2021-12-31-accounts - Gateshead District Scout Council

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Gateshead District Scout Council Annual Report and Accounts 2021

Contents

Welcome from the District Chair .................................................................................................................................... 3 District Commissioner’s Annual Report 2021 ............................................................................................................ 4 Trustees’ Annual Report .................................................................................................................................................... 7 2022 – The Year Ahead .................................................................................................................................................. 16 Annual Accounts ............................................................................................................................................................... 17

Photography Credits

Photographs bring our annual report to life and our thanks go to the members of the District whose photographs are used throughout this report.

Welcome

Welcome from the District Chair

It is with genuine pleasure that I welcome everyone to read the Gateshead Scouts’ (Gateshead District Scout Council) Annual Report and Accounts for 2021.

It was an honour and a privilege to be invited to take on the role of Chair for Gateshead Scouts – my ‘home’ scout district in which I live, and where I spent many happy years volunteering upon first moving to the North East of England in the 1990s.

Gateshead Scout District has a long and proud tradition of Scouting and these are exciting times to be involved once again.

It’s been a few years since Gateshead Scouts took over the running of Whickham Thorns and this has proven to be the start of a renaissance in community engagement.

I am very excited that this will be extended by the opportunities that our new Victoria Road district headquarters will bring to some Gateshead communities that have been underserved by Scouting for many years.

I am equally excited by the sense of mutual support across the Scout District and by the opportunities for further growth and development within our existing scout groups and explorer scout units.

Scouting in Gateshead benefits from some excellent relationships within the broader community and I look forward to working with our existing volunteers and those outside Scouting to help provide more opportunities for the young people of Gateshead.

At a personal level I would like to thank all of our trustees for all the work they have done to support well managed, safe and compliant Scouting within the Scout District. I would of course also like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers for their hard work, determination and support for all of our youth members.

As you will read, 2021 has been a successful year for Scouting in Gateshead and I am sure that we all look forward to seizing the opportunities for further development in the years to come.

David Stokes

District Chair

----- Start of picture text -----
3
----- End of picture text -----

District Commissioners Annual Report 2021

District Commissioner’s Annual Report 2021

2021 again tested the resilience of our leaders and young people as they continued their Scouting, despite the lockdown period at the start of the year.

The innovative approaches developed during the main wave of the pandemic in 2020 meant that all groups continued to meet remotely and provide much needed social interaction for our members.

As spring approached and restrictions eased, it was wonderful to see scout groups begin to resume normality with camps, district events such as the cub badge days and the annual scout skills competition, and more adventurous activities being undertaken by groups across the district.

The census figures showed a slight upward trend in youth membership for 2021 as one would expect as the pandemic changed course.

Total youth membership was slightly up. Figures showed an increase in beavers and scout membership. The reduction in cubs was explained by the fact many groups did not take in new beavers during the pandemic and this had a delayed effect on the cub section numbers.

The District saw a reduction in the number of adult volunteers in 2021. Many had a reevaluation of priorities post pandemic and did not return. This is a continuing challenge for the District and one which reflects national trends but will need local action to ensure that we can continue to provide Scouting to our current membership and provide growth for the future.

While adult numbers may have fallen, the quality of the leaders we have remains outstanding. It was a privilege at the last AGM to formally present a number of Commissioner Commendations and long service awards to leaders across the District, and to present the Bar to the Award for Merit to Peter Crawley, our former District Commissioner and long serving Group Scout Leader. Our District Chair, David Stokes, was also honoured by the Mayor with a lifetime achievement award for services to Gateshead at the Gateshead Awards ceremony in June.

The year was also a challenging one for the District HQ, Mitchell House. In July, the ceiling of the main hall came down due to problems with the concrete fire blocks. This led to the relocation of the 7th Gateshead Scout Group to St James’ Church and several months of frustration waiting to secure the necessary professionals to undertake the building work.

We ended 2021 still unable to access the main hall but the District was able to meet at Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and at the headquarters of 21st Gateshead

District Commissioners Annual Report 2021

Scout Group who kindly opened their doors for leader meetings.

Whickham Thorns has continued to thrive. From a standing start in March 2021, the activity centre went on to place itself firmly at the heart of the community. It has been well used and supported by our own groups, as well as scout and guide groups across the region.

The school programme has been hugely successful, both in spreading the positive reputation of Scouting across the region, but in helping to ensure the future financial security of Whickham Thorns specifically, and the District at large.

I would like to thank the volunteers who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make that happen, and thank our lead instructor, Richard Oliver, for the dedication he has put in to training the young members of staff and turning them into competent instructors, and self-confident adults.

