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2023-12-31-accounts

ICKNIELD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

Charity Registration No: 1049542

Icknield District Scout Council

Contents

Administrative Details 3
District Membership 4
Charity Information 5
Roll of Honour 6-10
AGM – Meeting Agenda 11
Minutes of last AGM 12-15
Trustees Report 16-22
Accounts 23-26
Independent Examiner’s Report 27
District Reports
District Chair 28
District Commissioner 28-31
Beavers 31-32
Cubs 32
Scouts 32
Explorers & YL’s 33
Appointments 34
Training 35-36
Media 37
50:50 Club Application 38-39

Page 2 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Administrative Details

Charity Registration No: 1049542

PRINCIPAL ADDRESS: 29 Tamarisk Way Weston Turville Bucks HP22 5ZB INDEPENDENT EXAMINER: Michael Abbott 9 Park Meadow Close Barton-le-Clay MK45 4SB PRINCIPAL BANKER: National Westminster Bank 31 George Street Luton LU1 2YN SCOUT ASSOCIATION The Scout Association MEMBERSHIP Gilwell Park Icknield District Scout Chingford Council is registered with London The Scout Association E4 7QW (No 10001379)

Page 3 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Charity Membership

DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP At 31 January 2024

Icknield District including Barton, Flitwick and Harlington Scout Groups

**Section ** 2024
SquirrelScouts 52
BeaverScouts 201
Cub Scouts 253
Scouts 242
ExplorerScouts 86
Totalyouth 834
Adult personnel 269
Totals 1103

Year to year comparison excluding Barton, Flitwick and Harlington Scout Groups

Section 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Variance
2023 to 2024
SquirrelScouts 13 +13
BeaverScouts 113 57 102 103 101 -2
Cub Scouts 127 90 119 144 150 +6
Scouts 164 123 147 151 149 -2
ExplorerScouts 35 22 29 38 55 +17
Totalyouth 439 292 397 436 468 +32
Adult personnel 185 175 161 192 197 +5
Totals 624 467 558 628 665 +37
Group Squirrels Beavers Cubs Scouts Youth Variance
2023/2024		 Adults
Barton 24 21 32 77 14
Blenheim 5 13 14 32 +3 14
First Luton 17 22 38 77 -2 46
Flitwick 39 61 66 47 213 41
Harlington 15 16 14 45 13
Manor 13 10 0 23 +5 13
St. Augustine 11 20 15 46 +9 12
St. Josephs 10 19 22 9 60 +14 14
Sell’s Seventh 3 13 17 9 42 +4 17
Sundon 0 0 0 0 0 0
Warden Hill 10 16 30 56 -17 22
Wardown Ninth 13 30 34 77 -1 43
Explorers 86 12
SASU 1
District 7
Totals 52 201 253 242 834 +350 269

Page 4 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Charity Information

Charity Registration No: 1049542

Names of the Charity Trustees who manage the Charity:

Trustee Name Scouting Appointment Dates acted if not
for whole year		 Name of person or body
entitled to appoint Trustee
Janet Gilkison District Secretary Until 14/6/23 Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Alan Hammond Until 14/6/23 Co-opted by Executive
Committee
Rex Horton District Chair District Commissioner
Sue Horton District Treasurer Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Nicholas Jarman Appointments Chair District Commissioner
Ellen Lill Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Jamie Lill Until 14/6/23 District Commissioner
Elizabeth Maguire District Commissioner
Keelan Pannell District Commissioner
Sandy Reeve-Smith Until 14/6/23 Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Carol Smart From 14/6/23 Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Ben Summerfield District Commissioner Bedfordshire County Scout
Council
Alan Wood Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
Barbara Wood District Secretary From 14/6/23 Elected by District Scout
Council at its AGM
John Worthington Co-opted by Executive
Committee

Page 5 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Roll of Honour For the year ended 31 December 2023

Beavers – Chief Scout Bronze Award

Blenheim

St Joseph’s

First Luton

Warden Hill

Harlington

Sells Seventh

Wardown Ninth

St Augustine

Page 6 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Roll of Honour For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Cubs – Chief Scout Silver Award

Blenheim

Warden Hill

Harlington

Wardown Ninth

St Augustines

St Josephs

Scouts – Chief Scout Gold Award

Blenheim

Warden Hill

Wardown Ninth

Sells Seventh

St Augustine

St Josephs

Page 7 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Roll of Honour For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Explorers – Chief Scout Diamond Award

Dauntless

Page 8 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Roll of Honour For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Awards achieved during 2023

Award for Merit: Mark Billington Barton Phil Rutt Flitwick

For outstanding service Group Scout Leader (Acting) Group Supporter

Chief Scouts Commendation:

For good service

Sarah Allen Sells Seventh Section Leader, Beavers Jason Baulk Barton Section Leader, Scouts – Section Leader, Explorers Samantha Fabbro Flitwick Section Leader, Orchard Beavers Karen Fletcher Flitwick Section Leader, Falcons Cubs Ellen Lill District Explorer Scout Administrator Jamie Lill Riparian Section Leader, Explorers Darren Reeve Flitwick Group Scout Leader Carol Smart Manor Group Scout Leader

Page 9 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Roll of Honour For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Service achieved during 2023

Chief Scout’s 70 years Service Certificate: Raymond Aldous

District Vice President

Chief Scout’s 40 years Service Certificate: Barry Hodgkinson Flitwick

Section Leader, Foxes Cubs

Chief Scout’s 25 years Service Certificate: Barry Coleman First Luton Group Supporter Chief Scout’s 20 years Service Certificate: Gillian Merrick First Luton Section Assistant, Beavers Ben Peet Flitwick Section Assistant, Ruxox Scouts Chief Scout’s 15 years Service Certificate: Daniel Green First Luton Section Assistant, Scouts Kevin McAree Sells Seventh Assistant Section Leader, Scouts Phil Rutt Flitwick Group Supporter Chief Scout’s 10 years Service Certificate: Angela Pemberton St Josephs Group Secretary David Pike First Luton Section Assistant, Beavers Nicholas Willis Flitwick Assistant Section Leader, Falcons Cubs Christine Wood Sells Seventh Section Leader, Scouts Chief Scout’s 5 years Service Certificate: Andrea Baulk Barton Assistant Section Leader, Scouts Michael Campbell Barton Group Chair Olivia Clarke Warden Hill Section Assistant, Cubs Andrew Cole St Josephs Group Chair Theodorus Demmers Dauntless Section Leader, Explorers Matthew Edmondson St Augustines Section Assistant, Cubs Zayeed Khan Wardown Ninth Section Assistant, Scouts Rhys Lewis First Luton Assistant Section Leader, Cubs Louisa Payne Barton Group Secretary

