Scouts 1st Weston Green Scout Group Trustees, Annual Report for the period from l April 2023 to 31 March 2024 Sertlon A: Reference and Admlnlstratlon Details Charlty name: I Weston Green IAII Saints) Stout Group Registered tharity number: 1180590 Scout A5$0¢iatton re8lstratlon number: l(K111869 CharW5 princlpal addre. The Scout Group is based at the Church Hall. All Saints Church, Chestnut Avenue, Weston Green. Esher KTIO 8JL. The Church is our sponsor and most of our regular section meetings are held at the Church Hall. This is a facility that we share with the Church and with other community groups. Our address for correspondence is thot of our Group Chair.. 36 Lower Green Road, Esher, Surrey KTIO 8HD. Durin8 the period to 31 March 2024, the trustees WI managed the charfty were: Ni8el Harris Andrew Panayides Hannah Yeomanson Nick Fisk Carole Needham Chair Treasurer Secretary {appointed 19107120231 Group Scout Leader Assistant Group Scout Leader {res¢gned 19107120231 Trustee Emma Harris Felix Jackson John Coghlan Kir5tie Wood Samantha Holmes Trustee Trustee Trustee lappointed 1910712023) Trustee lappointed 1910712023) Other advisors: Lisa Pullen Independent examiner of the accounts
Governance and Management The Group's governing documents are those of the kout A550ciation. They conslst of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and the Policy, Organisation and Rules IPORI of the Scout Association. The Group is a trust established under these rules which are common to all Scout Groups. The trustees are appointed in accordance with the POR of the Scout A550ciation. The Group is managed as an educational charity by it5 Trustee Board, the members of which are the charity trustees. As trustees. they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and makin8 returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate. The Trustee Board consists of the Chair, Treasurer and seven other trustees, who are all either uniformed leaders or parents of young people who are members of the scout group. The Trustee Board meet5 a minimum of SIX times a year, with additional meetings as needed to arrange specific events such as fundraising. Members of the Trustee Board are eletted or appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Group Scout Council. which includes all adult and associate members of the Scout Group (including the parents and guardians of young membersl and all our Leaders. as well as representstives of our spon50rin8 authority IAII Saints Weston Green Church) and Esher District SCOLrts. All new members of the Trustee Board must complete training in accordance wtth the Scout Association POR, including completing the Trustee Indurtion training within five months of joining the Board. All members of the Board, along with all adult volunteers having contact with young people on a repeated basis, or on nights away activities. are DBS checked. The Trustee Board e¥ists to ensure that the charity is well managed, risks are assessed and mitigated, vehicles and equipment are in good working order. and everyone follows legal requirements and the organisation's policies and rules. Their support helps other volunteers run high-quality and safe programmes that give young people skills for life. Risks and Internal Controls The Trustee Board has identified, and periodically reviews and monitor5 the main risks to which they believe the Group is exposed. The main areas of conrn include= Injury to leaders, helper5, SUPPOrters and membefs: The Group contributes to the Scout Association's national accident insurance policy through capitation fee5, and takes out additional insurance if needed. We provide accident and injury insurance tor adult helpers who are not uniformed leaders. Risk assessments are undertaken before all activities. Damage to or loss of vehldes or equipment: The Group maintains sufficient insurance to mitigate against the risk of loss or damage to our vehitles and equipment. Reduced incorne from fvndraisln8: The Group relies on income from fundraising to purchase and maintain vehicles and equipment, and to subsidise the cost of participation in 5COUting where needed. Subscriptions are charged each term. but these cover only the routine running of the
group, such as rental of meeting and storage premises. purchase of badges, consumables for meetings, etc. For events and camps. we charge fees to cover the immediate costs. We aim to keep the subscription and event fees a5 low as possible. to ensure scouting is accessible to everyone. Our main fundraisin8 artivity is an annual kerbside collection of Christmas trees for recycling. This activity relies on the cooperation of several other parties and involves subgtsnti31 costs. There is a risk that we may not be able to profitably operate this fundraising method in future years, and would need to engage in alternative fundraising artivbties. The group holds a reser¥e to ensure we would be able to continue our activities, or wind them down in an orderly manner. should there be a major redudion in income. We could also raise the level of subscription fees, should that become necessary, either as a temporary or permanent measure. Redurtion or1055 01 adult volunteers: The Group relies entirely on volunteers to run and administer the activities of the Group. Most importantty, we need a certain number of uniformed leaders to be able to continue to operate our four sections IBeavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers) at full strength. Many of these volunteers are drawn from among the parent5 of the young people who join the group. The commitment required is substantial. and understandably, leaders often wish to move on or step down after a few years. If we We unable to maintain the necessary level of unifomed leaders, we might have to reduce the size of a section or close it altogether. In the worst case. we might have to close the entire Group. This is perhaps the greatest risk that the Group faces, and is one that requires constant attention from the Leaders and Trustees to ensure that we are constantly recruiting and developing new leaders. Reduction or105s of members: At the end of the period, the Group had a waiting list of around 50 young people. Many of our young members originally joined as Beavers at age six and have worked their way up through the sections. but where space is available. we a150 have young people who join at older ages, either new to Scouting, or transfèrring from another Group. However, if there were to be a substantial reduction in the membership of a section, then we might have to reduce the size of a Section or close it altogether. While our Beavers and Cubs settions are fully subscribed, we tend to lose some young people as they get older. because of other commitments. The Explorer kout section lage 14-181 is operated jointly with other local scout groups. The Group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss. Atl payments require the approval of both the Chair and the Treasurer. The Group has comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that in5urable risks are covered. 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. As Scouts we are guided by these values: Integrfty- We act with integrity: we are honest, trustworthy and loyal. Respect - We have self-respett and respect for others. Care- We support others and take care of the world in which we live. Bellef - We explore our faith5, beliets and attitudes. Co-opefation - We moke a posltive difference: we COperate with others and make friends.