The broad vision of the District continued throughout 2021. We provided the charity Northeast Lads and Dads with a base for their work with disadvantaged young families in the area. Whickham Thorns ran several events for the community, including volunteer days for the District, and for local employers and businesses such as Costain, and school holiday projects for disadvantaged young people in Gateshead.

Whickham Thorns was also part of the government’s “Kick Start” youth employment project. As a result of this project, several of the young people who began working with us on the six-month scheme are now permanent members of staff, another has secured a job elsewhere, and two began outdoor instructor apprenticeships with us at the end of the year. This is testimony to the power of the skills for life we develop in our own members and then share in the wider Gateshead community.

Renovation work on the potential new headquarters for the district continued and

was broadly completed in 2021. The former Victoria Road Methodist Church building will offer the district more space for our young people to engage in district wide activities and for us to extend Scouting provision into the Teams area of Gateshead, which currently has few opportunities for young people.

The Executive Committee reviewed the progress of the project regularly and committed to continuing to work with the Gateshead Jewish Primary School on an asset transfer. The district also began to open dialogue with another charity in the area – Big Local – to ensure that we can work effectively together to provide Scouting in the area, irrespective of any move.

Governance of the District has continued to strengthen. David Stokes was appointed District Chair at the AGM and under his guidance we have made huge progress in getting the structures and mechanisms in place to ensure that our district can continue to thrive as we move forward together.

District Commissioners Annual Report 2021

As we move into 2022, the priorities for the District are clear: to pursue the provision of a functioning HQ suitable for Scouting in the 21st century; to continue to get the district activity programme up and running for our young people; to develop the activity provision at Whickham Thorns to attract more scout and community usage; to evaluate the District so that we can plan for growth and development; and to ensure that we are a progressive, forward looking organisation which sees itself firmly as part of the broader community. All of this must be underpinned by superb governance to ensure a strong and lasting future for Gateshead District Scouts.

I would like to thank all members and leaders, especially the District Team, the Group Scout Leaders and those who work behind the scenes, for their practical help, continued encouragement, and invaluable support as I

try to work with them to galvanise our District after some unprecedented challenges.

A wise man once said, “Out of chaos comes opportunity”. I feel certain that after the challenges of the pandemic and the enthusiasm and tenacity of our groups to resume normality in 2021, we will grasp the opportunities afforded by new approaches and new partnerships and move together stronger than ever before in 2022 and beyond.

Andrea McGuigan

District Commissioner

----- Start of picture text -----
6
----- End of picture text -----

Trustees’ Report 2021

Trustees’ Annual Report

Year Ending 31[st] December 2021

The trustees take pleasure in presenting their annual report along with the financial statements of the charity (pages 17-18) for the year ended 31st December 2021.

Constitution and Objects

Gateshead District Scout Council (informally known as ‘Gateshead Scouts’ and also referred to herein as ‘the Scout District’ or simply ‘the District’), is a registered charity in England and Wales (number 1015159).

Gateshead Scouts’ governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter dated 4[th] January 1912 (as amended by supplemental charters dated 28[th] March 1949, 18[th] February 1959, 5[th] May 1967 and 19[th] July 1991), which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of The Scout

Association, the Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) of the Scout Association; and also by a constitutional document approved by the District Scout Council on 9[th] October 2021 which defines the Scout District’s implementation of POR Chapter 4 ('The Scout District’) with respect to the operation of the District Scout Council and the District Executive Committee.

The Charitable Objects recorded with the Charity Commission are currently “ the instruction of boys of all class in the principles of discipline, loyalty and good citizenship ”.

These objects have not been updated for many years and it is considered that they are outdated, are not in accordance with the Scout Association’s equal opportunities policy and do not reflect our engagement with local communities.

It is the intent of the trustees to revise and update the objects in 2022 to become “ Gateshead Scout District exists to actively engage and support the young people of Gateshead in their personal development,

Trustees for the Year 2021

Trustees - ex-officio

D. Stokes District Chair (from October 2021) L. Wales District Secretary (from October 2021) S. Thompson District Treasurer (from October 2021) A. McGuigan District Commissioner J. Lonsdale District Youth Commissioner J. Heron District Explorer Scout Commissioner C. Westgate District Scout Network Commissioner

Trustees – nominated and elected

From October 2021

A. Scott A. Bullock A. Oliver C. McIntyre

J. Askwith J. Thompson K. Percy K. Thompson

P. Byrne S. Johnson

Trustees’ Report 2021

working in local communities to empower them to make a positive contribution to society ”.

