Trustees. Annual Report for the period Period start date Period end date From 01 1 07 30 1 06 Reference and administration details 2023 To 2024 Section A Charity name The Dusty Shed Other names charity is known by Registsred charity number (if any) 1168742 Charitys principal address 460 Cowbridge Road West Cardrff Postcode CF5 5BZ Names of the charlty trustees who manago the charlty Datss actod rf not for whole ear Trustee name Offlce {If any) Name of person (or body) entltled toa olnt trustse Ifan AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee AGM or Trustee Committee Charles Wallace Paul Perera Trustee - Chair 01107123 to 10103124 01107123 to 10103124 Whole period 01107123 to 10103124 17101124 to 30106124 01107123 to 30106124 Treasurer Michelle Powell Trustee Trustee Doug Smith Richard Nelmes Trustee Elliott Crabtree Trustee Penelope Smith Trustee Trustee - Chair Whole period 10103124 to 30106124 10103124 to 30106124 Mari Dunphy Names of the trustees for the charity, If any, (for example, any custodlan trustees) Name Dates acted If not for whole ear Trustee AGM or Trustee Committee Names and addresses of advlsers (Optlonal information) e of adviser Name Address Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional infonnatlon) The Shed executive is the Trustee Commrttee. All members are volunteers and participate in the communal management of the organisation. Section B Structure, overnance and management Description of the charity's trusts TAR March 2024
Type of goveming document Fonnal Constitution r-: L'b-. .ie Iiu:iop. How the charity is constituted Association Trustee selection methods All trustees are volunteers. They are either elected by the membership at an AGM,. or rf a vacancy occurs between AGMS, a replacement is appointed by the other trustees at a fonnal Trustee Committee Meeting. Additional governance Issues (Optlonal inforniation) You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about: All new Trustees are provided with a copy of the Charity Commission Pack for new trustees, and are encouraged to attend the free trustee's training provided by the Cardrff 3rd Sector Council (C3SC). Seven of the eight trustees who served during the PortIng period, and all of the past trustees, have had a close association with the Shed prior to volunteering to become a trustee. Those that have been Shed members are already conversant with the policies and procedures and the wider network of interaction with other organisations. Those that have not had a previous association with the Shed are provided with a briefing pack and full guided tour of the facility and introduction to the other members. Five of the current trustees are also Shed members and play an active role in the day-to-day running of the Shed and provide feedback at Trustee Meetings on membership issues. There is also a Shedders Committee that holds bi-monthly meetings. This committee deals with day-to4ay management issues and brings to the trustees, attention any issues that may require trustee intervention andlor mediation. policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees,. the charity's organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works., lationship with any related parties; trustees, consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. There is also a Shedders bi-monthly meeting, to which all Shed members are invited. This is a forum to discu88 Opportunities, issues, questions concems and improvements. Anything unable to b8 resolved in the meetings is escalated to the Shedders Committee. During the reporting period a full risk assessment of the Shed working environment was undertaken and Whe appropriate.. old machine and tool related safety guards were replaced or updated; all personal safety gear was reviewed and any defective items replaced,. and the dust extraction and air purification systems serviced. The trustees will continue to monitor safety in the work environment and any financial risks that could threaten the continued viability of the Shed. The trustees confinn that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its activities for the year. The charity remains committed to ensuring that its work delivers tangible benefits to the public in line with its charitable purposes. Section C Objectives and activities TAR March 2024
The Mission of the Dusty as stated in our Constitution is: To facilitate the coming together of lonely and socially isolated people, with emphasis on older men, in a physically emotionally safe environment where they can participate, with heir peers, in woodworking, craft and Social activities. Summary ofthe objects ofthe charity set out in its governlng documont The Shed does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, gender, religion or beliets: however, due to the working environment where dangerous tools and high-speed machinery is operating, the participation by some physiGally impaired members is restricted to the social activities only. Our last AGM was held on 10 April 2024. a copy of the draft minutes is attached,. these will be ratified at the 2025 AGM. The Trustees and Shedders, Commtttee gave full reports to the AGM of Shed activities for the reporting period. A brief summary of the most significant items in these reports is included below: Report to the AGM: On Monday the 11th of December 2023, the then Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Senedd, Lynne Neagle MS, made a visit to our Shed. The principal reason for her visit was to engage us in the govemment initiative of Social Prescribing, or as it is also called, Community Referral. The visit was well attended by Shed members and trustees and we made the point that we are supportive of prescribing non-medical treatments to help suitable people move on from some mental and