1[st] Corsham Scout Group
Trustee’s report for the period 01-Apr-2022 to 31-Mar-2023
Section A – Reference and administration details
Charity name: 1[st] Corsham (Lord Methuen’s Own) Scout Group
The Group is registered with the Charity Commission, registration number 1059288.
The Charity’s principle address is:
Corsham Scout and Guide Headquarters The Laggar Corsham Wiltshire SN13 0DE
The Charity may be contacted through the Chairman as follows:
Chris Hyde 3 Potley Lane Corsham Wiltshire SN13 9RY
Throughout the year being reported on, the following have acted as Charity Trustees:
Chris Hyde, Chair (From September 2021)
Roger Tigwell, Treasurer David Martin, Secretary (Until March 2022) – a new Secretary is being actively sought Sarah Bussey, Group Scout Leader (from July 2021) Drew Tigwell, Scout Section Leader
Sarah Ball, Beaver Section Leader
Section B – Structure, governance and management
The Group’s governing documents are currently those of the Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter , which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association.
A proposal, agreed by the Trustee Board, to continue to adopt the Group’s governing documents (Constitution) to be in line with those contained in Section 5.4 of the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association is included in the Agenda for the Group AGM to be held on 20[th] September 2023.
The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association.
A Trustee Board acts as the governing body for the Charity, 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 all charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate.
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The Committee consists of 3 independent representatives, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary together with the Group Scout Leader and individual Section Leaders. It meets six times per year.
The Trustee Board exists to support the Group Scout Leader in meeting the responsibilities of the appointment and is responsible for:
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The maintenance of property owned by the Group;
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The raising of funds and the administration of Group finance;
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The insurance of person, property and equipment;
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Group public occasions;
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Assisting in the recruitment of leaders and other adult support;
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Appointing any sub-committees that may be required; and
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Appointing Group Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected.
The Group has in place systems of internal controls, which are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss. These include a requirement for two signatories for payments and range of comprehensive insurance to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
Section C – Objectives and activities
The objectives of the Group are as a unit of the Scout Association.
The Aim of The Scout Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. The method of achieving the Aim of the Association is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, based on the Scout Promise and Law and guided by adult leadership.
The Group meets the Charity Commission’s public benefit criteria through both of:
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The advancement of education; and
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The advancement of citizenship or community development.
Section D – Achievements and Performance
The Group continues to provide Scouting opportunities for young people in each of the available age-ranges, catering for young people aged 6-14 years. It works in close partnership with a local, active Explorer Scout Unit, which means that the full range of scouting provision is available locally. The Group provides the necessary infrastructure for this wide-ranging provision, including running two separate building locations and providing support and training for adult leaders.
The three sections continue to operate at or near capacity and provide a strong, progressive programme of adventurous and other activities. There is a bias towards water activities in Cub and Scout sections.
Despite being one of the largest in the area the Group continues to find itself unable to meet all of the potential demand for places for young people at the Beavers and Cubs levels. The Trustee Board has concluded that at present due to the hall and other facilities being in use by various sections on each weeknight it is not possible to extend the size of the sections or create additional ones. The Trustee Board will keep the situation under review. In the meantime enquiries where the Group is unable to provide a place are referred to other local Scout Groups. The Group has sufficient capacity to meet demand for Sea Scouts.
All of the activities of the Group are enabled through the hard work of a significant number of volunteers, fulfilling a diverse range of roles. There are no paid staff and the activities of the Charity would not be possible without this significant voluntary contribution.
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Section E – Financial Review
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 Trustee Board considers that the Group should hold a sum equivalent to at least 4 months running costs - approximately £12,000. A sum equal to this is held in a notice term deposit account, to maximise earnings on the reserves held. The Group held total funds of approximately £24,225, including the required reserves, at the year-end.
This was the first full year of activities after the restrictions required under COVID-19. The three Sections (Beavers, Cubs and Sea Scouts) have been meeting again (including attending camps and going on trips) and normal membership subscriptions are in place. Although income levels have been restored to usual levels, it has been necessary to waive or reduce membership subscriptions in a few cases, where families have been struggling under the current economic conditions. The Trustee Board has sanctioned these on the basis that financial conditions should not prevent young people to opportunity to benefit by the activities the Scout Group can provide. Even though the Group itself is suffering from increased operation costs, based on the budgets and forecasts prepared for the last year and the coming year, the current level of annual income is sufficient to maintain normal operations and maintain the necessary reserves.
As agreed by the Trustee Board during the previous fiscal year, the Group has made some substantial expenditure during the year on new equipment and on building maintenance (particularly on a need to re-roof the boathouse facility at Corsham Estate lake. This expenditure came from the surplus generated from Council Covid grants received during the last two years.
Section G – Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustee’s report above at the Trustee Board meeting held on 20[th] September 2023.
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1[st] Corsham Scout Group (Charity No 1059288) Accounts for Year Ended 31[st] March 2023
- Charities Commission Accounts Submission Year Ended 31st March 2023
- Section A Receipts and Payments
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Prior year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | ||||||
| Membership | ||||||
| Membershipsubscriptioins | 13,114 | 13,114 | 13,587 | |||
| lesspaid | (4,565) | (4,565) | (4,067) | |||
| Total Membership | 8,549 | 0 | 0 | 8,549 | 9,520 | |
| Investment Income | 47 | 47 | 2 | |||
| Fundraisng General | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Donations/Grants | ||||||
| Guides contribution towards HQ runningcosts |
3,999 | 3,999 | 2,449 | |||
| Activitycharges | 9,892 | 9,892 | 9,058 | |||
| donations andgrants | 620 | 620 | 8,507 | |||
| Gift Aid | 2,538 | 2,538 | 694 | |||
| Sundry Receipts | ||||||
| Hire of hall | 2,087 | 2,087 | 1,899 | |||
| Sundries | 305 | 305 | 115 | |||
| Sub-Total | 28,037 | 0 | 0 | 28,037 | 32,244 | |
| A2 Asset and Investment sales | ||||||
| Asset sale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total Receipts | 28,037 | 0 | 0 | 28,037 | 32,244 | |
| A3 Payments | ||||||
| Premises | ||||||
| Ground rent | 50 | 50 | 50 | |||
| Heat,light,water,etc. | 2,342 | 2,342 | 456 | |||
| Insurance | 2,984 | 2,984 | 2,372 | |||
| Cleaning | 3,194 | 3,194 | 2,332 | |||
| Repairs and renewals | 12,507 | 12,507 | 2,928 | |||
| Miscellaneous | 731 | 731 | 929 | |||
| Insurance |
| Boats | 1,208 | 1,208 | 778 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaders | 42 | 42 | 42 | ||
| Equipment | |||||
| Purchase | 4,918 | 4,918 | 5,360 | ||
| Repairs | 274 | 274 | 42 | ||
| Training | 1,075 | 1,075 | 0 | ||
| Activities Expenditure | 9,868 | 9,868 | 6,397 | ||
| Sub-Total | 39,193 | 0 | 0 | 39,193 | 21,686 |
| A4 Asset and Investment Purchases |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Payments | 39,193 | 0 | 0 | 39,193 | 21,686 |
| Net of Receipts/(Payments) | (11,156) | 0 | 0 | (11,156) | 10,558 |
| A5 Transfers Between Funds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A6 Cash Funds Last Year End | 35,381 | 35,381 | 24,823 | ||
| Cash Funds This Year End | 24,225 | 0 | 0 | 24,225 | 35,381 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets |
Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
| Group Accounts | 24,225 | - | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| Total cash funds | 24,225 | - | - | |
| Details | ||||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||
| None | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
| - | - | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Details Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) |
|||
| None | - | - | |
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| Details Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) |
|||
| Headquarters Building | - | 1,010,000 | |
| Boathouse Building | - | 130,000 | |
| Boats and Contents | - | 119,650 | |
| Note - values shown above represent insured values |
- | - | |
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - |
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | - | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
(HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independenl Examiner's Report Report to th• trusto•s 1ST OWJFJ COT On a¢¢ounts for tho yoar ¢nded Charlty no Ilf any) LOL ioSqLEE 8rt out on pag•s I report to the Iwstees on my examination of ¢hanty {Ihe Trusf} for the year endedsl unts of the above LO.L Responslbllltlos and basls of report As the charws trusteés, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chariti'es Ad 2011 (he Act"}. I report respect of my examination of the Trusys accounts carried out under $ectK)n 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity CommissKJn under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent examinorfs statemont I have completed my examination. l ¢onfim that no material Matte have ¢ome lo my attention in connection th8 examination lothept doe18.) vthich gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records not kept in accordance vrith section 130 of the Charf(ies Act., or the accounts did not accord wlh the accounting rerds. or the accounts did not ¢ompty wrth the applicable r8quirernents conceming the fom arbd content of a¢¢ounts sel out in the charit (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent 8xaminats'on. I have no ¢on¢%ms and have come across no olher matters in connection with the examination to lch attention should b8 drawn in this report in ord8r to enable a [per understandiThJ of the accounts lo be reached. ' Please dalete the words in the brackets rfthgy do not apply. Signed: Namo: rYfok4 Relevant professlonal qu•llficatlon{81 or body IER Oct 2018
(If any): Addre•8: Wiltsnire sr415 3DD Em*il..¢hris@waichmanaccountanc0M Section B Disclostjre Only compl6te if the examiner needs lo hwhlight rnatenal matt8rs ol c#)ncem (see CC32, Ind8p8ndenl examination of charity aUnts.. directions and guance for 8xaminersl. Glvo h•re bri•f d•tall• of any ltsms that th examln•r wishes to dlsclov. IER Oct 2018