Organisation

The trustees who have served during the year are shown above.

In accordance with the charity's constitution referenced above , the District Chair, District Commissioner, District Youth Commissioner, District Secretary, District Treasurer, District Explorer Scout Commissioner and District Scout Network Commissioner are all ex-officio trustees.

Additional trustees are elected, nominated or co-opted to the District Executive Committee also in accordance with the charity's constitution referenced above.

The trustees regularly meet face-to-face (at least four times a year) and communicate electronically to discuss and agree all matters in relation to the charity, and also communicate and make decisions

electronically between face-to-face meetings, as allowed by the charities constitution.

There is one sub-committee to deal with specific matters relating to Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre, which operates in accordance within the relevant rules laid down in the Scout Association’s Policy, Organisation and Rules, and Terms of Reference approved by the trustees.

Membership

Committed to the communities in the east of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead (east of the River Derwent), in January 2022 the Scout District had 687 members (including all adults), which is a decrease of 33 when compared to the figure in January 2021.

As background, core youth numbers declined in 2020 due to the Scouting programme being taken online for much of the year due to coronavirus lockdown measures and this was reflected in the youth membership figures shown for January 2021.

----- Start of picture text -----
Youth Membership Numbers - Last Five Years
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Jan' 2018 Jan' 2019 Jan' 2020 Jan' 2021 Jan' 2022
Beavers Cubs Scouts Explorers Scout Network
----- End of picture text -----

Trustees’ Report 2021

We were delighted to see a small reversal to the decline in youth membership numbers in 2021 (as shown in membership numbers reported in January 2022). This was due to the hard work of our volunteers in delivering innovative and exciting online programmes during the early 2021 lockdown, and through the sustained return to face-to-face meetings in the later parts of the year.

The charity once again acknowledges the tremendous amount of voluntary help that is given to all aspects of Scouting in the Scout District and especially in supporting the work of the district team.

The trustees express their thanks to all our young leaders, adult leaders, commissioners and other supporters for their on-going dedication and hard work.

Review of Activities

The running of a scout shop for the sale of uniforms, badges and other equipment,
The running of Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and Ebchester boathouse for the benefit of the membership and local communities
The provision of medium scale events and competitions for the membership.

As reported above, 2021 saw the Scout District continue it’s recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with membership numbers holding steady and a renewal of district led events and competitions.

The October 2021 Annual General Meeting saw the appointment and election of a renewed Executive Committee (trustee body), with all posts being filled and an updated constitution being adopted.

The charity’s main activities are

Review of Financial Results

The provision of Explorer Scouts and Scout Network in the Scout District,
The promotion, support and administration of Scouting in Gateshead Scout District,

Gateshead Scouts manage their finances through the use of commercial accounting software which is used in the preparation of financial reports including the annual accounts.

Income and Expenditure - 2016 to 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
£250,000
£200,000
£150,000
£100,000
£50,000
£-
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total Gross Income Total Expenditure
----- End of picture text -----

Trustees’ Report 2021

This software is used on an on-going basis, with the financial performance of Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre reviewed monthly by the Whickham Thorns subcommittee.

Trustees review the financial performance of Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and other charitable activities on a quarterly basis using reports generated from the accounting system.

The trustees would like to thank Andy Oliver and James Heron for their on-going work in preparing and presenting these financial reports for review.

As can be seen from the chart above, Gateshead Scouts have continued to see an increase in both income and a smaller increase in expenditure, largely because of the continued operation of and income from Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre.

In 2021, activities income at Whickham Thorns increased to £93,162 (2020: £30,606) largely because of the end of coronavirus lockdowns in the spring of 2021. While employment costs at Whickham Thorns also increased (£47,334 in 2021 compared to £22,328 in 2020) this increase was largely offset by the receipt of £23,289 in payments received under the Government kick-start scheme.

Although not quite to the extent seen in 2020, during 2021 Gateshead Scouts were in receipt of further government coronavirus grants which were fundamental to allowing the Scout District to weather the financial problems (loss of income) associated with the impact of pandemic lockdowns on the leisure sector at the start of the year.

As a result of this the Scout District was able to provide financial support to scout groups in the district by way of not charging for the Scout District’s support services in 2021 and by covering the cost of the Scout County levy for 2021. This support was of significant help to scout groups who were returning to fulltime face-to-face Scouting in 2021.

Compared with 2020, overall fund balances increased by around £100,000. While approximately £30,000 of this is due to an increase in fixed assets to support on-going operations there has been a considerable improvement in the District’s cash balance.

