2024-12-31-accounts

3rd Harpenden Scout Group Annual Report for 2024

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3[rd] Harpenden Scout Group

Charity registration number: 1022373 Scout registration number: 123

Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024

For the period 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2024 Presented just prior the AGM in September 2025

3rd Harpenden Scout Group Annual Report for 2024

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Contents

Group Chair's Report ............................................................................................................................................3 Group Lead Volunteer's Report ............................................................................................................................4 Group Section Reports ..........................................................................................................................................5 Beavers Section Report ........................................................................................................................................5 Cubs Section Report .............................................................................................................................................6 Scouts Section Report ...........................................................................................................................................7 Group Treasurer’s Report .....................................................................................................................................8 Group Leadership Team Reports ....................................................................................................................... 13 Hut rental ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Grounds and hut maintenance ...................................................................................................................... 13 Subscriptions collection ................................................................................................................................. 13 Fundraising .................................................................................................................................................... 13 PR & communication ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Waiting list administration ............................................................................................................................ 13 DBS and training ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Trustee Board meeting minutes .................................................................................................................... 14 Trustees’ Annual Report 2024 – Required information .................................................................................... 15 Section A - Reference & administration details ............................................................................................ 15 Section B - Structure, governance & management ....................................................................................... 16 Section C - Objectives & activities ................................................................................................................. 17 Section D - Achievements and performance ................................................................................................. 18 Section E - Financial Review .......................................................................................................................... 18 Section F - Other optional information ......................................................................................................... 18 Section G - Declaration .................................................................................................................................. 18

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Group Chair's Report

At the time of writing I am now 2.5 years into my time as 3[rd] Harpenden Scout Group Chair of Trustees. Throughout this period, I have repeatedly witnessed the dedication of our enthusiastic group of volunteers. Helping to create a fun and exciting environment for our kids to explore and learn.

Below you can read the section reports, which demonstrate the terrific opportunities made available to our young people. And my thanks must first go to all the volunteer leaders for their commitment and enthusiasm, giving up their time to plan and deliver great experiences week after week.

Over this year we had a healthy number of young people in the group, with overall numbers slightly up on last year. We also have a busy waiting list with new Beavers arriving every term. Scouts started and ended the year with 32 members. Cubs started on 24 and by the end of the year had increased to 27. Beavers began with 21 and ended on a high with 25 in the section.

There is always a dedicated group of people working behind the scenes on all the important back room tasks required to run a successful Scout group. So my thanks must also go to all of the volunteers at 3rds who perform these vital jobs quietly in the background. You can read more about these jobs further down this report.

Financially we were again in a strong position at the end of 2024. This was helped by the diligent work of our Treasurer Leonie - keeping on top of payments, expenses, income, utilities and everything else required to keep the finances in order. We spent money on the new outdoor classroom - which has been a big success. In the near future we hope to use more of our funds on improvement to the kitchen and toilets of the Scout hut itself.

As always, Martin our dedicated Group Lead Volunteer has been working hard on a variety of projects throughout all areas of the group. This is in addition to becoming a Scout leader, helping plan and deliver the weekly meetings, and the Scout summer camp. Thank you Martin for everything you do - leading this Scout group very much from the front.

If you would like to support the 3rds either as a leader, being part of the Trustee Board, the Leadership Team, as an occasional helper or in any other way - then please do get in touch. If you only have limited time, there are always small, well-defined tasks you can do. All roles in this group, from leaders to trustees, are performed by volunteers, and we are always grateful for more help!

Joe Abberley

Group Chair

[e-mail]

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Group Lead Volunteer's Report

Another fun filled, jam packed, busy year at 3rds. All the Beavers, Cubs & Scouts have taken part in endless activities, hikes, camps, challenges etc. This is all down to the amazing efforts of the 3 leadership teams who provide a varied and interesting program all year round.

You can read the section reports which follow to find out more details of the trips and activities that they have enjoyed.

The groups have continued to enjoy the outdoor classroom space and we have plans to improve the Fire pit area.

I would again like to thank the leaders for all the time they spend planning and delivering the weekly meetings, trips and camps. Without them the group would not function. Also the Trustees and other volunteers who are in the background ensuring that the hut and grounds are safe to use, the bills are paid and there are funds to spend on new camping equipment.

However we always need more pairs of hands, so if you are able to cut the grass, change a light bulb, assist with plumbing then please let us know.

Any questions, comments, or offers of help – please get in touch.

Martin Allen

Group Lead Volunteer

[e-mail]

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Group Section Reports

Beavers Section Report

We started the year learning about money skills, talking about different currencies as well as our own and thinking about what we wanted to save our pocket money for. We played lots of games whilst thinking about the importance of healthy foods and exercise. We did a disability assessment on the hut and completed our Digital Maker badge. Along with lighting candles and tying knots.

As the year progressed we worked on our communication badge - learning our home/mobile numbers and how to communicate in emergencies. We learnt even more knots and how to tie our shoe laces! We did some awesome experiments and did our Book Readers badge. We finished off the term with global issues, bug hotels and of course lots more fun games!

With the good weather in September we spent an evening on the common, litter picking, and working on our Community Impact badge. We also were able to work on our Explore badge and go on a great hike through Harpenden. We finished off our Camp Craft badge by enjoying S'mores over a fire. We learnt some new games and also about everyone’s sporting achievements for our Sports badge. As 2024 came to an end, we attended the District Beaver Carol Concert and worked on our Faith badge.

It has been a great year – thank you to all the Beavers for getting involved and having fun!

Janna, Christian, Caroline and Keith

Beaver Scout Leaders 2024

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Cubs Section Report

January began with a trip to watch the Gang Show - as ever, a superb performance and it was absolutely brilliant to see so many 3rds singing and dancing their hearts out. Back at the hut, we pioneered, cooked (including pancakes over tin cans!), explored what it means to be a 'digital citizen' and practised our emergency aid skills. Cubs also had the opportunity to visit Bayfordbury Observatory and St John's Church. Towards the end of the Spring Term, half the pack took part in the District Cub camp at Tolmers, which was great fun!

As the evenings became lighter the Cubs were outside as much as possible - den building, fire-lighting and wide games have all featured on our programme along with the annual rafting trip to Stanborough. We've also been exploring Harpenden, getting out and about in the community as part of our Local Knowledge badge - including another session at St John's Church. A team of four Cubs brilliantly represented the 3rds at the District Cub Challenge in Rothamsted Park, showing superb teamwork. We ended the term with a summer sleepover at the hut and District cycle ride.

The annual autumn Camp at Lees Wood was another great success! Cubs pioneered, fished in the canal, got muddy and generally had a fabulous weekend enjoying the great outdoors. As ever, it was great to see the Cubs getting on and enjoying the opportunities that camping affords them. Later in the term we went to Cross Farm and learnt about how the Dickinson family farm their land (plus had a ride on the tractor!). We completed several badges, including Disability Awareness and International. When it had finally stopped raining, we went on a muddy night hike from Peter's Green back to Harpenden.

It has been another brilliant year. We have an excellent bunch of Cubs and they are always willing to get stuck in - and always get along with each other. As leaders, we really enjoy seeing Cubs from different schools and across different ages getting along, working together and having fun.

Rachel, Tristan, Richard, Matt and Nick

Cub Scout Leaders 2024

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Scouts Section Report

Scouts began 2024 braving sub-zero temperatures camping outdoors at the hut. They hiked round Harpenden to find post boxes without getting eaten by Pacman and had a fantastic session at the Redbourn golf club driving range. Our Scouts demonstrated some amazing creativity in a stop-motion animation session, and we had two brilliant entries for our photography competition. Our senior scouts devised a Nerf camp at the hut and helped their patrols plan a three-course menu for our annual cooking competition. To round off the spring term, a cracking team of four competed in the County triathlon at Lees Wood and brought home first prize!

Summer term at Scouts means getting outside at every opportunity, to enjoy the lighter and warmer evenings. Ours challenged themselves with a road name hike around the town and stress-tested leader David’s e-capture the flag wide game. Fire-lighting skills were honed outside at the hut and everyone had fun on and off their SUP boards at Stanborough Lakes. Our patrol leaders planned and ran our first Scout-led ‘incident’ hike, and we practised cannon-racing skills ready for the District competition at the Highland Gathering. Orienteering around Highfield park in St Albans for the first time was a success and the Scouts took part in leader Tim’s Cycling extravaganza on the common. At Longrove backwoods camp, Scouts slept in bivouacs and cooked on fires. Our summer camp to Spitewinter in the Peak District was a roaring success with some fantastic axes, saws and pioneering activities on-site, as well as some great off-site adventures for the scouts to enjoy - such as climbing, an aqua-park visit and even a day at Gulliver’s Kingdom!