Group Secretary Section Assistant, Beavers Assistant Section Leader, Falcons Cubs Section Leader, Scouts

Page 10 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Annual General Meeting – Meeting Agenda

Agenda for 58th Annual General Meeting of Icknield District Scout Council

8.00pm, Monday 10th June 2024

Sells Seventh Scout HQ

  1. Opening Prayer

  2. Welcome by District Chair

  3. Apologies

4. Governance Oversight

6. Making Appointments

Following recommendations from the selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board

Page 11 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Minutes of last Annual General Meeting

MINUTES OF 57TH ICKNIELD SCOUT DISTRICT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 14TH JUNE 2023 AT SELL’S SEVENTH SCOUT HQ COMMENCING AT 8.00 PM

Present: Ben Summerfield (DC), Rex Horton (District Chair), Sue Horton (District Treasurer), Janet Gilkison (District Secretary), Andy Godden (Deputy County Commissioner), David Gilkison, Jamie and Ellen Lill, Libby Bassam, Janet Owen, Rita Jarman MBE, Ray Aldous MBE, Teresa Loughbrough, Elaine May, Keelan Pannell, Alan and Barbara Wood, Nick Jarman, Liz Maguire, John Worthington, Caroline Sutherst, Tony Thurlow, Tony Pye, Emma Jackman, Carol Smart, Sarah and Matt Allen, Brian Bates, Becks Whitlock.

2) Welcome by the Chair

Rex Horton (District Chair) welcomed everybody to the meeting. He thanked Andy Godden (Deputy County Commissioner) for attending as the representative for Martin Wesley (CC).

3) Apologies for absence

The following people had sent apologies for not being able to attend the AGM:

Martin Wesley, Paddy Higgens, John Woodham, Brian and Jan Stewart, Sarah Owen MP, Rachel Hopkins MP, Brendan and John Owen, Alan Hammond, James Hinkins.

4) Approval of the Minutes of the 2021 AGM held on 15[th] June 2022

No comments were made by those attending the meeting. Acceptance was seconded by John Worthington and the minutes were unanimously approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

5) Governance Topics

Rex Horton told those present that changes had to be made to the way the District conducts District meetings and AGMs. The Charities Commission had recommended a number of changes to procedures which affected all charities and the Scout Association had implemented these recommendations into POR so the new rules have to be followed.

a) Firstly there was a need to adopt the model Constitution as detailed in POR .

The District Chair recommended the adoption of the constitution as laid down in Section 5.4 of POR. Bedfordshire County Scout Council had already adopted this constitution. Those attending the AGM unanimously agreed the adoption of the constitution by voting members with a show of voting cards.

b) Agree the number of members that may be elected to the Trustees Board.

It was recommended that the maximum number of people who could be elected to the Trustee Board was four. This would allow a maximum number of DC’s nominations to be four also and the number of potentially co-opted members to also be four.

This was seconded by David Gilkison and agreed by voting members with a show of voting cards.

Page 12 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Minutes of last Annual General Meeting (continued)

c) Agree Quorum for each committee.

Rex Horton said that the District had never agreed a quorum before. Three types of committee needed to have a quorum in place.

District Scout Council (including the AGM), Trustee Boards and District sub-Committees. In the District there were 8 Sections (Groups) and 1 Unit. The District Secretary, Treasurer, Chair and DC were voted in and would form part of the quorum figure.

District Scout Council and AGM: Rex Horton suggested that 9 people plus either the District Chair or DC should be the quorum.

Seconded by John Worthington and approved by voting members with a show of voting cards

District Trustee Board: It was proposed that the quorum should be 50% of committee members plus either District Chair or DC.

Seconded by Teresa Loughbrough and approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

Sub Committees: It was proposed that the quorum should be 25% of committee members plus either the Committee Chair or DC.

Seconded by Alan Wood and approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

6) Annual Reports

a) Financial Report

Sue Horton (District Treasurer) said she had nothing to add to the Accounts and there were no questions from the floor. The Accounts had been prepared by Sue and independently examined by David Sutherst, and approved by the District Executive Committee.

As the 2022 Annual Accounts had been accepted and approved at the District Executive Committee Meeting held on the 8[th] March 2023 there was no need to take a vote.

b) D.C. and Sectional Reports

Ben Summerfield (DC) thanked Libby Bassam for all she had done during her time as DC, and he had taken over as DC from September 2022. He mentioned that membership was returning back to pre-covid levels and was growing. Adult membership numbers are as before covid. Number of adults doing multi-roles had increased. Events had started to return during the year – Sports Day and Beaver Christingle had been successful. Explorer ‘Open Day’ with fun on the water, and “Jamboree-on-the-Air/Internet” had returned.

Page 13 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Minutes of last Annual General Meeting (continued)

7) Making Appointments

a) Re-appointment of Vice Presidents:

Rita Jarman MBE, Heather Lake, Roger Lake and Ray Aldous MBE wished to remain as Vice Presidents.

Approved by voting members with a show of voting cards for another 12 months.

It was not possible to renew Gill Wareham’s roll as a District Vice President because she had moved and had not provided new contact details.

Brian Stewart had said that as he had moved out of the area he would prefer not to be reappointed.

b) Appointment of new Vice President:

Alan Hammond was approved as a new Vice President by voting members with a show of voting cards.

c) Approval of DC’s nomination of District Chair:

Ben Summerfield said that Rex Horton was willing to be District Chair for another 12 months. Thanks were due to him for all his hard work over the last 12 months. Approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

d) Election of District Secretary:

Rex Horton announced that Janet Gilkison wanted a break from being District Secretary and Barbara Wood had volunteered to take on the role. Thanks were expressed to Janet for her work over the last 15 years.

Election of Barbara Wood as Icknield District Secretary. Proposer: Alan Wood. Seconder: Keelan Pannell. Approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

e) Election of District Treasurer:

The District Chair thanked Sue Horton for all her hard work during the last year, and she was willing to act as Treasurer for another year.

Election of Sue Horton to be District Treasurer. Proposer: Teresa Loughbrough. Seconder: Alan Wood. Approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

f) Election of members to the Trustee Board:

Rex thanked all those who had been members of the old Icknield District Executive Committee who were not standing in this election, namely: Sandy Reeve-Smith, Alan Hammond and Jamie Lill.