physical conditions. The visit received significant coverage from local media featuring several Shed members. This is compatible wilh our involvement in community work that is aimed at developing members social and physical skills to give them an '1 can, attitude that will assist them reongage with the community. We made the point that rf Social Prescribing were to become a regular featu of the NHS program for recovery and re-engagement with the communty following mental or physical illness, then we would need to be financially resourced to expand our involvement above our current capability. There were a number of other signfficant events that occurred during the reporting period: On 6th March 2024 we started opening one more day per week, on a Wednesday. for a Wellbeing Session. This is a non-woodworking group that is restricted to men only and focuses on discussing the physical and emotional issues facing men in today's society. For the eight sessions run in this reporting period it has been well attended and the participants feedback is very positive. .1 wish I had found group like this ages ago!. We had a group visit to the Nantgarw China Works. It was enjoyable and infonnative, and afterwards attendees had a lovely lunch at a local hotel paid for by a grant from ACE. On 8 March 2024 our shed attended a shed awareness day event organised by the Pontypridd Men's Shed and staged in the Pontypridd Museum. There was a united Men's front at the event, with members from Caerphilly. Lisvane. Tynewydd, Blaina, Rhiwbina, our Ely Dusty Shed, Caldicott, Treorchy, Pontypridd, and Newport. In total aboLrt 150 members from the various sheds attended. We work closely with ACE (Action in Caerau & Ely- or 'The Dusty Forge, as rt is commonly known). In fact, it was the Dusty Forge that initiated action that led to the fonnation of the Dusty Shed in 2016, ACE is also our landlord; the own the buildin and land on which we March 2024 Summary of the main actlvltles undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include wlthln this sectlon the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance Issued by the Charity Commission on public beneflt) TAR
are situated, and during the reporting period the verbal agreement we had in regard to providing repair and maintenance services in lieu of rent was superseded by an fonnal tenancy agreement. Without this agreement to provide accommodation and work space for the continued operation of the Dusty Shed as an independent charity would be untenable. To maintain dialogue between our two organisations on relevant issues, one member of ACE executive staff is invited to become trustee of the Dusty Shed. This gives us direct access at the management level to discuss cooperation and resolve issues. Another area of close cooperation between the Shed and an ACE activity, is the support we provide for the monthly Repair Café. Having a Shed member as part of the Repair Café team allov aCsS to a range non-portable tools in our workshop, and this allows the ACE Repair Café to undertake some jobs that other Repair Cafés cannot. Additional detsils of objectlves and actlvitles (Optlonal Infonnation) As stated in previous reports, our organisation is not typical of other helping organisations that have support workers and clients. All our members are volunteers who pmvlde peer-to*ieer support,. henca, they are also our clients. New members joining the Shed are looking for some fom of support; and it is not always clear to us, or them, what form that support should take. People who have recently suffered a bereavement are often simply looking for company. Others who have recently retired, or ar8 recovering from physical or mental illness, are looking for an activity to occupy their mind or give them a new direction in lrfe. These new members are in what we could call the 'Client' phaso. After these new members settle in, make friends, and find an activity of interest for them to participate in, they begin to help with the introduction of more recent new members and become involved in wnning activities and Shed administration. They are now 'fully active, members. In what could be called the 'Tertiary stage, of membership, some members start to take on leading roles in Shed administration and organisationlmanagement of events and wider liaison with other organisations. Some others remain stalwart members content to simply be part of the group. And, of course, some having found what they were looking for move on to other things. We like to think of what we do as changing people from an '1 cannot, to an '1 can, frarne of mind. You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about: policy on grantmaking; policy programme related investment; • contribution made by volunteers. Section D Achievements and performance TAR March 2024
Section D Achievements and performance The following is a list of regular activities that the Shed engages in during every reporting period to provide support to our members.. Provision of a meeting place where they can engage in woodworking, craft activities. play garnes, or simply sit and have a chat with fellow members over a cuppa. Provide personal support through our WhatsApp group and telephone calls to members who, due to sickness, infimiity or other reasons, are unable to attend the Shed. Support members who are in hospital or experiencing emotional problems due to their current circumstances. Provide physical support where necessary in the form of assistance Wlth shopping and transport. Over the years our shed has accumulated many too18 that were offered to us from deceased estates and old tools that we have replaced with newer models, all of them still in working order although requiring a little refurbishment. So, during the reporting period we contacted Tools With