Moodsings Charity registration number: 108380 Trustees Annual Report year ending 31[st] March 2023
Reference and administrative details
Charity name: Moodsings Charity number: 108380 Registered address: 14 Ballydown Meadows Banbridge BT32 4QX
Trustees: S Robb M Brisk E Duddy N Black C Patience L Drake
Independent examiner: Tracey Tucker 80 Laurel Heights Banbridge BT32 4RJ
Moodsings Charity registration number: 108380 Trustees Annual Report year ending 31[st] March 2023
Objectives and Activities
Our charitable purposes are:
(1) to support mothers’ wellbeing throughout the perinatal period, reduce the loneliness and isolation faced by mothers and improve the mental health and wellbeing of women in the form of peer support groups, baby classes, community choirs, walking groups and workshops.
(2) to encourage and support carers to engage in the educational development of their children through Banbridge Toy Library
(3) to promote environmental protection through the toy library, by reducing the amount of toys sent to landfill and encouraging families to borrow instead of buying.
How we met our objectives this year:
(1) We facilitated a weekly mums ‘walk and talk’ consisting of a walk around Solitude Park followed by an indoors cuppa and chat while children played. We had 8-10 mums and their children attending each week. This was a successful activity for introducing local mums to each other, particularly mums who were new to the area.
Through funding received from Clanmil Housing Association, we were able to run a block of messy play sessions. These were very popular, with approximately 20 parents attending each week with their children.
This funding also allowed us to start a ‘Mum’s Caff’ group – an evening outlet for local mums. Our facilitator provided a range of art activities for participants and we had around 12 mums attending each week.
All of these activities served to reduce loneliness amongst local mums and improve community connections.
(2) The play sessions we ran were well attended and had an educational focus through the play activities offered. They were successful in engaging caregivers to take part in the activities with their children. They also had the added benefit of encouraging families to use the toy library, which has seen a steady increase in members.
We recently finalised plans to open an additional space for the toy library, sharing a base with Banbridge foodbank and social supermarket. This will help us reach the most deprived families in our community, meaning their children have access to high quality toys, books and educational resources.
(3) This year we had 108 loans booked through our website, equating to over 200 toys borrowed and therefore saved from landfill. This is a great start for the toy library. We have members regularly travelling from Portadown, Newry and Lisburn directions to borrow toys , proving the need for such a service in Northern Ireland.
We facilitated a preloved toy sale which served to encourage families to buy and sell preloved toys in the run up to Christmas, instead of buying new.
We also became a member of Northern Ireland Resources Network, a representative body for reuse and repair organisations. They have recently been in touch with us regarding appearing on an upcoming newsletter, which we hope will raise awareness of the toy library.
Financial review
This has been a successful first year for our small charity, and we end the year with £1257.08.
Our main sources of income have been through grants and donations, mainly from people using the toy library.