Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements
1[st] January to 31[st] December 2025
Charity Name: Sheddington
Principal address: 35 Fairfax Road, Teddington, TW11 9DJ
Charity registered in England & Wales No: 1187049
Report of Trustees
The Trustees present their report together with the financial statement of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2025.
Objectives and Activities
The object of the charity is the preservation and protection of good health among people in Teddington and the surrounding area, including those who are retired, unemployed, bereaved, socially isolated or have health problems (physical or mental), through the provision of facilities in which they can meet jointly or individually to undertake creative, physical, recreational or learning activities, including practical interests and hobbies, learn or pass on skills and knowledge, support each other socially and help with community based projects.
The charity furthers its charitable object of promoting wellbeing in the local community for the public benefit by providing workshops for making and mending, activities for personal projects and for carrying out repairs to items brought in by the public. We are a gender neutral voluntary organisation. Our motto is ‘meeting, making and mending together’. We repair and refurbish equipment such as furniture, electrical appliances, tools and toys. Sheddington provides educational training and offers support and friendship, especially for those struggling with mental health, e.g. due to life-changing events. Our activities can be wide-ranging according to the interest of members and include on-site gardening and a walking group (Sheddington Shufflers).
Achievements and Performance
Our membership at the end of 2025 was around 55. We held BBQ and Brunch events where people brought in home-made dishes and the Bee Keepers on site provided honey. Produce from the Sheddington community garden was also used. A Christmas party was held with our musician friends providing entertainment. These events are primarily for wellbeing rather than fundraisers, and are a great way for members to meet as a larger group and make connections.
The workshops have been very busy. Woodworkers have made things including benches, a rocking chair, a swiss-style radiator cover, wine rack and much more, and done repairs to items such as chairs, cabinets and other furniture. An increasing number of electrical goods are coming in for repair, such as coffee machines,
Action in the workshop
lamps, amplifiers, tape recorders, electric fires vacuum cleaners and more. We also sometimes receive broken ceramics, broken garden equipment and metal items that need welding. An example of the latter was an exercise machine with a broken frame. We have an effective booking-in system and voluntary donations are made for the repairs, with the cost of parts also covered by the owner. It has been rewarding to see items restored to their former glory, and this has brought pleasure to many in the community. Approximately 180 items were repaired in total in 2025. These objects might otherwise have been thrown away and put into landfill.
The community garden has been wonderful again with healthy crops of raspberries, gooseberries, potatoes, leaks, carrots spinach and more. These are shared with our members, and also with others who visit Sheddington as a good-will gesture. Two 1m[3 ] water tanks were installed to collect water from the garage roof, for use on the garden. Our water catchment systems work well and really help to reduce our water bill.
Veg from the community garden
2025 saw the return of the James May film crew for two filming sessions for TV shows, which has helped in terms of making connections and for fundraising. James is one of our Patrons. We liaised with a number of other charities including the Royal Variety Charity in Twickenham (who asked us to build a memorial bench, which they love) and Habitats and Heritage (who commissioned us to build a number of bird boxes). In addition, we took part in the Richmond ‘Full of Life Fair’. This is big annual event held at Twickenham stadium where charities across the borough present what they do to the public. We teamed up with the Richmond
Furniture Scheme and Twickenham repair café in a joint presentation. All these outreach activities help with networking and with fundraising.
Structure and Governance
Sheddington is governed by its constitution dated 9[th] September 2019 and was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 19[th] December 2019. The charity is governed by 4 Trustees, who served throughout the year:
Dr Mark Aston – Chair Peter Brown – Secretary Dr Stephen Aras Hugh Klein
Trustees are selected based on the skills they can bring to the functioning of the charity, their availability and commitment and their locality to Sheddington. Sadly, our founder (Dr Chris Manning who was a trustee until July 2024) passed away at the end of December 2025.
We manage our operations through a Steering Committee comprising the Trustees and an additional 4 committee members including a treasurer. The Steering Committee meet monthly and direct day-to-day activities, and are responsible for the appointment of new committee members. The Trustees meet separately every 6 months, or more frequently if matters dictate, and are responsible for setting strategy, appointing Trustees, and have legal responsibility.
The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Sheddington members join by completing an application form and are encouraged to make an annual donation (subscription) towards running costs. All members undergo a safety induction, and there is control around the use of workshop equipment to minimise risk. Membership is a requirement to be able to use the workshop equipment.