A Mission (TWAM) to see if they might be interested in them. TrVAM is a charity that collects unwanted useable tools, refurbishes them, sorts them into trade tool kits, and sends them to the developing world for livelihood creation. In doing so they also help UK communities through volunteering opportunities and contribute significantly to environment sustainability, by reducing waste and carbon emissions in the UK. Annually TWAM sends almost 400 tonnes of tools to over 500 organisations in Sub-saharan Africa. A TWAM representative visited our Shed in April 2024 and took delivery of a full car boot of tools. We provided the following support for the work of the Dusty Forge.. Undertake minor repairs and maintenance. Assembly of some garden fumiture. Construction of Storage and distribution area for council garbage bags. Support for their monthty Repair Café to undertake general repairs and back-up support for other repaIrS. Support for their craft activtties. Summary ofthe maln achlevements of the charity during the year Section E Financial review We hold sufficient reserves to cover payment of all our envisaged costs should a situation occur that required the Dusty Shed to cease operating and close. Brief statement of the charlty's pollcy on reserves We have limited regular income from member subscriptions, and we bid for grants, mainly thmugh C3SC and the National Lottery 'Awards for All, scheme, to cover our overheads and day-to-day runninglmaintenance costs for our tools and woodworking machines. We also periodically bid for funding from other grant providing organisations to procure new equipment or undertake more significant development projects. Details of any funds materially in deflclt Nil Further financial review detslls (Optlonal Infomiatlon) TAR March 2024
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about: the charity's principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. We do not impose any compulsory fees on our members. however we set an optional attendance contribution and ask for member donations to cover tea and coffee costs. We do sell some of the items produced by our members and we accept commission work from people wanting items of garden fumiture or custom items to fit in Confir spaces, etc. We do not have any investments. Although not mandatory for a small charity. our accounts were fully reviewed by a partner charity's finance officer and certified to be correct. Section F Other optional information Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approvod the trustees, report abovo. Signad on behalf of the charity's trustees Slgnature{s) Full namo(8) Penelope Smith Richard Nelmes Position Incoming Chair of Trustee Committee Trustee Dat• ri12025 34AP 244LAp ril 2025 Attachments: l. Trustees. Report to AGM TAR March 2024
Attachment 1 CARDIFF w•Jw.th¢dvstysPdoN¢L< Registsred Chaiity No: 1168742 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE DUSTY SHED HELD ON WEDNESDAY 10Th Aprll 2024 at 1700 TRUSTEES REPORT TO MEMBERS Introduction The last Annual general Meeting (AGM) of the Dusty Shed was held on Thursday 27th April 2023. In accordance with our Constitution, this AGM is being held within 15 months of that date. Accordingly, this report covers the period from 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024. Mi88ion of The Dusty Shed Our mission is to facilitste the coming together of lonely and socially isolated people, with emphasis on older men, in a physically and emotionally safe environment where they can participate, with their peers, in woodworking, craft and social activities. Governance and Trustees The Dusty Shed is a registered charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales and must operate within the guidance provided by that Commission. In accordan with that guidance, the Dusty Shed has developed a governing document, The Dusty Shed Constitution, that has been accepted by a general meetin9 of Shed members. Our Constitution requires the appointment of trustees to undertake govemance of the Dusty Shed, and specifies the requirements for their selection and appointment. The trustees are responsible for ensuring that all activities of the Dusty Shed comply with, and contribute to, the Mission and Objectives specified in the Constitution; and that those activities are also conducted in accordance with the legislative requirements of Wales and the United Kingdom. Over recent years the requirement to comply with contemporary legislation has become a significant issue for the trustees, because public scrutiny of the perf0rnan of charitable organisations in regard to areas such as health and safety, discrimination and financial probity, has increased significantly. This has had a flow-on effect for our fund-raising team who have had to identfy and apply for grants to provide the training, equipment, and evaluation review mechanisms, necessary for our complian. One particular area of note in regard to Complian with contemporary legislation that occurred during the reporting period has been upgrading of the Shed occupational health and safety standards. One of our trustees, Elliot Crabtree. undertook a complete review of our work area safety requirements. We then sucSsfUllY applied for grant money to procure a noise measuring TAR March 2024