In November, our oldest Scout team came second in the Hertfordshire Scouts annual Green Beret Challenge competition - out of over 100 competing teams from across the county and beyond! They all developed their team-building and problem-solving skills, worked on their knots and lashings, took part in mental and physical team challenges and even turned their hands to some entertaining pike staff drill training! To round off the year, the Scouts did some local Food Bank shopping and helped collect donations with Santa’s Sleigh for Round Table.

Jane, David, Martin, Tim, and Nacho

Scout Troop Leaders 2024

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Group Treasurer’s Report

Year ended 31 December 2024

Our principles

Sound management of the Group’s finances is critical in order to fund the wide range of activities that our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts enjoy, and also to maintain and further develop the facilities and resources that will support the successful operation of the Group into the future.

As a not-for-profit charitable organisation, the Group upholds the principle that activities should generally be offered to the children on a broadly cost-neutral basis, whilst camps are costed with a small surplus to offset unexpected sundries and any remainder is used to invest in equipment, repairs or other resources for longer-term use by the Group. Other income-generating vehicles, such as rental income and fundraising, are leveraged in addition to the efficient use of funds and consistent cash flow to protect the long-term interests of the Group.

Summary of the year ended 31 December 2024

I am pleased to report that the Group’s financial position continues to be robust, with an overall operating surplus of £3,815 for the year (after adjustments) and closing funds of £57,725 . This represents another year of growth in surplus funds, up 3% from the previous year.

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The accounts have been prepared on an accruals basis to ensure that income and expenditure are matched to the relevant year, giving a clear view of the true cost of events and enabling year-on-year comparisons. 2024 also saw the continued use of the Online Scout Manager (OSM) system, which is integrated with the payments system for managing subscriptions and event payments.

We also implemented pre-paid expense cards in 2024 for a couple of the leaders who incur significant expenses in relation to the running of Scout camps, which helps us manage those payments more efficiently. These account balances are reported alongside the bank account balances in the accounts.

Looking back on 2024:

INCOME

Subscriptions: Membership fees remained unchanged at £45 per child per term. Income totaled £9,674 , a slight decline of 4% from the prior year (2023: £10,072). This was offset by District ↓4% membership fee payments of £3,863 (2023: £3,985).

INCOME
Subscriptions: ↓4%	Membership fees remained unchanged at£45per child per term. Income totaled£9,674, a slight decline of4%from the prior year_(2023: £10,072). This was offset by District membership fee payments of £3,863(2023: £3,985)._
Rental Income: ↑64%	Hiring out the hut to external parties continues to be a reliable source of income for the Group. This includes long-standing regular hires, such as Shackleton Explorer Scout Unit and Harpenden Air Weapons gun club (and more recently Mucky Ducks and Playball), as well as ad-hoc hires for parties and private events. Overall, hiring out the hut generated £7,317in 2024, an increase of64%on the prior year (2023: £4,450). One-off hires increased by 41% year-on-year.
Events: ↑70%	During 2024, we ran three weekend camps for the Scouts (Nerf camp, Survival camp and Green Beret) as well as a week-long summer camp in the Peak District. The Cubs enjoyed a sleepover at the hut in addition to their autumn camp at Lees Wood. In addition to section-specific activities such as Gang Show, Monopoly Run and rafting, other notable events for the whole Group included a Family Day, Family Camp and fundraising Silent Disco. The cost of the 2024 Family Day was, as last year, funded by the Group with no contributions required from parents. We aim to run camps and events on a cost-neutral basis wherever possible. There was a material surplus from the Scouts summer camp this year (mainly due to the white water rafting trip not going ahead) and parents were therefore offered a refund. After paying those refunds that were claimed, there remained a surplus of £724 across all Scout events during the year, which will be re-invested in equipment or facilities for the Group. Residual funds after charges for Beavers and Cubs’ events amounted to £113 across the year. After running costs, the net income from all events in 2024 amounted to£837.
Gift Aid: Double usual amount; two years claimed	A total of£4,039was reported for 2024, which comprises two years of returns (£2,161 for 2023-24 and £1,878 for 2022-23), since the return for the prior year was not submitted on time due to an issue with the HMRC account (2023: nil). Gift aid provides a significant additional source of funds, typically around £2k per year.
Fundraising: ↑3%	Fundraising activities and donations raised£719(2023: £700), generated from litter picking support for the Classics on the Common event and other donations; a small increase year-on-year.