The new elected members of the Trustee Board for 2023 are: Alan Wood, Keelan Pannell and Carol Smart. As they had been formally proposed and seconded in writing prior to the AGM, approval by voting members with a show of voting cards, was not needed.

g) DC Nominations:

Ben Summerfield nominated the following onto the Trustee Board: Nick Jarman, Elizabeth Maguire and Ellen Lill. Seconded by Alan Wood and approved by voting members with a show of voting cards.

Page 14 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Minutes of last Annual General Meeting (continued)

h) Appointment of the Independent Examiner for 2023:

Rex Horton said that David Sutherst had been the Independent Examiner for the District for many years, but unfortunately under the new format he was not able to carry on because he was no longer regarded as independent. He is a member of St Augustine’s Group within the District and is also that Group’s Treasurer.

Sue Horton proposed Michael Abbott to the post of Independent Examiner, for 2023 which was seconded by John Worthington.

i) Representatives from the District for the County Scout Council:

Uniformed Scouter: David Gilkison ) Willing to Non Uniformed adult: Janet Gilkison ) stand Member aged 18-25: ) Left vacant to be Explorer Scout: ) appointed later.

8) County Representative

Andy Godden (Deputy County Commissioner) thanked the District for inviting him to attend the AGM. He was pleased to hear that the District was growing beyond Covid, especially adults. “We cannot have young people without adults. Well done Icknield.”. He thanked everybody for all they had done, and he hoped the next year will be better than the previous year.

9) Presentations

Ben Summerfield made two presentations: to Tony Thurlow a 25 year certificate and to Ray Aldous a certificate for 70 years’ service to the Scout Movement.

The DC said that during the year there had been 19 Bronze Awards presented, 27 Silver Awards and 17 Gold Awards.

Rex Horton thanked Janet Gilkison for being District Secretary for 15 years and presented her with a card, gift vouchers and an orchid, for which she was sincerely thankful.

10) Any Other Business:

Thank you to Sell’s Seventh Scout Group for the use of their Headquarters.

11) 50/50 Club Bonus Draw:

The winners of the Annual General Meeting 50/50 Club draw were:

First: No 21, Michael Loughran, receiving £55. Second: No. 37, Andy Reeve-Smith, receiving £40. Third: No. 29, Michael Hammond, receiving £25.

Meeting closed at 8.50 pm.

Page 15 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023

The members of the District Executive Committee (The Trustees of Icknield District Scout Council) present their report, Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governance

The Charity’s governing document is the Royal Charter granted by King George V to the “Boy Scouts Association” on 16 December 1911. Its name has since been changed to “The Scout Association”. This Charter has been supplemented by further Charters granted by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. These Charters give authority to the Bye Laws of the Association, which are approved by His Majesty’s Privy Council. The Bye Laws, in turn, authorise the making of rules for the regulation of the Association’s affairs and thereby give authority for the Rules known as “Policy, Organisation and Rules” which are located at www.scouts.org.uk/por

Icknield District Scout Council was registered in 1967 as an Educational Charity

The Charity is aware of the Charity Governance Code and its seven principles and will continue to critically review its approach to governance and assess how effective it is against these principles in 2024.

Structure

This report and accounts cover the activities directly controlled by Icknield District Scout Council which is an autonomous organisation admitting people to membership subject to the policy and rules of The Scout Association. The activities of the Scout Groups in Icknield District are not reflected in the report and accounts. These bodies are autonomous charities affiliated to Icknield District Scout Council which together form Scouting in Icknield District

Icknield District Scouts are led by the District Commissioner and managed by the District Trustee Board. The Trustee Board is accountable to Icknield District Scout Council for the satisfactory running of Scouting in Icknield District.

Management

The management of the business of the District Scout Council is vested in the District Trustee Board. The District Trustee Board (Trustees of the Charity) is appointed in accordance with Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

The District Trustee Board met nine times during the year to manage the affairs of the Charity. The Trustees will continue to meet regularly in 2024.

The District Trustee Board has responsibility for:

Page 16 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

The District Trustee Board is responsible for policy making but delegates some operational decisions to its sub committees which may also recommend policies for the consideration of the District Trustee Board. The District Trustee Board appoints Chairs and members of sub committees annually.

There are two sub committees for the Charity:

Organisation

The District is led by the District Commissioner who is assisted and supported by:

Appointment of Trustees

Trustees are appointed in accordance with the “Policy, Organisation and Rules” of The Scout Association. All Trustees are required to complete Mandatory Training.

Risk Management

The District Trustee Board 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:

Page 17 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Objectives and Activities

Our Purpose

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

Our Values

As Scouts we are guided by these values:

Our Method

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

The Charity Trustees have a duty to report on their public benefit in their Annual Report. We have assessed our aims, activities and charitable objectives which are:

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

We believe we have met the Charity Commission’s public benefit criteria for both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development.

Page 18 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report

For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Achievements and performance

All of the decisions made by the Trustees have been in the interests of young people and adult volunteers and we hope that everybody in Scouting in Icknield District will have benefitted from them.

The Trustees recognise the huge contribution made by each and every adult volunteer without which the Charity could not exist.

The District runs a 50:50 Club, a bi-monthly lottery which raises funds for the Explorer section. In 2023 it raised £720 and retained all the existing membership.

District organised activities for the young people include:

District organised activities for adult volunteers include:

District Growth

Plans for future periods

The Scout Association “Skills for Life”

This is the five year plan for The Scout Association.

Our vision

By 2025 we will have prepared more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing leaders delivering an inspiring programme.

We will be growing, more inclusive, shaped by young people and making a bigger impact in our communities.

Page 19 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Our objectives

In 2016 we asked volunteers what should be prioritised in the next strategic plan and the majority of volunteers said we should keep working towards the same four strategic objectives

What does this mean for Icknield District Scout Council?

Growth – we have incorporated the information received from Groups to create the District Development Plan to achieve our growth goals and support Groups.

Inclusivity – We will support development work to ensure that Scouting is reaching all sectors of our community.

Youth Shaped – Ensure that young people are at the heart of our strategies and represented on key committees.

Community Impact – The District is providing resources to enable projects which might not have gone ahead or have been more poorly resourced to have greater community impact.

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

During the year the Trustees have conducted a fundamental review of the Charity’s reserves policy. The policy has been established to protect the Charity and its charitable programme by providing time to adjust to changing financial circumstances. It also provides parameters for future budgeting and strategic plans and contributes towards financial decision making.

The Charity’s reserves policy establishes an appropriate target range for the level of general reserves. The range is based on a risk assessment of the probability and likely impact on the Charity’s activities that might be caused by a decline in income, an inability to meet financial obligations, or an inability to reduce expenditure in the immediate short term. The policy ensures a balance between spending the maximum amount of income raised as soon as possible after receipt, while maintaining the appropriate level of reserves to ensure uninterrupted operation. The policy and target level will be reviewed annually to reassess the risks and reflect changes in the Charity’s income, financial obligations and expenditure.

