BURLEY IN WHARFEDALE MEN'S SHED
TRUSTEES REPORT
1[ST] DECEMBER 2024 – 30[th] NOVEMBER 2025
OPERATIONAL / ADMINISTRATIVE / STRUCTURE:
Burley Men's Shed is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Reg no 1197583. It has a stable constitution, is registered with the UK Men's Shed Association, and supported by Community First Yorkshire.
TRUSTEES: Role: DISCREET ROLES: Performed by: Duncan Ault: Treasurer * Social Secretary: Trustees as a collective Robin Dearing Chair * Membership Secretary: Chair & Treasurer Steven Jolly: Trustee Systems: Chair, Steven Jack Robertshaw: Trustee Safeguarding Contact: Secretary Duncan Starkey: Secretary * Buddy: Role has not been implemented
BANK ACCOUNT:
Virgin Money, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 7BG DA, RD & SJ have debit cards
INVITED to ATTEND TRUSTEE MEETINGS during 2025: Derek Gardener Peter Jenkins Tony Price
Sept 2021 & 2022 * The group was
Sept 2021 & 2022 * The group was Late 2023 : Consultation event gave helpful ideas & established as a Charitable Incorporated suggestions, with a relationship with Grange Park Organisation (CIO) * Planning permission Surgery strengthened, and a decision taken to for a workshop was refused due to develop BMS as a ‘Social Shed, centred on Wellbeing, restrictions on Green Space in the village with themed meetings and regular trips out.
FINANCIAL YEAR (24-25) :
- Provision and Delivery of regular meetings with varied themes and activities, together with monthly trips/tours.
Trips and Tours:
Harrogate - Performance of Shed Stories Ewden - Wastewater Treatment Works Ripon - Men’s Shed, Workhouse, Prison/Police Museums Weston - Weston Hall & All Saints Church Skipton - Canal Boat Trip Leeds, Veolia Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility Masham - Blacksheep Brewery Tour Leeds - Royal Armouries Skipton - Playing Snooker & Pool
Men’s Health Awareness Event:
Together with the GP & Social Prescriber, BMS and WMS hosted a Mental Health & Wellbeing event
Activities/Themes for Regular Meetings:
Annual Membership Survey Touring ‘The Stans’ of Central Asia Yorkshire Air Ambulance Low Moor Munitions Explosion 1960 Walking Photographer - Richard Bunce Playing Men’s Walking Rugby Beware of Fraud and Scams (PCSO’s) Greenholme House Residential Care Home Becoming a Magistrate Revd. Jason McCullagh, Salem Church Growing Up with the Rocket Man Writer Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) First Aid Training & Awareness Playing Petanque and Bowls Honshu For Beginners
Yorkshire Water, priority consumer advice Arctic Survival Challenge The Falklands and Penguin Central Planning Activities & Trips for 24-25
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ON BEHALF of the TRUSTEES of BURLEY in WHARFEDALE MEN’s SHED
December 2025
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In 2022/23 we had 27 members, in 2023/24 we grew to 33 members, an increase of 6, in 2024/25 we have continued to grow our appeal with 45 members, an increase of 12 . Our contact list is around 100, with very few people choosing to unsubscribe even if they don’t attend.
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Trustees and Shed Leaders have collectively worked hard to identify, agree, research, publish and arrange the quarterly rolling calendar of activities.
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Our website (burleymensshed.org) continues to be updated with photographs and accounts of all our meetings, trips and events. This is a valuable resource for reaching others in the community, and would also be helpful in support of any future application for funding that we may need to make.
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Regular Meetings have seen an uplift in the numbers who regularly attend to between 22-30.
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Trips/Tours have continued to attract 10-14 members each month.
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For the first time BMS had a Community Stall at Burley Summer Festival, and invested in a new publicity sign. We felt that our efforts and presence proved to be successful and this will be repeated in 2026. We were proud to offer a ‘raffle with a difference’ with our prizes being vouchers to spend at three small local businesses.
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External Training was undertaken for First Aid, Dementia Awareness, Suicide Awareness, Trusteeship Essentials, and Men’s Mental Health Awareness.
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In 2026 it is anticipated that CFY will offer training for the Shed’s ‘Session Leaders’
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The Shed has managed to cover its costs without the need for external funding.
On behalf of the Trustees (BMS)
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ON BEHALF of the TRUSTEES of BURLEY in WHARFEDALE MEN’s SHED
December 2025
BURLEY IN WHARFEDALE MEN'S SHED CHAIRMANS REPORT
1[ST] DECEMBER 2024 – 30[th] NOVEMBER 2025
MENTIONS, SHOUT OUTS, CONDOLENCES:
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Derek Hallas - who, sadly passed earlier this year. Representatives from BMS were able to attend and speak at a celebration-of-life event at Headingly stadium.
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Peter Jenkins - for the time and attention that he gives to the role of Doorman, Butty Collector and Keeper of the Registers.
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Phil Wright - for his expert knowledge of the commercial insurance market.
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Derek Gardener and Tony Price - for their regular attendance and contribution to our Trustee meetings. Derek has taken on the role of Minutes secretary, and Tony volunteered earlier this year to make & donate some Bird Boxes for use on the Sun Lane Nature Reserve.
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Dave Galling and David Steel - who have offered to be a nominated drivers for the ICT Minibus
THE FUTURE, 2025 - 2026 :
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Renewal of annual membership support by way of an ‘invited donation’ was sent out in early December at the current rate of £25. People joining between Sep-Nov 2026 will be invited to donate £10, followed by a full renewal in December.
