Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
Trustee and Annual Report 2022-2023
Administrative details
Men up North (MUN)
Registered number 1195801
Charity Address: 108 the moor, Sheffield, S1 4PD
Introduction
Men up North (MUN) is a small Charity that delivers interventions with the aim of improving Men’s Mental Health. The overarching vision behind the organisation is to support men of all ages who may be on the periphery of poor Mental Health, or languishing, to navigate their way to improved Mental Health. This is achieved through peer support and primarily by providing a safe space for facilitated coaching conversations and other interventions which promote increased resilience, better connection with themselves and their emotional world, a connection with others in a supportive community, and a reconnection with Nature and the World around them.
Aims and Purposes
Men Up North exists to promote and protect the mental health of men in the north of England through support and practical advice in particular, but not exclusively, by providing workshops and peer to peer support groups. Developing a supportive community, thereby reducing isolation and loneliness in our communities.
Objectives and Activities
We provide free access to bi-weekly self-help group coaching and peer support men’s circles in a safe and confidential environment, free from advice and judgement. We have been running the group coaching sessions since 2017 during which we have developed a unique philosophy and approach that works in engaging men in difficult but ultimately transformational conversations. The scope and breadth of the sessions we provide with this goal in mind has continued to expand.
Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
We also provide numerous social activities generated by community co-production that helps to better mental wellbeing. These include weekend resilience retreats and Creative opportunities.
Achievements and Performance
Statistically the most significant risk to a man’s life (under 45yrs) is in his bare hands and unfortunately, men still account for 75% suicides nationwide.
We are determined to have an impact on these figures initially locally, but then through expansion and growth of the MUN ethos and concept.
We’re passionate about creating safe spaces for diverse men to be in and to enable them to develop connections with themselves with other men and with the natural World. Our sessions are unique in that they are delivered and facilitated by Professionals with lived experience who embrace and utilise their vulnerability.
During this period, we ran:
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26 x Can We Talk group coaching & peer to peer support sessions. (Average 9 men / session.)
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14 x group guided nature walks (Average 5 men / session)
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10 x allotment sessions (Average 4 men / session)
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Creative Voices project which comprises of 2 x Art jam, Surrealist photography, Zen Calligraphy, Man Cave Design, Food, sound healing and collage workshop, social cafe (average 8 men / session)
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1 Creative Voices exhibition in the City Centre of Sheffield attracting over 50 people.
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1 x woodland camping weekend (7 men.)
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One Cultivating Resilience weekend retreat (20 men)
We have 75 regular registered members. Our diverse community ranges from the ages of 18-72 drawn from 14 different heritage backgrounds.
In addition, we have an active online group and WhatsApp group where members engage with each other outside of our regular sessions to support each other and build the friendships that are often initiated in the groups we run.
Some of the differences that have we made that our members have reported include:
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Men feeling less lonely, and developing friendships and support networks
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Men feel more open expressing their vulnerabilities and difficulties.
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Men feeling more positive in navigating the changing world.
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Men feel better connected to nature which supports their mental wellbeing.
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Men of colour feel more comfortable accessing nature.
Financial Review
We have been funded for a 2-year project by the People's Health Lottery which has enabled some of our activities and has ensured that we have been able to continue providing services over the previous 12 months. The final payment of this funding was released in November 2023
We have not been successful in applying for more funding at this stage, but have some applications in process. We applied to four funds but unfortunately were not successful.
Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
We are currently putting more focus and time into this development work and seeking further support to give us feedback on how we can improve this, and highlight and articulate better the benefits we make to people's lives moving forward.
Reserves Policy
Our reserves will be used for any purpose that can further the purpose of the charity.
We have a 0 reserves policy as we have no regular paid staff or overheads. As the organisation grows, we will develop a reserves policy to ensure we can meet our obligations.
Volunteers
We are still in the process of developing and growing our volunteer base. This will form a key part of our activities going forward.
