Trustee Report for Charity Commission
Despite COVID restriction, our charity has continued its work throughout the year, although in a limited form.
Before the restrictions in March 2020, we managed to hold a Christmas Lunch for the members (in the local Harvester) where over twenty members took part.
Both the management committee and the trustee managed a physical meeting early in 2020, but obviously most the plans and objectives had to be delayed or changed due to government restrictions around COVID. However, we have recently approved a comprehensive three year business plan and the charity is well placed for moving forward in 2021.
Despite being unable to physically meet up, from April 2020 the charity started weekly Zoom meetings for members, and later in the year we started having management committee meeting on Zoom too. In addition to this, we promoted our WhatsApp Men In Shed Bedford chat group, and this results in around a hundred messages a day. The charity also grouped members into small physically local groups (non-physical contact support bubbles), so that they could support and chat to each other. We have also started producing monthly newsletters to keep members engaged with the charity.
In September, the Trustee made the decision to re-open the Workshop Area for a maximum of six members (following Government recommendations of social distancing). Prior to this, the management committee prepared the workshop so as to meet all the other guidance produced by the Government, that was applicable to our charity, and workshop area.
Opening the workshop with COVID restrictions involved several challenges. We needed to providing PPE for members (some of this was provided free by the UKMSA organisation), sterilizing chemicals and cleaners, and hand sanitisers. Risk assessments were undertaken and published, and a system for attending the workshop and limiting numbers was installed, along with the workshop being divided into working zones to keep members at a distance. The workshop was deep cleaned and significantly de-cluttered over several days. A major piece of work was undertaken to replace the fire escape steps with a disabled friendly exit ramp (allowing a separate entrance and exit through the workshop). The ramp was built by the members and funded by a local firm who provided £500 towards the cost of the materials.
While the charity was able to run session for several weeks in September, and into October, once the Government COVID restrictions were reinstituted again, the charity had to close access to the workshop area again. Currently we are still closed, with the likely opening date to be in June 2021.
Additionally, we were finally able to replace the basic pillar drill with a more substantial semi professional version. Although we obtained a grant from the local councillor to replace the bench saw, we have not yet been able to acquire the new saw.
Financially, the charity has remained on a good footing. Aside from the monthly standing orders from members, there have been several financial contributions from individuals (who we have done work for) and a charity that decide to support us this year (after members made a presentation to them). While we have had to continue to pay for insurance and monthly internet connection, the insurance company provided several extra months cover for the same cost of the usual twelve months. Inevitably our membership has decreased over the year, although we did manage to join up a member over zoom. Several others have joined in our Zoom sessions and we are optimistic that they will become members in the future.
Finally, one of the charity major business objective has been to expand our available space and acquire several unused rooms in the council building next to the workshop area. A sub committed was recently set up in December 2020 to oversee this project. They have written a draft document laying out our planned use and written a detailed project plan. Currently the sub committee is in discussion with the various influencers and decision makers in the council to progress formal acquisition of this area (now referred to as the Craft area).
No (if any) 1174339
Men in sheds Bedford 1174339 Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/11/2019 30/10/2020
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £
A1 Receipts
| A1 Receipts | funds to the nearest £ |
funds to the nearest £ |
funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PettyCash | 952 | - | - | 952 | 1,294 | ||||||
| Bank A/c | 5,503 | - | - | 5,503 | 2,977 | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
6,455 | - | - | 6,455 | 4,271 | ||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, | |||||||||||
| (see table). | |||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total receipts | 6,455 | - | - | 6,455 | 4,271 | ||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||
| PettyCash | 852 | - | - | 852 | 1,171 | ||||||
| Bank Account | 1,630 | - | - | 1,630 | 721 | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | 2,482 | - | - | 2,482 | 1,892 | ||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | |||||||||||
| Bench Pilllar Drill | 361 | - | - | 361 | |||||||
| Ramp | 500 | - | - | 500 | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | 861 | - | - | 861 | - | ||||||
| Total payments | 3,343 | - | - | 3,343 | 1,892 | ||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 3,112 | - | - | 3,112 | 2,379 | ||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Cash funds this year end | 3,112 | - | - | 3,112 | 2,379 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
22/10/2021
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Insurance Details Details Petty Cash Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 99 - - - - - - - Agreement Error OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) Bank Account 500 - - - - Print Name J. Honner |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) | |||
| 14 March 2020 | |||
| Date of approval | |||
| J. Honner | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
22/10/2021
2