OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator. This document is also available as Markdown.

← 4th Ashby Scout Group

2025-08-31-accounts

Annual Report 2024 - 2025

e WW 4[PN] ‘ (iS ee f e ae idee [eee eee Po Ses - ; Se eS ite. Eamecoe ae

Dy ~~ 3 * gy os)

==> picture [403 x 54] intentionally omitted <==

Contents

Contents
Contents 2
Reference and Administration Details 4
Structure, governance and management 4
Group Trustee Board 5
What are AGMs? 6
Scouting Objectives and activities 7
4th Ashby Scouts 7
Public beneft statement: 7
Risk Assessment 8
Financial Overview 8
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of 4th Ashby Scout Group 10
Receipts & Payments Report: Year Ended 31/08/25 11
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the end of the year 12
Review of 2024 - 2025 13
Trustee’s Report 13
Group Lead Volunteer’s Report 14
Seeonnee Cub Pack 14
Waingunga Cub Pack 16
Woodland Beaver Colony 17
Riverbank Beaver Colony 17
Combined Challenger and Discovery Scouts Report 18
Declaration 20
APPENDIX 21
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 7th Nov 2024 to approve at AGM 21

Reference and Administration Details

Charity name: Registered Charity Number: Scouts Association Registration Number: Charity’s principal address:

4th Ashby Scout Group

1125053 32054

Donisthorpe Scout Centre 3 Church Street, Donisthorpe Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 7PX

DE12 7PX
Trustee Name Offce Date inposition To be revoted in
PhilipJonathan Bloor GroupLead Volunteer and Trustee Reset April 24 Ex-offcio
Andrew Leake Cub Scout Lead Volunteer and Trustee Reset April 24 April 27
Alice Bush GroupVolunteer and Trustee Reset April 24 April 27
Nikki Davies Trustee and Chair EGM 23rd Nov 2023 April 27
Jess Southwart Treasurer Aug2024 Aug27
Mark Timson Trustee Reset April 24 April 27
Mark Randall Trustee EGM 23rd Nov 2023 April 27
Paul Wright Trustee EGM 23rd Nov 2023 April 27
Madeline Warren Trustee AGM 7thNov 2024 Nov 27

Notes:

Structure, governance and management

Type of governing document:

The Group’s governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the By-Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association. In line with the recommendation from The Scout Association, we adopt the model constitution for a Scout Group from Chapter 5c of Policy, Organisation and Rules. This can be found at

https://www.scouts.org.uk/por/5c-constitutions-of-groups-districts-and-counties-except-scotland/

How the charity is constituted:

4[th] Ashby Scout Group is an educational charity, with The Group Scout Council whose membership consists of Lead Volunteers, Section Volunteers, all Members and Associate Members of The Scout Association registered to the Group; all parents/carers of Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts; the Group Board of Trustees; with the District Commissioner and District Chair as ex-officio members.

Additional governance information:

The Group is managed by the Group Trustee Board, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout Group, an educational charity. Charity trustees are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate.

Our financial year is September 1[st] to August 31[st] .

Group Trustee Board

The Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together, as charity trustees, to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally. At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance. Effective Trustee Board governance helps our volunteers deliver fantastic programmes that give young people skills for life.

Who's in the team

Note - The Group Lead Volunteer is automatically a Trustees because of their roles in Scouts.

Our Scout Council has agreed that our Trustee Board should have a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 12 members. Appointed Trustees are appointed by the Group Scout Council for up to three years and can be re-appointed by the Scout Council at the AGM. Trustees may only be on the same Trustee Board for a maximum of nine years, before taking a break of at least three years. This applies to any role, but not ex officio Trustees (Lead Volunteers or Youth Leads).

All Trustees must complete:

We currently have 9 trustees, with one resignation and 4 incoming. 25/26 will see us have 12 trustees in total, with 3 trustees expressing their wish to retire at the 25/26 AGM.

Because of changes made by the Scout Association last year, the terms of trustees in position before this date were reset as of April 2024. No current board members need re-voting in as yet.

Trustee Recruitment and Selection Methods:

The Trustees are appointed following the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association. We have adopted an open selection process which has meant our vacant board positions have been advertised internally as well as externally on our Facebook & Linkedin pages as well as local community group’s facebook pages.

Trustees work together to make sure that we:

Manage money well

Follow Scouts policies and relevant legislation

Look after buildings, insurance and property

Manage risks

Help the charity to operate well, today and in the future

In carrying out the above, Trustees also:

What are AGMs?

