PDMS AGM THURSDAY 10[TH] APRIL 2022 

I remarked at our last AGM that by the time of this AGM we will be thinking about Covid 19 as a bad dream – it turns out that although it isn’t over – and of course won’t be over until the fat lady sings – we can start to relax and hope that the worst is behind us.  Although I am aware that some of our family members contracted the disease and that some are still suffering from ‘long Covid’ I have not been told of any members being taken seriously ill. 

You are aware that we have lost one important member of our team and it is right that we should just reflect a moment to remember the great service done for us by our late treasurer Roy Burson, who died suddenly in April last year. He had no financial background but set up our bank accounts and accounting methods from scratch.  He felt that in taking on that responsibility he was supporting our project in the best way he could. and he spent hours making sure that all was well and shipshape with our accounts.  Roy lives on in our Shed as, following a request from his widow Nikki, we cleared out his garage and consequently many of his tools are now in use by us.  I am grateful to our new treasurer Peter Stuart for stepping into the breach – more of which later. 

Covid and various lockdowns and restrictions on socialising meant that we had to close over prolonged periods during the year and additionally several of our members needed to isolate because of underlying health conditions of their own, or of a close family member. This resulted in reduced activity and of course reduced income. However, there is always a silver lining and because of a quirk in our listing with SNC Rates Dept as a ‘small business’ we were able to claim various government grants which went into our war chest towards building our new Shed.  Despite the restrictions we still managed to operate and function as a repair shop for our community with many household items fixed, a fantasy duck house floated and a mini crazy golf course delivered to a care home to mention just a few jobs we have undertaken.  You should be in no doubt that our Shed and what we do is held in high regard by our community. 

During a lull in Covid restrictions we were able to use money from the Handlesbanken Fund and we had a coach trip to Sutton Hoo and then to Woodbridge Long Shed to see the building of the replica Saxon long ship using the impression of the hull found in the burial mound at Sutton Hoo.  I know I found the trip worthwhile and fascinating and that many of you did too.  Once we are straight in our new Shed I have a plan for us to do more such educational trips – perhaps to Lowestoft Boat Building College – other suggestions welcome. 

Peter Stuart has been doing sterling work not just on our finances but also on applying for and obtaining planning permission for our new Shed and he will tell you more about the money we have in our coffers but I thought that, as several of you seem to think that I don’t do anything at our Shed, I would gently point out that since we formed in 2014 I have personally raised more than £134,000 for our Shed through applying for grants.  This takes hours of conversations, meetings, form filling and all very often without success. The latest grant is from Norfolk County Council Sustainable Infrastructure Fund – which together with the money we have squirreled away – means we can build our new Shed. 

Getting our new Shed to this stage has also involved many conversations with the Parish Council, District Council and other organisations including The 



Welcome Home Memorial Fields Trust and a national body called Fields in Trust.  I am grateful for their interest, enthusiasm and support for our Shed project and for giving their permissions which have led to us being granted a 21yr renewable lease at a peppercorn rent on the former bowls green. 

I started having discussions with the Parish Council in January last year about having the use of the Bowls Green for a Shed and this was followed by discussions at the Barn about the form that the new Shed could take.  Martin Fry produced a plan on the 8[th] January ‘21, which apart from having to forgo part of the design, as we couldn’t afford it, bears a remarkable similarity to the design we are now having built. It wasn’t until the 8[th] of October that I learnt that I had been successful with the NCC Social Infrastructure bid and we still had not got permissions from the Parish Council or Fields in Trust or obtained Planning Permission plus the NCC Social Infrastructure Grant had stipulations that it should be spent as soon as possible. Putting it mildly we have been under pressure and had to get our skates on and some things have had to happen back to front. I am aware that some of you feel that you were not consulted enough. In truth, a Shed is a Shed and the external shape was formed by the size of the bowls green and the size of our grant and the increased cost. Just over a year ago we started off thinking that a new Shed would cost about £20k to build but Brexit/Covid and inflationary pressures plus Building Regulation requirements mean it will now cost nearer £120,000, which is a breath taking sum of money and so it is incumbent upon us to make as good a job as we possibly can. 

Whilst the external layout and infrastructure of the Shed has been decided that is not the end of the project by a long way. A shed building is not a Men’s Shed – that is dependent upon what happens inside it and what the members contribute.  It will be up to you, me and us to make the interior of the Shed into a workshop and to transform the existing Bowls Club building into our Shack, making it suitable to house an office, coffee spot and a loo.  We also have to attend to the grounds and make vegetable gardens.  There will be more than enough to do.  With a fair wind and input from us all we should be up and fully functioning in time to mark the Queens Platinum Jubilee. 

Most of the work in getting us to where we are with our new Shed has been carried out by Peter Stuart who has and still is negotiating with contractors, SNC Planning Dept and Building Control. Every day brings a fresh challenge – only yesterday following changes in rules and regulations whereby National Power would charge us £15k to connect to the mains electricity supply – we were negotiating with the Parish Council to link up via the Pavilion.  I sincerely thank Peter for all the work he has done and is doing on our behalf. 

