# 1st Bedworth Preparing young people with skills for life AGM Report 2024 - 2025 ## Group details ## **Headquarters Address** : The Scout Headquarters, Off Church Way, Bedworth, Warwickshire, CV12 8LH ## **Email** : info@1stbedworth.co.uk **Website** : www.1stbedworth.co.uk **Facebook** : 1st Bedworth Scout Group **Charity Registration Number** : 1062109 ## Members of the Group Trustee Board during 2024 – 2025 Jason Arrowsmith _Group Chairperson_ Andy Clarke Luke Davis _Group Lead Volunteer (Group Scout Leader)_ _Group Treasurer_ _Elected Member_ Samantha Checklin _Elected Member_ Victoria Coyle _Elected Member_ Richard Ellis _Elected Member_ Paul Tedds _Co Opted Member_ Terry Oldman _Co Opted Member_ Phil Meek _Explorer Team Leader_ Page 2 ## Table of contents |Table of contents|| |---|---| |**Group details**|**2**| |**Members of the Group Trustee Board during 2024 – 2025**|**2**| |**Did you know?**|**4**| |**Group Chairperson’s Report**|**5**| |Scouting programme highlights|5| |Strengthening governance and operations|5| |Community engagement and Volunteer support|6| |Closing remarks|6| |**Group Lead Volunteer’s Report**|**7**| |**Treasurer’s report**|**9**| |**Squirrel Section Report**|**10**| |**Beaver Section Report**|**11**| |**Cub Section Report**|**12**| |**Scout Section Report**|**13**| |**Explorer Section Report**|**14**| Page 3 ## Did you know? 1st Bedworth held its first meeting in 1910 and has been a constant presence in the Bedworth Community since that date with thousands of youngsters and adults ‘passing through our doors’. We celebrated our ‘official’ centenary in 2014 because we didn’t register with ‘Headquarters’ until 1914 for reasons that are lost in history. We are one of the largest Scout Groups in Warwickshire and still growing. We currently have 31 Beavers in our Beaver Colony, 42 Cubs in 2 Cub Packs, 52 Scouts in 2 Scout Troops & 24 Explorers in our Explorer Unit. Our youngsters are supported by 45 adults in Leader or Support roles. All of these adults are volunteers and receive no payment. Haddon (Tuesday) Scout Troop was the very first ‘girls only’ Scout Troop in England & Wales and we believe it was the only ‘girls only’ Troop until we merged the two Troops together in 2023. All of the Adult members of 1st Bedworth have enhanced DBS (CRB) Disclosures, are first aid trained and receive additional training appropriate to their role. During an average year: - Members of 1st Bedworth camp for over 900 nights on 20 different overnight activities - Members earn over 1500 activity badges and our badge bill is around £1700 - It costs around £8,500 to light, heat, insure & maintain our headquarters building (Scout Hut) - We provide over 9000 contact sessions for our youth members With the exception of some large equipment purchases, all of the costs of providing the headquarters building, running weekly activities, buying badges, insurance, training leaders and so on are paid by the monthly membership fee (subs) of £12 (increased to £13 in May 2024) that each youth member pays. Page 4 ## Group Chairperson’s Report On behalf of 1st Bedworth Scout Group, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our Trustees, Section Leaders, and all dedicated volunteers. Your ongoing commitment, passion, and time have been instrumental in what has been yet another immensely rewarding year. Thanks to your contributions-including attendance at meetings, fundraising, providing transport, and maintaining the Scout Hut-we have continued to deliver a robust and meaningful Scouting experience. Our group’s success would simply not be possible without your collective effort. ## Scouting programme highlights Our Scouting programme has remained strong throughout the year, offering exciting, skill-building opportunities to our youth members. I encourage everyone to review the Annual Section Reports from Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers for a detailed overview of activities. Over the past 12 months, we successfully delivered over 30 events and camps, including: - District Camp - Two Cub Canal Narrowboat Camps - Beavers’ Trip - Group Summer Camp - Explorers’ Camp Nike - District St. George’s Day Parade - Bedworth Armistice Day Parade In addition to these events, weekly section meetings have been delivered consistently, developing confidence, teamwork, and life skills among our young people. I would also like to commend our adult leaders for their continued participation in Scouting training. Additionally, we are proud to see increasing involvement from our Young Leaders, whose enthusiasm and dedication are vital to the future of our group. ## Strengthening governance and operations To meet the evolving governance expectations of The Scout Association and UK Charity Commission, we have successfully established the 1st Bedworth Scout Group Trustee Board. This structure allows the Trustee Board to oversee charity governance, compliance, and strategic direction, while the Group Leadership Team delivers the operational and programme-related tasks. This alignment ensures long-term sustainability and operational clarity. We were pleased