We are still in the process of developing a facilitation guide and supervision sessions to enable more volunteer involvement and for volunteers to run sessions.
Structure, Governance and Management
The CIO was formed and registered with the Charity Commission on the 13th September 2021. Activities prior to this were run through MEN UP NORTH (an unincorporated organisation).
The trustees voted to close the unincorporated organisation on the 1st Sep 2021 and to transfer all assets of MEN UP NORTH to MEN UP NORTH CIO on the 13th September 2021.
All activities are now operating under Men Up North CIO.
The trustees have regard for the guidance issued by the Charity Commissions on public benefits and this is regularly discussed at our trustees’ meetings.
The governing document is a constitution.
The trustees for this period were:
| ees for this period were: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Praveen Paramanantham | Operations | MEN UP NORTH Trustee board (appointed 13th September 2021) |
|
| Abokor Ahmed | Finance | MEN UP NORTH Trustee board (appointed 13th September 2021) |
|
| Mohamed Yusof | Chair | MEN UP NORTH Trustee board (appointed 13th September 2021) |
|
| Anggakara Narendradhipa |
Chief Executive |
Management | |
| David Hitchmough | Head of Operations |
Management |
Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
Additional information p.m.
We are still working towards improving on developing better systems to make it easier for members to register, for us to promote events, and to reach out. It’s been a learning year for us and will invest more resources next year on this.
We have a vision of developing hybrid online and in person meetings to enable more participation.
We have continued to focus on developing creative activities as requested through co production with our community and delivered numerous activities with this in mind.
We have also been seeking funds with a little success from both Voluntary and Statutory sectors that can support us in developing and growing into a sustainable self-help community.
Trustee payments
We run our Cultivating Resilience Retreat in the woods over a weekend, Mohamed Yusoff provides the catering for this retreat as he is able to buy food at wholesale price and provides unpaid time to cook it all weekend.
We spent £600 for the catering of all the meals of 20 men from Friday to Sunday.
This is cheaper than all the other catering companies we’ve researched to provide this service to save money for the charity.
This is aligned with our conflict of interest policy and agreed by the other trustees and project lead.
Financial Statement – Receipts and payments
Receipts and payments 1.04.2022 – 31.3.2023
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds |
Last year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ |
|||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| Grant income / donations | 4,545 | **13,250 ** | - | - | 17,795 | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
4,545 | 13,250 | - | 17,795 | - | ||||
Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| Materials | - | 472 | - | 472 | - | ||||
| Subcontractor costs | - | 7,330 | - | 7,330 | - | ||||
| Rent | - | 545 | - | 545 | - | ||||
| Software | - | 115 | - | 115 | - | ||||
| Insurance | - | 245 | - | 245 | - | ||||
| Staff Training | - | 1,555 | - | 1,555 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | 10,262 | - | 10,262 | - | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Totalpayments | - | 10,262 | - | 10,262 | - | ||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) |
4,545 | 2,988 | - | 7,533 | - | ||||
| A5 Transfers between funds |
- | - | - | - | - | ||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end |
3,282 | 23,641 | - | 26,923 | - | ||||
Cash funds this year end |
7,827 | 26,629 | - | 34,456 | - | ||||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
|||||||||
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Men Up North (Charity Number 1195801)
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Cash funds | Cash at bank | 7,827 | 26,629 | - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||||
| Total cash funds | 7,827 | 26,629 | - | |||||||||
| (Agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
OK | OK | OK | |||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
||||||||||
| Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | |||||||||
| B2 Other monetary assets |
- | - | - | |||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
|||||||||
| B3 Investment assets |
- | - | ||||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
|||||||||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
- | - | ||||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
|||||||||
| B5 Liabilities | - | |||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Print Name | Date of approval |
|||||||||
| Praveen Paramanantham | 30/04/2024 | |||||||||||
| Mohamed Yusoff | 30/04/2024 |