None of your trustees have expertise in the matters we have had to deal with and every day has been a new challenge – however – with the good will of everyone involved we have pulled together a remarkable project that will benefit us and our community for decades to come. 

Henry Gowman 

Chair of PDMS 



PtyiD8l•Ml￿d Di%trid Mens Sh￿{Ch*￿Y reftruxe 11715640)
2021
£1.365.57
£1,342.37
£532.79
£109.S¥J8.09
£2.010.56
£140.(Q
£192.LKI
£115A91.38
2020
£1273.41
£1.788.99
£1.149.C
È12.774.C
£1.700.00
£188.00
Vemters Donati¢x
Virgtn Mon&y HMRC etc
Other Donth"0rn5
Grants and Avards
lrtorne from Projeds
B¢y)t Sales and Fetes
A￿t and ￿yestrnent saks
£18N3A6
2 tr)clthGlftAldtiA£27409l￿
Expendlture
2021
£1.310.57
£39.CK>
£8TT.50
£122.93
£1.113.20
£49.93
£822.CKI
£16.468.C
£20.803.13
2020
£5,897.04
Rent Heat Elec & Insurnnce
Offic* and Admin
Comests"ble5 and tiips
Matwtals & Consumables
Specif5c ProjectSFeTh
Srnall Tools < £25
New Shed Fees
New SAed buikj Costs
£40.40
£151.53
£1.385.00
£501.
£391.00
£BA38.74
Cofrcoffdfflfjketc
Surplu5 Ir*ome over E￿r#JA￿e
Total Fundsat end of2020
Totsl Fundsat3Jl1212021
1.645.72
£116.333.97
Locution olu1￿￿fvnrfS￿1¢￿d012o2l
Heldin old¢rrrount
£491&17
Heldinnewaccotht
£110.381.62
Heldincosh
£3&
IIeld￿0k1oe￿0Sft¢Kc0￿t
£0.17
Totvl ￿143)￿97
AS ¢he¢ked ty Independental￿1torand signed by Irustses:
HenryG¢Y￿ft

CHARITY COMM15510N
FOR ENGLAND AND WAIES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
Secllon A
Independent Examlnets Report
R•port to tho tfusteesl
mambgf5 of
FbRINIGLA-NJD kiENS SrtLb
On accounts tor thgyear
ended
31 lil 120ZI
Charfty no
(If any)
11715640
Set out on pay85
Signed accounis for period 1st Jan 2021 unti5 31s1 Dec 2021
I report to the tr￿tee5 M my examty￿1c￿ 0ftr￿ ac£ounts of the above
chanty CUR TnLs1? for Ihe year eThJeJJ
Responslbllltl•s aod
basls of report
As the I￿￿tees. you are reSp￿ble for the preparation oflhe
aCCOLmts vAlh the requwemwts ofU* Charilies Acl 2011
I report in respect of my eXaMi￿110n of the Trusfs accounts ¢ar￿ out
uThler se(#ion 145 ofthe 2011 Acl aTrJ in carrying out nry examination. I
have follo%%ed all Il* a￿l¢able Direc￿On$ given by Ihe Charity Commi5$iCd)
seaK)n 145(S)(b) Of￿
Inde￿ndent rrhe charivs gross eX￿d￿L￿sW￿d l am qualif*d to
examlnerfs statemgnt uThJertake the exarrllnab.on ty being a qualrfied merrthr ot linsth name of
applicabte flsted bc*tyIl. Delete I l rfTr)tapplKabk.
I ha¥E c4Wled ry exa￿nation. I conf4m Ihat no material matters have
comp lo my attention in cor1￿CtiOn %Mlh Ihe exarr*nation (4thaFI
gNes me cause to befieve Ihat in. any maierial
of Ihe Charii*s Ad: OT
the accou￿$ did not attJ)rd the acsxinkng iecords: or
the accc#Jnts did nol cm %%ith the apptuble requxements
¢¥)￿emIl¥J fotm arwj corhtent of accoLnls set out in the Charities
(A¢counts arttj RepNts) Regulalrorts 2008 other Ihan any requirettEnl
that the accounts 9r%t a Inje arnl tsirf ￿eW which 15 nol a matter
L)Jnsidered as part ofan independent exanwnation.
I have no c¥)rKem5 arnl have comp auos5 no other mail￿5 in connedion
ith the exarrdnalion l07pknith att￿ty0n shoukj be in t￿$ ￿pOrt in
order to enable a proper uThYerslaThling ofthe a￿Unts lo Teacjjed.
. Please t*le the Ihebrthts Mtheyd) th￿apply.
Signed:
Nam•-.
Rel•vant professlonal
qualifjcationls) or body
IER
Oct 2018

(Itany):
Soclion B
Disclosufe
Only coiwte ex￿ io Ik5F￿h1 [nalet￿ mattels ol conwn
Gl¥e h•r• brfof d•tslts of
any It¢m¥ that th•
examlnorwlshos to
dlsclos•.
IER
Oct 2018