The District Trustee Board considers that the District should hold a sum equivalent to a normal years running costs with an additional £10,000 to ensure there are sufficient funds to maintain uninterrupted operation during a time of adjustment. The actual figure for 2023 was just over £25,000

The District held reserves of approx. £37,400 at the year end which is above the level required for operating expenses.

Three years after the Coronavirus restrictions the District spend was less than the estimated budget. For a third year it was agreed by the Trustee Board to return a sum of £7,500 equally divided between Riparian and to each Group that paid the District levy. As the District is the lender of the last resort it was proposed to set aside any other unused income to enable the District to offer help to any Group or Section that may request financial support.

Page 20 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Investment Policy

The District’s Income and Expenditure is very small and as a consequence the District did not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and shares. The District has therefore adopted a low risk strategy for the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using mainstream banks or The Scout Association’s Charity Deposit Account, which closed in July 2023. Therefore during 2024 some funds will be invested in a stocks and shares Cautious Fund with Charity Aid Foundation.

The District Trustee Board regularly monitors the levels of bank balances and the interest rates received to ensure the District 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 Trustee Board considers the cash flow requirements.

The District Trustee Board reviews this policy annually.

Specific Financial Activities

(a) Designated fund (3)

The Trustee Board approved a donation of £2,500 to Sells Seventh Scout Group to assist with the refurbishment of the toilets at their headquarters from Designated Fund (3) which supports new Groups and Building Projects within the District. During the year St Augustine Scout Group paid their second repayment of £2,669 towards the legal cost for gaining their 125yr lease with Luton Borough Council. Following any legal fees reimbursement the balance of the fund at 31st December 2023 was £29,417.93

(b) Restricted funds (1) and (2)

The District still remains the lead partner of the fund set up by Luton London Airport Ltd (LLAL) for voluntary uniformed youth organisations within the Luton Borough boundary which is a Restricted Fund. From 1st April 2022 funding and management of this fund was taken over by Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF).

Funding from LLAL was a donation and all monies remaining in the fund can only be used to offset requests for reimbursement of meeting venue costs. Funding from BLCF is a grant and is used for the same purpose. Any monies from BLCF which are not spent during the financial year must be returned to them, income from BLCF during 2023 was £23,200

The fund is currently reimbursing 90% of the rental costs with the reimbursement being reduced to 80% for all payments made to groups from April 2024. This will enable groups to benefit for a longer period.

Total funding for 2023 was £44,790.30. The balances of the accounts on 31st December 2023 were BLCF £8,275.89 and LLAL £123,263.96

Page 21 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The 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 state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity reporting and accounting: the essentials November 2016 and the requirements of POR sections 5.5 and 5.7. This includes safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material mismanagement or loss. They include:

Approved by the Trustees on 8 May 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Barbara Wood District Secretary District Trustee Board

Rex Horton District Chair

District Trustee Board

Page 22 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

Year start date Year end date
For the year
from		 01/01/2023 To 31/12/2023
Receipts and payments
2023 2022
Unrestricted
funds		 Designated
funds(1)		 Designated
funds(2)		 Designated
funds(3)		 Restricted
funds(1)		 Restricted
funds(2)		 Total funds Total funds
£ £ £ £ £
Receipts
Donations, legacies and similar
income
Membership subscriptions 28,331.50 251.40 5,880.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 34,462.90 30,612.11
Donations 350.00 0.00 500.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 850.10 500.45
Legacies 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Gift Aid 85.60 0.00 819.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 905.25 0.00
Other similar income 1,284.42 0.00 500.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,784.42 0.00
Sub total 30,051.52 251.40 7,699.75 0.00 0.00 0.00 38,002.67 31,112.56
Activities
Beavers 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.00 0.00
Cubs 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Scouts 48.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 48.00 0.00
Camps 0.00 0.00 7,720.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,720.00 418.00
Duke of Edinburgh 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Explorer 1,033.00 1,033.00 694.20
Training 0.00 0.00 90.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00 1,200.00
Sub total 108.00 0.00 8,843.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,951.00 2,312.20
Grants
Maintenenace grant 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BLCF fund 23,200.00 23,200.00 17,400.00
LLAL fund 0.00 0.00 0.00
Legal fees returned 2,669.00 2,669.00 2,669.00
Other grants 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sub total 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,669.00 0.00 23,200.00 25,869.00 20,069.00
Fundraising events (gross)
Badge Shop receipts 1,765.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,765.66 873.82
Easy Fundraising 35.05 0.00 110.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 145.87 175.12
Lottery 50/50 1,302.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,302.00 1,359.55
Uniform 0.00 0.00 220.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 220.00 116.00
Hoodies 932.00 932.00 1,147.10
Water Days 5,060.60 5,060.60 2,877.85
Other fundraising activities 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 32.30
Sub total 3,102.71 0.00 6,323.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 9,426.13 6,581.74
Scout hut income
Hire of building 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Hire of equipment 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other Scout hut income 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sub total 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Investment income
Bank interest 4.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.65 0.00
Building Society interest 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
The Scout Association Short Term
Investment Service		 383.09 0.00 0.00 319.35 0.00 0.00 702.44 69.17
Other investment income 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sub total 387.74 0.00 0.00 319.35 0.00 0.00 707.09 69.17
Total Gross Income 33,649.97 251.40 22,866.17 2,988.35 0.00 23,200.00 82,955.89 60,144.67
Asset and investment sales, etc. 0.00 0.00 100.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00 0.00
Total receipts 33,649.97 251.40 22,966.17 2,988.35 0.00 23,200.00 83,055.89 60,144.67