Scouting takes place when youn8 people. in partnership with adults, work together based on these values and: take part in attivlties indoors and outdoors- undertake new and challenging activitie5: learn by doing,. share in spiritual reflection: take responsibility and make choices- enjoy what they are doing and have fun. All member5 Qf the ScoLrt Groupi whether young people or adult volunteers. make a Scout Promise in whlch they promise to do their best to help other people and to be trusted, loyal, friendly and considerate, to have courage in difficulty. to have self-respect and to respect others. The Group arranges a programme of weekly meetings during school term times, with indoor or outdoor activities and challenges for young people of all ages between six and eighteen. The Group holds weekly meetings in term time5 for Beavers13ged 6 to 81, Cubs18 to 10.51, Scouts110.5 to 141 and Explorer Scouts114 to 181. The Group also organises weekend and holiday activities that include camp5, hikes, and other outdoor adventure activities. The Group also participates in programmes of event5 that are organised at District, County. or National levels. Young people in scouting can earn badge5 in recognition of skills learned, challenges met, and attivitie5 carried out. Our regular programmes and our camp activities a designed to meet the requirements for these badges. Young people who participate fully in the Group's artivities will complete enough activities and challenges to be rewarded with the Chief kouys Award. which they can wear on their uniform with justified pride. To help young people in their personal development. if and when our leaders judge that they are ready for the challenge, they may be given a position of respon5ibility- For example, at age nine or ten, a young person may be promoted to the role of °Sixerf Or"Seconde within the Cubs sertion. with re5pon5ibility for a group of five or six Cubs. The Scout troop is organi2ed in Patrols, and young people take responsibility as Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders. Later. a5 3 teenager in the Explorer sertion. as well as taking responsibility for planning the artivities of their own section, they may choose to join the Young Leaders pro8ramme and assist adult volunteers in the plannin8 and runnin8 of pro8rammes for a younger sertion. Public 8enefrt 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. Subscription fees are set at a level that covers only the immediate running costs of the Group and the capitation fees to the Scout Association. to ensure they remain as low as possible and do not unduly restrict rnembership. We admit members primarily from the local community in the immediate area around Weston Green. As charity trustees. members of the Trustee Board pay due regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance where relevant to our decision making.