Financial Overview
The charity was in a strong financial position at the end of 2025. Our income included a third year contribution of £14,861 from a 5 year National Lottery grant award. The income from membership was £3,868 (2024 £3,560) and from making and mending donations was £3,626 (2024 £2,453). Total receipts in 2025 were £31,305 (2024: £36,068).
The total expenditure in the year was £14,964 (2024: £19,299). A challenge we are facing is the uncertainty around rental costs after October 2026, when our licence to occupy is due for renewal with the Church. The renewal cost being proposed by the Church is a 6-fold increase from our current £3k/year.
The Receipts and Payments account below gives further detail.
Total reserves at 31[st] December 2025 were £51,658 (2024 £35,317); this comprised unrestricted funds of £46,776 and restricted funds of £4,882 (2024 £4,985). The unrestricted reserves are high compared with the previous period (December 2024: £30,332), much higher than our original aim which was to maintain at least £12,000 to meet annual running costs. Currently, we estimate our annual running costs to be about £17,500, ignoring additional rental costs, and possibly £32,500 including proposed additional rental charges. In addition, we decided to hold-off on major projects to conserve money to prepare for rental increases, and possible moving costs – see look ahead .
Look-ahead: Sheddington is continuing to grow and has become well-known across the local community. National Lottery funding has helped us to become fully established. However, we are concerned about a proposed rental increase after October 2026, when our licence to occupy is due for renewal with the Church. The current proposal is a 6-fold increase from £3k/year which could be unmanageable. Discussions are ongoing to bring this down, but meanwhile we decided to hold off on major projects/purchases to build our unrestricted funds until things are clear. We are expecting our running costs to increase substantially post October 2026.
The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustee’s report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees by:
Mark Aston Chair
Date approved: 24/03/2026
Receipts & Payments account:
Grants Donations Interest received Total receipts Rent and Utilities Insurance Building and Site Works Materials for making and mending Tools and Equipment Workshop consumables and materials Gardening Health Safety Security Environment Kitchen, Social Space, and BBQ Marketing Accountancy (independent examiner) Bank charges General office & admin Total payments Net receipts/(payments) for year Cash funds at start of year Cash funds at end of year |
2025 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds 500 14,861 15,361 15,074 - 15,074 870 - 870 16,444 14,861 31,305 - 5,778 5,778 - 599 599 - 93 93 - 617 617 - 1,589 1,589 - 3,194 3,194 - 813 813 - 62 62 - 552 552 - 485 485 - 500 500 - 104 104 - 578 578 - 14,964 14,964 16,444 (103) 16,341 30,332 4,985 35,317 46,776 4,882 51,658 |
2024 Total funds 24,606 10,909 553 |
|---|---|---|
| 36,068 | ||
| 5,728 726 290 742 3,561 3,043 559 2,610 944 - 500 76 520 |
||
| 19,299 | ||
| 16,769 18,548 |
||
| 35,317 |
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period:
| Analysis of cash funds: Current accounts Deposit account Cash |
At 31st December 2025 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds 962 - 962 45,814 4,882 50,696 - - - 46,776 4,882 51,658 |
At 31st December 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total funds 1,704 33,548 65 |
||
| 35,317 |
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period (continued):
| Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period (continued): | |
|---|---|
| At 31st December 2025 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds Assets retained for the charity’s own use: Workshops - amounts spent - 4,572 4,572 Tools & equipment – insured value 6,524 13,476 20,000 6,524 18,049 24,572 Other monetary assets: Gift Aid due 411 - 411 Other debtors - - - 411 - 411 |
At 31st December 2024 |
| Total funds 4,572 20,000 |
|
| 24,572 | |
| 533 - |
|
| 533 |
Receipt of these amounts due will be included in the 2026 Receipts & Payments account.
| Liabilities: Trade creditors Accruals |
- 226 226 - 550 550 - 776 776 |
231 577 |
|---|---|---|
| 808 |
Settlement of these liabilities will be included in the 2026 Receipts & Payments account.
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Receipts & Payments account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees by:
Mark Aston
Chair
Date approved: 24/03/2026
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Sheddington
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Sheddington (‘the Charity’) for the year ended 31[st] December 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Date: 24 March 2026
Debby Metcalf FCA 22 Trowlock Ave Teddington TW11 9QT