Page 23 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

Year start date Year end date
For the year
from		 01/01/2023 To 31/12/2023
Receipts and payments
2023 2022
Unrestricted
funds		 Designated
funds(1)		 Designated
funds(2)		 Designated
funds(3)		 Restricted
funds(1)		 Restricted
funds(2)		 Total funds Total funds
£ £ £ £ £
Payments
Charitable Payments
Membership subscriptions paid on
(National/County/Area/District)		 27,132.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 27,132.00 19,465.00
Youth programme and activities 1,797.61 0.00 1,233.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,031.43 1,085.13
Camp expenses 542.00 0.00 6,175.98 6,717.98 758.11
Adult support and training 20.61 0.00 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 70.61 1,158.93
Rent 650.00 730.80 1,913.50 0.00 2,186.85 40,845.15 46,326.30 38,043.95
Rates 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water and Sewerage 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Electricity and Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Legal & professional 0.00 0.00 0.00
Insurance 52.00 0.00 1,790.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,842.84 1,418.56
Repairs and Renewals 13.00 0.00 153.59 0.00 0.00 0.00 166.59 145.58
Materials and equipment 656.85 0.00 638.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,295.51 1,990.56
Printing and photocopying 336.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 336.84 838.52
Contribution to camp costs 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Uniforms 232.50 0.00 272.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 504.50 274.50
OSM charges 82.44 9.60 199.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 291.54 256.28
AGM and trustee expenses 865.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 865.52 493.31
Donations 500.00 0.00 0.00 2,500.00 0.00 0.00 3,000.00 100.00
Administrative expenses 1,237.35 13,040.26 594.29 0.00 0.00 0.00 14,871.90 2,101.09
Sub total 34,118.72 13,780.66 13,022.18 2,500.00 2,186.85 40,845.15 106,453.56 68,129.52
Fundraising expenses
Purchases of badges 2,063.74 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,063.74 995.93
50/50 Club 607.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 607.00 520.00
Hoodies 1,071.60 1,071.60 1,079.60
Water Days 1,096.89 1,096.89 1,143.38
Other fundraising costs 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sub total 2,670.74 0.00 2,168.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,839.23 3,738.91
Total Gross Expenditure 36,789.46 13,780.66 15,190.67 2,500.00 2,186.85 40,845.15 111,292.79 71,868.43
Asset and investment 0.00 0.00 4,955.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,955.79 1,961.14
Totalpayments 36,789.46 13,780.66 20,146.46 2,500.00 2,186.85 40,845.15 116,248.58 73,829.57
Net of receipts/(payments) (3,139.49) (13,529.26) 2,819.71 488.35 (2,186.85) (17,645.15) (33,192.69) (13,684.90)
Transfers between funds (2,728.70) 826.80 3,660.20 0.00 (23,500.00) 21,741.70 0.00 0.00
Cash funds last year end 43,666.49 12,702.46 6,890.57 28,929.58 148,950.81 4,179.34 245,319.25 259,004.15
Cash funds thisyear end 37,798.30 0.00 13,370.48 29,417.93 123,263.96 8,275.89 212,126.56 245,319.25

Page 24 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------Year start date Year end date For the year 01/01/2023 To 31/12/2023 from Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year 31st December 2023 31st Dec 2022 Unrestricted Designated Designated Designated Restricted Restricted Total funds Total funds funds funds (1) funds (2) funds (3) funds (1) funds (2) £ £ £ £ £ Cash funds Bank current account 37,340.02 0.00 12,594.58 29,417.93 123,263.96 8,275.89 210,892.38 204,246.62 Bank deposit account 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Building society account 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 The Scout Association Short Term 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 40,701.63 Investment Service Debit card account 0.00 0.00 775.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 775.90 Cash/Floats 458.28 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 458.28 371.00 Total cash funds 37,798.30 0.00 13,370.48 29,417.93 123,263.96 8,275.89 212,126.56 245,319.25 Other monetary assets Tax claim 0 0 0 0 0 905 Debts due to the District 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 280 Insurance claim 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sub total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,185 Investment assets Investment property - detail 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quoted investments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other investments - detail 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sub total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Non monetary assets for Badge stock 4,486 0 0 0 0 0 4,486 3,690 Shop stock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other stock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Land and buildings 0 0 2,442 0 0 0 2,442 0 Motor vehicles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scouting equipment, furniture etc 0 0 32,105 0 0 0 32,105 29,691 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sub total 4,486 0 34,547 0 0 0 39,033 33,382 Liabilities Accounts not yet paid (344) 0 0 0 0 0 (344) 0 Expenses incurred but not invoiced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Subscriptions not yet paid 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Loan - detail 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other liabilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 Sub total (344) 0 0 0 0 0 (344) 60 ~~ES~~ Total net assets 41,940 0 47,917 29,418 123,264 8,276 250,815 279,946 The above receipts and payments account and statement of assets and liabilities were approved by the Trustees on 8th May 2024 and signed on their behalf by Nick Jarman Rex Horton District Treasurer District Chair District Trustee Board District Trustee Board

Page 25 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

Notes to the Icknield District Scout Council Accounts

(1) Comparisons shown where applicable

(2) The designated fund (1) relates to the Manor Scout Group accounts, which was managed by the District until March 2024

(3) The designated fund (2) relates to the Explorer Section and Duke of Edinburgh accounts

(4) The designated fund (3) is designed to support a new Group or other building projects within Icknield District

(5) The restricted fund (1) is restricted to the payment of rents for the hire of premises used by uniformed groups within the Borough of Luton. The restricted fund will not receive any further income as London Luton Airport has revised their funding policy.

(6) The restricted fund (2) is restricted to the payment of rents for the hire of premises used by uniformed groups within the Borough of Luton. This fund is the revised donor is Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation

(7) The District received £1250 from Nat West Bank for compensation following complaints

(8) The Explorer section received a loan of £4000 from the District to assist with the building of a storage unit at Stewartby for their equipment

(9) The cost of the equipment towards the building of the Explorer storage unit so far is £2442

(10) The District made a donation of £2500 from designated fund (3) towards the cost of new toilet facilities at Sells Seventh Scout HQ

Page 26 of 39

Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees of Icknield District Scout Council

I report on the accounts of the District for the year ended 31 December 2023, which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and related notes.

This report is made solely to the trustees in accordance with Sections 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees for my examination work.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The District’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

Basis of Independent Examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the District and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual matters or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below

Independent examiner’s statement

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

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Icknield District Scout Council as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Michael Abbott ACMA 9 Park Meadow Close Barton-le-Clay MK45 4SB

Date: 29 April 2024

Page 27 of 39

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023

DISTRICT CHAIR

During 2023 the process of running an AGM changed also the Executive Committee was no more. From the 13[th] June our Management Committee was to be known as Icknield District Trustee Board. However the method of electing and appointing the Officers/Trustees remained the same.

The Trustees Board meet nine times in the year, six normal bi-monthly meetings and three extraordinary meetings. Thank you to all the Trustees for the support you have given to Icknield District and the commitment you show to Scouting. Regrettably we had to said cheerio to Janet Gilkinson our long serving District Secretary, she felt it was time to put her pencil away! Thank you Janet for all your hard work and support over the years.

Thankfully some of our District events are beginning to make a return after Covid. The ever popular Swimming Gala made a welcome return where there was something for everyone, even for the non-Swimmer to have fun. After a break of 6 years we have a District Camp to look forward to in 2024, should be fun.

