Chairmans Report May 2022- May 2023
Dave Puttock
This is really our first full post pandemic year, and in my last statement at the AGM I said that we were trying to ensure that we had a sustainable income to ensure continued operation, and as our accounts will show we have pretty much done that, however this has emphasised a different problem.
That problem was also mentioned in that last report, it is one which, in a way, is of our own making. We are too successful . That is, there are days when so many people want to attend that it becomes overcrowded. In the coffee room for sure there are times when you can’t find a chair, or even somewhere to put a chair. Also in the workshop we have sometimes struggled for bench space and sometimes all the lathes have been in use and people standing waiting.
Added to our own success, the number of referrals from NHS occupational therapists and social workers has brought in a stream of people who might benefit from time in the shed but we can’t devote time and space to them.
Quite fortuitously, we were approached by our landlords to say that they were intending to vacate some premises adjacent to ours and offering to let us take a lease on a further 1000 sq.ft.
The trustees then had the problem of weighing up our desire for the space with the added cost in a time of rising energy costs. In the end we put it to a members meeting which was attended by nearly 80% of our 75 members, and the vote to take on the space was unanimous.
As we close out the financial year we look to the members to help in any way they can to fit out the new space and turn it into a much bigger and improved craft room and social area. We will then be able to reorganise and expand the workshop.
Our Tuesday craft group has been running for a full year now, but has not seen the number of attendees that we might have expected. Perhaps this needs reviewing once we get the new craft space operational to see if better publicity will find more variety of crafts. The other possible option is to open the workshop on Tuesdays, but this will certainly need more day supervisors to ease the commitment shown by our current supervisors.
The Friday ladies day seems to have reached a plateau of about 12 members and an average of 9 per session. The standard of their work is inspiring but as previously they still need a number of guys for advice and certain machine operations. I would like suggestions on how to progress the development of the ladies sessions.
The Tuesday afternoon computer group seems to be continuing in the same vein as last year being clinic style but with a small core of regular members. They generally manage themselves but I get the impression that they would like to encourage a few more into regular attendance, perhaps by changing to a membership+ similar to the rest of the shed
Chairmans Report May 2022- May 2023
Dave Puttock
users, but scaled down as they only meet for two hours. I would welcome suggestions on this.
We supported Northallertons’ Christmas Commitee by making over 100 wooden tree ornaments for children to decorate as well as a number of freestanding sign posts.
We have participated in a couple of sales events such as Romanby Scarecrow Festival and a couple more are coming up later this year. Although we were able to sell some of our wares the publicity always brings interested comment and sometimes new members.
We are grateful to the Darlington Building Society for their continued support in having some of our items for sale on their counter; this has helped with cash inflow, as well as exposure for our activities.
My personal thanks to the trustees for the time they have given and all the day supervisors for taking on the essential running of the shed. I look forward to a very busy year to come.
Northallerton Men’s Shed Accounts Summary 1/06/2022 until 30/05/2023
Balance Brought Forward from 30/05/22 £13791.89
| Closing bank balance 30/05/23 Difference Income over Expenditure INCOME £ Grants 3599.00 Donations 43.11 Weekly & Annual Subs 9463 Sales 532.71 Miscellaneous 409.95 Gift aid 1049.25 TOTAL INCOME 15097.07 |
£17075 £3283.72 EXPENDITURE £ Equipment 3886.29 Rent 4220.42 Gas & Electricity 2190.74 Consumables 583.74 Insurance (paid in previous year) Miscellaneous 371.25 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 11813.44 |
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