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Bank Interest: Bank interest for the year earned the Group £1,330 ( 2023: £947 ). The majority of the Group’s funds are kept in a high interest savings account to maximise returns, with a small ↑40 % amount retained in the cash account for day-to-day expenses.

EXPENDITURE:

Utilities: ↑15%	Overall the cost of utilities increased by 15% to £2,489 (2023: £2,168). Electricity and gas costs were similar to the year before but water costs doubled.
Cleaning: ↑5%	Cleaning costs rose slightly to £1,646 (2023: £1,567), which reflected the uplift to the contracted cleaner’s hourly rate, which took place in May 2024 to align to market rates.
Hut Maintenance: ↑616%	A significant increase in spending was incurred at £9,619 (2023: £1,344), driven primarily by the build of the outdoor classroom (£8,800). Other routine costs such as premises insurance and the servicing and operation of the air heater and fire alarm were similar to the year before.
Equipment: ↓90%	Expenditure in 2024 was low at £185 (2023: £3,430) comprising small items such as ropes, noticeboards, and storage, whereas in the previous year there were more material purchases such as picnic tables, a tent and technical equipment.
IT & Comms: ↓17%	IT and software costs fell to £197 (2023: £237), a saving driven by switching from Kashflow to OSM for accounting software services. Newsletter printing costs also fell to £36 (2023: £71).
Badges: _↑_104%	We spent£998on badges during 2024, double the year before(2023: £490).

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Outlook for 2025 and beyond

The Group will continue to monitor expenditure closely, particularly energy and maintenance costs. Following a review of market rates for similar facilities in Harpenden and the surrounding area, we implemented an increase to rental rates in mid-2025, which will help to offset higher utility costs.

Gift aid remains an important supplementary income stream, and parents are encouraged to ensure their details are up to date on OSM to allow us to recover gift aid on their annual subscription payments.

The Committee remains committed to improving the hut and its facilities, which benefit all members as well as improving the Group’s ability to generate rental income. Following the outdoor classroom project, our focus will shift to indoor improvements such as kitchen expansion, toilet upgrades and accessibility.

Leonie Monks

Group Treasurer (Report covering 2024 written September 2025)

We are very grateful for the review of our accounts by the Scrutineer, Nicki Newson-Love.

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3RD HARPENDEN SCOUTS GROUP

----- Start of picture text -----
||||| |---|---|---|---| |STATEMENT OF INCOME & EXPENDITURE|2024|2023|YOY %| |INCOME|37,844.52|25,307.88|50%| |Subscriptions|9,673.94|10,072.16|-4%| |Rent|7,317.49|4,449.85|64%| |-| |Events - Group|2,568.00| |Events - Beavers|0.00|162.50|-100%| |Events - Cubs|3,041.30|2,051.31|48%| |Events - Scouts|9,141.00|6,828.60|34%| |Bank Interest|1,330.38|947.22|40%| |Gift Aid|4,038.81|-|-| |Fundraising|625.00|680.00|-8%| |Donations|93.60|19.74|374%| |Scarves|15.00|96.50|-84%| |EXPENSES|34,029.92|21,868.57|56%| |District Subscriptions|3,862.50|3,984.81|-3%| |Utilities|2,488.75|2,167.57|15%| |Cleaning|1,645.60|1,566.50|5%| |Insurance|879.23|1,124.13|-22%| |Broadband|134.25|102.25|31%| |Maintenance & Repairs|9,618.87|1,343.86|616%| |Equipment|184.89|1,899.06|-90%| |Events - Group|2,551.01|362.51|604%| |Events - Beavers|0.00|5.20|-100%| |Events - Cubs|2,945.48|1,836.46|60%| |Events - Scouts|8,416.69|6,617.60|27%| |IT Software|196.52|237.23|-17%| |Training|12.00| |Newsletter & Comms|36.00|71.28|-49%| |Bank Charges|60.00|60.00|0%| |Badges & Scarves|998.13|490.11|104%| |Adjusted net income|3,814.60|3,439.31|11%| |Adjustments (accruals and prepayments)|-1,944.48|1,224.67|-259%| |Unadjusted net income|1,870.12|2,214.64|-16%| |Account Balances at 31 December|57,725.04|55,854.92|3%| |Current Account (CAF Cash)|4,382.78|4,344.79|1%| |Savings Account (CAF GOLD)|52,830.73|51,510.13|3%| |Expense Accounts (pre-paid OSM cards)|511.53|-| |Summary| |Account balance brought forward 1 January|55,854.92|53,640.28|4%| |Total unadjusted income|36,155.89|26,947.42| |Total unadjusted expenditure|34,285.77|24,732.78| |Unadjusted net income|1,870.12|2,214.64| |Account balance carried forward 31 December|57,725.04|55,854.92|3%|

