Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Chair of Trustee’s report for Men In Sheds Bedford
1[st] December 2024 to 30[th] November 2025
Membership has remained consistent with around 90 this year. Sadly, three of our members have moved onto new adventures in the big workshop in the sky this year, including the one of the founding members that was instrumental in setting up the charity.
We have had a very successful project to provide a defibrillator, along with first aid training. This was all done by the Charity raising funds to pay for both the defibrillator and the training. We are planning on running a second first aid course in the future.
There has been some group projects of clearing the parking lot, and Workshop deep clean, landscaping work at the Transfiguration Church; also, one of our members undertook to build three models for Bedford Creative Arts (their River Flow Project).
The Model Train section has continued with effort on the baseboards and setting up the tracks. The art group supported the MS therapy Art again, with many postcard sized art (several members work sold, raising money for the MS charity).
The electronic group has completed our RFID tag login system. This is proving a daily record of attendance, and an emergency fire evacuation list by email of members on site in the event of a fire (or fire drill). The group is working on version 2 of the weather station and programming some small maze solving robots.
There has been some Vinyl records session, and general chats run this year too, which have generated some interesting events.
The lathe group has been setup and is running with quite a few members attending. The CNC /Laser and 3D printing has been making great strides, and we have bought another laptop (mostly) for the 3D printer.
The shed has expanded into fine air brush painting, this is for art, airbrushing models, 3D prints, laser cut projects
etc.
We are now on our second tranche of six-monthly sessions of Chair Yoga with Alannah from Bodywise, as part of our support for better, healthier, aging for members.
Unfortunately, we still have not made progress on the toilet area in the Craft Area. One of our trustee is tirelessly trying to get the council to move forward on this (difficult as the council is currently having major budget issues).
Over the year have invested in the model train section, CNC, the art section, and the electronic section. Not to mention all the tea, coffee, milk, biscuits.
Both the Christmas and BBQ get togethers at the Kempston Hammers were well attended and raised some cash for the charity.
The monthly social Friday Pub visit has been a success and recently tried out adding a curry night to the event—this spicy event went down well.
Subscription has been kept at £4 per month, and our joining fee slightly increased from £10 to £15 to cover the cost of the RFID signing in tag. Overall, the charity finances have been in a good position, and our reserves have increased (mostly to cover the planned spending on creating a disabled toilet and tea and coffee area in the Craft area.
Cllr Stephen Conway B.Sc (hons) Chair of Trustees
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Treasurer’s report for Men In Sheds Bedford
1[st] December 2023 to 30[th] November 2024
Key points:
-
An account with the Redwood Bank has been opened and £10,000 deposited in a 95 day notice variable high interest account. £4,000 has also been deposited in an instant access CafBank Gold variable high interest account paying much better interest than the current account. Since then, £2,000 was transferred from the Cafbank savings account along with a further £1,000 transferred from the Cafbank current account to the Redwood 95-day notice account. We have accrued £562.75 in interest bringing the total in savings to £15,562.75.
-
The Cafbank account has been working well and has accrued a small amount of interest, much reduced since the bulk of Shed funds have been transferred into the higher interest accounts.
-
All specialist interest groups are now considered to be independent cost centres with both expenditure and income monitored; details of expenditure and income are highlighted towards the end of the report.
-
We have invested some £1,648.94 in assets, again details are listed towards the end of the report along with the £297.63 spent on machinery/tools spare parts.
-
Donation income reached £1,868.82 the main sources of grant funding were:
-
The Charlie Edwards family fundraising efforts - £520.32
-
Member donations to the defib fund - £190.00
-
Membership overpayments and donations - £498.50
-
Xmas raffle - £235
-
Great Barford walking group - £100.00
-
Bedford Rail station - £125.00
-
Arts and Crafts centre - £100.00
-
Bedford Creations - £100.00
The last three donations followed by items of work for each organisation
-
No applications for grant funding were made this year.
-
The PayPal account has £78.42 to fund eBay sales of tools.
-
There are two ring fenced funds within the accounts, £1,800 for the shed reserve, sufficient to cover foreseeable liabilities if the shed was ever to be wound up and the Craft Centre refurbishment fund, which currently stands at £15,489.90.
-
The craft centre fund will be applied to the provision of an accessible toilet and refreshment area as soon as Bedford Council approval is given for the required works.
-
Month on month Shed income exceeded expenditure and the Shed available funding was increasing, accordingly we transferred £1000 from the current account to high interest savings accounts. As a result, the Shed current account shows income being less than expenditure for the year by £153.23.
-
Funds that are not committed and therefore are available for expenditure at the beginning of the year beginning 01 December 2025 amount to £3091.14.
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Financial status at end of year 2024/25
| Financial status at end of year 2024/25 | |
|---|---|
| Total in High interest Savings accounts at 01.12.24 | 14,000.00 |
| Deposits during the year | 1,000.00 |
| Interest during the year | 562.75 |
| Balance at 10.11.25 | 15,562.75 |
| Income | Expenditure | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | 1632.40 | 562.80 | |
| Bank | 6564.46 | 7787.29 | |
| Total | 8196.86 | 8350.09 | 153.23 |
| Funds at start of year |
Funds at end of year | Difference | |
| Cash | 0.87 | 26.47 | |
| Bank | 4965.08 | 4786.25 | |
| Total | 4,965.95 | 4813.72 | 153.23 |
| Shed income was £153.23 less than expenditure, however, if we had not transferred £1000 out to a high interest account income would have exceeded expenditure by £846.77 |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Committed funds craft centre refurb £15,489.90 Total current account funds at end of year £ 4812.72 Committed funds Shed reserve £ 1,800.00 Paypal account £ 78.42 Funds available for expenditure at the beginning of the year £ 3091.14 Allocated funding at end of 2024/25 year
| balance 01.12.24 |
donations during 24/25 |
expenditure during24/25 |
balance at 10.11.25 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIS craft centre reserve |
4,000.00 | 1500.00 | 0.00 | 5500.00 |
| Connolly Foundation Grant |
1,865.61 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,865.51 |
| Bedford and Luton Community Foundation(BL&CF) |
2,000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,000.00 |
| Discretionary Bedford Councillor Ward Funds |
2,417.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,417.20 |
| Joe Green Fundraising |
2,101.95 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,101.95 |
| Shed tool sales | 1389.50 | 458.50 | 242.76 | 1605.24 |
| Craft centre refurbishment available funds |
15489.90 | |||
| Shed Reserve | 1,800.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,800.00 |
The craft centre allocated funding is now in effect held entirely in the high interest rate saving accounts.
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Income during 2024/25 and projections for 2025/26
| Cost centre | Amount during 2022 -23 |
Amount during 2023-24 |
Amount during 2024-25 |
Projection for 25-26 |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 1,059.17 | 733.17 | 1868.82 | 500.00 | See note below |
| Grants | 7,917.20 | 500.00 | 0.00 | 1000.00 | None applied for |
| Material sales |
204.06 | 83.60 | 84.90 | 100.00 | |
| Tool sales | 483.50 | 486.00 | 458.50 | 500.00 | |
| Joining fee | 260.00 | 150.00 | 145.00 | 150.00 | 9 new members |
| Membership, including assoc members |
2,689.24 | 3,356.00 | 3817.00 | 4000.00 | |
| Interest on current account |
28.83 | 37.42 | 13.64 | 12.00 | Reduced holdings in current account |
| Member payments for BBQ and Xmas buffet |
232.00 | 597.50 | 797.50 | 800.00 | |