Towards the end of 2023 we also welcomed 3 new Groups into the District, this was due to the closure of Ampthill and Woburn District and need to relocate Groups.

In 2024 there will be more changes (“transformation”) with a new version of POR which will introduce many changes including altering the AGM again.

Thank you to the resilient Leadership Teams (uniform or non-uniform) across the District for the way you adapt to all the challenges of every day Scouting to ensure our Young People receive good training and have fun.

Rex Horton (District Chair)

DISTRICT COMMISSIONER

Throughout the past year, our dedicated volunteers and young people have continued to exemplify the Values of Scouting through their commitment to providing young people in our community with outdoor experiences and Skills For Life. Despite challenges this year the District has persevered, adapting and innovating to ensure that Scouts remains a vibrant and enriching experience for all involved. This report and the awards earned this year serve as testament to the collective efforts and achievements of our Scouting family and showcases some of the impact we have made within our local community.

Additionally, we extend a warm welcome to the Groups that have recently joined us from Ampthill and Woburn District (which sadly had to close its doors this year). Already they have begun to integrate themselves into our Scouting community. With a mix of shared experiences and new perspectives, we’re ready to embark on fresh adventures and forge new lasting bonds. Let’s embrace this opportunity to enhance our family within Icknield together.

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Strategic Goals

At the start of this year I announced Icknield’s strategic goals on our long-term development plan. Over the year we have made great progress on these but there Is much left to do.

Growth and Recruitment of Volunteers and Youth Members

This year we have made major efforts to Increase the public awareness of the fantastic work we do. The District has invested in two indoor pull up banners and two feather banners for outdoors. They have been placed at the entrances of any events that we have run this year as a District which has help remind the public that we are about and having fun. Off the back of these banners I have been approached by a number of members of the public asking about how to get involved for themselves or their young people

Blenheim Group also held a summer activity programme which continued the tradition started by Manor after lockdown in 2020-2021. Not only did this involve a massive leaflet drop around the local area but also gave adults and young people currently not involved in Scouting to give it a try and spread the word.

In addition, the District team has continuously been working on creating a District website which will both serve as a pubic ‘shop window’ Into what we do as a District but also help volunteers in their current roles, we hope to launch this in early 2024.

This year also saw the launch of Squirrels as a section In Icknield (aimed at 4-6 years). The section has been adopted by both St Josephs and Sells Seventh, with both starting In September. With the sections already established within Flitwick (which joined the District In October) we now have a great core of young people and leaders who are already planning activities for 2024.

Strengthening the District team

At the start of the year, the District team was very small with only core roles filled to allow us to operate but not focus on section support and programme development. Over the year we have slowly appointed a number of people to the team to help the District support the Groups in the way they deserve.

The team welcomed Ash & Nichi Chambers at the start of the year as the District Scout and Beaver leader respectively. Both have a focus on bring the section leadership teams together to organise events and joint programme for the sections. They have done a fantastic job over the year, collecting ideas and starting activities and already have a great calendar planned for 2024.

We also welcomed Ellen Lill as District Explorer Scout Administrator, in this role Ellen supports me as Explorer Commissioner manage the admin and organising of all the Explorer Units in the district.

- Strengthening the 14 25 provision

Over the last year the 14-25 years provision has grown and strengthened.

The District Young Leaders team has grown both with Ellen Lill joining the team as DESA and the appointment of our two District Young Leaders (Jude and Cassidy) who have stepped into an entirely new role and really made it their own, bringing youth voices to the District team and representing YL views to the leadership team.

The Explorers provision has grown both in youth numbers but also with the addition of Ravens and Dauntless from Ampthill and Woburn the District now has three units (2 land and 1 sea).

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Digital development

This year has also focused on creating and adopting new digital tools to help our growth but also support our fantastic volunteers to perform their roles more easily.

In May, we introduced Scouts Risk Assessment Manager (Scouts RAM) to the District. This system, integrating with OSM, helps leaders create, manage and review risk assessments for activities, events and games and creates a District and global library of risks and mitigations which leaders can pull down and use to augment their assessments.

Events

As a District we have held a number of events this year. With the focus being on getting the District together, running activities that groups would struggle to do themselves and giving young people the best experiences and skills. I’m sure that individual section events will be discussed in their reports

In February and October we held a District swimming gala at inspire in Luton, where young people from across all sections and Groups competed in three swimming races. This year we changed the races away from traditional lengths to dress up and dry relay to keep things Interesting. The events were both well attended and everyone seemed to have fun

The District also held the Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), where Groups could sign up to perform radio based activities and talk to other Scouts over the waves. It was well attended by Groups from the District and across the County. Thank you to all who helped organise and run this event.

For leadership, this year we Introduced a town hall meeting, which occurs every six months. This allows the Group and sectional leaders from across the District to come together, discuss issues and new ideas and gives the District team an opportunity to share updates and insights.

I apologise if I’ve missed out any events that happened this year, and I want to thank everyone that helped organise these events however small, these events do a fantastic part in bringing the District together and helping our young people earn their skills for life.

Membership

This year has marked a significant period of growth for our District, largely influenced by the addition of the new Groups and Units from Ampthill and Woburn District. With their inclusion our membership has seen a remarkable upsurge, with youth membership numbers growing by 91% since last year (436 -> 834) and our adult growth of 40% (192 -> 269).

Despite the remarkable growth in youth numbers, we cannot overlook the concerning trend of the more modest growth in adults as evidenced above. This disjunction raises important considerations about our capacity to provide Increase support and spaces for the increasing number of young people in our community. While the influx of youth members signifies a flourishing interest in Scouting activities, the comparatively slower growth in adult volunteers underscores the urgent need for greater recruitment and retention efforts. Addressing this disparity will be crucial in ensuring that we maintain the quality of our Scouting programme and uphold our commitment to provide a safe and enriching environment for all our members to earn their Skills For Life.

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

In Conclusion and Looking to the Future

Overall, this year has been a massive success for the District, with great positive growth and continued rejuvenation from the problems caused by Covid-19 In 2020 and 2021. Whilst there have been bumps on the road, I am massively proud of the achievements and efforts of all within the District who have helped make the community a great place and have ensured that young people have earned their Skills For Life

We still have a long way to go on our strategic plans in the coming years but I look forward to updating you all on the progress towards these goals next year.

It leaves me to sign off this year by thanking from the bottom of my heart all those who have helped deliver the high quality of Scouting and help us recover from the pandemic over the last year, whether as an adult volunteer, a parent or a family member. Your hard work and dedication allows us to have an impact on the lives of our young people, helping them earn their Skills For Life and creating core memories along the way.

