TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT SHREWSBURY REPAIR CAFÉ
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For the period: 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 Charity Name: Shrewsbury Repair Cafe
Charity Number: 1208715 Principal Office: 21 The Chase, Racecourse Lane, Shrewsbury, SY2 5BX Repair Café Location: St Nicholas Hall, Shrewsbury United Reformed Church
1. Reference and Administrative Details
Name of Trustee Positon April Elizabeth Evans Chair Julie Hepplewhite Treasurer Peter Martin Secretary Ruth Andrew Arran George McLachlan Pauline Wilson Adrian John Banham Mike Carey
Advisers:
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Independent Examiner: Hollies Bookkeeping, Suite 6 Bennetts Business Centre, The Old Bakery, Main Road, Pontesbury, Shropshire SY5 0RR
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Bank: Lloyds Bank Plc, 98 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL
2. Structure, Governance and Management
Type of Governing Document: The charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), governed by its constitution adopted on 8th December 2023.
Trustee Recruitment and Appointment: Trustees are recruited and appointed in accordance with the charity’s constitution. New trustees are identified based on the skills and experience needed to strengthen the board and are elected by the existing trustees. All new trustees receive an induction pack and an overview of their legal duties and responsibilities as a trustee.
Organisational Structure: Shrewsbury Repair Cafe is a volunteer-led organisation. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity. Day-to-day operations are delegated to a steering group from the repair café volunteers, who manage the monthly events, volunteer rotas, and public communications.
Risk Management: The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to mitigate them. A formal risk register is maintained and reviewed at regular trustee meetings. The main risks identified relate to governance, volunteer and public safety during events, financial sustainability, and reputational risk.
3. Objectives and Activities
Charitable Purposes: The objects of the charity are:
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To protect and safeguard the environment for the public benefit through the promotion of repair and re-use of products as a means of preventing and minimising waste disposal.
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To advance education for the public benefit in matters relating to re-use and recycling.
Activities Undertaken for Public Benefit: The charity's primary activity is the hosting of free, monthly Repair Cafe events in Shrewsbury. These events bring together skilled volunteers with members of the public who have broken household items. The volunteers assist in the repair process, teaching valuable skills, and empowering people to mend their own belongings. This not only diverts waste from landfill but also fosters community cohesion and promotes a more sustainable mindset.
In addition, the charity has engaged with the wider community, providing talks to community groups and promoting the ethos of repair at public events.
The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.
4. Achievements and Performance
Review of the Year: The past year has been one of significant achievement and growth for Shrewsbury Repair Cafe. It has consistently held monthly repair café events, which continue to be well-attended by the local community. It has seen a significant increase in the number of members of the public attending each repair café event, resulting in a significant increase in the number of items brought in for repair. Shrewsbury Repair Café has achieved a high success rate in its mending efforts and continued to be rated extremely highly by visitors to the repair café.
Shrewsbury Repair Café has delivered talks to community groups and had a promotional display at a number of local public events.
Key Achievements:
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11 monthly events held, attracting an average of 60 visitors per session.
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422 items repaired, saving an estimated 1477kg from landfill, with an85% successful outcome for the items presented at the repair cafes.
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Growth of our volunteer base to 36 active repairers and team members.
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Maintaining a very high visitor satisfaction rating, with 96% of visitors saying they would recommend us to family and friends and rating the service received as excellent.
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Successfully engaged with local community groups, providing educational talks and workshops to promote repair skills to a wider audience.
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A major highlight of the year was the visit from Her Majesty Queen Camilla, which provided an incredible opportunity to showcase the value and impact of the Repair Cafe movement. The visit brought a significant increase in public awareness and media coverage, which we believe will benefit our charity for years to come.
5. Financial Review
Principal Funding Sources: The charity is primarily funded by donations from the public at our events, as well as occasional small grants from local and national organisations. We operate on a low-cost model, with our main expenditure being the hire of our event venue.
Reserves Policy: The charity aims to hold reserves equivalent to at least six months of its core operating costs. This is to ensure that the charity can continue its operations and meet its commitments in the event of any unforeseen drop in income. As of the end of the financial year, our reserves stand at £893.90, which is in line with our policy.
Financial Position:
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Incoming Resources: £3903.95
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Total Expenditure: £1,784.41
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Net Income/(Expenditure): £2,119.54
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Funds Carried Forward: £3,926.67
Note: The detailed financial statements are prepared separately and submitted as an appendix to this report.
6. Future Plans
Looking ahead, we aim to further our charitable objectives by:
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Expanding our community outreach to engage with a more diverse range of beneficiaries.
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Exploring opportunities for grant funding and maximising income to secure our long-term financial stability.
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Developing and formalising our volunteer training program to ensure our repairers have the skills and knowledge to tackle an ever-increasing variety of items.
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Increasing the quality of the visitor experience so that more members of the public find the repair cafe an enjoyable and rewarding place.
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Continuing to promote the repair ethos as a key component of a sustainable lifestyle in Shrewsbury and throughout Shropshire.
Approved by the Trustees on: 8[th] September 2025
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
April Elizabeth Evans
Chair of Trustees
Appendix A
Financial Statement April 1[st] 2024-March 31[st] 2025
HE H()LLILS KEEPING SERVICES Bookkeeping . Accounting . Payroll . VAT Inde endent Examinerfs Re ort to The Trustees Shrewsbu Re alr Cafe 19 Gran e Road Shrewsbu SY3 9DG I report on the accounts of The Shrewsbury Repair Café year ended 31 March 2025 Res ective Res onsibilities of the Trustees and Examiner. The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144121 Charities Act 2011 and that an Independent Examination is needed. It is my responsibility as the appointed examiner, to-. Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151 Ibl of the 2011 Act; and To state whether any particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of an Inde endent Examinerfs Re ort My examination was carried out in accordance with the Eeneral Directions provided by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting record5 kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosLtres in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Inde endent Examinerfs Statement In connettion with my examination, no matter has come to my attention- 11 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements.. to keep accounting recorcls in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act, and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act; have not been met= or 21 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Julie Williams MICB PM.Dip S, September 2025 01743 790086 e.. info@holliesbookkeeping.co.uk w.. www.holliesbookkeeping.co.uk Suite 6 Bennetts Busiriess Centre The Old Bakery Main Road Pontesbury . Shropshire SY5 ORR