----- End of picture text -----

PREPARED BY:

Leonie Monks, Treasurer

SCRUTINISED BY:

Nicki Newson-Love

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Group Leadership Team Reports

The Scout Association has changed how volunteering works, to make it better and more flexible for everyone. This means changes to our Group structure - meaning that the following activities now sit on the operational side of the Group - in what will be called the Group Leadership Team. Following is a summary of activities over 2024.

Hut rental

The hiring out of the hut continues to prove an important source of income. From Ad-hoc hires for birthday parties and private events, to regular hires which include Shackleton Explorer Scouts and Harpenden Air Weapons Club. This year there were new regular weekly hires, meaning that income from this source will be reliable for a long time to come.

Grounds and hut maintenance

The annual hut maintenance days were a great success with many people coming to help out with various tasks. Everyone who came enjoyed a hearty BBQ lunch - to help keep their energy levels up!

The regular maintenance tasks have also been ongoing, such as mowing the lawn, the annual fire detection system inspection, the annual boiler maintenance and certification among other things.

Subscriptions collection

Organising and collecting the subs via our OSM platform is another job that needs to be done on a termly basis. This is also linked with the claiming back of gift aid from the government which is a regular and easy source of income for us – so please make sure you sign up to gift aid in your OSM account.

Fundraising

We helped out at the popular Classics on the Common event - doing some litter picking to keep everything tidy. For this we received a generous donation to the 3rds.

PR & communication

We continue to produce a termly newsletter which celebrates all the fun and exciting things that our young people have been up for in the past few months. The 3rds Facebook group is also very active and a good place to view the latest pictures from recent events and section nights. Our WhatsApp community has also been created to allow better communication with parents, alongside groups for specific events.

Waiting list administration

We have a healthy waiting list that needs to be regularly administered - to offer places to new parents and welcome them into the Group. Also we need to look forward to check incoming numbers to ensure we have plenty of new Beavers starting each term. We also have to liaise with District who can offer any places that come up in Cubs and Scouts to young people on their waiting list.

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DBS and training

We have to complete regular DBS checks for all adult volunteers. The new Scouts digital system records all the training requirements for volunteers and ensures that all training is up to date, by issuing reminders for any training that needs to be refreshed.

Trustee Board meeting minutes

All Trustee Board meeting must be accurately minuted, and the actions and responsibilities recorded for review at the next meeting.

Thanks must be given to our fantastic team of volunteers who have been working across these varied areas over 2024. Thank you to Martin Allen, Leonie Monks, Carl Hibbert, Karen Blackwell, Amanda Ellison, Jo Rickard and Dave Burns.

Some of the above activities no longer have anyone regularly working on them. If you are able to spare a little time to volunteer for 3rds we would very much appreciate your help in any of these areas.

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Trustees’ Annual Report 2024 – Required information

For the year from 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2024

Section A - Reference & administration details

Charity name	3rdHarpenden Scout Group
Registered charity number	1022373
Charity’s principal address	35 Southdown Road, Harpenden, Herts AL5 1PG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity	Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity	Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
Trustee Name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
Appointed Trustees:
Martin Allen	Group Lead Volunteer
Joe Abberley	Group Chair
Leonie Monks	Group Treasurer
Dave Burns	Group Secretary
Carl Hibbert	Hut Rental
Amanda Ellison	PR & Communications
Karen Blackwell	Co-Treasurer
Ex officio Trustees:
Russell Brooks	District Commissioner
Jonathan Finch	District Chair

Names of advisors

Names of advisors	Names of advisors	Names of advisors
Type of advisor	Name	Address
Banker	CAF Bank	25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ
Scrutineer	Nicki Newson-Love

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Section B - Structure, governance & management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document	The Group's governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the By Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.
How the charity is constituted	The Group is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts.
Trustee selection method	The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

Additional governance issues

Trustee Board composition

The Group is managed by the Group Trustee Board (previously known as the Executive Committee), the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout Group 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 Trustee Board meets approximately every 3 months. Members of the Trustee Board complete_Being a Scouts Trustee_learning within the first 6 months of joining the Board. This Group Trustee Board exists to make sure the charity is well-managed both practically and financially, risks are assessed and mitigated, buildings and equipment are in good working order and correctly insured, leaders trustees advisors and other adults are recruited when required and everyone follows legal requirements and the organisation's policies and rules. Their support helps other volunteers run high-quality and safe programmes that gives young people skills for life.

Risk management

The Group Trustee Board has identified the major risks to which they believe the Group 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 the building, property and equipment. The Group would request the use of buildings, property and equipment from neighbouring organisations such as other Scout Groups. Similar reciprocal arrangements exist with these organisations. The Group has sufficient buildings and contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss. Injury to leaders, helpers, supporters and members. The Group through the capitation fees contributes to the Scout Associations national accident insurance policy. Risk Assessments are undertaken before all activities. Reduced income from fund raising. The Group is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions and fundraising. The group does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Board could raise the value of subscriptions to increase the income to the group on an ongoing basis, either temporarily or permanently. Reduction or loss of leaders. The group is totally reliant upon volunteers to run and administer the activities of the group. If there was a reduction in the number of leaders to an unacceptable level in aparticular section or thegroupas a whole then there

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would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the Group. Reduction or loss of members. The Group provides activities for all young people aged 6 to 14. 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. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the Group.

Internal control

The group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include 2 approvals for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.

Section C - Objectives & 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 group aims to ensure that our young people participate in a balanced programme of quality activities, events and experiences.
Public benefit statement	The Group meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings.

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Section D - Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

All sections of the Group have run a very varied and interesting range of activities for our young people. Details of some of these activities can be found in the Section Reports on the earlier pages of this report. Our young people have participated in various external events, camps and competitions outside of our immediate local area. Gaining a huge amount in the process. The Group maintained a good complement of leaders to deliver our programme of activities to our young people. Our income has been well managed, and we have a healthy reserve going forward.

Section E - Financial Review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

The Group's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the group should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Group Trustee Board considers that the group should hold a minimum sum of about £5,000.

Investment policy and objectives

The Group Trustee Board regularly monitors the levels of our bank balances and the interest rates received to ensure the group obtains maximum value and income from its banking arrangements. The Group does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer term investments. The Group has therefore adopted a risk-averse strategy to the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies.

Section F - Other optional information

Plans for future periods	The Group is aiming to keep healthy member numbers in all sections over the next 12 months. We have a waiting list for Beavers to ensure lots of new young members will continue to join the Group. We will also want to add to our equipment - so as to be able to enhance the activities that we can provide for our young people.

Section G - Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Full Name	Joe Abberley	Martin Allen
Position	Group Chair	Group Lead Volunteer
Date	17-09-2025	17-09-2025

	2024	2023
Unadjusted income	36,156	26,947
Unadjusted expenses	34,286	24,733
Donatons	13,806	10,092
Charitable actvites	7,317	6,203
Other trading actvites	625	680
Investments	1,330	947
Other	11,208	6,811

3RD HARPENDEN SCOUTS GROUP

STATEMENT OF INCOME & EXPENDITURE	2024	2023	YOY %
INCOME	37,844.52	25,307.88	50%
Subscriptions	9,673.94	10,072.16	-4%
Rent	7,317.49	4,449.85	64%
Events - Group	2,568.00	-
Events - Beavers	0.00	162.50	-100%
Events - Cubs	3,041.30	2,051.31	48%
Events - Scouts	9,141.00	6,828.60	34%
Bank Interest	1,330.38	947.22	40%
Gift Aid	4,038.81	-	-
Fundraising	625.00	680.00	-8%
Donations	93.60	19.74	374%
Scarves	15.00	96.50	-84%
EXPENSES	34,029.92	21,868.57	56%
District Subscriptions	3,862.50	3,984.81	-3%
Utilities	2,488.75	2,167.57	15%
Cleaning	1,645.60	1,566.50	5%
Insurance	879.23	1,124.13	-22%
Broadband	134.25	102.25	31%
Maintenance & Repairs	9,618.87	1,343.86	616%
Equipment	184.89	1,899.06	-90%
Events - Group	2,551.01	362.51	604%
Events - Beavers	0.00	5.20	-100%
Events - Cubs	2,945.48	1,836.46	60%
Events - Scouts	8,416.69	6,617.60	27%
IT Software	196.52	237.23	-17%
Training	12.00
Newsletter & Comms	36.00	71.28	-49%
Bank Charges	60.00	60.00	0%
Badges & Scarves	998.13	490.11	104%
Adjusted net income	3,814.60	3,439.31	11%
Adjustments (accruals and prepayments)	-1,944.48	1,224.67	-259%
Unadjusted net income	1,870.12	2,214.64	-16%
Account Balances at 31 December	57,725.04	55,854.92	3%
Current Account (CAF Cash)	4,382.78	4,344.79	1%
Savings Account (CAF GOLD)	52,830.73	51,510.13	3%
Expense Accounts (pre-paid OSM cards)	511.53	-
Summary
Account balance brought forward 1 January	55,854.92	53,640.28	4%
Total unadjusted income	36,155.89	26,947.42
Total unadjusted expenditure	34,285.77	24,732.78
Unadjusted net income	1,870.12	2,214.64
Account balance carried forward 31 December	57,725.04	55,854.92	3%

PREPARED BY:

Leonie Monks, Treasurer

SCRUTINISED BY:

Nicki Newson-Love

Manually INCLUDE in 2024

Paid in 2023 or 2025, relate to 2024

Category Descripton	Date paid	Accrual date	Amount
Gif aid Return for 2023-2024	1/23/2025	2024	£2,160.69
Events - Cubs Deposit for 2024 Cubs Lees Wood Camp	9/22/2023	2024	-£150.00
Events - Scouts Deposit for May 2024 Scounts Longrove	Cam5/4/2023	May-24	-£144.00
Broadband Expense claim for broadband bills	5/8/2025	2024	-£134.25
Net income adjustment			£2,004.69
Net expense adjustment			-£60.21
Net adjustments			£1,944.48

Manually EXCLUDE from 2024

Paid in 2024, relate to 2023 or 2025

Category	Descripton	Date paid	Accrual date
Events - Scouts	Summer Camp fuel	1/5/2024	2023
Broadband	Broadband Oct, Nov & Dec 2023	9/8/2024	2023
Events - Cubs	2025 Gang Show Cubs (payments collected via GC)	Dec-2024	2025
Events - Cubs	2025 Gang Show Cubs (GC charges)	Dec-2024	2025
Events - Scouts	_2025 Gang Show Scouts (payments collected via GC) _	Dec-2024	2025
Events - Scouts	2025 Gang Show Scouts (payment to Gang Show)	11/12/2024	2025

Amount

-£96.00 -£25.44

£130.00 -£5.50 £26.00

-£241.10

To: the Treasurer and members of the Executive Committee

of the 3[rd] Harpenden Scouts Group

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

I confirm that I have examined the income, expenses and all supporting documentation relating to the financial year ended 31 December 2024.

In my opinion, these accounts represent a true and fair view of the financial position of the 3[rd] Harpenden Scout Group as at 31 December 2024.

Signed: ……………………………………………………………….

Nicola Newson-Love

42 Highfield Avenue

Harpenden

Herts

AL5 5UA