Somerset Levels and Moors Shed (SLaMS) (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Charity Number 1182815
Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
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Somerset Levels and Moors Shed CIO
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Legal and Administrative Information | 3 |
| Trustee's Annual Report | 4 |
| Receipts and Payments Account | 7 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 8 |
| Independent Examiners report of Accounts | 9 |
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Somerset Levels and Moors Shed CIO
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Legal and Administrative Information
Status
The Somerset Levels and Moors Shed (SLaMS) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered on 5th April 2019.
Registered Number
Registered charity number: 1182815
Principal Address
Canal Workshop Canal View Old Taunton Road Bridgwater Somerset TA6 3NS
Trustees
The trustees who served during the year were as follows
Colin D Gorton (Chair to 9th May; from 30th Nov) (appointed 10th January 2019) Tom Hart (appointed 10th January 2019) Stuart H Jackson (Treasurer) (appointed 30th June 2020) Michael G Brown (appointed 30th June 2020) Gerald Swayne (Secretary) (appointed 10th August 2021) Gordon A Godfrey (appointed 17th May 2022) Peter J Smith (appointed 17th May 2022)
Trustees appointed during the year
Simon Blackley (Chair 9th May to 13th November) (appointed 9th May 2023)
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Somerset Levels and Moors Shed
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2023.
Structure, Governance and Management
The Somerset Levels and Moors Shed (SLaMS) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The CIO is governed by a constitution, with charity trustees to be elected by members at its Annual General Meeting. Any vacant seats may be filled by nomination, election and verification process held by the existing trustees during the year.
The charity trustees are responsible for the management and overall control of the CIO. All trustees are volunteers and undertake activities to further the objects of SLaMS as required, with no remuneration or financial benefit received for their time, which is given freely. No remuneration or benefits or expenses were paid to any connected persons during this period.
Objectives and Activities
The objects of the charity are to promote for the public benefit of persons living in Bridgwater, its adjacent towns, villages and the isolated rural communities of the Somerset Levels and Moors, in particular but not exclusively older men, preventing them from becoming socially excluded, and assisting them to integrate into society through the provision of a venue (”Shed”) or venues (“Sheds”) in which they can meet and jointly or individually undertake and share creative, physical, social and recreational activities of their choice.
SLaMS offers a practical skills sharing environment, where all members contribute to the life of the Shed, working on their own projects, community based projects or those commissioned by members of the public.
Achievements and Performance
Our beneficiaries include men and women aged 18+, though our members are predominantly male retirees. Many are dealing with issues around physical or mental health, social isolation, ageing, unemployment and include carers seeking respite, exoffenders/probationers re-integrating back into society, and refugees/asylum seekers awaiting settlement in the UK.
Our members’ life experiences are quite diverse. This diversity is a strong feature of Shed life and contributes significantly to our aims of being welcoming and inclusive for all, irrespective of background, aptitude or ability. Our social space and practical workshop environment provide an opportunity for men, who may be struggling to cope with mental health and social isolation, to connect with other men through shared practical activity.
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Somerset Levels and Moors Shed
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
The resultant community is one of mutual support, good humour and a strong esprit de corps, and greatly contributes to maintaining each individual’s sense of worth, acceptance and wellbeing.
As might be expected given the life circumstances of many of our service users, our membership numbers fluctuate, though we retain a core group of around 15 members, providing sufficient continuity for volunteer Trustees and Session Supervisors, and which also enables us to plan ahead in accepting community and other commissioned projects.
2023 has largely been a year of further, steady recovery from the effects of Covid 19 lockdowns and reduced operations between 2020 and 2022. Despite the loss of some members, our membership has again grown steadily such that at year end we had attracted 11 new members and retained a total membership of 32. We were able to sustain twice weekly sessions throughout the period, with an average attendance of 11 members per session. The table below provides the comparison with previous years.
| (SLaMS UA) 2019 |
(SLaMS UA) 2020 |
(SLaMS UA & CIO) 2021 |
(SLAMS CIO) 2022 |
(SLaMS CIO) 2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membership | 30 | 11 | 19 | 25 | 32 |
| Total Sessions | 150 | 40 | 54 | 101 | 102 |
| Total Attendees | 1337 | 266 | 330 | 811 | 1108 |
| Average attendees/ session |
8.9 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 8.0 | 10.9 |
In respect of community involvement our members have been busy constructing a number of commissioned items, amongst which are :
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For West Monkton and Hamp Infants Schools - wellington boot storage units - for safer storage of outdoor footwear and to encourage children’s participation in outdoor curricular activities.
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For SHAL Housing Association - recycling bin storage units - to encourage residents’ recycling behaviours, improve the external visual appearance of properties and to deliver an element of “social uplift” to the immediate neighbourhood.
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Remembrance Day soldier silhouettes for The Royal British Legion
We have continued our contacts with signposting agencies and others, including inter alia the Probation Service, NHS Adult Community Mental Health Service, and Third Sector agencies working with refugees temporarily accommodated in hotels near M5 Junction 24. responding to individual needs as required. We are also engaged with the Somerset Integrated Care System - Bridgwater Connect initiative which seeks to improve the connections among health, care and other services and the local VCSE sector of which SLaMS is a small, but niche, element. From grants received in-year, we have established a Hardship Fund to assist those in financial difficulty (as a result of the “Cost of Living Crisis”) to access and fully participate in Shed activities. Since October 2023, we have publicised and operated The Shed as a “Warm Space”.
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Somerset Levels and Moors Shed CIO
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Further grants have enabled us to replace significant elements of our woodworking equipment, much of which was acquired second hand and was increasingly becoming “time expired”, as well as replenish our stock of essential consumables (PPE, First Aid supplies etc).
Reserves Policy
Our aim is to retain a minimum 12 months of annual overhead costs in unrestricted reserves as a operational buffer in the event of funding sources substantially reducing or ceasing. This has been achieved.
Financial Review
Income in 2023 amounted to £28158 of which almost £3000 was as a result of members completing projects commissioned by individuals or community organisations.
Grants received during the year were:
-
£5600 from Hinckley Point C “Safe Day” Fund - AED, Replacement 18V hand held and other power tools, Replacement PPE, First Aid materials and other consumables; contribution to operating costs.
-
£2039 from The Cooperative Local Community Fund - for materials and consumables for community projects.
-
£1000 from Bridgwater Town Council - to replace ageing machine tools.
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£5140 from The Open Mental Health Network - Hardship Fund, Warm Spaces, Christmas Meal etc.
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£4920 from Somerset Community Foundation, HPC Community Fund - materials and consumables for SHAL Housing Association recycling bin storage units.
Operating payments were £13256, of which the single largest item (£5651) was rent for the workshop. Significant capital expenditure during the year of £3346 was spent on an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), upgrading/replacing ageing capital equipment (bandsaw, router) and replacing a diverse and ageing range of 24v corded power tools with new trade rated 18V power tools, bringing total payments for the year to £16603. The charity made a net profit of £11555, and at year end unrestricted cash funds of £15351 were available, with a further £9232 available in restricted funds.
The accounts were reviewed and passed by an independent examiner on 15th April 2024 and found to be an accurate record of the Shed’s financial operations.
Approved by the Trustees on 24th April 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
C D Gorton Trustee (Chairman)
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