Norwich Men’s Shed is a registered charity. (Charity No. 1171796) Saint Martin's Hall Church, Oak St, Norwich, NR3 3AQ **norwichmensshed.org.uk**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements**
**For the period 01 April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025**
**Charity name: Norwich Men’s Shed**
## **Charity registration number: 1171796**
## **Objectives and Activities**
The objectives of Norwich Men’s Shed (NMS) are to promote men’s good health and wellbeing, for the benefit of the community. In particular for those men who are retired, unemployed, recovering from ill health or addiction, but also those who simply wish to make use of the facilities offered in a safe and friendly environment.
NMS offers a dedicated workshop space for men in the local community – a place to connect, converse and create, addressing key issues around wellbeing, social isolation and loneliness. Members engage in a wide range of meaningful and worthwhile activities with like-minded people, having fun, sharing skills and knowledge and gaining a renewed sense of purpose and belonging. The Shed offers a safe, nurturing environment where members are wanted, valued, and needed. This group of men come together to form a community and the peer support and camaraderie is crucial to maintaining individual wellbeing and good mental health.
All members make a positive contribution to the running of our Shed. Shed members work on their own projects, volunteer their time to undertake public commissions and engage in communitybased projects. Some members also mentor/tutor fellow members and community groups.
NMS Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
## **Achievements and Performance**
## **Milestones**
In October 2024, NMS signed a 10-year lease with Norwich Historic Churches Trust for the recently vacated former church hall - St. Martins at Oak, Oak Street, Norwich NR3 3AQ.
The site had been used until recently as music studios and a circus performers practice venue.
A great deal of work was required to initially make the space safe for occupation due to Asbestos paint on the floor and other issues. Significant fund raising was required and achieved to enable a complex system for heat and power to be available in the main workshop space at each bench.
Some members worked for days across many weeks to get the space ready for occupation. Members also then created new workbenches and machine rooms, utilising and reusing existing materials wherever possible.
## **Post year-end update:-**
The NMS workshop was able to fully reopen to members and Headway Charity members in May 2025. We have then started to have further open days and updates on social media to encourage membership growth.
Norwich Men’s Shed TAR 2024-25 Page **1** of **4**
Norwich Men’s Shed is a registered charity. (Charity No. 1171796) Saint Martin's Hall Church, Oak St, Norwich, NR3 3AQ **norwichmensshed.org.uk**
## **2023-24 Delivery:**
95 men accessed NMS workshop provision April 2024 – October 2024, when the workshop closed to make the move to the new premises. (Since the reopening in May 2025, membership is slowly reestablishing to former numbers, with a more diverse age range as a result of most recent new membership).
It remains that the direct beneficiaries are men aged 18 +, this includes men dealing with issues around mental health, physical health, aging, social isolation, unemployment, homelessness and exoffending. Due to the nature of our membership, this can vary from the transient, to those who attend regularly on an ongoing basis.
In addition to our daytime workshop sessions, we hosted a number of member-led evening socials, including skill-sharing, demonstrations and community meals.
The skills sharing element of the service offering is more active than ever, specifically around lathe / wood turning.
Community projects and commissions undertaken are also now more active than in previous years.
## **Projects and Collaborations:**
Alongside workshop provision for members, we supported a number of community events and activities. Highlighted projects, collaborations and events included:
## • **Participation at community events/exhibitions** :
Norfolk Community Foundation Showcase, Forum market events and Community Garden Planter building are a couple of the many events that Members attended, acting as Shed ambassadors and promoted the benefits of NMS membership alongside showcasing items they’d made as members.
## • **Commissions created in partnership with local community-based organisations** :
Examples since the workshop reopened in May 2025:- Bench repairs for the Julian Hospital, items for the Mayoral Procession and working with Headway service users during their weekly sessions has been the main activities since reopening.
## **Financial Review**
**Funds held 31/03/2025 £76,180 Consisting of:** Restricted Grant Funding £10,525 Unrestricted funds £65,655 **Reserves Policy:** To maintain a reserve of 3-6 months operating costs with a view to increasing funds held to deal with unexpected events (around £20,000). **Financial Operating Model:** ~~[oe]~~
Norwich Men’s Shed TAR 2024-25 Page **2** of **4**
Norwich Men’s Shed is a registered charity. (Charity No. 1171796) Saint Martin's Hall Church, Oak St, Norwich, NR3 3AQ **norwichmensshed.org.uk**
- Membership fees, donations and income from public commissions/sales of hand-crafted items go towards core ongoing running costs/workshop consumables
- External grant funding covers staff costs
- Any surplus raised from commissions/sales go back into running the charity and are used towards running costs and the purchase of items for the benefit of members, i.e. larger items of equipment/machinery
**Grant Funding allocated to this financial year:** Norfolk Community Foundation, Aviva Community Fund, Geoffrey Watling, Garfield Weston and others.
We also received donations from Waitrose, via a Crown Funder (which raised funds for the move) and others.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
Norwich Men’s Shed (NMS)is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
The CIO is governed by a constitution, with charity Trustees being elected by members and the board at the Annual General Meeting.
The Board of Trustees are responsible for general governance and define the direction of the charity.
There is a member elected Operations Committee that sits under the Board of Trustees, who oversee general operations and logistics.
NMS operates as a membership cooperative, with all members having a voice in a coproduction delivery model.
Under their membership agreement, all members help with the running and maintenance of the Shed. Members volunteer time and expertise to facilitate our workshop provision and their input is essential to our operational model. Volunteers are supported by (part-time) paid Manager and Supervisor roles.
Norfolk based CIO MensCraft originally set up the Norwich Shed in 2013 – NMS then became an independent CIO in 2017. A small member led charity, NMS originally self-funded through membership contributions and public commissions – as costs have increased and membership has grown, we now apply for grant-funding as required to enable our charity to remain operational.
Over the years, NMS have grown from a small club with a handful of members into a popular, respected and well-known local charity that actively works with other charities and community projects in the area.
## **Reference and Administrative details**
**Charity name** Norwich Men’s Shed ~~ee~~ **Registered charity number** 1171796
Norwich Men’s Shed TAR 2024-25 Page **3** of **4**
Norwich Men’s Shed is a registered charity. (Charity No. 1171796) Saint Martin's Hall Church, Oak St, Norwich, NR3 3AQ **norwichmensshed.org.uk**
||**Charity’s principal address**
Saint Martin's Hall Church
Oak St
Norwich
NR3 3AQ
~~ee~~|**Charity’s principal address**
Saint Martin's Hall Church
Oak St
Norwich
NR3 3AQ
~~ee~~|**Charity’s principal address**
Saint Martin's Hall Church
Oak St
Norwich
NR3 3AQ
~~ee~~|**Charity’s principal address**
Saint Martin's Hall Church
Oak St
Norwich
NR3 3AQ
~~ee~~|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**|**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**||**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**||
||**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**
**Dates acted if not for**
**wholeyear**||**Name of person (or body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee(if any)**|
|1|1
Ian Blunnie|Chairman|Chairman|Members AGM|
|2|2Richard Arundell|Treasurer|Treasurer|Members AGM|
|3|3Matt Sims|||Members AGM|
|4|4Tim Ridgley|||Members AGM|
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Ian Blunnie Richard Arundell
Position
Chair Treasurer
———
Date 01/09/2025
|
**----- End of picture text -----**
Norwich Men’s Shed TAR 2024-25 Page **4** of **4**
**Norwich Men's Shed** Reg Charity 1171796
## **Income and Expenditure Report for the year ending 31 March 2025**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
£ £
Income
Course Income 325 845
Donations 22,858 1,553
Grant Income 37,528 55,389
Membership Fees 9,355 9,988
Misc 170 -
Project Income 3,328 3,020
Rebill electricity (to adjacent property) 336 1,389
Sales 2,013 4,332
Workshop Hire 5,710 9,750
Total Income 81,623 86,266
**----- End of picture text -----**
|**Expenditure**
Bank Fees
Contractor Fees
Equipment/Tools
General Materials
Maintenance
Office Costs
Premises Costs
Premises Relocation Costs
Project Costs
Promotion
Refreshments
Service Fees
Staff Costs
Training
Travel|**52**
**89**
**1,694**
16,307
**1,080**
517
**795**
281
**1,302**
1,229
**952**
236
**13,944**
14,646
**9,840**
-
**898**
420
**24**
532
**502**
1,134
**10,324**
542
**31,218**
23,007
**-**
99
**122**
107|
|---|---|
|**Total Expenditure**|**72,748**
**59,145**|
|||
|**Net Income/(Expenditure)**|**8,876**
**27,120**|
**Independent Examiner: Triple Bottom Line Accounting Limited**
## **Notes**
No Trustee received Remuneration There were no Related Party transactions
## **Norwich Men's Shed**
Reg Charity 1171796
## **Income and Expenditure Report for the year ending 31 March 2025**
|**Income**
Course Income
Donations
Grant Income
Membership Fees
Misc
Project Income
Rebill electricity(to adjacent property)
Sales
Workshop Hire|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**£**
**£**
325
-
4,930
17,927
12,000
25,528
9,355
-
170
3,328
336
-
2,013
-
5,710
-|**Total**
**£**
**325**
**22,858**
**37,528**
**9,355**
**170**
**3,328**
**336**
**2,013**
**5,710**|
|---|---|---|
|**Total Income**|**38,168**
**43,456**|**81,623**|
|**b/f**
**Current acc**
**Cash**
**Zettle**
**Payroll Deposit Held Externally**
**Deposits Held**
**Expenditure**
Bank Fees
Contractor Fees
Equipment/Tools
General Materials
Maintenance
Office Costs
Premises Costs
Premises Relocation Costs
Project Costs
Promotion
Refreshments
Service Fees
Staff Costs
Training
Travel|49,623
13,850
31
-
50
-
4,000
-
(250)
-
53,455
13,850
52
-
100
1,594
568
512
307
488
1,181
122
952
-
11,113
2,831
-
9,840
898
-
24
-
475
27
9,538
785
637
30,581
-
-
122
-|**63,473**
**31**
**50**
**4,000**
**(250)**
**67,305**|
|||**148,928**|
|||**52**
**1,694**
**1,080**
**795**
**1,302**
**952**
**13,944**
**9,840**
**898**
**24**
**502**
**10,324**
**31,218**
**-**
**122**|
|**Total Expenditure**|**25,968**
**46,780**|**72,748**|
|**c/f**
**Current acc**
**Business Instant Access**
**Cash**
**Zettle**
**Payroll Deposit Held Externally**
**Deposits Held**|10,079
-
51,414
10,525
362
-
50
-
4,000
-
(250)
-
65,655
10,525|**10,079**
**61,939**
**362**
**50**
**4,000**
**(250)**
**76,180**|
|||**148,928**|
**Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
**Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name Norwich Men’s Shed **members of On accounts for the year** 31[st] March 2025 **Charity no** 1171796 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
- I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2025.
- **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
* _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._
**Date:** 27/08/2025 **Signed: Name:** Peter Ellington FAIA ~~Cs~~ **Relevant professional** Peter Ellington is a practicing member of the Association of International **qualification(s) or body** Accountants. **(if any): Address:** Triple Bottom Line Accounting Limited, The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ
1
**IER**
**Section B Disclosure**
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
**Give here brief details of** The books and records for Norwich Men’s Shed are maintained to a high **any items that the** standard, and all supporting documentation was easily accessible. **examiner wishes to disclose** .
There are no other significant matters to report.
2
**IER**