to welcome 2 new trustees this year, strengthening our board’s ability to: - Act in the charity’s best interests - Ensure sound financial management Page 5 - Comply with relevant charity laws and regulations - Identify and manage risks - Oversee the group’s adherence to The Scout Association’s constitution and policies The implementation of this governance framework places us in a strong position to support future growth and ensure compliance with our obligations. ## Community engagement and Volunteer support Community engagement remains at the heart of our success. We have continued to actively involve parents and guardians across a variety of initiatives-ranging from fundraising and events to hands-on support with hut maintenance and camp logistics. This collaboration has had a direct impact on our ability to run successful, high-quality programmes. We remain incredibly thankful for this support and warmly welcome any new volunteers to join our efforts. We also encourage existing volunteers to stay engaged-every hour given contributes to positive outcomes for our young members. ## Closing remarks In closing, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all members of our Scouting family-trustees, volunteers, leaders, young people, and their families-for their unwavering dedication to 1st Bedworth Scout Group. Looking ahead, we are excited to build on the progress of the past year, embrace new opportunities, and continue delivering impactful Scouting experiences. Your feedback is always welcome, as we strive to evolve and improve for the benefit of our young people. Together, we will ensure Scouting continues to thrive in Bedworth. **Jason Arrowsmith** _Group Chairperson_ Page 6 ## Group Lead Volunteer’s Report Well, what a year. We’ve seen a brand new Section and age group join our Scouting family with the introduction of Squirrels, expanded our Beaver team and re-opened a second Beaver Colony, had amazing levels of retention through Cubs, Scouts and Explorers. All of this could not have happened without the support of every volunteer, Youth Member and their families coming together as a team and safely delivering a fantastic, varied programme of activities. **Thank you** . It was a fantastic year for 1st Bedworth which has seen our membership steadily increase, our members taking part in a huge variety of activities which are delivered by a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer team, supported by our amazing Trustees and Support teams, and all of our volunteers adapting fantastically well to changes in Scouting. We are in a strong position going forward. We continue to be one of the most active Groups in Nuneaton. Our headquarters building known as the ‘Scout Hut’ is fit for purpose and provides a great base for our weekly meetings and for overnight activities. We are continuing to steadily develop our facilities. Over the last year we have seen the continuation of the reboarding of the exterior walls and the updating of the outdoor lighting. Thank you to everyone who has been involved with any aspect of this work. Our members in all Sections have been working hard towards their badges and awards and a massive total of **1,247 activity badges** and challenge awards, **8 Chief Scout Acorn** , **6 Chief Scout Bronze** awards and **5 Chief Scout Gold** awards have been awarded across the Group. 1st Bedworth remains an active part of Nuneaton District, enjoying an incredible District Camp which saw over 600 young people and volunteers from Nuneaton and Bedworth coming together for a weekend of activities. 1st Bedworth has been incredibly active in the community over the last year, with our Young People working with the Fire Station, Army, library, local church and Police, to name a few. We have assisted with the Bedworth Lions Santa Run and the Civic Bonfire for a number of years now. We are always out in force on the British Legion Remembrance Day Parade and we have a growing presence on the annual Armistice Day Parade. Over this year, we have also seen a new volunteer management system, putting a larger emphasis on making available training more transparent and easier to access. To ensure as smooth a transition as possible there has been considerable work put in behind the scenes both directly by the admin teams and indirectly by each individual volunteer. This has been a huge amount of work happening in the background and I’d like to personally thank each volunteer for everything they have done in order to make the transition a success. The new system will continue to grow and evolve over the coming months and years. Since we launched our parent rota in November 2021, where we are asking that all parents/carers commit to volunteering at least 1 night every 6 months at a meeting with (or without!) their child, we have had a huge total of **190 extra volunteers** on meeting nights and even more on different camps and activities. Your help and support has been invaluable to the successful running of our Group; **thank you** . Our Trustee team has grown over the course of the year, and have been working hard behind the scenes to