Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 6

Deficit latest year: -2
No PartB

Gender balanced board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +3

Overall GiG Score: 7

THE ENGINE SHED

The Engine Shed is a special interest group for autistic children, young people and adults which was established in 2009. The group was set up by parents and carers in response to the lack of welcoming and supportive recreational facilities for our autistic children. There are two groups: one in Reading and one in NE London.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
Income was significantly lower than spending in the latest year

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income	Spending	Surplus/ Deficit	Volun- teers
31/03/23	£30,292	£46,578	£-16,286	16
31/03/22	£18,551	£16,909	£1,642	16
31/03/21	£32,312	£25,546	£6,766	11

Show financials table -->

Download accounts

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 4 years

http://www.theengineshed.org.uk/

mail@theengineshed.org.uk

07969354406

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Disability

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Provides services

Where it operates

Reading, Waltham Forest,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
16 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

National Lottery Community Fund	£24,032
DCMS	£6,950
Co-Operative Group	£2,441

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Engine Shed
£2,441	21/10/2023	We would like to run more community train sessions to bring people together and to catch up on the time lost to Covid. We will provide volunteering opportunities for adult members of the group.
National Lottery Community Fund - Taking Peer Support Into The Community With The Engine Shed
£9,950	13/05/2022	The funding will be used to purchase a van and a rent contribution enabling the group to deliver support work locally and across the region for children young people and adults with autism and their ....more The funding will be used to purchase a van and a rent contribution enabling the group to deliver support work locally and across the region for children young people and adults with autism and their parents and carers. Participants will be provided with the opportunity to gain advice and information pertaining to their needs whilst meeting others in similar situations with the aim of reducing isolation and promoting family wellbeing.
National Lottery Community Fund - Re-starting Engine Shed Play Sessions for Autistic Children
£4,332	08/09/2021	The funding is being used to run venue-based sessions for children with Autism and/or learning disabilities in Reading and in London plus a special Christmas Polar Express trip on a heritage railway. ....more The funding is being used to run venue-based sessions for children with Autism and/or learning disabilities in Reading and in London plus a special Christmas Polar Express trip on a heritage railway. The club enables those with an interest in trains to come together with their peers to observe play talk and enjoy their hobby in a welcoming safe and relaxing environment.
National Lottery Community Fund - Staying on Track with The Engine Shed
£9,750	25/02/2021 11	The funding will be used to maintain the group office space and continue to offer work experience opportunities to autistic young people and adults. The project aims to increase life opportunities ....more The funding will be used to maintain the group office space and continue to offer work experience opportunities to autistic young people and adults. The project aims to increase life opportunities whilst also improving well being and mental health.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£6,950	10/08/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
People's Health Trust - Autism Recreational and Support Activities with the Engine Shed
£8,966	11/10/2018	This two-year project built on The Engine Shed’s work with autistic children and extended it to adults. The group provided sessions for autistic adults and those with learning difficulties living ....more This two-year project built on The Engine Shed’s work with autistic children and extended it to adults. The group provided sessions for autistic adults and those with learning difficulties living in Reading to meet and share their interest in trains whilst enabling accompanying parents/carers the opportunity to socialise. Each quarter there were also separate activities for siblings to explore their own interests and information seminars on themes relevant to autistic adults. The project aimed to provide opportunities for interaction for people who have a learning disability and/or sensory disability and reduce their social or emotional isolation.

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (3)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

GILLIAN HERBERT Appointed: 2020

RODERICK LEITH Appointed: 2020, Other trusteeship: STEPPING FORWARD UK,

SARAH SNOW Appointed: 2020, Other trusteeships: MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SIERRA LEONE, STEPPING FORWARD UK,

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 22/01/2020, number: 1187504

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

3 returns made; all on time

Main office

31 GROVE HILL
EMMER GREEN
READING
RG4 8PN

Objectives

TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PREVENTING PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY, OR PARTS OF SOCIETY, AS A RESULT OF THEIR AUTISM FROM BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, RELIEVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE AND ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY:• PROVIDING A SPECIAL INTEREST RECREATIONAL FACILITY FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN AND ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES/CARERS WITH AN INTEREST IN TRAINS WHICH CREATES A SAFE, FRIENDLY AND ACCEPTING ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH ALL PARTICIPANTS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE, RELAXED AND INCLUDED; • PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES/CARERS TO SHARE AND LEARN NEW STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN, USING THEIR LOVE OF TRAINS AS AN ENTRY POINT, AND TO REDUCE FEELINGS OF SOCIAL ISOLATION; • PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WITH AUTISTIC SIBLINGS TO SHARE EXPERIENCES; • FACILITATING ACCESS TO RELEVANT INFORMATION AND TRAINING FOR PARTICIPANTS AS APPROPRIATE; • DEVELOPING OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT THE WIDER NEEDS OF AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES/CARERS AND ENABLE THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY.

Data Sources