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an opportunity for members, that’s every young person’s parents or guardians and all our adult leaders and helpers, to meet with the Trustees and hear their report on the charity, review of the accounts, and other administrative business.

It’s a compulsory yearly meeting that happens within 6 months of the end of the charity’s financial year, and where the Scout Council appoints their Trustees.

There’s a formal part to the AGM, but it doesn’t mean it has to be a lengthy or tedious meeting. This is an opportunity to celebrate the things you’ve done in the past year, show what the young people have achieved, thank volunteers and connect with the local community.

You can find more information here:

https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/trustee-boards/annual-general-meetings/

Scouting Objectives and activities

The Purpose of Scouting

Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to contribute positively to society.

The Values of Scouting

As Scouts, we are guided by these values:

The Scout Method

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

4[th] Ashby Scouts

Vision

We want to deliver first class scouting to as many children in our local area as possible, to give all involved inspiring opportunities to do and be our best and develop life skills to make our world better.

Mission

We want to continue to grow our successful scouting offer to our full capabilities without compromise on the quality of experience, by enabling flexible volunteering and keeping scouting fun.

Public benefit statement:

The Group meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings.

Risk Assessment

Financial Overview

This year was our first full year after our 18 month move over to our new financial year of Sept - Aug to align us with the scouting year and our usual largest intake. This 18 month period obviously meant a longer period of time for donations and income, which makes 24/25 seem smaller, but is in fact as expected. We received £16,800 over the 23/24 18 month period, including a large one-off personal donation of £10,000, as well as £5,000 from the Rotary Club towards specific building projects. In 2024/25 we received £2,471.

This year has also seen far less income and outcome focused on hall improvements than 23/24. We would describe 24/25 as a business as usual year. 23/24 saw £19k of grants for specific project expenditure, versus this year's grants of £600. General running expenses are broadly the same across accounting periods and inline with budgets.

As you may know, we are able to claim Gift Aid back from HMRC as a registered charity. I know that we do send reminders often to ask our members to update your gift aid permission, but the reason for this is obvious when you see the £9k that we were able to claim back for the 23/24 period. At the moment we have an average of 82% of people signed up for this and we expect our claim to be about £4.5k for this year, but if more people signed up then we could claim back more. Please do check that you have ticked the Gift Aid button on Online Scout Manager if you are a UK tax payer. If you are unsure if you can claim, here's a great link for you to explain more about it https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/gift-aid/. We see no personal information about income or finances at all, we simply make the claim through HMRC.

Next year's budget is also expected to be “Scout Business As Usual”, although we are planning to upgrade some of our equipment, possibly with the surplus in reserves. We also need to understand the next steps with the building so costs may be incurred here. 2026 is also our 50th Anniversary year so we are planning a celebration of some sort, where a cost may be incurred but we are still in the early stages of planning this.

In January we put our subs up to £13 to ensure budgeted costs were covered and we will continue to monitor this to ensure the budgets balance.

Reserves Policy:

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 Group Executive Committee considers that the group should hold a sum equivalent to 6 months of running costs, circa £13,000.

The Group held reserves of approximately £17k against this at year-end. This is above the level required for operating expenses. Leaders have highlighted that a significant investment in our Scouting equipment will be needed during the camping season due to many items reaching the end of their useful life.

Reserves Policy: 5,000
950
1,050
5,000
1,000
to cover any Event commitments
to cover any utilities or building costs
to cover 3 months rent
to cover any unforeseen loss of income/emergency running costs
to cover any cashfow issues with pre-paid cards
13,000

Investment Policy:

The Group does not have sufficient funds to invest in long-term investments. The Group has therefore adopted a risk-averse strategy to invest its funds. All funds are held in cash using only recognised UK banks or building societies.

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of 4[th] Ashby Scout Group

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the 4[th] Ashby Scout Group for the year ended 31 August 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the 4[th] Ashby Scout Group 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 4[th] Ashby Scout Group 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 4[th] Ashby Scout Group as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Signed:

Name: Sarah-Jane Statham

Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): ACMA,CTA, TEP Address: 2 Cotswold Way Ashby de la Zouch LE65 1ET

