Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
This year we had to open a new bank account with the CAF bank. Barclays (who we have had an account with since we formed in 2012) has been unable to resolve the issues around our treasurer dying, and changes in their policy which require us, as a registered charity, to have a different type of bank account. After eighteen months of stalemate with Barclays, we opened an account with the CAF bank, and we have now transferred all our business to this new bank account, and we are in the process of closing the Barclay account.
The new account is accessible by four of the trustees for oversight, and being an online account, can be managed far more efficiently than the Barclays account, which still required checks to be issued rather than online bank transfers. Currently we have two cards for payment of goods, and bank transfers that require two of the trustees to authorise payments.
We had to stop our 1-2-1 sessions as we were not covering off our safeguarding issues (after advice from several agencies, including our umbrella organisation UKMSA). We hope to arrange a partnership with another charity that can provide fully trained dementia staff, but currently we have not been able to set up anything.
We have successfully obtained the use of three rooms in the main building in the Raleigh Centre from Bedford Council. One small room is used for meetings and activities such as teaching the game of bridge, weaving, and presentations on a large screen TV. A second small room is used for IT and electronics and contains several computers and Wi-Fi. Finally, the large area is configured as a multi-use space where we have run the AGM meeting (with thirty plus people), a Christmas party for members, and a member’s opening pizza party. It is a large indoor space that has allowed space for activities such as changing a Gazebo into a Santa’s Grotto for Kempston Town Council’s Christmas light switch on, to rotatory washing line re-threading, and building a large Trug for a local community centre. Along with more mundane uses such as laying out a model railway set up, and painting projects.
Refurbishing these three rooms from neglected storerooms has taken a huge effort from the members, both in fund-raising to pay for materials, and physical effort decorating, fitting out, and repairing the areas. We have paid for new flooring, and for two walls to be plastered from grants raised to make the rooms habitual. We have extended the Wi-Fi to the area, from the other workshop building, and set up the IT room, with working computers, tables, and a printer. We have recently obtained a grant for a high-performance PC to enable Photography, CNC, and 3D printing activities, along with associated software.
We have been running learning bridge sessions (mini bridge) on a Monday afternoon for several months, which has been beneficial in helping get members with a range of disabilities socialising with each other. As well as undertaking an activity which has been shown to have a range of benefits again mental decline (such as Alzheimer’s).
We have run an extensive survey of members and are in the process of setting up several special interest sessions such as Electronics, Photography, model making, 3D printing to take advantage of the new craft area.
The final phase of refurbishing the new Craft area is the toilet, and creating a section for tea, coffee, and light refreshments. We have been very successful in raising funds for this work; however, we have so far been unable to get a local a building firm to undertake the work. Currently we are in discussion with the council surveyors over our proposals, along with searching for a suitable building firm.
The main workshop (Annex) has a new table saw and has been re-jigged to take a new ventilation unit, as well as some electrical work to provide emergency cut outs. The workshop has also been rearranged to create space for a new CNC unit.
We have undertaken a community project in the Caudwell Centre of painting and decorating. Several members have spent a considerable amount of time working on this. A charity offering IT and ESL language requested help with this project, and we have been pleased to help. We recently helped the Bedford Women's Centre, who are next door, by removing a huge redundant cupboard and countertops, saving them employing a contractor at great expense. Not only did we do the work
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
for them free of charge, but we also saved the wood from landfill, and we were able to re-utilise the units, with some adjustments, to create a project storage unit in our craft area. We were very honoured to have been supported by Joe Green, a post- graduate student at the University of Bedford, who raised a staggering £2101.95 for us by running four miles, every four hours for forty-eight hours.
We were also very touched that the pupils from Bedford School raised £400.76 for us through personal fundraising activities.
Cllr Stephen Conway B.Sc (hons) Chair of Trustees
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
| Annual Report 1stDecember 2021 – 30th | Annual Report 1stDecember 2021 – 30th | November 2022 | November 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Report. | |||
| Income | Expenditure | Difference | |
| Cash | 918.69 | 824.43 | |
| Bank | 4888.35 | 6682.27 | |
| Total | 5807.04 | 7506.7 | 1699.33 |
| Funds at start of year |
Funds at end of year | Difference | |
| Cash | 176.56 | 5.82 | |
| Bank | 12691.21 | 11162.62 | |
| Total | 12867.77 | 11168.44 | -1699.33 |
| Shed expenditure £1699.33 more than income. Note:the shed is also holding a further £78.42 in a Paypal account to facilitate the sale of surplus donated tools |
|||
| Large item expenditure Table saw for Shed including additional blade £1438.39 Extraction system for Shed (not included in figures) £1310.00 Plastering in Craft Centre £400.00 Flooring in Craft centre £2502.00 |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
| balance at start of year |
donations during year |
expenditure during year |
balance at end ofyear |
Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIS craft centre reserve |
3000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3000.00 | |
| Connolly Foundation Grant |
3000.00 | 0.00 | 1134.49 | 1865.51 | |
| Bedford Municipal Charity |
2418.00 | 2418.00 | 0.00 | Shed flooring cost £2502.00, balance from Connolly Foundation Grant |
|
| Joe Green Fundraising |
0.00 | 2101.95 | 2101.95 | ||
| Shed tool sales | 187.00 | 0.00 | 410.00 | ||
| 7377.46 | Craft centre available funds |
||||
| Councillor ward grants from earlier years |
1243.00 | 1243.00 | 0.00 | Table saw and additional blade cost £1438.39, balance from Shed funds |
|
| Shed Reserve | 1800.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1800.00 |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
Income during 2022 and projections for 2023
| Cost centre | Amount during 2022 | Projection for 2023 | comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 2703.77 | 500.00 Does not include any grant income yet to be applied for |
Including donations from J Green, £2101.95, and Bedford School £400.76 |
| Material sales | 48.00 | 100.00 | |
| Asset sales | 410.00 | 500 | Tool sales |
| Joining fee | 90.00 | 100 | 10 new members during 2023 |
| Membership | 2351.00 | 3000 | 60 members for 2023 |
| 1-2-1 | 55.00 | 0 | A short-term trial of supporting individuals who required support and supervision—now ceased due to Safeguardingissues. |
| Admin | 0.87 | 20.00 | Cafbank interest |
| total | 5658.61 | 4220.00 |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2021 – 30[th ] November 2022
Expenditure during 2022 and projections for 2023
| Cost centre | Amount during 2022 |
Projection for 2023 | Comments on 2022 data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | 847.70 | 1200 | It services, insurance and stationary |
| Refreshments | 203.46 | 400 | Tea, coffee etc Hosted event for craft centre open event |
| Materials | 87.95 | 150 | Cleaning materials etc |
| Assets | 2760.02 | 4000.00 Including IT related expenditure for the Craft Centre |
Table saw and extraction system |
| Craft centre renovation |
3552.58 | 10,000 Toilet and kitchen in craft centre |
Floor (£2502)/ plastering(£400)/ other renovation materials |
| misc | 22.94 | 50.00 | Welfare Funding |
| total | 6153.02 | 10,900 |
Note: the Craft centre expenditure proposals will be dependent on gaining sufficient grant income during the year,
Tony Mulhall
Trustee Treasurer