Benjamin Summerfield (District Commissioner)

THE BEAVER SECTION

In 2023 the Beavers section has grown and develop and with the addition of the new sections in Flitwick, Barton and Harlington the numbers of Cubs at the end of the year sits at 201 which is a 67% growth from last year.

The leaders in across the Groups have been delivering great programme as evidenced by 52 Beavers earning their Chief Scouts Bronze award (Well done to them all)

The section leadership team has grown this year through the appointment of Nichi Chambers as District Beaver Leader. Nichi joins David Gilkison in supporting the section leaders, with Nichi’s focus being on event organisation and programme support. Nichi has already had a great effect on the section and the programme.

I’d like to sign off this report by thanking all leaders involved in the Beavers section who have made another fantastic year possible.

Benjamin Summerfield (Acting-ADC Beavers)

Beaver Activities

So this is all a bit new to me, having only taken on the District Beaver Leader role for events in the last year.

As a District we have had Beaver Picnic in the summer. This took place at Barton Springs, each Colony bought an outdoor activity and we walked to the springs, played these activities before having our picnic. In December we had our annual Christingle afternoon where we made our Christingles, played games and sung Christmas songs

So far this year we have a Schmores night being planned by Paul Wells from Harlington on the 29[th] June and are hoping for another picnic in September.

52 Bronze awards have been awarded in the last year so well done to all the Leaders making that possible.

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

As always, many thanks to David Gilkison as District Beaver Leader and to all the adults who work within the Beaver Section in any capacity. Without all that support, our Beavers would not receive such great Scouting

Tiger – Nichi Chambers (District Beaver Leader - Events)

The Cub Section

In 2023 the Cub section has grown and develop and with the addition of the new sections in Flitwick, Barton and Harlington the numbers of Cubs at the end of the year sits at 253 which is a 72% growth from last year.

The leaders in across the Groups have been delivering great programme as evidenced by 25 Cubs earning their Chief Scouts Silver award (Well done to them all).

The section has suffered this year through a lack of a District Leader or ADC Cubs and therefore there have been no specific Cub events. Despite this the section leaders do meet and swap ideas and work together where they can which is great to see,

I’d like to sign off this report by thanking all leaders involved in the Cub section who have made another fantastic year possible.

Benjamin Summerfield (Acting-ADC Cubs)

The Scout Section

In 2023 the Scout section has continued to grow and develop and with the addition of the new sections in Flitwick, Barton and Harlington the numbers of Scouts at the end of the year sits at 242 which is a 60% growth from last year.

The section has been delivering fantastic programme as evidenced by 13 Scouts earning their Chief Scouts Gold award (Well done to them all). Over the course of the year I’ve also seen some great activities and camps organised ranging from back to basics and survival skills to Viking adventure camps and activity weekends.

The section also welcomed additional support through the appointment of Ash Chambers as the District Scout leader. Ash’s focus has been on supporting the section leaders in organising events and facilitating the sharing of ideas across the groups. Ash has already had a great effect on the section and I know he has a great programme of events organised in 2024 which I look forward to.

To facilitate linking between the Scouts and Explorer sections the Explorers have been running a number of linking events where they take the Scouts out to do activities together. This has generally been well received by the Scouts and I also look forward to a repeat in 2024.

I’d like to sign off this report by thanking all leaders involved in the Scout section who have made another fantastic year possible.

Benjamin Summerfield (Acting-ADC Scouts)

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Explorers & Young Leaders

Over the past year we have seen a generous growth of both Explorers and Young Leaders across the District. We have welcomed two new Explorer Units into the District, in the form of Ravens (Barton) and Dauntless (Flitwick) which leaves us in a great position with two land-based units and one sea-based unit (Riparian). The addition of these two Units creates additional opportunities for our 14 – 18 year old members to find the right place for them and continue their Scouting journey. In addition, with three Units in the District as opposed to one, the Explorers finally have an opportunity to run events and competitions amongst themselves which is an exciting prospect, we hope to see exploited in 2024

Riparian has seen a massive growth of 50% in numbers compared to last year, and we’d like to thank the team at Riparian for the hard work they have put in to make this happen. Both Ravens and Dauntless have seen a slight drop of around 20%, but hopefully this will improve over the coming year.

Young Leaders has also seen a growth of just shy of 40%, of which the members are spread very evenly around the District, including welcoming YLs from Harlington, Barton and Flitwick. We now have a clear picture of which YLs we have and all of them are active on OSM and paying subs monthly (apart from those who are also part of Explorer Units).

YL training has been running consistently with Modules being covered at least every other year to allow everyone chance to complete them. We potentially have 6 Young Leaders completing their YL Belt Buckle this coming year, which is a massive achievement for those young people. We would like to thank Teresa and everyone who has helped out with the training over the last year as this has made these achievements possible.

With the addition of YLs from Harlington, Barton and Flitwick, we are noticing that the Wednesday night training session may no longer be the best day for this. The YL team is looking into running some additional dates, particularly for Module A to overcome this and ensure all of the YLs have an equal chance of completing their modules. We have had some success of YLs attending training in Biggleswade District too. Currently we only have 3 YLs who have not completed their Module A essential training, however, they still have 6 months to complete this.

This year also saw Riparian taking more direct control over its operations and governance with the creation of a sub-committee, the team have really taken the trust that has been placed in them in their stride as evidenced by the great growth and fantastic program they have put on this year.

In addition, Riparian ran a number of watersports days for the Scouts and Cubs sections across the District. These were well attended and both enabled Riparian to financially maintain their watersports equipment and through help from the District upgrade their waterside stores and changing rooms.

We are looking forward to the year ahead and what it has in store for the Explorers and YLs.

Benjamin Summerfield (Acting-DESC) & Ellen Lill (DESA)

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE

The visible part of the Appointments Committee work is approving new leaders. During 2023 the committee met on ten occasions and saw twenty people, all of whom were approved for their new roles. Please join me in welcoming these new leaders and please support them at every opportunity.

Group Group Scout
Leader		 Section Leader Assistant Section
Leader		 Section Assistant
Barton
Blenheim
First Luton 3
Flitwick
Harlington
Manor 1 1
Sells Seventh 2 4
St Augustines
St Joseph 1 1
Warden Hill 1
Wardown Ninth 2
Dauntless
Ravens
Riparian 4
Totals 4 16

Less visible is that the Appointments Committee then oversees these new adults through “Getting Started” and for those where the role requires a Wood Badge, through that too. Our work is therefore with these new adults, their line managers, the Local Training Manager and the Training Advisors. We also ensure that all relevant members have a valid DBS, complete mandatory ongoing learning and that reviews are completed in a timely manner. I’m pleased to say that in all the above, the District is in good shape.