Date: 1st November 2025

Receipts & Payments Report: Year Ended 31/08/25

Receipts 01/09/24 - 31/08/25
Unrestricted Funds
£		 01/03/23 - 31/08/24
Unrestricted Funds
£
Membership Subscriptions 21,333.00 29,564.00
Less membership fees paid on
(To district, county, and national)		 (9,193.80) (16,020.70)
Net Membership Subscriptions Retained 12,139.20 13,543.30
Bank Interest 314.17 736.28
Donations 2,471.41 16,800.00
Events (Activities/Camp) 16,366.25 27,139.26
Events (Group e.g AGM, etc) 37.20 113.41
Fundraising (Easy Fundraising/Amazon and any others) 325.15 283.57
Gift Aid (received after year end) 0.00 3,627.32
Grant Income 550.00 18,982.75
Member/Other Payment Refund 0.00 0.00
Other Income (e.g. Badge sales) 40.84 84.00
Total Receipts 32,244.22 81,309.89
Payments 01/09/24 - 31/08/25
Unrestricted Funds
£		 01/03/23 - 31/08/24
Unrestricted Funds
£
Admin (Sundries/Website/Training) 483.08 993.94
Badges & Uniform 1,587.42 3,168.12
Bank Fees (Go Cardless, OSM, CAF) 1,038.37 1,406.84
Equipment 2,337.88 1,894.65
Events (Activites/Camp) 15,770.54 27,758.91
Events (Group e.g AGM, etc) 569.35 754.77
Grant Expenditure 0.00 17,374.21
Insurance/Minibus Permits 271.73 552.34
Meeting Costs 1,775.89 2,301.19
Member/Other Payment Error 0.00 0.00
Other Expenses 0.00 0.00
Project Expenditure 0.00 37,687.39
Sub Total 23,834.26 93,892.36
Building Expenses
Phone/Broadband 319.37 271.99
Cleaning 1,817.12 2,834.41
Building Maintenance - Minor Works 6,399.52 3,045.32
Rent (inc Elec/Gas) 4,200.00 6,300.00
Sub Total 12,736.01 12,451.72
Total Payments 36,570.27 106,344.08
Net receipts/payments (4,326.05) (25,034.19)

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the end of the year Cash Funds 24/25 23/24 Bank Current Account 3,280.81 6,339.01 Bank Deposit Account 13,031.97 13,954.12 Pre-Paid Card Balance 547.09 892.79 Cash/Floats 6.00 6.00 Sub Total 16,865.87 21,191.92 ~~—S—~~ Sub Total 0.00 0.00 Net Cash Funds 16,865.87 21,191.92 ~~S===~~ Note Gift Aid Claim 2023-24 - received Sept 2025 9,073.52 0.00 Non-Monetary assets for own use 24/25 23/24 Badge Stock 1,108.08 1,186.79 Scouting Equipment/Furniture 12,000.00 10,000.00 Total 13,108.08 11,186.79

The above Receipts and Payments report and Statement of Assets and liabilities were approved document were approved by the trustees on 29/10/25

==> picture [54 x 71] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Wh
----- End of picture text -----

J Southwart Group Treasurer

N Davies Group Chair

Review of 2024 - 2025

Trustee’s Report

In Scouts our main priority is enabling young people to develop life skills and confidence whilst having fun and adventures – as safely as possible. Safety and safeguarding updates have continued from the national Scout Association, and we continue to follow their guidance and requirements and ensure we are fully compliant on all training requirements, with ALL members revisiting the Safety training this year.

We are continuing to work together to set group standards that will ensure, as we continue to develop our scouting offer, we are delivering the safest and most accessible scouting possible.

We have improved the facilities further in line with our fire and safety audits– safety and security are top of the agenda with door upgrades now in place.

Security of tenure still remains a risk we are acutely aware of and we continue to work with the District to try to be as secure as possible.

From a trustee perspective, we still need to bring on board a new treasurer this year – our current treasurer Jess is very happy to have a chat to anyone willing to support this role and full training will be given before any handover, so please get in touch if you can help. You do NOT need to be an accountant or have bookkeeping qualifications, any record keeping experience is fine.

Many, many thanks to our amazing scouting team, my fellow trustees and support team for their continuing efforts and help.

We did a large recruitment push this year and some parents did come forward – so thank you and welcome to the team. However, we do still need more people to join the scout team and more helpers to get involved. We do not want our volunteers to be at risk of overload. If you can spare any time please get involved – even if you’ve never done it before. We will help you every step of the way.

We also need help with the “operative” tasks, in other words the day-to-day tasks that need doing. If you can help in any way – social media, admin, fundraising and grant applications – the list goes on – we need you. Please email gtb@4thashby.org.uk and get involved.

We are a really friendly team and we need you.