Page 7 make sure that we remain compliant in what we are doing as a Group, ensuring that we keep our equipment and building fit for purpose, maintaining good financial controls and helping to plan ahead for our future. A huge thank you to our Young Leader Team who are active and provided superb Leadership support to our Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Young Leaders are aged between fourteen and eighteen years old. They give up a lot of their time to work on their Leadership training and to play a full part as members of the Section Leadership teams to plan and run activities for our younger members. They receive training which includes safeguarding and First Aid to give them the tools they need for this very important role. I would like to thank all of the volunteers of the Leadership and Support teams for their dedication and hard work providing a first rate Scouting experience for all of our members. I would also like to thank all of our Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Explorers for being so enthusiastic and supporting our activities, demonstrating great teamwork and supporting each other and their Leaders. You are a credit to your parents and peers. Finally I would like to thank all of our parents and carers who, week after week, make sure our members are able to attend their activities, supporting the Leaders and for helping their child/ward get the most out of Scouting. **Andy Clarke** _Group Lead Volunteer_ Page 8 ## Treasurer’s report 1st Bedworth Scout Group has had a very good year, with stable growth in our membership and a variety of adventurous activities throughout the year. The overall accounts show a cash surplus of £23,644 underpinned by donations of £29,591. This year we received a large donation, left to 1st Bedworth Scout Group in a will to which we are very grateful for. Without this donation we would have shown a net surplus in our accounts of around £6,000, however this was anticipated as we have not processed a gift aid claim within the financial year. That gift aid is still available to us and will subsequently be claimed back for the group. Our overall Subscriptions Received increased from £16,446 to £17,342. Our subscription fees received was £17,342, up £3,577 on last year. This is a combination of a small subs increase, plus growth in our membership numbers. We appreciate all of your support in paying your child’s subs in a timely manner so that we can continue to provide fun and adventure for your children. Last year we increased our Subscription fees from £12 to £13 per month in line with our rising costs such as capitation fees and insurance. Our overall expenses increased by around 21% from £34,009 to £41,131, with notable increases on capitation fees (£2,172 increase) and insurance (£1,790 increase). Our capitation fees have increased due to our growth in membership, along with cost rises passed on from The Scouts Association, and our insurance has increased following a revaluation of our Scout Hut, ensuring we are sufficiently covered in the event of any damage or loss to our premises. We have also invested more in maintaining our Scout Hut, such as the continuation of the new Shiplap cladding to protect and maintain the building. Overall 1st Bedworth has been very successful in managing expenses in line with the cost of living impact, and is in a strong position to continue doing so in the future. **Luke Davis** _Group Treasurer_ Page 9 ## Squirrel Section Report 2024/2025 has been a fantastic start for our newest section Squirrels. We have done many visits in our local community including, the fire station, the church and the library. We have also had visits from the Local PCSO and army personnel. A couple of Squirrels did a day visit to district camp enjoying activities never done before like kayaking and canoeing. We enjoyed the first Squirrel sleepover with another Drey from Nuneaton District. This allowed the Squirrels to be independent and gain self confidence whilst having so much fun. They were able to prepare and make their own foods, practice fire lighting, climbing, den building and plenty of team games. For some Squirrels this was their first sleepover away from home with great success, we were all very proud of them. Throughout this first year the Squirrels have earnt a massive **135 Badges** with **8 of the Squirrels completing their Chief Scouts Acorn** , which is the highest achievement they could gain. We have already linked 2 Squirrels successfully into Beavers to continue their Scouting journey with several more to go up soon. A massive thank you for allowing me this opportunity to create this fantastic Section. An even bigger thank you for all the parent and leader support, especially when I needed time off with a new baby. Finally, a big well done to all of the Squirrels for their hard work and determination in every challenge and for always having fun. ## **Sophie Morris** _On behalf of the Squirrel Leadership Team_ Page 10 ## Beaver Section Report 2024/ 2025 has been a great year for the beavers, we joined the rest of the group at the Nuneaton District