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We have reviewed the income vs expense for tea/coffee/biscuits/butties, and were undecided about whether to increase charges. Subsequently, and in order to remain attractive to new members, the charges will remain unchanged for the year ahead, but kept under review.
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There will be ‘door fees’ from time to time at regular meetings, depending on whether our invited speakers either make a personal charge or ask for a donation to their chosen charity, but this should be minimal at around £3, assuming our attendance on Wednesday’s remains 20+
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We will introduce a non-refundable deposit of £5 for anyone booking onto one of the monthly trips/tours. This is to off-set an otherwise unsustainable risk of there being too many ‘late cancellations’, whereby the Shed is still left to pay for transport and potential group-rate terms which can often be for minimum numbers.
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Trips/Tours will be priced to assume at least 10 people are to attend.
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We will be launching a social media (Facebook Page) which is being set up by Steven Jolly, as we feel it will widen our presence across the community.
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The recent membership survey combined with ongoing listening and discussion has produced the following useful feedback:
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27 responses
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24% mentioned the need for bigger premises
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58% did not think anything needed to be changed about the Shed’s current offering
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80% would support the idea we look again at having a workshop facility for the benefit of self or others in the community
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If we had a workshop then it should be run/located separately from what we do today
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16 of our current members, upon joining the Shed, said they would be happy to give a talk on their chosen subject, and Trustees will now follow up on this
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Can we get to know a bit about each other’s background/interests/skills to help create common bonds?
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Name tags would be very helpful
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Can we have an update on progress with the Workshop project which Wharfedale Men’s Shed (Otley) had proposed for a site at Grove Hill.
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Why don’t we meet during August? Perhaps just as a social meeting.
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ON BEHALF of the TRUSTEES of BURLEY in WHARFEDALE MEN’s SHED
December 2025
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The mix and variety of speakers & topics is a good model to be continued
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We should encourage volunteering, either for tasks within the Shed operationally, or with other community groups and projects
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We are waiting for cost estimates for an appropriate hearing aid loop, to be fitted in the pavilion, following which we would make a formal approach to the Bowls Club and evaluate funding options
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The hearing-loop idea did also raise a suggestion that we also have a microphone and sound for use by our guest speakers
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As a Shed we shall continue to make connections and network with other local groups, as well as with other Shed’s and Men’s Groups.
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If we wish to continue successfully reaching in to the community through our Social Shed model, then there will be a need to identify alternative premises - or can we make better use of the Pavilion?
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Delivering any further Men’s Health Awareness events will require us to work closely with the Surgery, and at present it’s not clear what the next subject should cover.
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We intend, once again, to have a Community Stall at the 2026 Burley Summer Festival
ENJOY GIVING BACK / GETTING INVOLVED - SO AS TO HELP THE SHED OPERATIONALLY:
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Trustees will continue to offer opportunities for Shedders to contribute to the Shed by way of sharing roles/tasks with those who wish to give something back, or become more involved. There are several areas that would benefit from shared help, for example, Attending and contributing ideas at the Trustee Meetings, Social Secretary (arranging activities and trips), Membership Secretary (membership forms and admin), Safeguarding Contact, Research for funding, being a Buddy role to others especially if referred to us from the Surgery, the Officer role of Secretary, which would need to be as a Trustee
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None of these opportunities are particularly onerous in their own context, but potentially can become so if the overall set of roles/tasks are not sufficiently shared.
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Whereas a Trustee can retire at any time if such reasons arise, our constitution instructs that each year at the AGM one Trustee is obliged to ‘retire by rotation of service’ - so this remains an opportunity for those who may like to take on the role of being a Trustee for BMS. If no one should come forward the retiring Trustee can then put themselves forward for re-election if they so wish, or they may retire.
Robin Dearing Chairman, BMS
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ON BEHALF of the TRUSTEES of BURLEY in WHARFEDALE MEN’s SHED
December 2025
BURLEY IN WHARFEDALE MENS SHED ANNUAL ACCOUNTS DEC 1ST 2024 to NOVEMBER 30TH 2025 2025 2024 BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD 111212024 INCOME Subscription Members Subscription members in Advance 2024125 Visits Speaker income Refreshments inc Xmas DonationslRafflelCash back Grants TOTAL INCOME 2385.25 2058.96 920.00 665.00 25.00 150.00 1828.00 1041.00 139.05 311.90 100.25 238.94 75.11 0.00 750.00 3462.89 2781.36 EXPENSES Room Hire Mens Health event (net Visit expenses Refreshments inc Xmas Stationery Publicity Insurance Donation5 Subscription + Domain Name Projectorlspeakers 600.00 485.00 54.27 50.08 1764.34 1091.01 62.90 82.99 234.80 247.84 96.00 0.00 250.00 77.93 30.00 186.72 369.99 TOTAL EXPENSES SURPLUS FOR YEAR GRANT Leed5 Community Fund Less Equipment WMS Grant balance 3228.80 2455.07 234.09 326.29 5000.00 5000.00 4990.03 0.00 9.97 5000.00 BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD SURPLUS FOR YEAR GENERAL FUNDS SPECIFIC FUND TOTAL FUNDS 2385.25 2058.96 234.09 326.29 2619.34 2385.25 9.97 5000.00 2629.31 7385.25 Community Foundation Leeds Grant spent on WMS equipment There are 45 paid up members to date (last year 33) Transport Budget for Trips should be based on maximum 12 per visit No invoices yet for transport: Masham approx £100: Harrogate £60. Subs for 2025 £25 x 36 £900 +1 @£20 (some received last year) Rent for year £25 x 24 = £600 ON BEHALF of the TRUSTEES of BURLEYNn WHARFEDALE MEN'5 SHED December2025 Page-5