1st Durrington
1[st] Durrington Scout Group
incorporating Northbrook Barn Community Centre Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
Board of Trustees
Steve Coleman Al Chartres Keith Chapman Sharon Field Ash Thwaites Lina Yeats Louisa Hoad Steph Vinicombe
Chair Group Lead Volunteer Treasurer Lead Volunteer Beavers Lead Volunteer Scouts
Custodian Trustee Scout Trust Corporation Community Centre Manager John Doswell Bankers Lloyds Bank Independent Examiner Adrian Cooper
Group Registration with The Scout Association 45711 Charity Registration Number 1061896 Contact name & address John Doswell, Northbrook Barn Community Centre, Squadron Drive, Worthing, BN13 3SL
The Group is a Trust established under the rules which are common to all Scouts. The governing documents and the Constitution are those of The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter, which gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association, and the Policy, Organisation & Rules of The Scout Association. Trustees are appointed in accordance with these rules.
The purpose of Scouting is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
The Group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss; these include two signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
1[st] Durrington Scout Group Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2025 Major Activities and Achievements in the Year
Scout Group
At 1st Durrington Scout Group, we have provided Scouting for over eighty-eight young people this year, helping them gain skills for life, experiences they will never forget, friendships that will last a lifetime. This is the highest number of young members we have ever recorded, an increase again over last year’s highest number! Youngsters appreciate physically being with their friends, camping or being outdoors, learning new skills, hiking, navigating, fire lighting and putting those skills to the test. These interactions beyond school and family are so important and help young people to be grounded in a healthy lifestyle, both in body and mind.
The leaders and supporters have completed a full year of activities that have stimulated and excited the young members in delivering Scouting to young people. As a Scout Group, we rely on our team of leadership volunteers, a few who have been at the sharp end for over 20 years, some others for decades and many for just a few months or years while they are involved with the Group. It is my job to plan for the future and attract new leaders and interest people in the joys of taking thirty youngsters to camp, running an activity, helping with some admin, looking after the kit, or doing some mass catering!
The job of keeping this successful Scout Group alive and healthy is a continuous challenge. It is assumed that this Group will be here in 10 years, but without a succession of the leadership team and trustee board, it may not be such a certainty. My gratitude and thanks go to all the Group’s uniformed leaders, section helpers, volunteers and young leaders for their time given freely during the past year.
The Executive led by the Chair, Steve, has planned and overseen the strategy and finances of the Group, and the upkeep of the Community Centre; my thanks go to each of them for their support. To use volunteers time more efficiently and to reduce the burden of charity governance administration, costs, and communication efficiently we continue to use Online Scout Manager (OSM) for managing our Scouting.
Times are financially tough for some in our community; no young person should go without Scouting for the lack of money. This is a principle that we strongly uphold. Please contact me in complete confidence if you have or foresee problems paying the termly fees or for camps. We can contribute or assist in other ways to enable Scouting for your child. To keep the levels of volunteer support healthy and this Group’s future bright, I urge any parent or family member to come along and feel free to help for whatever amount of time you have to give. Al Chartres (Group Leader Volunteer)
Squirrel Drey
Well, the Section has been going for just over 12 months now and continues to be a popular busy little group of 19, with five on the waiting list to start in September when they are old enough, and four to go up to Beavers in September. The Squirrels have continued to enjoy lots of new games, crafts, and activities to gain their Acorn Awards with 12 already been given out in our first year, so we'll done to everyone. We even have one Squirrel who has completed all of the Squirrel badges; well done Riley. The Squirrels have also been part of our Group’s church parades for Remembrance and St Georges day parade proudly carrying our Squirrel flag.
Many thanks to our leaders Naomi (Fox), John (Otter), Rosie (Moose) and our newest young leader Olivia (Raccoon) for your continued support. Thanks also to Finn our first Young Leader, and of course the parents who have stepped up and helped us when needed. Our first Robert Trotman Squirrel of the year is ?????????? Many thanks, Sharron Field SSL
Beaver Colony
What a year the Beavers have had; we had quite low numbers for a while with several Beavers going up to Cubs in one go, but we are pleased to say we are now at 27 and full; the spaces we do have are for the Squirrels to come up in September. The Beavers have had many adventures with litter picking, walks to White Beam woods to look at different trees and leaves, and even a walk to the chip shop, with chips as a reward. We have completed numerous badges this year with Experiment, Navigator, Space, Safety, Health and Fitness, plus lots of activities towards our challenge badges. We have given out ten bronze awards this year, with four not too far off achieving theirs. We have also had two very successful sleepovers, with a few nervous Beavers doing their first ever night away from home, waking up in the morning with a big grin of their faces, because they had achieved staying for the whole night.
My thanks go to Alan, Sarah, Georgina for their continued support and help, also Bailey our Young Leader who has been amazing with the Beavers.
