## **TOOLS FOR SOLIDARITY DOWNPATRICK ANNUAL REPORT 2022/23** **The Workshop** ## **Tools for Solidarity Downpatrick** ## **Principles / Ethics** Underlying all the activities of Tools for Solidarity Downpatrick are the principles and values of self-help and empowerment, individual and global equality, environmental awareness, inclusiveness, voluntarism, and the right to challenge/oppose activities/actions that contradict these values. ## **Mission Statement** TFS Downpatrick supports self reliance by providing high quality refurbished tools to working people overseas, promoting international solidarity, and challenging global inequalities through critical examination of development issues, environmental sustainability, and ethical working practices. ## **TFS Downpatrick aims to:** Promote volunteering opportunities particularly for those with extra support needs Involve individuals, organisations and the public in development and environmental issues. Utilise working methods that develop and support a sense of international solidarity and promote volunteering and ethical working practices. Promote self-reliance by furnishing overseas projects with high quality recycled hand tools and sewing machines. TFS Downpatrick will have appropriate premises, personnel and funding to meet the agreed outputs and objectives of the organisation. **Colin prepares noutrious, healthy, vegetarian lunches each week for our volunteers** **Mano Dismantling a sewing machine for spares** ## **Chairpersons Address** This year feels like we are back to some sort of normality in terms of how our workshop functions following the difficulties and disruption caused by the COVID outbreak. Our volunteers have returned and a few new volunteers have joined. The atmosphere is supportive and welcoming and we have been able to increase the number of tools and sewing machines we have been able to refurbish. We have also collected more tools and sewing machines in large part due to the help of the Newcastle Lions who organised a collection event in Newcastle which brought in hundreds of tools and more than 10 sewing machines. Each year the number and profile of our volunteers changes but a core group of volunteers remain. For them the workshop is a place where they can feel part of something important and where their work is valued and makes a difference to other people’s lives – people who have top struggle to make a livelihood for themselves and their families. We continue to work in partnership with the Global Concerns Trust in Edinburgh and look forward each year to welcome Emma Duncan, their CEO to our workshop to update our volunteers on their programme ‘Tools and training for livelihoods in Malawi’. Our volunteers refurbish carpentry and cane furniture making tools and sewing machine treadles that are provided to disabled artisans in Malawi so that they can set themselves up in business. We also provided tools and sewing machines to artisan support and training centres in Tanzania. With funding from Ulster Garden Villages we were able to build our very own disabled access toilet. Finally, I would like to thank the many, many people who throughout the years have supported our work through volunteering, donating money or tools or kind words and to the Southwell Trust for giving us such a great home. ## **Volunteer Report** Being a volunteer is an essential element of being involved in TFS Downpatrick. All of us are volunteers and this generates a sense of sharing and support we are proud of. Most of our volunteers (more than 80%) are people who have extra support needs due to mental health issues and/or learning difficulties/disabilities. We host volunteers from a range of organisations including Mindwise, Action Mental Health/New Horizons, Autism Initiative and Mencap. The mix of volunteers ranges from teenagers to the over 60s and they come from all backgrounds. What makes this so special is that we all offer encouragement and support one another. Sharing skills and experience about the work but also about life issues is what helps create a therapeutic environment for all. We also host young international volunteers from our sister organisation in Belfast. These volunteers really enjoy the experience of meeting and working with local people from so many different backgrounds. For the locals they have the opportunity, often for the first time, to talk to someone from another culture and country about life there. This year our volunteers refurbished and shipped 6 treadle bases and cane furniture making tools for artisans with disabilities in Malawi. They made the crates for the kits and refurbished over 300 tools for projects in Tanzania. Some of our volunteers have become involved in the local Repair Cafes held in different parts of South Down, using their refurbishmnet skills to fix and repair tools and sewing machines brought in by the general public **Grahame Sanding the block of sliding bevel for our projects ibn Tanzania** ## **TFS Downpatrick Annual Accounts April 22 –March 23** ## **Expenditure** |Volunteer Travel||285.7| |---|---|---| |Materials||552.66| |Workshop Equipment||569.8| |Volunteer Lunches||1717.11| |Telephone||390.16| |Electricity||679.04| |Water||401.55| |Petty Cash||71| |Rent||2000| |**TOTAL**||**£6667.02**| |**Income**||| |Donations||968| |Grants||4750| |Sale of Goods||616| |Fundraising||1300| |**TOTAL**||**£7634**| |**Balance Sheet**||| |Income||£7634| |Expenditure||£6667.02| |Balance||£966.98| |Opening Bal|1st April 2022|£1243.16| |Petty Cash|1st April 2022|£94.82| |Closing Bal|31st March 2023|£2230.14| |Petty Cash|31st March 2023|£74.82| |Paypal Bal|1st April 2022|£272.14| |Paypal Bal
|31st March 2023|£272.14| ## **Financial Report** This year has seen a turn around from the previous years in that we made a small surplus. This is down to the hard work of our fundraiser Ken Orr who was successful in a number of applicatioons to various trust and foundations. We are particularly grateful to the Black Samta appeal as this is an annual appeal and we can therfore apply again. Both dnations and sale of goods were up but the biggest impact on our income was the holding of a charity quiz. This one event raised £1300 and again we hope to make this an annaul event. Our expenditure remains fairly stable despite the return of more volunteers following the COVID pandemic. Many thanks to all the organisations and individuals who have supported us financially over the year. ## **Special thanks** **Global Concerns Trust Black Santa Green Hill Foundation Micro Community Investment Fund Ulster Garden Villages Newcastle Lions Mourne Grange Camphill Community Mindwise Action Mental Health Autism Initiative South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Volunteer Now Mencap Margaret Ferguson and the Lakeside Inn TFS Belfast Southwell Trust Geordie and Eleanor and all our Volunteers**