A final note about financial pressures – In January we put our subs up to £13 to ensure costs were covered and we will continue to monitor this to ensure the budgets balance. As always, we do not want monetary restrictions to stop any child from accessing Scouts, so please do have a chat with a leader, or Jon or myself if we can help in any way. Many thanks for your understanding and continued support.

Nikki Davies

Trustee and Group Chair

Group Lead Volunteer’s Report

The continued support from our Executive Committee, parents, and volunteers has once again made a huge difference to me and all of the young people. Our leaders and I are especially grateful for everyone’s help in improving and maintaining Donisthorpe Scout Centre which is now a thriving base for meetings, training, and events thanks to the hard work of our volunteers.

Parents have been fantastic in assisting before and after meetings, preparing for camps, and helping to pack away at the end of busy trips. Having extra hands available in most sections when needed makes an enormous impact and helps ensure our young people get the most from their time in Scouting.

At the January 2025 census, our membership showed a small further growth amongst Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts, although our adult volunteer numbers dropped from 33 to 26. All sections continue to need additional leaders, especially at Scout age, where demand is highest . Even so, our section teams have performed brilliantly — delivering strong, consistent weekly programmes packed with adventure, learning, and fun. Every section has camped, hiked, sang around fires, and achieved badges in a huge range of skills from navigation to teamwork.

4th Ashby continues to thrive as one of the largest and most active Scout Groups in Leicestershire — the biggest in our District and currently one of the largest in the entire County. This is an incredible achievement and a reflection of the energy, commitment, and teamwork shown by our leaders and supporters.

Our waiting list has continued to grow, with more than 100 children ready to start if places become available. We’re proud that new members have been welcomed each term, but it’s clear there’s still strong demand for Scouting in Ashby.

A growing number of volunteers have completed or refreshed their modules this year, helping ensure we maintain safe, high-quality programmes. All adults also completed the new mandatory safety training, keeping our standards consistently high.

My sincere thanks go to every adult who gives their time, not only on meeting nights but also in the planning, preparation, and delivery of camps and special activities. Each section’s leadership team deserves real credit for their dedication and creativity, and our Young Leaders continue to impress with their enthusiasm, reliability, and growing skills.

Jon Bloor

Group Lead Volunteer

Seeonnee Cub Pack

September 24 We welcomed some new members to the group. We also undertook some personal challenges that everyone enjoyed. Additionally, we completed a pack forum and engaged in activities focused on healthy eating.

October 24 The Cubs worked hard towards their teamwork challenge and artist badge. We also had a fantastic fancy-dress Halloween party that everyone enjoyed! November 24 We had a wonderful time at the group AGM and fireworks evening. The Cubs completed their DIY badge by building wooden planters for outside the building, which they were

quite proud of. They also joined hundreds of others in Ashby’s Remembrance Sunday,
showing great respect.
December 24 The Cubs completed their Artist badge, and we celebrated with a lovely Christmas party
at the Scout centre. It was a wonderful way to end the year!
January 25 We welcomed some new members to the group and undertook various skills challenges.
The Cubs also completed the problem-solving section of the teamwork challenge badge,
which was a great achievement!
February 25 The Cubs completed their disability awareness badge. They conducted a survey of the
hut to identify areas for improvement. Additionally, they adapted games to suit a disabled
person and explored various types of equipment that can assist those with disabilities.It
was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
March 25 The Cubs continued their journey by completing their gardener’s badge! They learned
about different gardening equipment, including the associated dangers. They also
planted four different types of plants, herbs, and vegetables in the planters they made
before Christmas.
April 25 The Cubs had an enjoyable time at an Easter egg hunt at Willesley Campsite. We also
held an enjoyable camp at Ullesthorpe campsite with Waingunga Cubs. The Cubs had
the opportunity to try backwoods cooking, tomahawk throwing, and even sang some
songs around a campfre. It was a memorable experience for everyone!
May 25 The Cubs took part in a community litter pick around Donisthorpe memorial gardens.
They also built different types of shelters at Willesley and enjoyed a visit from
WaterAid.It was great to see them engaging in supporting the community.
June 25 We held our annual Father’s Day backwoods cooking evening, which was a delightful
experience for everyone. The Cubs also enjoyed bug hunting at Willesley. Additionally,
we had a fantastic camp at John’s Lee Wood campsite with Waingunga Cubs, where they
tried their hand at archery and rubber band gun shooting and went on a walk around
Bradgate park.
July 25 The Cubs had a fantastic time at our fnal meeting in July. They enjoyed mountain
boarding and go-karting at Willesley.It was a thrilling way to wrap up the term!
Summer During the summer, the leaders focused on planning for next year's summer camp at
Holidays Birch Hall near Scarborough. We’re looking forward to all the experiences this camp will
bring!

