Trustee’s Annual Report For the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024
Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1015817. This document is issued to demonstrate compliance with the Charities Act 2011 in demonstrating our purpose and activities as being for the public benefit and that the trustees have demonstrated regard to the commission’s guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity’s governing documents are those of the Scout Association. The Scout Association’s governing document is a royal charter which gives authority to the Bye-laws of the Association and the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association. The group is a trust established under these rules which are common to all Scout groups. At the previous AGM, we reconfirmed our use of the model constitution as laid out in Policy, Organisation and Rules 5.4.
The trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association (POR).
The group is managed by an elected board of trustees, comprising a Group Chairperson, Group Scout Leader, Group Treasurer and Group Secretary along with individual section leaders, parent’s representatives and others nominated onto the committee for their knowledge or skills. The Trustee Board meets every two months on average.
The Group Board of Trustees exists to ensure Scouting is run safely, legally and in line with our charitable purpose. They must be confident that:
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The charity is well managed, carrying out its purpose for the public benefit,
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Our activities comply with our governing document and the law,
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We are following POR and the rules of the Charity Commission
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Young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels
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The group has sufficient resources to meet the planned work of the group.
The group has systems that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement and loss. These include requiring two signatories for all payments made by any section within the group, expenditure of a certain amount being approved by a wider group of leaders, maintaining a risk register of potential risks to the charity and mitigating against these and insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
Objectives of the group
The objectives of the group are as part of the wider Scout Association. The purpose of the Scout Association is “to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.”
This is achieved through the Scout Method which states that “Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:
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enjoy what they are doing and have fun;
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take part in activities indoors and outdoors;
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learn by doing;
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share in spiritual reflection;
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take responsibility and make choices;
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undertake new and challenging activities;
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and make and live by their Promise.”
We are guided by the Values of Scouting which are:
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Integrity: We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
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Respect: We have self-respect and respect for others.
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Care: We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
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Belief: We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
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Co-operation: We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.
In line with the Scout Association, our goals to 2025 are based around achieving:
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Growth; enabling more young people and adult volunteers to benefit from scouting and the skills it gives them.
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Inclusivity; ensuring barriers to inclusion are removed and working to build tolerance.
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Community impact; making a difference in our local and global community.
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Youth-shaped; ensuring our young people get a voice in scouting, share their experiences and take on leadership roles.
| 31/3/2024 | 31/3/2023 | Variance | %age change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME (SAGE) | AQKR Scouts o> 1st Stratford Upon Avon ScoutGroup |
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| Subscriptions | (6,038) | (5,055) | (984) | 19% | ||||||
| Group donations | (72) | (2,125) | (2,053) | -97% | All donations being directed to Hut Development | |||||
| Hall lettings | (5,089) | (2,247) | (2,842) | 126% | No change to users but increase on usage fee and more regular invoicing | |||||
| Section activities | (1,918) | (6,389) | (4,471) | -70% | decrease in the number of outside of group activites | |||||
| Other incomes | (60) | (286) | (226) | -79% | Leader appreciation | |||||
| KISC Trip | (11,551) | (2,800) | (8,751) | 313% | Kandersteg coming to an end. ie final payments and accounts finalised | |||||
| Hut Development Grants/Donations | (8,772) | (0) | (8,772) | #DIV/0! | Made up of grants, fundraising | |||||
| TOTAL INCOME | (33,500) | (18,901) | (14,598) | |||||||
| EXPENDITURE (SAGE) | ||||||||||
| Premises - | maintenance | (80) | (36) | (44) | 122% | |||||
| electricity | (745) | (607) | (138) | 23% | ||||||
| gas | (3,778) | (3,737) | (41) | 1% | ||||||
| water | (387) | (360) | (27) | 8% | ||||||
| rates | (83) | (187) | (104) | -55% | Gov discount. scheme in place for this year. | |||||
| insurance | (215) | (594) | (379) | -64% | Clopton garge cover | |||||
| internet | (211) | (202) | (9) | 4% | ||||||
| Section activity | (3,301) | (7,323) | (4,022) | -55% | Addional recources purchased. set up costs of new section | |||||
| KISC Trip | (12,783) | (1,526) | (11,257) | 738% | Kandersteg coming to an end. ie final payments and accounts finalised | |||||
| Subscriptions (District & County) | Subscriptions (District & County) | (2,913) | (2,290) | (623) | 27% | |||||
| Legal Costs | (540) | (1,140) | (600) | -53% | ||||||
| Badges & neckers | (904) | (821) | (84) | 10% | ||||||
| Equipment Training |
(1,342) (0) |
(346) (120) |
(996) 287% (120) -100% Pe |
Paddle boating equitment | ||||||
| Hut related Expenditure Sundries |
(1,196) (75) |
(425) (139) |
(771) 181% (64) -46% fe |
Made up of a mix of differnent normal expences | ||||||
| Bank charges | (157) | (103) | (260) | -251% | ||||||
| Grant | (0) | (275) | (275) | -100% | ||||||
| Direct | (10) | (284) | (274) | -97% | ||||||
| Hut Development Cost | (28,111) | (0) | (28,111) | #DIV/0! | £27,096 on Sudio Spicer invoices | |||||
| Hut Development (fundraising costs) | (20) | (0) | (20) | #DIV/0! | ||||||
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE | (56,538) | (20,515) | (36,023) | |||||||
| PROFIT/(LOSS) PER SAGE | (23,038) | (1,614) | (21,425) | 1328% | ||||||
| Deposit account interest TOTAL PROFIT/(LOSS) |
(3) (72) (23,035) (1,542) ee |
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| BANK STATEMENT | ||||||||||
| CURRENT A/C | ( | 4,232.24) | ( | 6,533.90) | ||||||
| SAVINGS A/C | ( | 13,573.59) | ( | 32,332.81) | ||||||
| ( | 17,805.83) | ( | 38,866.71) | |||||||
| BANK A/C RECONCILIATION | ||||||||||
| B/f per bank statement | ( | 38,866.71) | ||||||||
| Receipts (SAGE) | ( | 33,499.72) | ||||||||
| Funds transfer | ( | 1,977.51) | ||||||||
| Payments (SAGE) | ( | (56,538.11) | ||||||||
| C/f per bank statement | ( | 17,805.83) | ||||||||
| C/f per bank statement | ( | 17,805.83) | ||||||||
| DIFFERENCE (SHOULD BE NIL) | DIFFERENCE (SHOULD BE NIL) | ( | 0) | |||||||
| CHARITY COMMISSION RETURN | ||||||||||
| INCOME EXPENDITURE |
(33,503) (18,973) (56,538) (20,515) a a |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ 1st STRATFORD-UPON-AVON SCOUT GROUP members of
On accounts for the year 31ST MARCH 2024 ended Set out on pages 1-2
Charity no 1015817 (if any)
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 / 03 / 2024 .
Responsibilities and basis As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the of report accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s 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.
Independent examiner's I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect,:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
statement
- the accounts did 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 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.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Date: 21/06/2024 Signed: ~~|~~ Name: SUZANNE BOWER ~~OO~~ Relevant professional ASSOCIATE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT (ACA), ICAEW qualification(s) or body (if any):
1
October 2018
IER
Address: FIELD HOUSE, AVENUE ROAD STRATFORD-UPON-AVON CV37 6UN
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER