2024-12-31-accounts

Rushmoor Repair Cafe

Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 October 2024

Charity number 1204864

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2024

Contents

Page

Legal and Administrative Information

Report of the Board of Trustees

Statement of Financial Activities

Balance Sheet

Notes forming part of the financial statements

Rushmoor Repair Cafe Report of the Board of Trustees for the year ended 31 October 2024

The Board of Trustees presents its directors’ report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 October 2024.

Reference and Administrative Information Charity Name: Rushmoor Repair Cafe Charity registration number: 1204864

Registered Office and operational address: Rushmoor Repair Cafe C/O RVS COUNCIL OFFICES FARNBOROUGH ROAD FARNBOROUGH GU14 7JU Mr C Goodwin Chair Mr P Freeston Treasurer Mr A Hyde Secretary

Senior Volunteer Team Mrs L Hinchliffe Volunteer Co-ordinator Mr M Hatch Website and Internet Mrs J Foster Branding and Marketing Mrs D Beardsall Facebook and Social Media

Bankers – Lloyds Bank, 92-94 Queensmead, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7SE

Our Aims and objectives

Purposes and Aims

Our charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the charity’s governing document are to:

“THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT ARE: TO PROTECT AND SAFEGUARD THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF REPAIR AND RE-USE OF PRODUCTS AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING AND MINIMISING WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE BOROUGH OF RUSHMOOR AND SURROUNDING AREAS.”

Ensuring our work delivers our aims

We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work since inception. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. The trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

The focus of our work

Our main objectives for this initial period have been to establish a repair function and enhance public awareness of the service. In addition, we have focused on ensuring a safe operation with appropriate insurances, training and policies. The strategies we used to meet these objectives included:

• Establishing a regular calendar of events and advertising accordingly

• Establishing a suitable web presence to widen our reach.

• Documenting appropriate procedures and policies, training our team and acquiring appropriate tools, certification and insurances.

• Development of a custom database to track all repairs, success and failure rates and calculation of CO2 savings, landfill reduction and estimate value to the community in saved replacement costs.

• Provision of repair sessions to the public

How our activities deliver public benefit

Our main activities and who we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities focus on the prevention of landfill and reduction of CO2 emissions by repairing items.

Who used and benefited from our services?

Based on data captured during customer registration we have helped over 350 unique customers since inception, with over 750 individual repairs undertaken. Based on captured address data over 90% of customers reside in Rushmoor, with the remainder coming from surrounding districts, particularly Hart and Surrey Heath. In line with GDPR requirements we only capture data necessary to perform our role and to ensure customer safety. To that end we do not capture socio-economic or demographic data to further establish trends as to who uses our services.

Repair statistics, and results

Our database captures details of each item submitted for repair, the nature of the fault, the activities performed, test reports and details of who repaired the item. Categories were aligned with the defined for standard calculation of CO2 emission savings, based on a University of Surrey study, and all calculations follow that methodology. Each item is weighed on booking in with suitable scales and each customer is asked for an estimated replacement value; although this cannot account for sentimental value.

	Jan 2025
Weight of Repaired Items:	1,864.4Kg
Approximate value of Repaired items:	£57,009
Calculated Carbon Saving:	£15,664.4kg
Repaired Items	73.1%
In work Items	12.2%
Unrepairable	14.7%

An additional social benefit not foreseen when setting up the charity was the mental health benefit, both to retiree volunteers and to the wider public who bring items of deep sentimental value for repair; items with little intrinsic value, but significant personal meaning. Approximately 5% of our repairs fall into this category.

Outreach

Financial Review

Against the backdrop of limited resources and insecurities over funding, it has continued to be difficult to plan or develop services. Nevertheless, the charity, with the aid of sound financial management and the support of both its staff and volunteers generated a positive financial outcome for the period with a net increase in funds of just over £

Principal Funding Sources

The principle source of funding is through direct donations from customers. The charity does not charge for its services but does draw attention to the fact that it is funded by donations. Initial start up funding was provided by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust and this has enabled the charity to establish itself and obtain the necessary equipment to run a safe secure service. Ongoing operations are funded solely from donation

Investment Policy

Aside from retaining a prudent amount in reserves each year most of the charity’s funds are to be spent in the short term so there are few funds for long term investment. Having considered the options available, the Board of Trustees has decided against any form of investment at this stage and retains its reserves in its bank account.

Reserves Policy

The Board of Trustees has examined the charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. The board has identified both future operational costs and estimated costs associated with future plans. Where possible future operational costs are incurred as early as possible and paid at the earliest opportunity to ensure the longevity of the operation. Future plans are budgeted for and will not be implemented until they are considered affordable, both in the short term and long term. As such reserves are therefore for ongoing operational plans.

