2023-03-31-accounts - Hook Shed

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

HOOK SHED

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Introduction

The Trustees are pleased to present their report on the activities of the Hook Shed (the “Charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Constitution

Hook Shed is a charity established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under a Constitution dated 22 March 2021.

The Charity has registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1195578 and is also registered with HMRC for Gift Aid donations from individuals who pay tax in the UK, allowing the Charity to increase the value of donations from UK taxpayers by 25%.

Objectives

The objectives of the Charity (its objects) are:

i) To promote social inclusion for the public benefit of men and women living in and around Hook, Hampshire
ii) to combat loneliness and social isolation arising as a result of their age, infirmity, disability, financial hardship or social circumstance.

To do this, we will provide workshop facilities and settings where they can meet to socialise and engage in projects and activities together, such activities being aimed at increasing their engagement, skills and condition of life. In addition, other related activities that benefit the wider community may be undertaken in public settings (for example, but not limited to, “Repair Cafes”).

Trustees

The Trustees who served at any time during the year and to the date of this report were:

Claire Lambert (Chair – appointed 4 October 2023) Matthew Heywood (Treasurer) James Braid David Butler Stephen Dignum Nicholas Somerville Christopher Terrey (Chair – resigned 4 October 2023)

The appointment of the Chair is reviewed in accordance with the Constitution.

Applications for new Trustees are invited as and when required. Appointments are made having regard to the skills on the Trust body and its future needs.

Governance

During the year, the Trustees maintained a sound governance framework for the Charity including;

(i) Requiring dual Trustee approval for all items of expenditure.
(ii) Maintaining active membership of the North East Hook Community Project Committee, a sub-committee of the Hook Parish Council, which is tasked with the provision of a pavilion and Shed building on Papermill Avenue in Hook.
(iii) Further developing our links with advisers to the voluntary sector and grant providers.

Activities

(i) The Trustees principal aim in the year was to continue to engage with the community through in-person meetings, email and social media, informing them of the progress being made to establish a purpose built building that would serve as a base for the Shed activities and be a principal meeting place for the membership.
(ii) Various projects have been undertaken in the community from the refurbishment of park benches, assisting in the putting up of the Remembrance Day decorations and making bird and hedgehog boxes and insect hotels for a community nature project.
(iii) A sub-committee of the Trustees has been working with Hook Parish Council on the development of a Shed building in Papermill Avenue, Hook. The Trustees are pleased to announce that agreement has been reached with Hook Parish Council for a plot of land on which the shed will be built. Hook Parish Council has confirmed that it will provide a fully funded and serviced foundation on which the shed can be built and will further provide initial grant funding of £75,000 towards the build and fit-out cost. Early indications are that the site will be subject to a fully repairing lease, lasting in excess of five years, at a peppercorn rent.

Diversity statement

The Trustees recognise the value of diversity in all its forms in helping run the Charity, benefiting from a variety of different perspectives, experiences and skills in its Trustees.

At this stage in our Charity's development, we believe that knowledge of running a charity is an essential requirement of Trustees. Within the constraints of available candidates to become Trustees and having regard to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, we seek ways of broadening the diversity of the Board, and especially as regards geography, age, gender and ethnicity.

In assessing applications for membership, we will ensure that there are no explicit or implicit limitations as to the diversity of individuals seeking to become members of the Charity except as regards age or gender where that is a key element of the drive to promote to members (eg under18’s, or to increase the participation rate of an underrepresented group such as women or disabled people).

Financial review of the year

This is the Charity’s second period of activity and as the focus has been primarily on the progression of the building project with Hook Parish Council the level of financial activity has been low. Total income for this year was £918. Expenditure totalling £751 was paid during the year. The surplus of income over expenditure for the year was £167 which increases our reserves.

Reserves

Our total reserves at 31 March 2023 are £2,009. The Trustees consider the level of reserves to be adequate for the Charity to remain sustainable for the immediate future. As we have yet to secure a suitable building and offer members full Shed benefits our level of unfunded ongoing expenses are kept at a modest amount and we have no need to maintain significant reserves.

How our activities deliver Public Benefit

All of our charitable activities focus on the promotion of social inclusion for the furtherance of community and personal development of residents and the community of Hook for the public benefit. The Trustees confirm that in exercising their powers and duties they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.

Future developments

The Trustees intend to concentrate on the following activities;
(i) raising awareness of the Charity to secure an active membership and donations
(ii) working with Hook Parish Council to deliver a building which can become the permanent base for the Charity and its members’ activities
(iii) further developing links with a number of grant sponsors
(iv) building our relationships with the community to maintain a place for members to socialise and learn new skills whilst completing projects that benefit those living in and around Hook.

Contact us

The Trustees can be contacted through the Treasurer:

Matt Heywood Glebe Cottage, Tunworth Road Mapledurwell
Basingstoke RG25 2LU

or via https://hook-shed.org.uk/welcome-to-http-hook-shed-org-uk where the email address for the webmaster is given.

Approved by the Trustees on 4 October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Claire Lambert

Claire Lambert, Chair of the Trustees

HOOK SHED

Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2023

Year ended 31 March 2023 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Income £ £ £ Grants - - - Community activities 893 - 893 Other - - - Membership subs 25 - 25 918 - 918 Expenditure Community activities 511 - 511 IT equipment - - - Subscriptions - - - Insurance 127 - 127 Room hire - - - Bank charges 60 - 60 Print, post and stationery 53 - 53 751 - 751 Excess income over expenditure 167 - 167 Reserves brought forward 796 1,046 1,842 Reserves carried forward 963 1,046 2,009 Represented by: Assets and liabilities statement at 31 March 2023 Bank balance 963 1,046 2,009	Year ended 31 March 2023	Period ended 31 March 2022
	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total £ £ £ - - - 893 - 893 - - - 25 - 25	Total £ 4,089 323 50
	918 - 918	4,462
	511 - 511 - - - - - - 127 - 127 - - - 60 - 60 53 - 53	1,167 1,216 115 67 35 20 -
	751 - 751	2,620
	167 - 167 796 1,046 1,842	1,842 -
	963 1,046 2,009	1,842
		1,842

Approved by the Trustees on 4 October 2023 and signed on their behalf by

Claire Lambert Matt Heywood Chair Treasurer