I’d like to extend a big thank you to Angie, Sean, Kirsty, and Harmony for their invaluable help during this period. We have also greatly benefited from regular support from Roz, one of the Beaver leaders. Additionally, I’m very grateful to all the parents who have helped with sessions or supported their Cubs. Your contributions are truly appreciated!

We have welcomed many Beavers into Cubs, along with a few new members from other Cub packs. While we've lost a few along the way, we're pleased with our current numbers. As of now, we have 29 Cubs, 4 adults, and 2 young leaders.

We continue to support the Cubs in working towards their Silver Award. I'm delighted to share that Darcey Simpson, James Wright, Ollie Cleobury, and Noah Wall have successfully completed their award. Well done to them!

Next year, we have our biennial summer camp booked at Birch Hall Scout campsite near Scarborough. The plan is for the Cubs to visit several exciting locations including the North Yorkshire Water Park, Dalby Forest,

Scarborough, Alpamare swimming baths, and Sky Trail adventure. It promises to be an action-packed experience. Spaces are filling up fast so if you are interested, please talk to me or book a space through OSM.

We're also exploring the opportunity to attend the County Cub trip next year, which will take place at Whipsnade Zoo on the 7th of March.

Thank you again for all the help I received.

Andrew Leake (Akela) Lead volunteer

Waingunga Cub Pack

The Waingunga cub pack has had another great year in 2024/2025. The section volunteering team of Chris (Bagheera), Kathryn (Hathi), Dan (Baloo) and Carrie (Chil) have continued through the year. We have additionally welcomed Beth (Raksha), David (Mowgli) and Carrick (Mang) to the section team. We have been supported by our amazing Young Leaders: Jake (Ikki), Oscar (Oo) and Caitlyn (Nag). We sadly said goodbye to Alice from the section team (but not the group) after four years of volunteering.

Having joined the section team in 2023, I have been proud to have seen my first cohort of cubs throughout their full journey in the pack. In 2024/2025 we carried out a varied programme:

Autumn Term 2024

As part of our Autumn 2024 programme, the Waingunga cub pack was lucky to be revisited by the 1st Ibstock Band, The Rotary Aquabox Scheme, and Peter Armitage MBE, who gave a talk about the Postal Service through the Second World War. We had a Halloween night hike and also successfully completed our tea towel holders as part of the DIY badge. We also had members of the pack who took part in the September group camp at Willesley campsite and the fun day trip and hike at Calke Abbey.

Spring 2025

Highlights from Spring 2025 included our Lego challenge night, working on the Navigator badge including a navigation walk around Ashby town centre as well as making tin can pancakes. We also had a fun session on the potholing course at Willesley campsite. In April we joined with the Seeonee pack for an enjoyable camp at Ullesthorpe Scout Campsite.

Summer 2025

In the Summer term we had another fun and busy programme. We worked on the Environmental Conservation badge including a litter pick at Donisthorpe memorial gardens. We also used the pedal go karts at Conkers and continued our annual tradition of a cycling session at Hicks Lodge. We also carried out shelter building, backwoods cooking and had a Katakanu session at Conkers at the end of August. We also had members that took part in the group sailing tasters, the fun day trip to RAF Cosford, and another great weekend camp at John Lees Wood Scout Campsite in June with the Seeonee pack.

Thank you to the support from the section volunteering team, parent helpers, group leadership team, trustees and other supporters - we couldn't have done it without all your help.

Chris (Bagheera)

Woodland Beaver Colony

Woodland Beaver Colony has grown this year to 25 Beavers. We have also welcomed Clair (Woodpecker) as a new leader.

Highlights of our activities this year included a visit to Ashby Fire Station, a tennis taster session at Ashby Lawn Tennis Club, and cycling at Hicks Lodge. In February, eight Beavers tried their hands at indoor kayaking, and seven more had fun at sailing at Foremark Reservoir. There was more water fun in March, when Woodland Beavers joined with Riverbank to take over Ashby School pool on a Saturday afternoon, where everyone gained a swimmer activity badge.

This year, Woodland Beavers have made the most of Willesley campsite, taking part in the caving experience and using the go-karts. We’ve learnt to tie knots and made kites, cooked some delicious backwoods dishes on the altar fires, gathered around the campfire, and used the whole campsite to practice our navigating and tracking skills.