A huge thank you to Jan Gilkison, Teresa Loughbrough and Jean Mitchell, the members of the Appointments Advisory Committee, for their support during 2023. I would be delighted to welcome new members to the committee especially those in the 18 to 25 age group.

I must also sincerely thank Teresa our LTM, Libby and Ben our DC’s and all the GSL’s for their support without which I would not be able to make such positive comments.

Nick Jarman (Appointments Secretary/Chair)

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

TRAINING REPORT

Training is and will continue to be important for all adult leaders and so it is important it is completed by everyone who needs to do the modules appropriate to their role.

Later in 2024 we expect a lot to change as we move to a new training system and changes in how the modules are structured. Please listen out for guidance and emails as we move forward.

If you are currently a Section Leader or Assistant Section Leader, please ensure that you complete all modules needed for your Wood Badge as you will need to complete your Wood Badge if you have already started.

The compliance modules are now completed online to ensure that everyone in Scouting has the same level of knowledge. Validation for most of the compliance modules such as Safety, Safeguarding and GDPR is via a quiz at the end of the eLearning so do please send the certificate or a screenshot to us when it is complete so that we can update Compass. Do make sure you complete the Compliance modules when they need to be renewed (every 3 years, except GDPR which is only once). First Response (First Aid) is to be renewed every 3 years and we are working hard to ensure we have the capacity to train everyone who needs this going forward.

Wood Badges are role based not section based (this happened when we moved to Compass) so if you change roles within a section you will need to complete a new Wood Badge. Compass will guide you on which modules need to be redone for your new role, do ask if you are not sure.

There is a little acronym to help everyone understand when a module is complete “LOVE” which means “ L earning O ptional, V alidation E ssential” so a module is not complete until all validation is done.

The Training Academies are continuing at the Rufus Centre, twice a year for those who need Wood badge courses. Please remember to book courses in good time if you need them because if there are 5 or less people booked on a course 6 weeks before the date it will be cancelled.

Finally thank you to those who work hard to ensure everyone can complete the training and validations needed:

Well done to everyone who completed their Wood Badges (next page) and to all the Sectional Assistants and Executive Members who completed their training as well.

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

Name Role Group Name
Jamie Lill Explorer Leader Riparian Explorers
Sinead White Assistant Beaver Leader Flitwick
Nick Willis Assistant Cub Leader Flitwick
Hannah Raines Assistant Beaver Leader Flitwick
Darren Reeve Group Scout Leader Flitwick
Ash Chambers District Scout Leader Icknield
Keelan Pannell Group Scout Leader St Joseph’s
Lucy Cleave Assistant Cub Leader Sells Seventh
Nichi Chambers District Beaver Leader Icknield
Catherine Pound Group Scout Leader Warden Hill
Naureen Zulfiqar Beaver Leader Wardown Ninth
Dave Mercel Assistant Scout Leader Flitwick
Simon Baldwin Scout Leader Flitwick
Hannah Pike Assistant Beaver Leader St Augustine’s
Rhys Lewis Assistant Cub Leader First Luton
Daniel McGuigan Assistant Explorer Leader Dauntless Explorers
Theo Demmers Explorer Leader Dauntless Explorers
Jason Baulk Explorer Leader Barton Ravens Explorers
Kat McGuigan Assistant Explorer Leader Dauntless Explorers

Teresa Loughbrough (Local Training Manager)

Icknield District Scout Council

District Reports For the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

MEDIA

Media still continues to be a challenge in Icknield District. However, the Scouting being offered ensures that the Young People of Luton get the best possible activities and training that can be provided.

The Luton Scout web site continues to create interest but features very little of the activity and achievement of the young people of Icknield. Throughout the year adults and young people who were keen to be involved in Scouting in Luton contacted the web site enabling Jean Mitchell to forward their details to the respective Group or District to follow up their enquiry.

With Icknield District now acquiring three new Groups that are located outside the Borough of Luton the current Luton Scout web site is now inappropriate for our needs. One of the new Groups has a very professional web site, working with their provider members of the District team will be creating an Icknield District web site which will be closer to our needs.

Most of Icknield’s Groups still continue to share their Group activities and news within the Group using various forms of social media (Facebook, WhatsApp etc) safely and keeping the content safe.

Icknield District web site will be up and running in April/May 2024

Rex Horton (District Chair)

Icknield District Scout Council

The District Camp Fund 50:50 Club Application Form

The 50:50 Club raises money for the District Camp Fund.

It costs £50 a year to be a member, 50% of which is given back to members as prizes and 50% is a donation to the District Camp Fund.

Icknield District wants our District camps to be the best possible and we need the help of families, relatives, neighbours, friends and school colleagues to achieve this aim. Please share this widely, the more people involved the bigger the prize pot and the more we can support Scouting..

We hope you will encourage friends and family to complete the application form on the next page

  1. All applicants must be aged 18 or over

  2. The annual cost will be £50.00, payment methods are explained on the next page

  3. There will be six bi-monthly draws each year with three prizes per draw which will take place at District Trustee Board meetings.

  4. A bonus draw will be made at the District AGM

  5. Prize monies will be variable according to membership numbers but will always comprise 50% of the income from the fund.

  6. The balance of the fund will be held and accumulated for the benefit of the District Camp Fund and will be paid into the fund annually.

  7. The names of all prize winners will be sent by email to all participants.

Thank you and good luck

Liz Maguire Email – 5050@icknieldscouts.org.uk

Icknield District Scout Council

The District Camp Fund 50:50 Club Application Form

Please accept my application for membership of the Icknield District Scout 50/50 Club. I have (a) Paid £50 into the bank account below or

(c) Completed the standing order mandate for bi-monthly payments of £8.35 and a cheque for the sum of £8.35 to cover the initial payment. Please send documents to:

Mrs E Maguire, 6 Carmelite Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0NH

----- Start of picture text -----
Full Name: ___________
Address including postcode: _______
___________
Telephone number: ________
Email address: ___________
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----- Start of picture text -----
STANDING ORDER MANDATE
To: The Manager ________ Bank
Bank Address ________
__________
Account Name _________
Account Number ___ Sort Code __
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Please pay the sum of £8.35 on the first day of August, October, December, February, April and June until further notice

Signed _______ Print FULL NAME ______

Payee Icknield District Explorer Scouts 50/50 Club
NatWest Bank
Market Hill Branch
31 George Street
Luton
LU1 2YN
A/c No: 48672548
Sort Code 60-13-28