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2025-05-31-annual-report

COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: NI661665 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 109018

Belfast Tool Library Company Limited by Guarantee Annual Report 31 May 2025

Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Financial Statements

Year ended 31 May 2025

Page
Trustees' annual report (incorporating the director's report) 3
Independent examiner's report to the trustees 8
Statement of financial activities (including income and
expenditure account) 9
Statement of financial position 10
Notes to the financial statements 11

2

Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)

Year ended 31 May 2025

The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 May 2025.

Reference and administrative details

Registered charity name Belfast Tool Library Charity registration number 109018 Company registration number NI661665 Principal office and registered 116 Shankill Road office Belfast BT13 2BD The trustees Mr N A Campbell Resigned 8[th] August 2024 Mr C N Campbell-Palmer Resigned 8[th] August 2024 Mrs C A McCartney Ms K McShane (resigned Resigned 8[th] August 2024 Mr S W Wood Mr M McCreedy Ms Lisa McCreery Resigned 8[th] August 2024 Mr Rowan Davison Appointed 8[th] August 2024 Mr Christopher Harding Appointed 8[th] August 2024 Ms Cathy Woodside Appointed 24[th] August 2024 Mr Steven Pollock Appointed 14[th] August 2024 Resigned 20[th] May 2025 Ms Paulina Powalka Appointed 10[th] August 2024 Company secretary Stephen Wood

Independent examiner

Objectives

The objectives of Belfast Tool Library, as stated in our Articles of Association are to:

Belfast Tool Library pursues these objectives through the provision of Northern Ireland’s first tool lending library, a community workshop and offering regular classes in practical skills. We lend an extensive variety of tools to our members covering household, DIY and home maintenance, crafting, gardening, vehicle and bicycle maintenance.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

History

Belfast Tool Library opened its doors to the public on 5th October 2019, after a year of work to plan and implement the project.

Belfast Tool Library’s launch was supported by a £10,000 grant for The National Lottery’s Awards for All programme, which supported the start-up costs associated with the project. The project was also supported by the donation of tools and equipment by many private individuals.

We are part of a growing global movement of similar projects with a shared ethos; to facilitate accessible, affordable borrowing for everyone, reducing waste, building community resilience, teaching new skills and supporting a sustainable lifestyle.

Governance and Structure

Belfast Tool Library is governed and managed by an 6-person Board of Trustees; Christine McCartney (Chairperson), Stephen Wood (Company Secretary), Chris Harding, Rowan Davison, Cathy Woodside and Paulina Pawalka.

We are a Company Limited by Guarantee operating on a not-for-profit basis and as of 18 October 2022 are registered with the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland.

On an operational level we are staffed by two part time staff members, 3 freelance class tutors, and by a team of over 30 volunteers.

Activities

Belfast Tool Library operates a tool lending library, community workshop and programme of classes in practical skills based in east Belfast. The library is open to members who can join for a fee of £25 per year. Membership is open to anyone over the age of eighteen who wishes to avail of our service. We offer reduced or free membership to individuals who are in financial hardship and to our active volunteers.

Our members can borrow tools from our inventory of over 1000 items, spanning hand tools, power tools, gardening tools and crafting equipment. Members may borrow up to 6 tools at a time for a duration of one week. Aside from yearly membership our members are charged no fee for this service, provided tools are returned on time. A late fee of £2 per tool per missed return date is charged on late returns.

Access to our Community Workshop is free for Belfast Tool Members and we typically charge between £30 and £40 per person for our classes, with a small discount for members.

Our extensive inventory includes tools purchased by Belfast Tool Library, but is primarily stocked by ongoing tool donations. Many private individuals have given generously to the project during our regular donation drives, and we have also been supported by donations from fellow charity Tools for Solidarity, from manufacturer Stanley, Black and Decker and from businesses and other organisations through Invest NI’s International Synergies programme.

In addition to the lending of tools, our team of experienced volunteers are on hand to provide our members with advice on the jobs they plan to undertake.

Belfast Tool Library also undertakes the process of tool repair and maintenance. All tools donated to us are fully inspected and tested before being added to inventory, and repairs are carried out where possible. Our tools are also inspected and tested when they are returned by our members after a loan period.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

2024-2025 Summary

The 22-23 reporting year was one exciting development and growth for Belfast Tool Library, where we continued to see an ongoing increase in demand for our services.

