The CIO has 5 material restricted funds (2024: 4) and will be committing to additional funds both designated and restricted in the coming financial year as shown in note 17 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 Strategic Development of the organisation.

Suicide Prevention Fund

Funding received from the Department of Health and Social Care we used the money for a range of initiatives, in particular facilitating the development of new Sheds across specific areas of need, and highlighting the Men’s Shed Movement as a key intervention for combatting the underlying factors that increase risk of suicide.

Worwin Development Fund

This fund is to support the increased operational demands of Shed development, communications and diversification of income.

Strategic Development Fund

13 Investments

----- Start of picture text -----
Total Total
Date of Company
2025 2024
incorporation Number
£ £
Unlisted investments Men's Sheds Limited 13 March 2019 11879439
At 1 April 2024 3 3 UK Men's Sheds Limited 18 March 2019 11889240
Additions at cost _ _ ShedFest Limited 10 December 2020 13074874
At 31 March 2025 3 3
----- End of picture text -----

This fund is to strengthen the position of UKMSA financially to support the sustainability of the organisation and allow for greater long-term planning and delivery to support Sheds.

Other restricted funds

A number of organisations have identified particular programmes of work and provided funding for specific programmes in relation to Shed Development and Shedder support.

Welsh Sheds

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.

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

32

33

Trustees’ Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

17 Movement in funds

----- Start of picture text -----
At Net movement Transfer At
01/04/2024 in funds between funds 31/03/2025
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds 139,033 168,578 299 307,910
Restricted funds
Suicide Prevention Fund _ 299 (299) _
Worwin Development Fund _ 71,084 _ 71,084
Strategic Sustainability Fund _ 30,094 _ 30,094
Other restricted 9,523 33,992 _ 43,515
Welsh Sheds 45,932 36,017 _ 81,949
Total restricted funds 55,455 171,486 (299) 226,642
Total funds 194,488 340,064 _ 534,552
----- End of picture text -----

18 Net movement in funds 2024/25

----- Start of picture text -----
Incoming Outgoing Movement
resources resources in funds
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds 220,495 (51,917) 168,578
Restricted funds
Suicide Prevention Fund 125,796 (125,497) 299
Worwin Development Fund 204,906 (133,822) 71,084
Strategic Development Fund 230,094 (200,000) 30,094
Other restricted 55,812 (21,820) 33,992
Welsh Sheds 89,000 (52,983) 36,017
Total restricted funds 705,608 (534,122) 171,486
Total funds 926,103 (586,039) 340,064
----- End of picture text -----

Comparative movement in funds

Comparative net movement in funds 2023/24

----- Start of picture text -----
At Net movement Transfer At Incoming Outgoing Movement
01/04/2023 in funds between funds 31/03/2024 resources resources in funds
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds 199,747 84,358 (145,072) 139,033 Unrestricted funds 148,318 (63,960) 84,358
Restricted funds Restricted funds
Leadership and management 10,127 (41,512) 31,385 _ Leadership and management _ (41,512) (41,512)
Shed development 94,589 (181,370) 96,304 9,523 Shed development 23,550 (204,920) (181,370)
Welsh Sheds _ 28,549 17,383 45,932 Welsh Sheds 62,803 (34,254) 28,549
Total restricted funds 104,716 (194,333) 145,072 55,455 Total restricted funds 86,353 (280,686) (194,333)
Total funds 304,463 (109,975) – 194,488 Total funds 234,671 (344,646) (109,975)
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The UK 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 enhancing, transforming, and saving lives.

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© 2025 UK Men’s Shed Association (UKMSA). UK Men’s Sheds Association is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registered Number 1162409.

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