Our Robert Trotman Beaver of the year is ?????????? Sharon Field BSL
Cub Pack
Over the past year, the Cubs have engaged in a variety of exciting activities and events, enriching the experiences of all involved. Among the notable achievements, nine Silver Chief Scout Awards were presented, recognising the dedication and hard work of our Cubs. These awards are a significant milestone and reflect the commitment to personal development and the spirit of Scouting. The Cubs participated in several meetings, each focusing on different skills and badges. Activities ranged from creative crafts, such as Halloween Craft, to practical skills challenges that included making a boat and pitching tents. The naturalist badge sessions fostered an appreciation for the environment, while the water and archery meetings provided opportunities for physical activity and skill enhancement. Other memorable meetings included the Southern Water presentation and engaging game nights with Wide Games and Capture the Flag. Each activity was carefully designed to provide fun while helping the Cubs learn various new skills. In addition to weekly meetings, the group enjoyed a couple of notable events. The Autumn Camp spanned three days and offered the Cubs the chance to experience the great outdoors. The hike, held just recently, allowed them to connect with nature and build camaraderie through adventure and teamwork.
I would like to extend a special thank you to our leaders, John and Rosie, for their excellent programme planning and dedicated efforts in making this year so enjoyable for the Cubs. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed, and the time and energy you devoted to enriching the lives of our young Scouts are truly appreciated. As we move forward, a heartfelt thank you goes to the Cubs for their enthusiasm and spirit, which continuously brings joy to our meetings. We also express our gratitude to the parents for their unwavering support and to all volunteers who work behind the scenes, helping to ensure that our Scout group runs smoothly. Here’s to another year of exploration, learning, and adventure in Scouting! Naomi Norton CSL
Scout Troop
The Scout Troop have been very engaged and active this year with a camp and more coming up. As well as competing in a shooting competition, enjoying archery and much more. In group sessions the Scouts have been focusing on achieving their gold award with a lot of attention on the teamwork and creative badge. With this we have focused on running a balanced program which will cover all skills that we need them to learn in life but also in Scouting. The number of badges achieved this year has been phenomenal with a lot of Scouts coming close to earning their gold awards. We have steps in place to run another camp and to get an expedition underway. We had a good turn out to the parades this year like the Saint George Day parade and look to try and get as many Scouts attending as possible. We currently have 23 scouts on the books and plan to expand and encourage any others to join. We will continue to run a balanced program, and I can’t thank enough the help and dedication our amazing leaders and other helpers and parents for stepping in and making sure we can continue to run scouts.
Ash Thwaites SL
Financial Report
The Scout Group and Community Centre are one Charity but the funds are kept separate, with different bank accounts, for good financial reasons and to show that the subs paid by parents and carers are spent for the benefit of Scout members.
Scout Group
The Scout Group receives subscriptions for the youth members, part of which we pay to support the Scout District, the County Scouts and the HQ of the Scout Association. We then benefit from support for such things as the training of leaders and adult supporters plus the cost of Public Liability Insurance for all Scout members and Scout activities. The balance of subs enables leaders to provide the weekly meetings and equipment for all activities.
We continue to use the Gift Aid scheme and claimed back tax of £893 and also benefited from fundraising. We bought some new tents and other equipment. We ended the year with a surplus of £713 and bank balance of £11,112 which gives us the funds to continue to update equipment. The Trustees consider that we hold sufficient funds.
Northbrook Barn Community Centre
Whilst our takings from lettings are up £2,000 on last year, we have again only just managed to maintain a reasonable level of receipts compared with expenses, resulting in a deficit of £1,460. Many hirers struggle to attract sufficient numbers of members for their activities, suggesting folk do not having income to spare. We do have a capital reserve so we can draw on this but we do very much need to improve the level of lettings. Children’s birthday parties have increased again, due to the willingness of the Manager to volunteer to open the Centre for them.
We were again grateful to receive a grant of £6,410 from Worthing Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund (CIL) which enabled us to complete the heating upgrade. This was all part of our refurbishment project with the aim of reducing running and maintenance costs. We have this year seen a reduction in the electricity costs.
The Trustees continue to monitor our reserves, which ideally need to be increased. Thank you to all who have helped to look after the HQ/Centre, particularly our Manager, John Doswell. Keith Chapman, Hon Treasurer
Receipts & Payments Account Summary for the year ended 31 March 2025
| This Year | Last | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | ||
| £ | £ | |
| Total Receipts for the year (page 5) | 47,277 | 50,190 |
| Total Payments for the year (page 5) | 48,024 | 49,868 |
| Net Deficit for the year | (747) | 332 |
| Cash, bank and other funds brought forward at 1 April 2024 | 28,550 | 28,228 |
| Cash, bank and other funds at 31 March 2025 | £27,803 | £28,550 |
These accounts, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities and Report were approved by the Trustees on 19 May 2025 and signed on their behalf by
Steve Coleman Keith Chapman (chair) (hon treasurer)
Statement of Assets & Liabilities at 31 March 2025
| This Year | Last | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | ||||
| MONETARY ASSETS | £ | £ | ||
| Bank: | current accounts | Lloyds (Community Centre) | 615 | 1,071 |
| Lloyds (Scout Group) | 839 | 1,854 | ||
| deposit account | Lloyds (Community Centre) | 16,032 | 17,037 | |
| Lloyds (Scout Group) | 10,139 | 8,020 | ||
| Group cash card | Equals Money Ltd | 117 | 114 | |
| Cash in hand – Scout Group | 18 | 411 | ||
| Community Centre | 43 43 | |||
| Total | £27,803 | £28,550 |
NON-MONETARY ASSETS
Lease on land at Northbrook Barn, Squadron Drive, from Worthing Borough Council for a period of 99 years from 23 June 1998.