instrument and a range of personal hearing and eye protection safety gear. Appropriate health and safety training will also be intrOdUd into the Shed activities programme, Another notable achievement that occurred during the reporting period was that on the 5th February 2024 the Tenancy Agreement between ACE and the Dusty Shed was finally signed by the Director of ACE and the Chair of the Shed Trustee Commtiee. This agreement gives the Shed secure tenure of the workshop and open area where our contsiner is located, in exchange for the Shed providing two days, work per month on ACE Maintenan and projects. It also provides clear requirement on ACE and the Shed should either wish to tenninate the agreement. During the reporting period the Trustees held quarterly meetings on the following dates: Wednesday 19th April 2023, Thursday 6th July 2023, Thursday 12th October 2023, and Wednesday 1Ph January 2024. An out of sequence trustees, meeting was also held on Thursday 28th March to undertake planning for the AGM. A record of the proceedings of these meetings has been filed in the Trustee Meetings Minute Book and can be made available to registered Shed members on request. The following are the trustees who served the Shed during the reporting period: Tony Wallace Chairperson 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Paul Perera Treasurer 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Michelle Powell Trustee and ACE 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Representstive Doug Smith Trustee 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Elliot Crabtree Trustee 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Penny Smith Trustee 28th April 2023 to 9th April 2024 Huw Thomas Trustee 28th April 2023 to 6th July 2023 Richard Nelms Trustee 1P January 2024 to 9th April 2024 The trustees have been well supported in their work by George Keane who attends all meetings and produces the record of proceedings (minutes). George is employed by ACE and we pay his wages for the equivalent of one day per week to undertake duties for the Shed under direction of the Shed Trustees. Flnancial Management The Trustees are also responsible for ensuring the financial viabilty of the Dusty Shed. In this regard they are responsible for forecasting the future funding requirements. identifying and applying for suitable grants, managing the expenditure of grant monies, and reporting back to the funding bodies on the benefit the Shed has derived for the money they provided. We have been very fortunate over the last year in having several trustees with the experience and talent to undertake these tasks and provide funding for the many activities we have undertaken and the excellent range of machine and hand tools we have in our workshop. The Treasurer will provide a separate report on Shed finances. We other Trustees, on behalf of all Shed members, would like to sincerely thank our Treasurer, Paul Perera, for the work he has put in over the reporting period. Shedders The last AGM was advised that although Shed members had been meeting regularly since the Shed was formed, and had in July 2021 formed a Shedders committ to manage these meetings and the day-to-day running of the Shed, there was no formal cover for these arrangements in the Shed TAR March 2024
Constitution. However, there is provision in the constitution for the Trustees to form a subcommittee and to give that commrttee specific responsibilities. The meeting agreed to the current arrangements being continued while the trustees and shedders worked towards developing a fonnal structure for the Shedders, Committee and writing an appropriate directive under this clause of the Constitution. This occurred and the division of responsibilities between the trustees and shedders in regard to the running of shed activities and management of fInanS have now established and have been operating satisfactorily for some time. Following discussions between the Chair of the Shedders, Committee and Chair of the Trustees, Committee, agreement was reached that these procedures have been working so well that there is now no real requirement for a formal directive, which may even complicate making minor amendments in the future to accommodate changing circumstances. At the pre-AGM trustees meeting on Thursday 28th March, the trustees endorsed the position that no formal directive is now required. The Shedders meetings are held bimonthly; however, the holding of the last AGM, on 27th April 2023 disrupted the sequence and consequently during the reporting period only five meetings were held on the following dates.. Tuesday 6th June 2023, Tuesday 5th September 2023 Tuesday 5th December 2023, and Tuesday 6th February 2024, Tuesday 2nd April 2024. A record of the proceedings of these meetings has been filed in the Shedders, Meetings Minute Book and can be made available to registered Shed members on request. The trustees would like to thank the Chair of the Shedders Committee, Lauren Maher, and Peter Kearns, who manages Shed finances at the working level, for the exlIent job they have done over the reporting period to coordinate Shed activities. training, and the implementation of new health and safety procedures. The Chair of the Shedders Committee will provide a separate report on Shed activities. Significant Events On Monday the 11th of December 2023, the then Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Senedd, Lynne Neagle MS, made a visit to our Shed. The principal reason for her visit was to engage us in the government initiative of Social Prescribing, or as it is also called, Community Referral. The visit was well attended by Shed members and trustees and we made the point that we are very supportive of prescribing non-medical treatments to help suitable people move on from some mental and physical conditions. The visit was also reNed significant coverage from local media featuring several Shed members. This is very compatible with our involvement in community work that is aimed at developing members social and physical skills to give them an '1 can, attitude that will help them reengage with the community. We also made the point that rf Social PsCribIng becomes a regular feature of the NHS program for recovery and reengagement with the communty following mental or physical illness, then we will need to be financially resourced to expand our involvement above our current capability. There were a couple of other significant events that occurred during the reporting period. we started opening one more day per week for a non-woodworking day; and, we had a good attendance at major gathering in Pontypridd of sheds from around Wales. But I will leave it to the Chair of the Shedders Committee to provide details of these events. TAR March 2024