| Products sold |
nil | 172.00 | 45.00 | 300.00 | No Christmas events attended this year |
| Art group income |
340.00 | 400.00 | |||
| Turning group Income |
88.00 | 100.00 | |||
| Yoga classes | 533.50 | 1500 | |||
| Interest on high interest accounts |
562.75 | 650.00 | £15,000 transferred to high interest accounts |
Note: Donations included monies from Charlie Edwards’ family fundraising efforts, the Christmas raffle. membership overpayments, member donations to the defibrillator fund and work carried out for outside parties. We also received donations from outside groups
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Expenditure during 2024/25 and projections for 2025/26
| Cost centre | Amount during 22 -23 |
Amount during 23 -24 |
Amount during 24-25 |
Projection for 2025-26 |
Comments on expenditure during 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | 906.34 | 1089.99 | 1650.75 | 1,800.00 | IT services, insurance, two seated yoga courses, UKMSA membership and stationary |
| Refreshments | 266.19 | 301.30 | 326.96 | 350.00 | Tea, coffee etc |
| Xmas event /BBQ |
280.96 | 500.00 | 410.00 | 500.00 | |
| Materials | 744.87 | 425.95 | 424.37 | 500.00 | Workshop materials and £158.96 gardening supplies |
| Tools /spares | 3,996.55 | 432.92 | 297.63 | 500.00 | Replacement parts for tools/machines |
| Craft centre renovation |
0.00 | 51.00 | 231.77 | 16,000.00 | Craft centre heaters, wood and internet extension |
| Shed infrastructure update |
374.78 | 0.00 | 322.11 | 250.00 | New lights and electrical system |
| Artgroup | 187.10 | 757.16 | 750.00 | ||
| Bridgegroup | 20.40 | 43.25 | 50.00 | ||
| Electronics group |
526.89 | 0.00 | 250.00 | ||
| Model railways group |
461.06 | 61.29 | 250.00 | ||
| CNC Group | 308.62 | 96.00 | 200.00 | Software licence | |
| Wood turning group |
450.00 | 742.36 | 300.00 | New sharpening station, extraction system, pen kits and glues tools |
|
| 3dprinting | 360.74 | 100.00 | Laptopand filament | ||
| Gardening | 250.00 | ||||
| Health and safety |
1035.84 | 500.00 | Defib, first aid training and RFID system |
||
| Welfare | 46.19 | 100.00 | Sympathycards |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Expenditure and income in Special Interest Groups
| • | Bridge | £ 43.25 |
|---|---|---|
o Income |
nil | |
| • | Art | £757.16 |
o income |
£340.00 | |
o (includes airbrush system, painting supplies and picture frames) |
||
| • | Electronics | nil |
o Income |
nil | |
| • | Model railway | £61.29 |
o Income |
nil | |
o (Materials to complete layout) |
||
| • | CNC | £96.00 |
o Income |
nil | |
o (Software licence) |
||
| • | Wood turning | £748.76 |
o Income |
£88.00 | |
o (Includes a new sharpening system, dust |
extraction supplies, penmaking kits and glues) | |
| • | 3D printing | £360.74 |
o Income |
£8.20 | |
o (Includes a new laptop computer and printing filament) |
||
| • | Laser cutting | |
o materials |
£110.00 | |
o Income |
£100.00 |
Men In Sheds Bedford (Charity Commission: 1174339) Annual Report 1[st ] December 2024 – 30[th ] November 2025
Expenditure on Assets
| Expenditure on Assets | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Shed has purchased: | ||
| • | Air brush system for art group | £220.00 |
| • | Laptop computer for 3D printer | £309.99 |
| • | New workbench for workshop | £419.99 |
| • | Heaters for craft centre | £119.98 |
| • | Wood turning sharpening system | £578.98 |
| • | Total | £1648.94 |
| Expenditure on tools and spares | ||
|---|---|---|
| The shed has purchased: | ||
| • | Thicknesser blades and fittings | £80.45 |
| • | Chopsaw blades | £79.98 |
| • | Drill bits | £39.98 |
| • | Vacuum/cleaner/filter bags | £37.51 |
| • | Router collets | £49.86 |
| • | Sanding Sleeves | £9.85 |
| Total | £297.63 |
Tony Mulhall Treasurer Men In Sheds Bedford