Camp, which saw the beavers camping in a tent for two nights, taking part in a variety of activities such as kayaking, go karting, bouldering and rifle shooting. We have awarded a massive 269 badges this year, with nine of the Beavers completing their Chief Scout Bronze award, which is the highest award in the Beaver Section. A massive thank you to all the parents who have supported us via the Parent Rota, your continued support allows us to provide such a varied programme for the Beavers. The beavers have had a great year and we look forward to the adventures the next year brings. ## **Charlie Hart & Graham Cheney** _On behalf of the Beaver Leadership Team_ Page 11 ## Cub Section Report The past year has been one of significant achievement, growth, and adventure for the Hopkins and Walton Cub Packs. Our Cubs have developed new skills, built lasting friendships, and earned recognition for their efforts - all made possible by the unwavering commitment of our volunteer leaders and the continued support of parents and guardians. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the parents who have supported us throughout the year - whether by volunteering, assisting at events, or simply ensuring Cubs could attend by providing transport. Your involvement plays a vital role in the success of our programme. Over the course of the year, we are proud to have awarded a total of 393 badges and 28 Joining In Awards - a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication shown by our Cubs. Among the highlights of the year were several highly successful camping experiences, including two Narrowboat Camps, Digital Camp, and participation in District Camp and upcoming Cubs District Camp. These events provide invaluable opportunities for our young people to explore the outdoors, develop resilience, and have fun while learning essential skills. We offer our congratulations to all our Cubs for their continued hard work, positive attitude, and commitment to the Pack. We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to another year filled with exciting opportunities and continued success. Thank you all for being part of this rewarding journey. **Dale Hammond & Danni Randle** _On behalf of the Cub Leadership Team_ Page 12 ## Scout Section Report This has been another fantastic year filled with exciting camps and activities for our Scouts. On our regular troop nights, they’ve improved their pioneering skills, budgeted and took part in cooking competitions, learned first aid skills, and tested their navigation on hikes. The Wilson troop also had a special visit from Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire on their life skills night. The Scouts have also enjoyed a successful range of camps. In 2024, they enjoyed yet another one of Mel’s summer camps; this time in the New Forest, which included a bike ride, a trip to Portsmouth historic dockyard, and a trip to Brownsea Island, which was the location of the first ever scout camp. The Scouts also got involved with Stu’s Supertroop night hike, practiced their survival skills on Pete’s Back to Basics camp, and learnt about the history of space exploration in Jess’s winter camp. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Andy for his outstanding support, not only from me personally, but from the entire Scout leadership team. I also want to thank every member of that team, along with the friends and family who continue to support them in their roles. Your collective dedication and encouragement make a real difference. **Mel Bond & Stuart Dunnigan** _On behalf of the Scout Leadership Team_ Page 13 ## Explorer Section Report At Explorers we try to make the program enjoyable and educational by offering a varied program. We try to teach the members all the life skills to be able to cope in today’s society from cooking and socialising, to working with people they would not normally choose to work with. In addition to the normal meeting nights the Explorers have taken part in several activities involving the other Explorer Units from Nuneaton and Bedworth District like the backwoods cooking, sewing bee and the district quiz, being able to meet new explorers or realising that people they already know are also explorer scouts. The young leaders have been very helpful with some of them helping plan some programmes and others engaging the members of other sections and helping deliver the programmes. The explorer unit has continued to grow in size this year with most attending regularly. It has been a pleasure working with and getting to know all of the Explorers as we have a variety of personalities within the Unit which makes it enjoyable to see how each member develops by learning new skills. ## **Phil Meek** _On behalf of the Explorer Leadership Team_ Page 14 I. BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Registered Charity Number 1062109 ATmstrongs Bishop Simmons Limited Gethin House 36 Bond Street Nuneaton Warwickshire CVII 4DA Pag¢ I IndependeDt Examiner'5 Report to the Trustees of the I. Bedwortb Scout Group I report to the charity trustees on my examination of tbe accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 2 to 6. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trnstees you arc responsible for the prcpardtion of the accounts in accordance with the requiretnents of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). l ￿port in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examinalion I have followed all thc applicablc I)irections given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent exAmiDer'$ statement I have completed my examination. I confmn that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with th¢ cxamination giving me Cause to belicve that in any material respect: . accounting records w¢re not kept in T¢spect of th¢ charity as r¢quired by section 130 of the Act. or 2. th¢ accounts do not accord with those records. or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable rcquirements concerning the forni and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Rq)orts) R¢gulations 2008 other than any requir¢ment that th¢ accounts give a 'tru¢ aod fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and bave 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. Mrs J A Biggs FCCA CTA Annstrongs Bishop Sirnmons Limit¢d Chartered Accountants Gethin House 36 Bond Street Nuneaton Warwi¢kshir¢ CVII 4DA Date: 1st BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP Page 2 STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Note 2025 2024 Income Subscriptions received Camps and activities Fund rdising activities Rent and other income 17.342 13,740 333 33,360 16,446 12,793 205 5,057 10 64,775 Expenditure Fund raising costs Activities and awards Rent, rates and insurance Power, light and heat Printing, postage and stationery Equipment hire and maintenance Premises expenses Accountancy Other costs 34,501 1.782 18,368 5,192 3,368 2,015 17,807 3,586 2,260 464 12 13 14 15 16 17 317 2230 570 9,304 380 540 6.957 19 41,131 34,009 Surplus before depreciAtion Depreciation 23,644 492 18 Net Surplus 23,644 492 1st BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP Page 3 BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025 Iyote 2025 2024 Flxed Assets Leasehold Propety Equipment Furniture and Fixtures Current Assets Stock Prepayments Bank 205 4,245 142,242 694 3,558 118.767 146,692 1,112 Current Liabilities 123,019 1,083 Net Current Assets 145,580 121,936 Net Assets 145.580 121,936 Financed by: Revaluation reserve Surplus brought forward Sury)lus for year Transfer to revaluation reserve 121,936 23,644 121,444 492 Suryilus carried forward 145,580 121,936 145,580 121,936 Approved by the Committee and Si￿ed on its behalf:_ Date: Page 4 1st BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Note Description 2025 2024 Fixed Assets Leasehold Propety Leasehold Property Depreciation Equipment Equipment Depreciation Furniture and Fixtures Furniture and Fixtures Depreciation 50,000 (50,000) 17,337 (17,337) 585 (585) 50,000 (50,000) 17,337 (17,337) 585 (585) On I st April 1998, the scout hut and equipment were revalued at £50,000 and £9,750 respectively. Fixed assets are depreciated, on a straight line basis, over their estimated useful lives. Estimated useful lives are as follows: Leasehold propety Equipment Furniture and fixtures 20 years 7 years 7 years 20 years 7 years 7 years Stocks of Miscellaneous Goods 205 694 Prepayments 4,245 3,558 Prepayments represent insurance premiums either paid or contracted for in advance of the period of service/ cover and therefore not charged to the Statement of Income and Expenditure. Bank Current Account Capitation Account Building Fund OSM Account Natwest Account Petty Cash 5,471 100,785 28,391 1,184 5,928 483 3,205 80,328 27,859 769 6,291 315 142,242 118,767 Accruals 1,112 1,083 Page 5 1st BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Note Description 2025 2024 Revaluation Reserve The balance on the revaluation reserve represents the £59,750 surplus on revaluation of the leasehold propety and equipment, less cumulative depreciation of £59,750 charged on the revalued assets. Subscriptions Received Gift Aid Received 17,342 13,765 2,681 17,342 16,446 Income - Camps and Activities 13,740 12,793 Income - Fund Raising Activities Income - Tuckshop 17 316 205 333 205 l O Donations Received Interest Received Miscellaneous Income Unifornis 29,591 2,398 370 1,971 31 2,685 1,364 33,360 5,057 I l Goods Purchased for Resale Opening Stock Closing Stock 1,293 694 (205) 1,782 1,596 1,113 (694) 2,015 12 Activities and Awards Badges and Awards Equiprnent and Supplies 17,331 1.037 15,312 1,047 1,448 18,368 17,807 Page 6 1st BEDWORTH SCOUT GROUP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Note Description 2025 2024 13 Rates &Water Rates Premises and Equipment Insurance Ground Rent 451 4,741 635 2,951 5,192 3,586 14 Electricity 3,368 2,260 15 Website costs Office Stationery 464 464 16 Mini Bus Hire Equipment Repairs 317 317 17 Buildings Maintenance 2,230 380 18 Leasehold Premises Depreciation Equipment Depreciation 19 Training Costs Capitation Fees Bank Charges Computer Costs Licences Miscellaneous Expenses 323 7,700 76 347 5,528 125 221 984 96 861 9,304 6,957