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For the period From 01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021

Trustees’ Annual Report

Section A – Reference and administration details

Charity Name

Sandwell Scout District

Registered charity number (if any) HQ registration number 1020042 10001662

Charity’s principal address

14 Powke Lane, Rowley Regis, B65 0AA

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

(These will be published in the annual report of the charity and the Charity Register if reporting for a Registered Charity with a charity regulator)

Trustee Name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for the whole year
Sean Acton
Kieran Andrews
Phil Bird		Apr 2020 – Nov 2020
John Crawford
Will Fellows
Dawn Grice		Apr 2020 – Jul 2021
Julie Grice	Secretary	Apr 2020 – Sep 2021
Ryan Hadley
Alistair Head
Altaf Moosa	Treasurer	Apr 2020 – Feb 2021
Diane Walker
Phillip Wright	Chair	Apr 2020 – Aug 2021

Nicola Johnson		Jul 2021 –
Chris Wallace	Chair	Aug 2021 –

Section B – Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document (e.g. trust deed, constitution)

The District's governing documents are those of the The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

How the charity is constituted (e.g. trust, association, company)

The District/Area/County is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts.

Trustee selection methods (e.g. appointed by, elected by)

The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

Additional governance issues (optional information but encouraged as best practice)

The District is managed by the District Executive Committee, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout District which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate.

The Committee consists of 3 independent representatives, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary together with the District Commissioner, District Explorer Scout Commissioner and representation from the District Scout Council. The Committee meets at least four times a year.

Members of the Executive Committee complete training which includes a trustee introduction, safety, safeguarding and GDPR within the first 5 months of joining the committee.

This District Executive Committee exists to support the District Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of the appointments and is responsible for:

The maintenance of District property;
The raising of funds and the administration of District finance;
The insurance of persons, property and equipment;
District public occasions;
Assisting in the recruitment of leaders and other adult support;
Appointing any sub committees that may be required;
Appointing District Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected.

Risk and Internal Control

The District Executive Committee has identified the major risks to which they believe the District is exposed, these have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate against them. The main areas of concern that have been identified are:

Damage to buildings, property and equipment. The District has sufficient buildings and contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss.
Injury to leaders, helpers, supporters and members. The District through the capitation fees contributes to the Scout Association's national accident insurance policy. Risk Assessments are undertaken before all activities.
Reduced income from fund raising. The District is primarily reliant upon income from the annual District levy. The District does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Committee could raise the value of the levy to increase the income to the District on an ongoing basis, either temporarily or permanently.
Reduction or loss of leaders. The District is totally reliant upon volunteers to run and administer the activities of the District. If there was a reduction in the number of leaders to an unacceptable level in a particular section or a group as a whole, then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section, or a Group.
Reduction or loss of members. The District provides activities for young people aged 6 to 25. If there was a reduction in membership in a particular section or the group as whole then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section, or a Group.
The District has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include 2 signatories for all payments and a comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.

Section C – Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

The Purpose of Scouting

Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

The Values of Scouting

As Scouts we are guided by these values:

Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

The Scout Method

Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:

enjoy what they are doing and have fun
take part in activities indoors and outdoors
learn by doing
share in spiritual reflection
take responsibility and make choices
undertake new and challenging activities
make and live by their Promise.

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects

The District works to support Groups and Explorer Units to provide active and safe Scouting and provides activity opportunities to enhance the programme offered by Groups. The District is responsible for implementing a safe recruitment process, in line with Policy, Organisation and Rules.

Public benefit statement

The District meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings.

Section D – Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

We started the year, with a national lockdown that many of us at the time expected to last weeks, not months - schools were closed, face-to-face Scouting was suspended and for many of us, the Scouting world felt weird! For the 11 Groups across Sandwell the circumstances were broad and varied. For some of our volunteers this has meant taking a break and waiting for restrictions to ease while for others it has meant logging into Zoom each week and carrying out a range of activities at home from finding household items to spell out ‘CUBS’ to camping out in gardens and homemade dens. As more of got to grips with virtual Scouting, Sandwell members became braver and braver and really showed some flair and creativity in the activities planned. Although seeing little faces in boxes on a screen wasn’t ideal…it still felt like you were in the room with them based on the noise level!! The one good side from virtual Scouting was though….the mess and the clean up was up to the young people and their families and not us for half an hour or so after everyone has gone!

As the lockdown continued, we were fortunate to be able to support and participate in the County “Round the World Event”, visiting countries virtually, learning new skills and knowledge as well as practising their stem, cooking and creative skills…this was well supported by families and groups in Sandwell. We also were fortunate to begin sharing the growing IT expertise, programme ideas which is testament to the volunteers and families in Sandwell who still wanted to keep the Scouting spirit alive and well! Later on in this year 3 or 4 groups joined together virtually for a Harry Potter themed weekend away…indoors! I was blown away by the commitment of the adults who organised it, as nearly every hour of the weekend was filled with a wide range of activities. Even the families got into the spirit of by decorating their houses, dining tables and gardens with the theme too. We even had a campfire on the Saturday evening with West Bromwich and Wednesbury being lit up by garden fires and treating their neighbours to a raft of fun, silly songs! The lockdown spirit wasn’t dampened and on a personal level, I think I was more tired than being at camp face to face! A massive thank you to the leaders, young people and families who made this weekend so successful!

At a District level we took action to protect our finances at the start of the lockdown by delaying spending on items where possible. Fortunately, a number of Scout Groups benefitted from government funding linked to the business rates they pay for their own buildings and some other Groups have also been successful in applying for and receiving other smaller sources of funding. This isn’t however equal across the District and each Group’s trustee board has had to take different actions in 2020 to protect their finances and ensure their sustainability.

The District has also benefitted from funding linked to its buildings that the District Trustee’s must ensure is used wisely to support the long term development of Scouting in Sandwell.

Last year we reflected on the saying, “We are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat”. As each Scout Group and each volunteer approached the circumstances of the year in their own way and in line with their own circumstances, we’d like to celebrate the respect shown to each other throughout the District; acknowledging and understanding when taking a pause from Scouting has been the best option, while also celebrating those volunteers who have been able to go above and beyond expectations to deliver virtual Scouting for their sections.

A massive thank you to Dawn Grice as outgoing commissioner who dedicated 11+yrs of her life to Scouting in Sandwell, who helped the young people, families and adult volunteers achieve amazing things and experience wonderful opportunities. We thank you whole heartedly for your leadership and promise to keep going in the same way and continue building on the previous achievements. Also a big thank you to Phil Wright, the outgoing Chairperson who has lead and guided diligently,

ensuring that Sandwell followed the rules, stayed solvent and supported the District team to provide the best Scouting possible under such difficult circumstances

Whilst the past year was challenging, we believe Scouts across Sandwell have a lot to be proud of and as we look back we can see how the efforts of these twelve months will enable us to bounce back strongly in the coming months and years. This is evident in most groups who have returned to face to face – the numbers of young people joining and returning is somewhat astounding and shows how much they have missed Scouting and shows just how needed and important Scouting still is!

Sandwell Scouts is a TEAM and…

“Together, Everyone Achieves More”

Thank you for all you have done and in advance…thank you for everything you will continue to do.

Section E – Financial Review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

Quantify and explain any designations

The District's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities fall short. The District Executive Committee considers that the District should hold a sum equivalent to 12 months running costs, circa £20,000.

The District held reserves of approximately £70,000 against this at year end. This is above the level required for operating expenses.

This is due in part to receiving unexpected income from Government grants for premises occupied by the District. The trustees will take stock of the reserves currently held and consider how best to invest these funds over the coming 12/18 months. This may be to reinvest in some of the District assets to ensure they can be used to support the objectives of the District longer term.

Further financial review details (optional information)

Investment Policy

The District's Income and Expenditure is very small and as a consequence does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and shares. The District has therefore adopted a low risk strategy to the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies or The Scout Association's Short Term Investment Service.

The District Executive regularly monitors the levels of bank balances and the interest rates received to ensure the group obtains maximum value and income from its banking arrangements. Occasionally this may involve using an account that requires a period of notice before funds may be withdrawn, before doing so the District Executive considers the cash flow requirements.

Section F – Other Optional Information

Plans for future periods (details of any significant activities planned to achieve them)

Section G – Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full Name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair) Date

	William Fellows	Ryan Hadley

	Trustee	Trustee
	29/09/2021
	29/09/2021

	Charity Name			No (if any)
		Sandwell Scout District		1020042
	Receipts andpayments accounts					CC16a
		Period start date		Period	end date
	For the period from	01/04/2020	To	31/03/2021
Section A Receipts and payments
	Unrestricted funds	Restricted Funds (Groups)	Restricted (Bob Addie Fund)	Total funds		Last year
	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £		to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
MembershipFees(This Year)	3,650.00	-	-		3,650.00	15,184.00
Late MembershipFees	287.00	-	-		-	1,935.00
Short Term Investment Fund Interest	73.93	-	-		73.93	129.73
Interest	66.48	-	-		66.48	-
Covid LRSG Grants	40,672.42	33,640.92	-		74,313.34	-
Events	-	-	-		-	3,640.00
Misc Cash	3.00	-	-		3.00	-
	-	-	-		-	-
	-	-	-		-	-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	44,752.83	33,640.92	-		78,393.75	20,888.73

*Total receipts*	44,752.83	33,640.92	-		78,393.75	20,888.73
A3 Payments
MembershipFees(Previous Year)	21,059.50	-	-		21,059.50	20,475.00
District HQ - Utilities	691.28	-	-		691.28	527.70
District HQ - Ground Rent	400.00	-	-		400.00	400.00
Youth Programme and Activities	-	-	-		-	3,002.78
Stationeryand Refreshments	-	-	-		-	114.35
Adult Support and Training	-	-	-		-	30.00
Bank Charges	6.00	-	-		6.00	-
1st RowleyRegis - Insurance	-	1,267.90	-		1,267.90	-
1st RowleyRegis - Cleaning	-	400.00	-		400.00	-
1st RowleyRegis - Asbestos Survey	-	200.00	-		200.00	-
1st RowleyRegis - Expenses	-	635.08	-		635.08	-
Bob Addie Fund	-	-	2,810.50		2,810.50	-
**Sub total **	22,156.78	2,502.98	2,810.50		27,470.26	24,549.83

*Total payments*	22,156.78	2,502.98	2,810.50		27,470.26	24,549.83

*Net of receipts/(payments)*	22,596.05	31,137.94	- 2,810.50		50,923.49	- 3,661.10

A5 Transfers between funds	7,332.00	- 7,332.00	-		-	-
MembershipFees 2021	3,895.00	- 3,895.00	-
MembershipFees 2020	3,437.00	- 3,437.00

A6 Cash funds last year end	56,866.57	-	6,810.50		63,677.07	67,338.17
*Cash funds this year end*	86,794.62	23,805.94	4,000.00	114,600.56		63,677.07


A6 Cash funds last year end	56,866.57	-	6,810.50			63,677.07	67,338.17
*Cash funds this year end*	86,794.62	23,805.94	4,000.00			114,600.56	63,677.07
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
			Unrestricted			Restricted funds	Endowment funds
Categories	Details		funds
			to nearest £			to nearest £	to nearest £
B1 Cash funds	Barclays Bank Account		66,253			27,806
	Scout Association Short	Term Investment Fund	20,533			-
	Cash		8			-	-
	*Total cash funds*		86,795			27,806	-
			Unrestricted			Restricted funds	Endowment funds
			funds
	Details		to nearest £			to nearest £	to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets						-	-
			-			-	-
			-			-	-
			-			-	-
			-			-	-
			-			-	-
	Details		Fund to which asset belongs			Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)
B3 Investment assets						-	-
	Details		Fund to which asset belongs			Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the	Orchard School Scout HQ		Unrestricted			-	-
charity’s own use	Westbourne Road Scout HQ		Unrestricted			-	-
	Details		Fund to which liability relates			Amount due (optional)	When due (optional)
B5 Liabilities						-
						-
						-
						-
						-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Signature		Print		Name		Date of approval
			Chris	Wallace			29/09/2021
			William Fellows				29/09/2021

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

01/10/2021

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A

Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Sandwell Scout District On accounts for the year 31/3/2021 ended Set out on pages

Charity no 1020042 (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 DD / MM / YYYY 31/03/2021 .

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the 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 statement

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

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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.

Signed: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):	Date:
		29/09/2021

	Gemma Dixon

	ICAEW

October 2018

IER

Address: 14 Ansell Way, Harborne, Birmingham, B32 2AT

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 .