2024-10-31-accounts

The Furniture Lodge

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31/10/24

A SCIO Registered Charity Number SC045138

Principal Office - 12 Cowie Lane, Stonehaven, AB39 2PF

Trustees –

,

Trustees resigned during the year –

(resigned July 2024)

The charity is governed by a constitution.

New trustees can self nominate or be proposed by existing trustees for consideration by the board.

Independent Examiner –

The organisation’s purposes are:

1. The advancement of environmental protection by establishing a community social enterprise which will raise awareness of and provide local solutions to waste reduction, recycling and re-use issues. This enterprise will seek to reduce the amount of reusable items currently being sent to landfill while promoting an awareness of waste reduction, recycling and re-use issues. It also aims to educate the public as to the benefits of donating or buying reusable items which would otherwise end up in landfill

2. The relief of those in need by providing work and training opportunities for disadvantaged members of the local community, alongside paid employment, volunteering and retraining opportunities.

Revenue of £23,207 was generated in the twelve months to October 2024 compared to £17,822 reported in the previous year. This has allowed us to clear our start up interest free loan balance of £6,000 within our agreed repayment period. Essential repairs to our building significantly increased while van repairs are well down on the previous year. On the safety side we replaced all our fire extinguishers and signage following a Fire Risk Assessment along with the updated fluorescent signage. Volunteers and Trustees attended a training session on how to operate the extinguishers and where and when to use them safely.

Landfill saving is one of our prime objectives. It is over 15% higher at 8.77 tonnes, using the Circular Communities Scotland Average Weight Schedules, compared to the figure of 7.57 tonnes of the previous year.

It is difficult to determine if our increased revenue is due to increased footfall or improved quality of stock. Certainly our Facebook presence helps with getting known both locally and further afield. We have over a thousand Facebook members. After a recent video of what we have in store, some 16,000 people viewed it within a few hours, thanks to being linked to Stonehaven Chat which has over 30,000 members.

Having cleared our loan balance we can catch up on some building maintenance and tackle the significant external decoration of the entire building, especially upstairs which has been neglected for many years. At this time the upper front windows and panels have been painted as well as the whole beach facing elevation on two floors.

Long term one of our original aims was to take ownership of our premises under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, through which our initial lease was issued. We have discovered that the scheme has been reconfigured and will need to investigate if this aim is still viable now and in the future. Only with ownership could we be able to attract the capital grants for improvements that the building needs, like easier access for our customers.

Overall assessment of activity this year is that we have improved, learning as we go. From start up in May 2022 to October 2024 we can see we are continuing to grow as we become better known, as evidenced by returning customers.

The Furniture Lodge (SC045138)

Income and Expenditure for the Years Ended 31/10/24 and 31/10/23

Balance b/f Income Sales Delivery Donation Expenditure bOnline - Phone Ansvar Van Road Tax Van Insurance - DD Loan Repaid Van Fuel British Gas (Electric) Aberdeenshire - Annual Rent Wave (Water) Aberdeenshire - Fire Insur Building Repairs Van Repairs/MOT Stock Repair Materials Office Equipment (Fire) Balance c/f	2024 2023 £4,076.37 £2,434.25 £22,058.66 £17,079.16 £1,125.00 £685.00 £23.69 £57.77 £23,207.35 £17,821.93 £537.06 £481.26 £324.99 £316.53 £342.58 £317.59 £980.95 £1,076.65 £6,000.00 £8,500.00 £530.10 £480.06 £1,516.37 £1,190.34 £100.00 £868.20 £864.34 £665.34 £348.55 £944.50 £133.93 £481.38 £2,163.64 £13.71 £5.99 £79.95 £101.33 £1,036.28 £99.60 £14,321.41 £16,179.81 £12,962.31 £4,076.37

Chair The Furniture Lodge 25/07/2025

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