In the reporting year we saw considerable increases in our membership, in usage of the library, opening of our workshop and the beginning of a regular programme of skills-based classes. This is covered in more detail later in this report, under “Public Benefit”.

The major event for Belfast Tool Library in the reporting year was the recruitment of our first paid staff members, with support of a £99,843 grant over a three-year period from the Dormant Accounts NI fund delivered by the National Lottery.

In summer 2022 we recruited two part-time staff members on 3-year contracts. The were Library & Volunteer Coordinator and Workshop & Training Coordinator, filled by Ema Buchanan and Freddie Harris respectively. These roles allowed us to strengthen and develop our volunteer team, grow our library, open our community workshop space and launching our program of learning opportunities through classes and courses.

To the role of Library & Volunteer Coordinator, Ema brings a wealth of HR and business experience. Ema was previously a volunteer with Belfast Tool Library, joining us at the beginning of the project in 2019, so she also brings a strong dedication to our values and goals and a network of relationships with our team. Freddie, our Workshop & Training Coordinator, brings significant experience across a range of voluntary sector roles, and the practical know-how and can-do attitude needed to help us expand our offering through our workshop and classes.

These new roles will allow us grow our operations and turnover in order to make the roles sustainable beyond the 3-year scope of the funding.

Securing this funding from Dormant Accounts represented a transformative moment for Belfast Tool Library, taking us from being entirely volunteer operated to becoming employers and to putting in place the capacity and structures to secure our long- term sustainability.

The major factor outside our control in the reporting year was the need to move premises. This could have been an insurmountable challenge as a volunteer-only organisation, but with two part time staff able to co-ordinate an expanded volunteer team, we ended the year with a successful relocation to our new premises on the Shankill Road. The new location offer advantages and expands our reach into the north and west of the city, though we wait to see if it deters some members who are now live further away. It has been a significant draw on time, energy and our financial reserves, and has naturally led to the delay of some new initiatives while the preparation, move and set up in the new location took place.

Public Benefit

Our beneficiaries fall under several distinct categories; our members, our volunteers, the general public and other voluntary organisations.

Member Benefits

Our members can avail of Belfast Tool Library’s extensive and growing inventory of tools and equipment and the knowledge of our volunteer team around tools, making and DIY.

In the year to 31st May 2023, we grew our membership from 370 to 460 members and completed 4152 tool loans compared to 3217 in the previous year. This represents a 24% membership increase and 30% increase in usage.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

Member Benefits (continued)

Between the opening of Belfast Tool Library in October 2019 and 31st May 2023 we have completed a total of 9794 loans, providing our members with almost 70,000 days of tool access.

We have calculated the average value of each tool loan to our members as £47. This means that as of 31st May 2023 we have saved our members more than £460,318 over the cost of buying the same tools.

In the reporting year we’ve prepared and opened the BTL workshop after substantial preparations in terms of health and safety checks and signage, equipment installation, developing induction processes, recruiting skilled volunteers, and carrying out the necessary training. Policies and procedures were developed, including a comprehensive 3-hour tool safety induction.

Since the launch of our workshop in November 2022, we inducted 80 number members for safe use of our workshop, and ran over 40 open workshop sessions with a total of 357 workshop hours provided to our members.

In the reporting year we ran 21 classes, teaching practical skills in joinery and craft to 110 people. Our class topics were as follows:

We have given our members the opportunity to develop new skills in making, crafting and DIY through providing them with access to tools and equipment which they might not otherwise have been able to obtain, through sharing the wealth of knowledge within our staff and volunteer team, and through access to free space to work (which may not be available in their own properties) and through affordable classes with experienced tutors.

Volunteer Benefits

In the reporting year, thanks to the hard work of our staff members we grew and strengthened our volunteer team, recruiting 25 new volunteers across the lending library and workshop to provide more effective support to members and expand what we were offering in both areas. In the library, with extra capacity we’ve been able to add tools to our inventory, revamp volunteer systems and increase our social media presence.

Belfast Tool Library’s volunteers are entitled to the full benefits of membership at no cost in recognition of their vital role in the sustainability of the organisation.

Additionally, our volunteers have access to opportunities for learning and developing skills through the vast knowledge base within our team. Our volunteers have been upskilled in tool repair and maintenance, database management and knowledge around tools, first aid, health and safety, DIY and making.

Public Benefits

By accepting donations of tools from individuals and businesses, we have provided a useful opportunity for them to dispose of items sustainably, without waste. Further, hundreds of donated tools were repaired to working order, bringing them back into use.

The environmental impact of diverting unwanted or no longer needed items from landfill and recycling

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is significant.

Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Belfast Tool Library

Year ended 31 May 2025

Public Benefits (continued)

Belfast Tool Library has generated significant media and press interest due to its place at the cutting edge of a growing global movement, and has cultivated an extensive and engaged following on social media.

Through this we have promoted the ethos of repair, waste reduction, and affordable borrowing over buying. Raising public awareness of the circular economy is central to the goals of Belfast Tool Library. Prior to our premises move, we held a yard sale of surplus tools, which had been checked, maintained and sharpened by our team, offered to the public at low cost.

Benefit to Other Organisations

Belfast Tool Library has donated significant quantities of tools and equipment to Tools for Solidarity, a charity which refurbishes tools for use by craftspeople in sub-Saharan Africa. We have made our workshop space available to partner organisations such as Vault Artists Studios and Repair Café Belfast to support repair, reuse and crafting activities.

We also participate in the UK wide Sharefest network of similar lending and repair projects, where we contribute to peer-learning and information exchange. We are members of the Northern Ireland Resources Network, and were featured in a video, offering information and inspiration to other community groups and organisations interested in setting up similar projects. We regularly offer oneto-one advice to groups within and beyond this network.

Harm

The main risk of harm from our activities is injury through unsafe use of our tools. To manage this risk we have full public liability insurance for our activities, and in obtaining this we went through a rigorous process of risk assessment and policy development to ensure that we manage the risks related to our activities.

Private Benefit

Belfast Tool Library has undertaken improvement work to our premises. This necessary work has provided incidental benefit to the building owners.

Statement of Compliance

In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.

Small company provisions

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

The trustees' annual report was approved on 05/01/2026 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by

Christine McCartney Chairperson

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Belfast Tool Library

Year ended 31 May 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Belfast Tool Library ('the charity') for the year ended 31 May 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (the ‘2008 Act’) and the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’). You are satisfied that the accounts of the company are not required by charity or company law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements as carried out under section 65 of the 2008 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the 2008 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with my examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

  3. the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I confirm that there are no other matters to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account)

Year ended 31 May 2025

2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted
funds funds Total funds Total funds
Note £ £ £ £
Income and endowments
Donations and legacies 1,441 31,042 32,483 32,108
Charitable activities 6 35,290 35,290 26,246
─────── ──── ─────── ────────
Total income 36,731 31,042 67,773 58,354
═══════ ════ ═══════ ════════
Expenditure
Expenditure on charitable activities 7 21,274 31,042 52,316 52,267
─────── ──── ─────── ────────
Total expenditure 21,274 31,042 52,316 52,267
═══════ ════ ═══════ ════════
─────── ──── ─────── ────────
Net income and net movement in funds 15,457 - 15,457 6,087
═══════ ════ ═══════ ════════
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 10,830 740 11,570 5,483
─────── ──── ─────── ────────
Total funds carried forward 26,287 740 27,027 11,570
═══════ ════ ═══════ ════════

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Statement of Financial Position

31 May 2025

2025 2024
Note £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets 2,486 2,140
Current assets
Debtors 10 1,193 1,862
Cash at bank and in hand 47,880 26,641
─────── ───────
49,073 28,503
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 11, 12 24,532 19,073
─────── ───────
Net current assets 24,541 9,430
─────── ───────
Total assets less current liabilities 27,027 11,570
─────── ───────
Net assets 27,027 11,570
═══════ ═══════
Funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds 26,287 10,830
740 740
─────── ───────
Total charity funds 13 27,027 11,570
═══════ ═══════

For the year ending 31 May 2025 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Directors' responsibilities:

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 6[th] January 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by:

C McCartney Trustee

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year ended 31 May 2025

1. General information

The charity is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in Northern Ireland and a registered charity in Northern Ireland. The address of the registered office is 116 Shankill Road, Belfast, BT134 2BD.