However, much of this cash at bank and at hand is allocated in accordance with the reserves policy (below) and is set aside for other purposes. Work is currently in hand to designate specific funds for purposes such as providing financial support for our members with limited financial means (below), and for buildings contingency. This latter is necessary as the district looks to move to a new district

Additional Information

Principal Address

Charity Number

Gateshead Scouts Mitchell House 36 Gladstone Terrace West, Gateshead NE8 4EA

1015159 (registered in England and Wales)

Scout Association Registration Number

10001695

Trustees’ Report 2021

headquarters building which is more than 100 years old.

We are therefore confident that as Gateshead Scouts enter a post-pandemic period of development and growth, the Scout District has the financial means to support such change.

The trustees are confident that our financial management is sound and that the risks associated with increasing income and expenditure are manageable given the controls which are in place.

Grant and Loan Making Policies

At the end of 2021 the trustees agreed to start work on the establishment of an ‘Access for All’ grant making policy intended to ensure inclusive access to all Scouting events and activities for young people and adults of limited financial means.

Reserves Policy

Given the increase in both income and expenditure in recent years, Gateshead Scouts are reviewing our reserves policy in light of the need to be able to maintain income generating operations at Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and the boathouse at Ebchester, to be able to fulfil statutory obligations in respect of employed staff and to continue to meet costs associated with the operation of the district headquarters (currently Mitchell House).

Given the assets under management and the committed level of annual expenditure the charity therefore seeks to maintain reserves equating to 12 months operational expenditure.

In future years, it is planned to clearly designate these operating reserves within the accounts to differentiate operational reserves more clearly from general funds.

Investment Policy

Gateshead Scouts does not currently hold any long term investments. During the coronavirus pandemic focus was placed on cash management to ensure the sustainability of the charity in the long term.

With the passing of most risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic this will be reviewed given the increase in income and expenditure, the need to designate operational reserves and the level of cash on hand in noninterest bearing bank accounts.

Risk Management

During 2021 risks continued to be managed on an on-going basis. The receipt of various government grants alleviated the most significant financial risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

Trustees’ Report 2021

Gateshead Scouts follow the rules and best practices of The Scout Association, including the:

Equal Opportunities Policy
Privacy and Data Protection Policy
Religious Policy
Safeguarding Policy
Safety Policy
Vetting Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy

With on-going post pandemic development in the Scout District, at the end of 2021 the trustees agreed to establish a formal register of risks in 2022, to allow all risks to the immediate and on-going work of the charity to be identified, categorised, prioritised and mitigated, with all significant risks subject to regular review.

Trustee Induction and Training

Most of our trustees are from a Scouting background and are therefore familiar with the objectives and operation of the charity.

In accordance with the requirements of the Scout Association, all trustees are required to undertake mandatory trustee training, which is part of The Scout Association’s adult training scheme.

How We Benefit the Public

The focus of the charity's activities continues to be the provision of Scouting and support for local communities throughout our geographical area.

This is provided through the provision of:

As trustees we understand and bear in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

Gateshead Scouts continues to meet the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the ‘advancement of education’ and the ‘advancement of citizenship or community development’ headings.

In addition to the objectives of the charity above, we also offer support to adult members of the Scout Association volunteering in the Scout District.

Explorer Scouting and Scout Network programmes and activities (for 14 to 25 year olds).
Administrative, organisational and programme support for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts (aged 6 to 13) who are members of local Scout Groups.
Support for the growth and development of Scouting
Medium scale events, competitions and activities which could not usually be provisioned through local Scout Groups

Trustees’ Report 2021

Access to adventurous and/or outdoor activities through Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and Ebchester boathouse, both of which are also available for use by other educational and youth groups and members of the wider public.
Working with Gateshead Council and local voluntary groups and charities in support of young people and families in our local communities.

Diversity and Inclusion

Membership is open to all members of the public in accordance with our religious, equal opportunities and development policies, subject to our safety, vetting and child protection policies.

Girls and young women make up 30% of our overall youth membership (up from 28% last year), and 42% of our adult members are female (a slight decrease from 44%, due in part to the decline in adult membership).

The overall ethnicity of our membership continues to reflect the communities from which our members are drawn, and we continue to review how we engage and work with ethnic minority groups in the Scout District, to ensure that Scouting is not only open to all, but available in all communities.

Responsibilities of The Trustees

Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year.