At the Scout Centre we’ve built Lego racing cars, celebrated British Science Week with an evening of experiments, and tried a range of international Shrove Tuesday foods. We even spent an evening making our own percussion instruments and put on a short, but noisy, concert for those parents brave enough to attend!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Rachel (Owl), Clair, David, our amazing young Leaders, and all the parents who have volunteered their help this last year.

Lynne (Fox)

Riverbank Beaver Colony

It almost seems a requirement that these reports start with “What a year!”. It's a cliche, yes. But we have had an enormous amount of fun over the last 12 months. So… “What a Year!”

We kicked off the autumn term playing wide games at Willesley Campsite, and had a lot of adventures including Caving and Go Karting.

We also made and launched bottle rockets, and earned our Communications Badge by learning the phonetic alphabet, decoding messages, and sending emails. Later in the term, we were joined by Richard Fraser (in full scottish dress) to tell us all about St Andrews Day, and our braver beavers even tried haggis. We also visited a local care home to sing Christmas carols and chat to the residents.

We managed 2 nights away in Autumn 24, taking part in the group camp at Willesley, and a Halloween themed sleepover at the DSC. Panther now has his Indoor Nights Away Permit, so we look forward to more nights away next year.

The weather and dark evenings kept us inside for most of the spring term, but we kept ourselves busy learning first aid, how to keep safe in the home and making bird feeders. We also went shopping at Tesco to donate groceries to the Ashby Food Bank.

The beavers also learned about the importance of recycling and how we can help the environment.

For Mothers Day, we invited our mums along to make hot chocolate stirrers.

At weekends, we also managed to fit in Indoor Kayaking sessions at New Parks Pool, and earned swimming badges thanks to the support of Splish Splash Swim School.

We kicked off the summer term with a bang, with 16 of our Beavers joining other sections in sailing at Foremark Reservoir.

Spending just one session inside (where we built and raced Lego cars), the rest of the term saw us building fires, pioneering, cycling round Donsithorpe Woods and following a trail around Ashby's Blue Plaques. We also invited dads to join us for some backwoods cooking and finished the year off with a water fight at Willesley Campsite

Sadly the year has seen the departure of part of our leadership team, with one of our Young Leaders, Rose (Cobra) stepping back to concentrate on exams. We also said goodbye to Frank Bridge (Gorilla) at Easter, followed by Richard Onions (Badger) in the summer as their respective youngest children moved up to cubs.

Frank and Richard have been a key part of the team since the colony restarted in Spring 2021, and we thank them both for the support they have provided.

However, we are pleased to report that two more parents, Nicola Mailer (Chipmunk) and Richard Issit (Raven) have agreed to join us as leaders, and we have also been joined by a new Young Leader Bridget (Quokka).

Over the year we awarded over 260 badges, including 24 nights away, and 2 Bronze Awards. Well done to Darragh and Harry.

As has been the case for several years, the section is operating at our planned capacity of 24, and with an average attendance of 18 engagement has been strong. We see continued interest in new joiners, with an ever growing waiting list.

Matt (Panther) Lead Volunteer

Combined Challenger and Discovery Scouts Report

Our two Scout troops continue to follow the same programme and work closely together for camps and activities. We have had another action-packed year of meetings, adventures, and achievements reflected in growing numbers.

Autumn 2024

We began the term outdoors with firelighting and pioneering at Willesley and Donisthorpe, developing teamwork and practical skills. Scouts completed challenges that encouraged independence and leadership, particularly through our November patrol nights. We rounded off the term with a fun and festive Christmas party.

Spring 2025

The spring term began with problem-solving and creative challenges, giving Scouts the chance to plan and lead activities. We worked on first aid and practical badgework, held a cooking competition, and enjoyed Pancake Day with a few twists! We also explored global Scouting, learning about Scouting in other countries and considering how we can connect internationally.

Summer 2025

Summer saw us taking part in the VE 80 commemoration event at Whitwick, joining other Scouts, veterans and community members in marking the anniversary. We also enjoyed go-karting and kayaking at Conkers, biking around Donisthorpe, and plenty of campfire cooking and outdoor

challenges. Weekly meetings continued to focus on teamwork, fitness, and preparing for our summer camp.