2. Statement of compliance

These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland', the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Companies Act 2006.

3. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.

Going concern

There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:

All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.

Tangible assets

Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Any tangible assets carried at revalued amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.

An increase in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of a revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses, unless it reverses a charge for impairment that has previously been recognised as expenditure within the statement of financial activities. A decrease in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses, except to which it offsets any previous revaluation gain, in which case the loss is shown within other recognised gains and losses on the statement of financial activities.

Depreciation

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:

Plant & Machinery - 20% straight line IT Equipment - 33% straight line Fixtures & Fittings - 20% straight line

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

4. Limited by guarantee

The liability of the members is limited.

Every member of the Charity promises, if the Charity is dissolved while he, she or it is a member or within twelve months after he, she or it ceases to be a member, to contribute such a sum (not exceeding £1) as may be demanded of him, her or it towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of the Charity incurred before he, she or it ceases to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.

5. Trustee remuneration and expenses

No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity were received by the trustees.

6. Income from generated funds

2025 2024
£ £
Membership Income 16,925 14,745
Late Return Fee Income 455 2,813
Small Grant Income 2,952
Income from Classes 10,664 8,688
Other Income 5,735 950
Income from generated funds 36,731 27,196

7. Costs of generating funds

2025 2024
£ £
Purchase of Consumables 240 409
Repairs and Renewables to Library Stock 404 67
Trainer Costs 4,711 5,745
Online Payment charge
1,050
165
Hardware and Building Materials - 363
Small grant costs 2,653
Staff Costs 2,402
1,187
Marketing - 595
Rent and Rates 4,200 4,200
Office costs 604 473
Computer and Software Subscriptions 1,850 1,786
Accountancy Fees - 985
Insurance 1,550 844
Repairs and Renewals (overheads) 83 324
Workshop refurbishment 508
3,077
Bank charges and interest 120 110
Depreciation 899 589
Other Sundry 190
Costs of generated funds 21,274 21,109

8. Company member emoluments

The Company employs 2 staff.

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The Company members received no emoluments or reimbursement of expenses during the year.

Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

9. Tangible fixed assets

Plant & IT Equipment Fixtures &
Machinery Fittings Total
£ £ £
Cost
At 1 June 2024 801 740 1,525 3,066
Additions 640 605 1,245
──────── ──────── ─────── ────────
At 31 May 2025 1,441 1,345 1,525 4,331
════════ ════════ ═══════ ════════
Depreciation
At 1 June 2024 261 431 234 926
Charge for the period 288 306 305 899
──────── ──────── ─────── ────────
At 31 May 2025 549 737 539 1,825
════════ ════════ ═══════ ════════
Carrying amount
At 31 May 2025 892 608 986 2,486
════════ ════════ ═══════ ════════
At 1 June 2024 540 309 1,291 2,140
════════ ════════ ═══════ ════════
10. Debtors
2025 2024
£ £
Trade Debtors 215 105
Prepayments and accrued income 978 1,757
─────── ────
1,193 1,862
═══ ══
11. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2025 2024
£ £
Accruals and deferred income 23,885 18,420
Other creditors 647 653
─────── ───────
24,532 19,073
═══════ ════
12. Deferred income
2025 2024
£ £
Amount deferred in year 23,030 18,070
═══════ ════

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Belfast Tool Library

Company Limited by Guarantee

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

Year ended 31 May 2025

13. Analysis of charitable funds

Unrestricted funds

Unrestricted funds
At At
1 June 2024 Income Expenditure 31 May 2025
£ £ £ £
General funds 10,830 36,731 (21,274) 26,287
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
At At
1 June 2023 Income Expenditure 31 May 2024
£ £ £ £
General funds 4,743 27,196 (21,109) 10,830
════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Restricted funds
At At
1 June 2024 Income Expenditure 31 May 2025
£ £ £ £
Restricted Funds 740 31,042 (31,042) 740
════ ════ ════ ════
At At
1 June 2023 Income Expenditure 31 May 2024
£ £ £ £
Restricted Funds 740 31,157 31,157) 740

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