Trustees Report AGM 2025
Chair’s Report
First, I would like to thank all those members that have helped in getting and keeping the Shed running, including all the trustees and members who have put so much time and effort into making a successful year.
It’s been an eventful year, we had our pop up shop in November last year as normal and the takings were more than usual with about £1,200 being raised. We have made many bird boxes for Wild Groombridge, a local wildlife community project, and some for the scouts to put together.
We had a stall at the Groombridge May Fair which was very successful for fundraising, and we sold a lot of second hand tools, bird boxes and other wooden items that our members had made. These fund raising events, donations from members and non members and fundraising from producing wooden items by our members during the year helped us to cover the expenses of running the Shed.
Gerard Newman took the lead on making a coffee table for a local resident which I must say was absolutely fabulous. The new work bench has been made with the help of Dave Hankey again. This holds the circular saw and can be used to put the planer/thicknesser on.
We have been donated a lot of tools and the ones we do not need have been sent to Africa. We have made lots of items for the public.
We put the two soldiers and a wreath on the end of the shed for Armistice Day. There was a good turn out and it went down very well in the village. There were tea and cakes in the shed afterwards We also put the soldiers out for VE day and VJ day although not many people turned up, perhaps because it was not advertised. Next year, we shall have a banner.
We had a talk by Dr Matt James of Groombridge and Hartfield Surgery on HEART health which was held in the long room at the Junction Inn. All local residents were invited and we had about 30 turn up for what was a very good talk , there were a lot of interesting questions.
There was also another FIRST AID AT WORK session for members and some local people who were interested and all passed with flying colours. It was a bit scary when the trainer acted the part of several ailments which he did with great gusto, which was so life like that people walking around the recreation ground thought it was real!
So I think all in all it was a good eventfull year I do think we are on a very good path although there is always a lot more to do
Well done everyone and long may it last.