In preparing these financial statements (below), the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies, and apply them on a consistent basis
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice
Make judgements and estimates that are prudent and reasonable
State whether applicable UK accounting standards and Statements of Recommended Practice have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
Prepare the financial statements on the on-going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.

----- Start of picture text -----
Trustees’ Report 2021
----- End of picture text -----

The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approval of the Trustees Report

Approved by the trustees on 24[th] September 2022 and signed on their behalf by: -

Trustee (David Stokes - Chair).

[hardcopy signature appended to the master record]

Report of the Independent Examiner 2021

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Gateshead District Scout

Council

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Gateshead District Scouts for the year ended 31st December 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of Gateshead District Scouts you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Gateshead District Scouts accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the

examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

Name: Mr John Challis

[hardcopy signature attached to the master record].

Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): ICAEW - ACA

Address: A6 Kingfisher House, Kingsway North, Team Valley Trading Estate, NE11 0JQ.

Date: 15th September 2022

Independent examiner’s statement

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

Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Gateshead District Scouts as required by section 130 of the Act; or
The accounts do not accord with those records; or
The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts. give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter

2022 – The Year Ahead

2022 – The Year Ahead

As Scouts, it is important that we live and are judged by our values and that we do what we say we are going to do.

In our next annual report we therefore expect to share progress on the following key objectives for 2022, during which we intend to:

Progress, and ideally complete the move of the district headquarters from its present location on Gladstone Terrace, to the former Methodist Church on Victoria Road.
Use the move of the district headquarters to Victoria Road to complete the planning necessary to re-open Scouting provision in the Teams area of Gateshead, with an aim to provide Scouting to the local community in 2023.
Work with local community groups to ensure that the new district headquarters both supports the local community and is managed in a financially sound and sustainable way.
Continue work on building the district activity programme, providing opportunities, events and activities for our young people which are not available to them in their local scout groups.
To further develop the range and scope of activities available at Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre and to introduce off-site activities, and make these available to a wide range of scout and community groups.
Introduce a designated district fund to allow our financially disadvantaged members to better access a wide range of Scouting activities and opportunities.

members and the public, and facilitating the recruitment of more young people and adult volunteers.

Hold the planned district development day (postponed due to the pandemic) so that we can:
- Identify and prioritise opportunities for improvement in the district,
- Identify and prioritise opportunities for the growth of Scouting provision in Gateshead, including the potential for opening Squirrel Scouts (for 4 and 5 year olds) and new provision in currently underserved communities,
- Support adult recruitment in our local scout groups and in the district,
- Plan for the pending transformation changes due to be introduced in 2023, as part of the national ‘Skills for Life’ strategy.
Continue to work with Gateshead Council and local community organisations such as the Big Local to ensure that Scouting in Gateshead is at the heart of our local communities.
Further increase our use of digital technologies to improve the capabilities and administrative efficiencies of the district.
Continue to strengthen our oversight and governance to ensure that all risks are identified and managed and that we build a long term future for Scouting in the district, including:
- Adoption of a formal terms of reference for the Whickham Thorns sub-committee,
- Updating our charitable objects (as described above),
- The establishment of a formal risk
  - register.
Develop a new district website, which better reflects the modern face of Scouting, aiding communication with our

Summary Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021

Annual Accounts

Summary Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021

£ 6,536 10,474 6,168 222,107	£ 5,325 2,464 - 156,436	2020 £ 86,510 164,225
245,285 9,241	164,225 -

		164,225
		250,735

Approved by the trustees on 24[th] September 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

District Commissioner (Andrea McGuigan)

Trustee (James Heron)

[hardcopy signatures appended to the master record]

Summary Statement of Financial Activities - Year to 31 December 2021

Summary Statement of Financial Activities Year to 31 December 2021

£ 5,325 5,493	£ 5,689 2,714	2020 £ 3,325 3,078
10,818 6,536	8,403 5,325
18,725 5,599 93,162 1,230 2,060 - 59,290 23,289 2,164	26,092 479 30,606 - 1,700 43,260 66,176 - 833	247 71,206
205,519	66,956
47,334 5,982 1,179 1,171 6,615 4,097 7,671 1,292 24,881 280 1,279 - -	22,328 10,890 328 1,280 6,214 5,274 17,262 109 23,127 1,088 770 556 3,029
101,781 4,661	92,253 5,687
106,442	97,940

		71,453 179,282
		250,735

Gateshead Scout District Annual Report and Accounts 2021

Gateshead District Scout Council

Mitchell House 36 Gladstone Terrace West, Gateshead NE8 4EA

info@gatesheadscouts.org.uk

https://gatesheadscouts.org.uk/