Camps and Activities

Our highlight this year was a week-long camp at Blackwell Adventure near Bromsgrove. Thirty-six Scouts took part in a wide variety of activities including climbing, abseiling, zip wire, orienteering, swimming and team challenges. It was a week full of adventure, friendship, and achievement, and we were proud of the Scouts’ enthusiasm and teamwork throughout.

We also joined beavers and Cubs at the group camp in October and entered two teams in the county’s Rambling Fox hike, with one finishing third in the teamwork competition.

Scouts also climbed, sailed and visited Cosford and Guillivers Kingdom with others.

Membership and Achievements

Our two troops have continued to thrive, maintaining strong numbers with around 29 Scouts on Tuesday and 34 on Thursday evenings. We continue to support Scouts in working towards their Chief Scout’s Gold Award and are delighted to report that eight Scouts achieved this highest award in the past year:

Several Cubs moved up to Scouts during the year, settling in quickly and making great progress towards their Challenge Awards. We’re also pleased to see a number of our older Scouts moving on to Explorers, continuing their Scouting journey.

Thanks

A huge thanks goes to Richard, Blossom, Vicky, Chrisi, James, Lynne, Sean, Esther, Jack and Ollie for their help during the period. Our young leaders Leon and Jake have been valuable members of the team. We remain very grateful to all parents who have supported meetings, events and camps.

Jon Bloor

Group Lead Volunteer and Acting Scout Lead Volunteer

Declaration

This Report is a true and accurate account of the activities of 4[th] Ashby Scout Group as declared by the Group Trustee Board.

Through these activities, the Trustees are confident that the Group meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings.

Dated: 30/10/25

Signed on behalf of the Group Trustee Board.

Ge Bler (Z2-

Jon Bloor

Group Lead Volunteer & Trustee

Nikki Davies Group Chair & Trustee

APPENDIX

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 7th Nov 2024 to approve at AGM

approve at AGM
Held Ashby Rugby Club on 7thNovember 2024. 264 members were recorded as present
Minutes taken by Jess Southwart
Attendance:
Jon Bloor welcomed everyone and ran through the evening proceedings with reminder that
children are the responsibility of parents at all times.
Welcomed the guests, Mayor Councillor Liz Parle and Consort, Greg Parle and District
Commissioner Duncan Watts
Also welcomed our young members and their parents, the leaders and Group Trustee Board who
together form the Group Council.
Housekeeping
Jon went through housekeeping: If there is a fre alarm – assembly point on frst team pitch behind
us
If there is an accident – please let anyone in a blue hi-vis know
No Sparklers please but there are buckets around if you need them		 JB
Apologies
Madeline Warren and Alice Bush		 JB
Passed onto our chairperson for governance
Nikki Davies introduced herself and explained that we have to do offcial things for AGMS
She explained that the Annual Report had been sent out with the previous AGM and EGM Minutes
included and hoped everyone had chance to read this through
Minutes of the previous meetings
She asked to record these as a true and proper account:
Minutes of EGM held on 23rdNov 2023 – Proposer – Matt Simpson, Seconded – Roz Wright
Minutes of AGM held on 18thMay 2023 – Proposer – Elaine Bridge, Seconded – Beth Skea		 ND
Nikki informed everyone that the group received a Community Group Certifcate of Recognition
from the Parish Council that we were nominated for member of the public and said thank you to
the leaders, helpers and trustees on behalf of the members.
Nikki also reminded members that an email was sent out last month asking for help and stated
that we need more leaders – for all sections, especially Scouts and invited members to come and
have a chat to any of the leaders or trustees if they want to know more.
Group Trustee Board
Nikki informed everyone that there have been changes to the Scout Group Trustee Board. Trustees
can only serve a term of 3 years before needing to be revoted in and can only serve a maximum of
9 years before a break of 3 years is required.
“This came into force from April this year, so our current trustees can serve for 3 years from this
date,and then if theywould still like to continue,then we can revote them in at the AGM before		 ND

the end of their 3[rd] year.”

She explained that at this point there is no need to revote anyone in and our current board can continue to serve.

She advised that Debbie Crumley is stepping down from the Trustee Board and from the role of Treasurer after being part of the group for 12 years. She expressed thanks to Debbie for all of her hard work and time given to the group over this time.

Nikki explained that an email sent out a month ago asked for new trustees to come forward and support us. We have 2 new trustees to vote in today who have kindly come forward.

Appointment of Trustees

Treasurer – Jessica Southwart – proposed Karen Pillary, seconded Frank Bridge

Trustee acting as secretary – Madeline Warren - proposed Beth Skea, seconded Matt Simpson

Nikki also explained that 4[th] Ashby are looking for one more trustee, who would like to take on the assistant chair position and asked if anyone is willing to give it a go, please come and have a chat to anyone of the trustees here today.

Finally Nikki expressed that 4[th] Ashby also need helpers for the Group Leadership Team to help with everything from fundraising, grant applications, admin and second-hand uniform store. These can be one off tasks or more regular support but we really do need more help. She asked if people could please come and chat to the trustees if they could support.

Lastly, she advised that the examiner or scrutineer appointment for the accounts will still be Sarah Jane Statham, who reviews the accounts. This is a non-nominated role.

Confirmation of adoption of POR and Model Constitution

Proposed Jon Bloor, seconded Nikki Davies

Thanks

Jon expressed thanks to the following people:

Ashby Rugby Club for allowing us to have our event here –they are letting us have it for free so please spend lots at the bar and food stalls

Mayor, Consort, District Commissioner and guests for being in attendance

Leaders and young leaders for their time and dedication

Trustee board for their time and support

Mark Timson, Paul Campion and Tom the friendly electrician for their help in continuing to work to make DSC to become a great place to meet

Parents and beavers, cubs and scouts for coming – without them we would not have a 4th Ashby Scout Group

Thanks to grant funders: Leicestershire Scouts for forward 5

Ashby Rotary for donations for the toilets, acoustic dampeners and help with the doors and porch Ashby Lions for their donation to help refurbish the toilets Donisthorpe Reunion Band LCC Choose How You Move NWLDC Grants – Coronation, Eco and Small Grants and Shared Prosperity Fund National Forest- outdoor classroom Plans for the forthcoming year JB Over 100 children on our waiting list.

About 20 older Scouts moving to Explorers over next year, aiming for their gold award Many camps and activities planned supported by Matt being awarded his Nights Away Permit at Midnight! District Commissioner’s Remarks DC It was expressed how we need helpers please to make scouts run and that it is now much easier to join in with flexible volunteering. Duncan also expressed how great it is to see such a large turnout. Awards JB / DC/ PHOTOS AT END IF REQUIRED Mayor Adult Awards, presented by the District Commissioner Duncan Watts 5 Years Service: Rachel Horswell Vicky Pedder Lynne Pearce Wood Badge Rachel Horswell Sean Ahern 10 Years Service Romana Petraru Beth Skea Kathryn Bloor 20 Years Service Mark Timson Mark Porter Scouting Awards, awarded by Jon Bloor and presented by the Ashby Mayor Chief Scout’s Bronze Awards Archie Brotherhood William Eccleston Silver Awards Sebastian Allen Isaac Bridge Tom Brook Alfie Burrows Hugo Davies Charlie Flanagan Henry Laverick Samuel Onions Samuel Roberts Maxwell Robins Junior Thornton Gold Awards Leon Bealing

Harry Flannagan Lacey-May Lowrie Annual Awards Riverbank Beaver of the Year 2024: William Eccleston. Woodland Beaver of the Year 2024: Eddie Martin Seeonnee Cub of the year 2024: Junior Thornton Waingunga Cub of the year 2024: Samuel Roberts.

Discovery Scout of the year 2024: Kaelen Payne.

Challenger Scout of the year 2024: Caitlin Randall.

The Harry Watson Award, awarded by Jon Bloor and presented by Harry’s Mum, Sharan and Sister Holly: Richard Singleton

Jon explained this award is presented in memory of Harry, a 4[th] Ashby Scout who we lost while waiting for the presentation of his Gold Award. In his memory, the Scouts made this trophy, which is presented to the group member who has, in the opinion of the leaders, been pleasant in their Scouting and gone further than could be expected to help others, raise funds or champion a cause they are passionate about.

“The recipient of the trophy this year takes part in everything. Usually, the first to arrive and the last to leave. He even helps with my mad-cap ideas. Over the last few months, he’s really shone, flourishing, running meetings and pushing himself by taking part our stall at Apple Day which would probably be his least favourite thing. He took part with good grace and helped promote Scouts in the village.

Well done and thank you Richard Singleton

Closure

JB then closed the AGM and thanked everyone for their attendance, expressed thanks to all of the leaders and helpers who made the AGM possible.

Reminder of Remembrance Sunday – 8.45am at Ivanhoe School – please come in layers as we won’t be wearing coats ideally.

Everyone was invited to enjoy the fireworks and once fireworks are complete, leave swiftly and safely