During the period from April 2023 to March 2024, the group continued to provide a full range of scouting activities, including overnight, weekend, and multi4ay camps. for young people of all ages from Six to seventeen. Highlights of the year included.. The Esher District "Escapade" camp in June 2023. was attended by all our sections, and gave some of the BeaveT5 their first experience of a night under canvas. The really young ones joined for the daytime activities. It was our group's largest camp for many year5. Wlth all of our patrol tents in use. Overall, it was Esher distrirfs largest camp in living mernory, with around I,OQKJ young people and leaders on site. The Cub section attended the triennial SCRAM event for Cubs and Brownies across Surrey. In the hot weather, our group's "cub wash" activity. which invOe$ sponges and water and willing victims. proved very popular. For the final weekly meeting of the summer term, all our sertions met together out on the common for a scouts-themed sports day. Parents and family member5 were invited to come alon8 and watch lor join in) and bring a picnic. Refreshment5 were provided. and a convivial evening was enjoyed by all. Best of all. we persuaded several new parents to join our adult volunteer team as unifonned leaders. In late July, the scouts and explorers set off for a week's camp in Dorset. where they set up the tents in glorious sunshine and enjoyed a week of varied and adventurous activities. In the Autumn, selerted rnembers of the cubs settion enjoyed a weekend camp for Sixers and Seconders. The scout sedion headed into the woods on a survival camp. leaming how to prepare and cook whole fish, and building their own shelters for the night. Throughout the year. our adult volunteer team orgènized a really exciting and varied programme of meetin8s and events. ranging from traditional 5COUting skills to electronics building and starship simulators. Notably, the group participated more actively in the competitive events organized by Esher District scouts than in previous years, and with some svccess. In March. 15r Weston Green becarne the distrirt archery champions. thanks to the impressive accuracy of four of our scouts. And on a very dark wintry night, our scouts fielded one of very few teams that completed a challenging night hike route. arriving back tired and very muddy in the early hour5 of the morning. The group's membership numbers fell slightly from the previous year. This was partly due to a doliboratÈ choitÈ to keep the cub section at a sli8htly smaller hÈadcount. until our adult volunteer team is strengthened in numbers and experience. We still have a waiting list of around 50 youn8 people wishin8 to join Beavers when they turn six. During the period, we recruited several new adult volunteers into the Beavers section. joining the group at the same time as their six-year-old children. One volunteer who led the Beavers team for a period has now joined the cubs leadership team. while another Èxperienced Beavers leader has made the leap to the explorer sertion. Our scout leader. Nick Fisk. has now become the Group's overall lead volunteer. Changes in the adult volunteer tearn5 made in 2022-23 have worked well. We continue to try to spread the workload by recruiting parents into adminlstrative roles so the uniformed leaders don't have to do everything. We also have some members of the adult volunteer team who can't commit to attending every meeting, but with enough adult volunteers. we can accommodate this through a team approach to leading the sections.
Our main annual fundraising event. the collertion of Christmas tree5 for recyclin& was again successfully completed in January 2024, with l.C(10 trees colletted using just three rented vans. After costs, we raised nearly £9,000 for the group. Reserves Pollcy The Group'5 pollcy on reserves IS to hold sufficient resources to continue the Charitable attivities of the group, or at the very least, to condurt an orderly wind-down of the Group, Should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Trustee Board considers that the group should hold a sum equivalent to at least 12 months of essential running costs, including premises rental. insurance, vehicle and equipment costs, but excluding capitation fees and other items covered directly by membership fees. We have agreed to maintain cash reserves of £10,000. The Group also aims to build up additional cash reserves over time. to enable the eventual replacement of our main vehicle, a minibus which is essential to the functioning of the group* or other significant capital cost items needed by the group. For example. V hope in the near future to improve our equipment storage arrangements by building some secure outdoor storage units, allowing a wider range of artlvlties to be easily carried out at our maln meeting venue. The Group held cash re5erwes of £42.804 at 315t March 2023. This is an increase of £11,713 from the previous year. Investment Pollcy The Group does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and Shares. The Group has adopted a low-risk strategy to the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash. using only mainstream ban or building societies. The Trustee Board regularfy monitors the level of bank balances and interest rates received to ensure the Group obtains maximum value from its banking arrangements. The Trustees would carefully consider the Group'5 cash flow requirements before entering into any arrangement that requires a period of notice before funds can be withdrawn. At present. all funds are held in accounts with instant acce55 to funds. The Group is smaller than some other scout groups. which may have several Beaver colonies. Cub packs and Scout troops. We have only one of each sertion. Unlike many scout groups, we do not own, or have exclusive access to, our own premises. Our main weekly meeting5 are held in the Church Hall at All Saints Weston Green Church, which is a spon50r of the 5COUt group. Our artivities are in part constralned by the limited availabiltty of thi5 rneeting place on weekday evenings. Rather than actively seeking to expand, our priority 15 to operate the sections that we have, to offer our young members as rich and exciting a programme as possible. Our leader5 are very active in planning and runnin8 events. Each year, we give young people in every section the opportunity to participate in camps and residential activities designed to provide the right level of challenge for their age group. We also participate 35 fully as possible in events and activities that are arranged by the 5CQUting Distrirt IEsherl or County Isurreyl. We have Ilmited storage space at the Church Hall and have to Store most of our equipment off site. Thi5 increases the workload for our adult volunteers and limits the actlvifies that we can offer ai our
weekly meeting. Over the past few months we have engaged in discussions with the Church about the possibility of building some additional outdoor storage units adjacent to the Church Hall. ènd we are confident thi5 will happen within the next few months. The Scout Association h35 recently introduced Squirrels, a sertion for four- and five-year-olds. We are assessing the feasibility and desirability of establishing a Squirrel section. which would require a new team of adult volunteers to run it. The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees. Report above. Signed on behalf of the chariV5 trustees: .iy./ L Andrew James Panayides. Treasurer Nigel Brian Harrls, Chair 15" July 2024
1ST WESTON GREEN SCOUT GROUP Receipts and Payments Account For the year from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 Recèipts Donations ltoaeiès and simlLgr income Membership Subscriptions Donations Gift Aid Claims Minibus Donation Unifomi sales and Investitures Camping and Outings Sale of Minibus PK 8.300 9.150 6,052 400 585 9,783 2.098 535 6,324 Grants other grants 41 291 Fund Ralslng { gross I Miscellaneous Christmas Trees coltIOn Easy Fund Raising 12.838 147 9,953 218 Investment Income Bank Interest Rent Totsl Receipts lor the Year 40,244 26,671 PAtsE10F4
1ST WESTON GREEN SCOUT GROUP Receipts and Payments Account 1st Aprll 2023 to 31st March 2024 For the year from 2023 Payments Charftable Payments Rent ofchurch and Garage Camping and Outings Insurance Equipment Insurance mini bus Capitation Fees Miscellaneous Purchases of Badges and Unifo$ Training Mini bus running expenses 3,578 10,825 430 649 4,057 892 1,307 78 261 3.730 5.652 419 1,713 3.877 378 9C6 197 3.280 Ell Scruff Kit New Equipment New Equipment (asset) 80th birthday paty celebration Website Catering for leaders meetings OSM fees Go Cardless charges 8ank charges Zoom virtual meeting costs Fundrnlsing expenses Chrlstmas Te collection other Fund Raising Expenses Christmas Tree monies refunded 1.369 1.218 2.413 148 59 200 528 60 195 219 611 61 3.793 3,407 120 38 Total Payments lor the ar 28,531 28,223 Surplus l { Deficit ) for the year 11,713 -1.552 Cash funds last year end Cash funds thls year end 31.091 32.643 42.804 31,091 PAOE20F4
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year 2024 Unro5tsiGtsd lurKls UnrntriGtsd fvn 2023 Cash funds Bank Current Account Bank Deposit Account PayPal Account # 1 PayPal Account # 2 Cash in hand 42.804 31,091 Total cash funds 42,804 31,091 Non monetary assets for charity's own us Motor vehicle WA Motor vehicle PK Scouting Equipment 10 5,560 7,414 219 5.108 10 4,597 Total 10,157 12,741 Total assets 52,961 43.832 Llabilities Total not assets 52,961 43,832 The abo¥e rec•lpts and payments account and #tstèmont of assets and IlabllMS•• T•f• approved by the TN8ts¢• on 15 Juty 2024 •nd $ignod on their beh•ff. natu Prlnt narn¢ NIGEL HARWS CN9ir ANDREW PANAVIOES Treasurer THE NOTES ON PAGE 4. FORM AN INTEGRAL. IMPORTANT PART OF THESE ACCOUNTS PLEASE READ THE NOTES ON PAGE 4 PAGE30F4
NOTES Th•r• wJr• ¢&thts r. moll ta1d nIxt$ dBwDiI bè IN on• Jarxas rLd•s. Our Green cobured mni PK¥A5 sokj 20rJ. for£X(Q, ts toA licof w. k•¥ n Jun• 24. thC0st¥ll11 i acrnurrt5 Chii5tyrns Tree cole<bJn exFwoe. ol¥• fve. ¥•. ard Cmllpèt. and Shopfy and Paypol procts51¥ co¥o1£467. T111V4j £1.710ts • frmto dw$• d•prgc*d •t rn&JtsrwJ mellx>d. PAQE40F4
L&L Bookkeeping Independent exarninerf5 report to the trustees of I Weston Green Scout Group Councll I reportto the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the 1st Weston Green Scout Group forthe year ended 31 March 2024. Responslbllltles and basis of report As the charity trustees of the 1st Weston Green Scout Group. you are resKX)nsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordancé with the requirements of the Charities Art 20111.the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the 1st Weston Green Scout Group accounts caryied 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 14515llbl of the ACL Independent examinerfs sLitement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no materiaL matters have Come to my attention in connection with the examination giwng me cause to betieve that in any material respect accounting CordS We not kept in respect ofthe 1st Weston Green knut Group as required by section 130 of the Act or 2. the accounts do not accord with those rOrdS. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection WTth the examination to whith attention should be drawn in this pOrt in ordèr to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Sign Name.. Lisa PUL Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bleS Irf anyl- AAT Address.. 64 8eechen Lane. Lower fingswood. Surrey. 20 6RU Date.. 14107ll024 64 Beechen Lane, Lower Kin8swood, Surrey, KT20 6RU Tel: 01737 903471 info@landlbookkeeping.co.uk www.IIiM)okkeepin8.co.uk