The Community Centre Building which was built on the land at Squadron Drive. The Contents of the Centre plus the Scout Group equipment.
Notes to the Accounts: -
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1) The Scout Group is the owner of the Northbrook Barn Community Centre and these accounts incorporate the figures for the Centre. The accounts have been drawn up on a receipts & payments basis, which is consistent with the previous year.
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2) 100% Charity Relief is received for the Council Tax.
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3) Reserve’s Policy – The Trustees are obliged to state their policy on the holding of a capital reserve. The Community Centre needs a substantial capital reserve against future building repairs but any surplus funds are currently needed to support the receipts and payments account.
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4) Division of Cash Funds: - Group
| 4) Division of Cash Funds: - Group Funds at 1 April 2024 Surplus/deficit for year Funds at 31 March 2025 |
Centre Scout £ £ 18,151 10,399 (1,460) 713 £16,691£11,112 |
|---|---|
Receipts for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Details | 2024/25 | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2023/24 | 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Durrington Scout Group | |||||||
| Membershipsubscriptions | 9,218 | ||||||
| less MembershipSubs to District,County& HQ | 5,436 | 3,782 | 3,933 | ||||
| Campfees & outings | 2,867 | 1,925 | |||||
| Sale of Polo/T-shirts | 156 | 183 | |||||
| Tax repayment on Gift Aid | 893 | 853 | |||||
| Fund raising | 188 | 170 | |||||
| Bank interest | 119 | 20 | |||||
| Grants/donations | 500 | 150 | |||||
| Sundryincome | 209 | 17 | |||||
| Sub Total of Scout Group | £8,714 | £7,503 | |||||
| Northbrook Barn Community Centre | |||||||
| Lettingincome received from dance classes,children’s nursery, | |||||||
| dogtraining,fitness classes,training&parties | 26,298 | 24,137 | |||||
| Sundrysources | 780 | 762 | |||||
| **Total of Lettings ** | £27,078 | £24,899 | |||||
| Bank interest | 185 | 161 | |||||
| Grants | 6,410 | 12,610 | |||||
| Sub Total of Community Centre | £33,673 | £37,670 | |||||
| Council tax relief @ 100%(note 2) | 4,890 | 5,017 | |||||
| TOTAL - Group & Centre | £47,2770 | £50,190 |
Payments for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Details | 2024/25 | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st DurringtonScoutGroup | ||||||
| Section expenses: | ||||||
| Badges | 778 | 880 | ||||
| Materials&food | 952 | 694 | ||||
| Sundries | 77 | 229 | ||||
| Camps & outings | 2,891 | 1,669 | ||||
| Sub Total of Sections | 4,698 | 3,472 | ||||
| GroupScarves/T-shirts | 509 | 301 | ||||
| Equipment | 1,271 | 372 | ||||
| Insurance for helpers | 52 | 52 | ||||
| GoCardless/OSM charges | 35 | 0 | ||||
| Sundries | 436 | 529 | ||||
| Sub Total ofScoutGroup | £7,001 | £4,726 | ||||
| Northbrook BarnCommunity Centre | ||||||
| Rentpaid to WBC | 1,990 | 1,582 | ||||
| Runningcosts &general maintenance of Centre | 11,570 | 10,523 | ||||
| Capitalprojects | 5,910 | 10,116 | ||||
| Insurances(building,contents,employer’s liability) | 3,623 | 4,497 | ||||
| Wages | 12,298 | 12,644 | ||||
| Office costs | 742 | 763 | ||||
| Sub Total ofCommunity Centre | £36,133 | £40,125 | ||||
| Council tax – 100% relieved(note 2) | 4,890 | 5,017 | ||||
| TOTAL -Group & Centre | £48,024 | £49,868 |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ members of |
Charity Name 1 |
1stDurrington Scout Group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On accounts for the year | Charity no | |||
| ended | 31 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 | (if any) | 1061896 |
| Set out on pages | Four and Five |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2025 DD / MM / YYYY .
Responsibilities and basis As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have statement come to my attention ( ~~other than that disclosed below~~ *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: A Cooper 24 June 2025 ~~Ps |~~ Name: Adrian Cooper ~~Ps~~ Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 10 Nepcote Findon, W Sussex BN14 0SD