Plans for Future Periods

The charity plans continuing the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements. On a tactical level the charity aims to secure sponsorship or more permanent funding from local businesses to further stabilise its financial position. Other strategy includes leasing a commercial unit, this will allow the service to be accessible outside scheduled events and will also allow the charity to expand its offering to a library of things – reducing unnecessary purchases, and the ability to sell repaired items, again in line with out charitable purpose or preventing landfill and CO2 emissions by repairing. The premises would further allow storage so that components can be reclaimed from unrepairable items and used for future repairs. Wider strategic objectives include looking for other locations to host repair sessions ensuring we access the members of the community for whom transportation and accessibility are limited with the long-term objective being a quarterly schedule of events along with Ad Hoc pop up events. To support this there is an aim to recruit further trustees to ensure governance and control is retained to the high aspirational standards of the current board.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The organisation is a CIO as per governance documentation submitted to the charity commission and accepted by the charity commission. This constitution remains our primary governing document from which all other policies and processes derive.

Recruitment and Appointment of Board of Trustees

All members of the Board of Trustees give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in note 7 to the accounts.

All trustees have attended a “Duties and Obligations of Charity Trustees” training course; provided by Rushmoor Volunteer Services.

Mrs D Whitcombe has stood done as per plan. The Board of Trustees are seeking to fill 2 further positions as below:

• Fund Raising Trustee. Responsible for leading the fund raising efforts and ensuring they remain legal, compliant, effective and aligned with the charity’s purpose and ethos.

• General Trustee. Responsible for ensuring the general governance of the charity remain legal, compliant and that the charity is run in the correct manner, with entrusted donations being spent accordingly and prudently.

Risk Management

The Board of Trustees has conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. A process has been established to ensure any operational incidents are promptly reviewed with a culture of understanding to ensure safety is maintained. Any new location has a comprehensive risk assessment and a template has been developed to ensure a consistent approach to these assessments.

Organisational Structure

The Board of Trustees of up to 5 members who meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity, at present 3 of these roles are filled.

Reporting into the trustees there are several senior volunteers who have additional responsibilities and are invited to trustees meetings. In addition, this allows these co-ordinators to bring concerns and ideas from volunteers who may be more comfortable talking with a peer.

Related Parties

The charity has not related parties. One of the trustees sits on the board of other charities

Auditors

The revenue of the charity is below the threshold where a financial audit is a legal requirement. Considering the cost of an audit, the need for prudent spending of donated funds and the simple cash accounting approach of the charity the trustees unanimously agreed that a formal audit is not required.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 24 September 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Mr C Goodwin (Chairman)

Rushmoor Repair Cafe Statement of Financial Activities (including Income & Expenditure Account) for the period 22 Sep 2023 to 31 Oct 2024

	NOTES	2023/2024 £	Previous Year £
OpeningBank Balance		5,587.03	-
INCOME
FundingGrant		750.00	-
Aldershot Methodist Church Fundraiser		127.25	-
Betting& GamingCommission MP Donation		250.00	-
The Masonic Charity		250.00	-
Individual Donations	2	2,114.57	-
TOTAL INCOME FOR PERIOD		3,491.82	-
EXPENDITURE
Volunteer Training	3	561.90	-
Insurance Premium		861.35	-
Email,Website Hostingand domain		331.25	-
Equipment Calibration	4	204.60	-
Venue Hire		524.70	-
RVSproject management fee		450.00	-
ICO Registration Fee	5	40.00	-
Parts and Equipment	6	1,465.36	-
TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR PERIOD		4,439.16
CLOSING BANK BALANCE		4,639.69

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 24 September 2025 and signed on its behalf by: P Freestone, Treasurer

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 October 2024

1) Accounting Policies

• a) The principal accounting policies are summarised below. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the year and in the preceding year.

b) Basis of accounting

• i) The financial statements have been prepared under a cash accounting approach.

c) Incoming resources

• (1) All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to, and virtually certain to receive, the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

d) Resources expended

  - (1) Expenditure is recognised on a cash basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes all VAT and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:

• 2) Individual Donations

• a) Where we run events we allow customers to make donations to continue the work we offer. These donations are a mixture of cash and card donations, using a square terminal.

• 3) Volunteer Training

• a) As Rushmoor Repair café will repair items that are classed as Portable Appliances we placed 3 suitably skilled volunteers on an accredited PAT testing course, ensuring that both our volunteers are safe and that any electrical items we return to a customer are tested and returned in a proven safe condition.

4) Equipment Calibration

• a) To ensure a safe operation we have 2 PAT testing machines and a microwave safety tester. These are submitted to a suitable calibration house each year to ensure correctly calibrated hardware is used in testing.

5) ICO registration Fee

• a) As Rushmoor Repair Café holds customers personal data we are required to register with the ICO and provide the contact details for the Data Protection officer.

• 6) Parts and Equipment

• a) A number if items have been procured to ensure an ongoing safe operation. This includes equipment such as PAT testers, Microwave tester, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), First Aid Kit, Fume extractors for soldering and other associated tools and equipment.

• b) A stock of common parts, suck as fuses, plugs, batteries, terminals, thread, adhesives etc. have been purchased as consumables to ensure we can offer a prompt service for common faults.

• 7) Trustee Remuneration & Related Party Transactions

• a) No members of the Board of Trustees received any remuneration during the year

• b) For this reporting period Andrew Hyde (Secretary) acts as a trustee for St John’s Church, which the board of trustee use to hold their meetings. This interest is declared in minutes of the meeting and the remaining trustees are satisfied there is no conflict of interest.

8) Taxation

• a) As a charity, Rushmoor Repair Cafe is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or s256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the Charity.