Equipment Several new items of equipment have been purchased during the reporting period and we have added a range of safety items. This section will be covered in detail in the Shedders, Committee Report. Association with Dusty Forge Most of you are aware that it was ACE that initiated action that led to the fomiation of the Dusty Shed in 2016. Since then, there have been some ups and some downs in the relationship. but fortunately, at the end of the day the I think the score is 10 tries for the 'Ups' and 1 disputed field goal for the 'Downs'. ACE is also our landlord; they own the building and land on which we are situated, and during the reporting period the informal agreement we had in regard to providing repair and maintenance services in lieu of rent was superseded by a fonnal tenancy agreement. Without this agreement to provide accommodation and work space the continued operation of the Dusty Shed as an independent charity would be untenable. One area of close cooperation between the Shed and an ACE activty, is the support we provide for the monthly Repair Café. Having a Shed member as part of the Repair Café team allows access to range non-portable tools in our workshop, and this allows the ACE Repair Café to undertake some jobs, such as sharpening gardening tools, that other Repair Cafés cannot. To maintain dialogue between our two organisations on relevant issues, one member of ACE executive stsff is invrted to become a trustee of the Dusty Shed. This gives us direct access at the management level to discuss problems and resolve issues. I personally believe that the relationship between ACE and the Shed has significantly improved during the reporting period, with a lot more interaction occurring between ACE project staff and our members. I have also noticed more of our members using ACE facilities and ACE referring several new members to our group. ACE has also considered the Shed position in extending the range of the ACE WiFi, installing securty cameras, and linking our work area into the ACE fire alann system. l am reticent to single any one person out because my experience is that all ACE staff go out of their way to help and cooperate whenever we Shedders have asked for assistance. But l also believe that one person in particular goes above and beyond the call of duty; and that is Michelle. Despite her heavy workload as Director of ACE, Michelle always does everything she can to help us whenever we have a problem. On behalf of the other Trustees and Shed members, I would like to move a very big vote of thanks to Michelle for what she has done for the Shed over the reporting period! Conclusion The Trustees believe that our Shed has played a significant role in improving the social wellbeing of the local community by providing a facility, and an atmosphere, where lonely and socially isolated people can regain their self-confidence by engaging in activities, making new friends, and feeling that their life eXperIenS are valued. The Trustees also believe that the Dusty Shed is financially solvent with sufficient funds to continue operating for another twelve months; and we are reasonably confident that for the foreseeable future new grants will be obtsined to cover the non-discretionary overhead costs of electricity, insurance and wages. We also believe that the rent purchases of new equipment has upgraded the capabilities of the workshop to a standard that can cope with most projects that Shed members are likely to undertake individually or become involved in as a group. TAR 10 March 2024
Charles Wallace 10th April 2024 (Chair of Trustee Committee) TAR 11 March 2024
The Dusty Shed Receipts and payments account ; Funds account.
| Receipts and payments Receipts Subscriptions Donations Grants Sales / event income Interest Other Sub total Asset and investment sales Sale of assets Sale of investments Sub total Total receipts Payments Heating and Lighting Insurance Materials & consumables Small tools (<£25) Repairs and renewals Refreshments & cleaning Staf and admin Training Sundry Maintenance Sub total Asset and investment purchases Hand and power Tools (>£25) Workshop machines Sub total Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Funds account at 30/06/2024 Cash funds last year end Surplus Cash funds carried forward |
Period start date To Period end date 7/1/2023 6/30/2024 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 1,587 0 220 0 22,790 0 169 0 0 0 0 0 |
|---|---|
| 24,765 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
|
| 24,765 0 |
|
| 685 0 627 0 354 0 122 0 78 0 184 0 12,354 0 0 0 304 0 0 0 |
|
| 14,708 0 969 0 1,611 0 |
|
| 2,581 0 |
|
| 17,289 0 |
|
| 7,477 0 |
|
| Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 8,032 7,477 0 0 0 |
|
| 15,509 0 |
e
| Total funds | Last year |
|---|---|
| 1,587 | 945 |
| 220 | 57 |
| 22,790 | 12,735 |
| 169 | 290 |
| 0 | |
| 0 | 287 |
| 24,765 | 14,315 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 24,765 | 14,315 |
| 685 | 1,568 |
| 627 | 739 |
| 354 | 458 |
| 122 | 93 |
| 78 | 529 |
| 184 | 15 |
| 12,354 | 8,248 |
| 0 | 1,603 |
| 304 | 380 |
| 0 | 70 |
| 14,708 | 13,703 |
| 969 | 46 |
| 1,611 | 233 |
| 2,581 | 279 |
| 17,289 | 13,982 |
| 7,477 | 332 |
| Total current | Period Last year | Period Last year |
|---|---|---|
| 8,032 | 7,700 | |
| 7,477 | 0 | 332 |
| 15,509 | 8,032 |