## **Shirley Men’s Shed** 

## **Annual Report for the year ended 30 September 2023** 

## **Origins and objectives** 

Shirley Men’s Shed (“the Shed”) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, formally established on 1 October 2018. It was initiated by members of St James Road Methodist Church and stands independently from the Church. 

The objects of the Shed are to promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing men aged 18 or over, within Shirley and the surrounding area, from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society through the provision of facilities in which they can meet to undertake creative, physical or recreational activities, learn or pass on skills and knowledge, and support each other socially. 

The trustees during the year to 30 September 2023 were Peter Hill, Hugh Evans, Brian Hooper, Cliff Rolfe, Colin Lockwood, Andy Blunsden, Tony Wood, Mark Stockwell and Carl Langley; Carl resigned from Trusteeship during the year. 

## **Development in the year to 30 September 2023** 

Following our work on roof support and corner bracing, the City Council’s Building Control team confirmed in March 2023 that our main building was satisfactory. 

The National Lottery gave approval for us to use unspent grant money to add a temporary shed (known as Shed C), and an unexpected gift of £3,000 from the Millennium Third Age Centre enabled us to obtain a fireproof gazebo and fit out the new shed with insulation, power, racking and a bench.  That work was largely completed by the end of September 2023. 

We also completed paving over the entrance area. 

## **Activity in the year to 30 September 2023** 

Through the autumn and winter of 2022/23 we completed an order for 40 hedgehog houses for the City Council, and have continued to make more as others ask for them. 

In February 2023 we started new sessions on Wednesday mornings, which have slowly developed although they remain less well attended than the Monday or Thursday morning sessions, with typically four to six members.  We also started a Thursday afternoon session, twice a month, with little response. 

## **Finance** 



The financial position over the year is attached as an Appendix. 

Our main income came from fund raising, donations, subscriptions and grants.  None of the Trustees or members received payment from the Shed. 

## **Future intentions** 

The Trustees met in January 2023 to think about our two-year and longer-term visions for the shed, agreeing some two-year targets: 

- one more morning session a week; 

- one weekly evening session; 

- one weekly afternoon session; 

- one limited session each week - with no more than 6 people, booked in advance including booking particular machines; 

- some off-site social events; 

- agreed partnerships with one or two other bodies; 

- one or two community projects a year; 

- two or three more RPs. 

Beyond that, we envisaged further open sessions and further booked sessions, possibly on a termly basis, chargeable and available for women as well as men. We also envisaged seeking grant funding to employ a full-time organiser. 

The meeting intentionally did not consider how these developments might be achieved. 



|**Shirley Men's Shed Accounts 1/10/2022 - 31/09/2023**|**Shirley Men's Shed Accounts 1/10/2022 - 31/09/2023**|**Shirley Men's Shed Accounts 1/10/2022 - 31/09/2023**|
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|**Balance brought forward 01/10/2022 =   £6866.56**|||
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|**Income**|||
|Subs|£1,602.66||
|Membership|£557.28||
|Sales|£1,242.27||
|Clothingsales|£592.83||
|Donations|£55.00||
|Grants|£5,275.00||
|NL release|£5,567.59||
|Electricityrebate|£1,262.01||
|**Total Income**|**£16,154.64**||
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|**Expenditiure**|||
|Equipment and resources|£3,038.42||
|Southern Water tools|£1,841.18||
|Insurance|£457.00||
|Lease|£20.00||
|Communitycohesion|£542.80||
|Admin|£237.26||
|Sructural supports|£1,566.22||
|Electricity|£140.71||
|Shed C infrastructure|£6,372.43||
|**Total Expenditure**|**£14,216.02**||
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|**Year Profit**|**£1,938.62**||
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|**Balance carried forward 31/09/23**|**£8,805.18**||
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