## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01/04/2023 Period start date To 31/03/2024 Period end date**
**Charity name: BLYTH VALLEY DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL**
## **Charity registration number: 1116322**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The Purpose of Scouting
Scouting exists to actively engage and
support young people in their personal
development, empowering them to make a
positive contribution to society|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|The District of Blyth Valley covers and
operates over the areas of Blyth,
Cramlington and Seaton Valley of
Northumberland County and provides
services to further the Scout Association’s
purpose. These services undertaken by
volunteers support the provision to Beaver
Scouts (6-8 years), Cub Scouts (8-10 years)
and Scouts (10-14 years), through scout
groups, within the district and directly by the
District to Explorer Scouts (14-18 years) and
members of the Scout Network (18-25
years). The services include the provision of
a programme of activities for all the young
members, the provision of equipment,
premises and facilities to support the
activities and necessary administrative
support. Training for the District adult
volunteers and those within the Scout
Groups is provided by the district through the
provision of the required expertise or a
service offered by Northumberland Scout
County, to ensure everyone has the required
skills and expertise to undertake their roles
as defined by The Scout Association.
Provision of the services is funded via
membership
fees,
fundraising
and|
donations. Statement confirming Para 1.18 whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|In 2024, the District maintained its
support for scouting activities,
including funding for Scouts to attend
international camps. Several training
camps also received fnancial backing.
Investments were made in maintaining
District assets, fnalised the
construction of a new toilet block at
the Selby Wood campsite Additionally,
progress continued on returning
Walker Hall to the County Council,
reducing the District’s building-related
liabilities. Continued investment at
Spylaw to improve facilities|
**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41||
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|n/a|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|n/a|
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21||
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The aim is to have at least two years
running cost as a reserve in an
accessible account.|
|Amount of reserves held|**Para 1.22**|£6840|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|n/a|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|n/a|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|n/a|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
The Districts main source of funding is
through the annual levee.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|No investment policy at present|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|The organisation operates under the Scout
Association Policy Organisation and Rules.
(POR March 2024)|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Trust|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Election at District AGM of the Scout
Council held in May each year.|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Blyth Valley District Scout Council|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|n/a|
|Registered charity number|1116322|
|Charity’s principal address|Scout Association
39 Horsley Avenue
Shiremoor
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NE27 0UG|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Neil Robinson|District Lead
Volunteer|||
||Simon Miller|District Chair|||
||Paul Kelly|District Explorer
Commissioner|||
||Kevin Appleby|Trustee|||
||Dave McGlen|Trustee|||
||Lynn Horrocks|Treasurer|||
||KirstyHopkirk|Trustee|||
||Neal Armiger|Trustee|||
||Stu Bennet|Trustee|||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
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||||||
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– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity
Name and objects of the n/ charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for n/a safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser**
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Simon Miller ~~ee~~ **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc)** ~~es~~ **Date** 29/01/2025 ~~|~~
## **Blyth Valley Scout District**
## **Accounts for the year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024**
## **Income & Expenditure Account**
|||**Expenses**|**Income**|**Nett**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||£|£|£|
|**Capitation**||-20,482|22,990|2,508|
|**Premises**|||||
|Seghill||-1,196||-1,196|
|Selby Wood||-9,423|8,942|-481|
|Spylaw||-820|1,158|338|
|Walker Hall||-2,175||-2,175|
|**Explorers**||-3,259|3,314|54|
|**General**||||-10|
|Bank Interest|||87||
|Fire Extinguisher Service||-109|||
|Garage Rent||235|||
|Grants|||||
|Insurance||-52|||
|Miscellaneous||-61|||
|Poppy Appeal||-110|||
|Consolidation adjustment||1,850|-1,850||
|Deficit for year|||962||
||£|-35,602|35,602||
|**Balance Sheet**||**as at 31st March**|**2024**||
|**Current Assets**|||||
|Bank Accounts|||||
|District Deposit||6,789|||
|District Current||3,955|||
|Explorers||833|||
|Selby Wood||9,231|||
|Walker Hall||17|20,825||
|**Less Current Liabilities**|||||
|Selby Wood Creditors||-2,690|||
|Grants owed to 2nd Cramlington||-446|-3,136||
|||£|17,690||
|**Represented by**|||||
|Explorers|||||
|Brought forward||715|||
|Add Surplus||54|||
|Add paid by District||63|||
||||833||
|Selby|||||
|Brought forward||6,026|||
|Less Deficit||-481|||
|Add paid by District||995|||
||||6,541||
|District|||||
|Brought forward||9,941|||
|Less Deficit||-535|||
|Selby Payment||-995|||
|Explorer Payment||-63|||
||||8,347||
|Gang Show|||1,968||
|||£|17,690||
## **Blyth Valley Scout District Accounts for the year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 Analysis of premises and groups**
|**Seghill**
**Expenditure**
Electricity
Gas
Legal Fees
Maintenance
Deficit for year
**Selby Wood**
**Expenditure**
Donation to Farm
Fuel
Insurance
Power Washer
Running Expenses
Solar System
Toilet Block
**Income**
Grant
Site Fees
Deficit for year
**Spylaw**
**Expenditure**
Fuel
Insurance
Running Expenses
**Income**
Site Fees
Surplus for year
**Walker Hall**
Insurance
Gas
Electricity
Water
Deficit for year
**Explorers**
**Expenditure**
Badges
Camp & Events
Capitation
OSM
Rent
Tent Repair
**Income**
subs
Camp & Events
Surplus for year|-191
-34
-550
-421
£
-1,868
-151
-995
-200
-219
-4,021
-1,969||
|---|---|---|
|||-1,196|
||||
||£
3,870
5,072|-9,423|
||£
£
-100
-674
-46|8,942|
|||-481|
||||
||£
-1,195
-39
-407
-533|-820
1,158|
|||338|
||||
||£
-31
-904
-1,650
-35
-600
-40|-2,175|
||||
||£
2,865
449|-3,259|
||£
£|3,314|
|||54|
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Blyth Valley District Scout Council**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Blyth Valley District Scout Council (the Council) for the year ended 31[st] March 2024.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Council, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the Council’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Council as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
In carrying out my examination I have noted that there are some deficiencies in the manner in which the various accounting records have been maintained and the consistency of the records between different areas of the Council. I have also noted that key financial controls have not been working effectively throughout the financial period, including the setting of budgets to effectively control expenditure, the use of cash receipts to pay out of pocket expenses and the recognition of income as opposed to cash movements or amounts held on account for other entities. The previous two independent examiner’s reports have already highlighted these deficiencies in detail and the new board of trustees appear to be taking action to address the concerns raised, however this change came into force towards the end of the financial period and therefore the impact of these actions will be felt in coming years.
Signed:
Name: John Alexander Lawson
Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): FCA member of ICAEW
Address: 6 Annfield Road, Cramlington, NE23 3GY
Date: