## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024** The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2024. Northern Ireland Charity Number: NIC 108222 ## **CONTACT DETAILS** Denver McMeekin Unit 4/12 20 Antrim Road Ballymena County Antrim BT42 2BJ ## **TRUSTEES** Denver McMeekin Chairperson Martin Deane Vice-chairperson Craig Gilmore Secretary George Adair Treasurer ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Laureen Cuckson LC Accountancy Services 10 Phoenix Fields Ballymena Co. Antrim BT42 2BF ## **GOVERNING DOCUMENT** The Charity is governed by its constitution. ## **BACKGROUND TO HARRYVILLE MENS SHED** Harryville Men’s Shed was established in 2012 and provides a safe space for men to come together, to take part in activities, projects, educational classes, trips away, or to enjoy a cuppa and a chat. The group operates five days a week from our premises in Harryville and we offer a range of support and signposting services to men in the local area, to assist with issues around debt, money management, physical and mental health and housing issues. The group uses our premises to hold awareness sessions around health and wellbeing. Recently the group hosted Dementia Awareness and Healthy Eating sessions. We have formed a Walking Group which takes walks in local beauty spots and nature. Recently the group took on a Service Level Agreement with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to manage the Harryville Community Garden, which will provide further opportunities for intergenerational projects, plot to plate initiatives and learning new skills through gardening. The garden was formally opened in April and has been very successful. The group work in partnership with other statutory agencies in the local area, sharing information and resources to support each other. ## **CHARITABLE PURPOSES** 1. The Shed will seek to promote good mental and physical health and wellbeing among all its members and the local community without regard to any political or religious persuasion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. 2. The group will seek to expand in breadth and depth as propriety and means allow and to influence local and national attitudes to ageing, and age related issues. 3. To provide a place where men can meet, socialise, initiate and execute projects of a practical, notional, literary, artistic or other nature. 4. To stamp out the curse of social isolation. - ➢ The group over the reporting period has seen an increased membership. - ➢ During the reporting period the organisation continued to be financially supported by the Department for Communities Neighbourhood Renewal programme. - ➢ The Harryville Mens Shed now has a part-time Project Coordinator in post who continues to develop projects for the group. - ➢ The organisation continues to manage the community garden and a community fridge. These will be beneficial to members of the local community promoting the learning of new skills, developing social cohesion and reducing social isolation. The community fridge plays an important role in addressing food poverty. In addition to the community fridge opening once a week we also incorporate a coffee morning which allows the building of relationships and addressing social isolation. - ➢ The group works with a number of statutory and non-statutory agencies to develop projects to increase sustainability. ## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES** The trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the Charity in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted account practice. As the total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64(3) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2018 to prepare a receipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charities transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities. The Annual Report was approved by the Trustees on 26[th] September 2024 and signed on its behalf by: D McMeekin Denver McMeekin Chairperson