TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD: 01.04.2023 TO 31.03.2024
– Section A Reference and administration details
Charity Name: 4[th] Oxford Scout Group
Other names charity is known by: n/a Registered charity number: 267799 Charity’s principal address: 91 Southern-By-Pass
Oxford OX2 0LG
Names of charity trustees who manage the charity:
James Wynne Chair Huy Duong Treasurer Ewan Kilgour Secretary Amber Hodges Group Scout leader
Gemma Pitts
Laura Ramsay
Nathan Bentall
Simon Cowell
Names and addresses of advisers:
n/a
– Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
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 Bye Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.
How the charity is constituted
The Group is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scout groups.
Trustee selection methods
The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.
Additional governance issues (optional information but encouraged as best practice)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about: Policies and procedures adopted for (a) the induction and training of trustees; (b) trustee’s consideration of major risks and the systems and procedures to manage them.
The Group is managed by the Group Executive Committee, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the 4[th] Oxford Scout Group which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with the legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate. The Committee consists of 3 independent representatives, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary together with the Group Scout Leader, individual section leaders (if opted to take on the responsibility) and parent’s representation and meets every 3 months. Members of the Executive Committee complete 'Essential Information for Executive Committee' training within the first 5 months of joining the committee. This Group Executive Committee exists to support the Group Scout Leader in meeting the responsibilities of the appointments and is responsible for: The maintenance of Group property; The raising of funds and the administration of Group finance; The insurance of persons, property and equipment; Group public occasions; Assisting in the recruitment of leaders and other adult support; Appointing any sub committees that may be required; Appointing Group Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected.
The Group Executive Committee has identified the major risks to which they believe the Group is exposed, these have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate against them. The main areas of concern that have been identified are:
Damage to the Oxford Rugby Club building (or loss of access to it), damage to property and equipment. The Group would request the use of buildings, property and equipment from neighbouring organisations such as the churches, community centres and schools, and in the case of equipment, Scout Groups. Because we meet 5 nights a week the activities of the Group would likely be severely curtailed if we could not meet at the premises we currently use, because availability of other spaces in the area is limited. The Group has sufficient contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss of equipment.
Further to the above risk to our accommodation, the Group Executive Committee continues seek to obtain a permanent scout hut for the Scout Group so that the group's activities can be secured.
Injury to leaders, helpers, supporters and members. The Group through the capitation fees contributes to The Scout Associations national accident insurance policy. Risk Assessments are undertaken before all activities.
Reduced income from fund raising. The Group is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions with a small amount of fundraising mainly to buy new equipment. The group does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Committee could raise the value of subscriptions to increase the income to the group on an ongoing basis, either temporarily or permanently, though that may itself negatively impact the number of members.
Reduction or loss of leaders. The group is totally reliant upon volunteers to run and administer the activities of the group. If there was a reduction in the number of leaders to an unacceptable level in a particular section or the group as a whole, then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the Group.
Reduction or loss of members. The Group provides activities for all young people aged 6 to 14. If there was a reduction in membership in a particular section or the group as whole then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the Group.
The group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include 2 signatories for all payments and a comprehensive insurance policy to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
The Group applies The Scout Association’s policies on safety and safeguarding, following the processes set out there for minimising those risks and managing any safeguarding or safety issues.
– Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
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.
The Values of Scouting
As Scouts we are guided by these values:
Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.
The Scout Method
Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:
-enjoy what they are doing and have fun-take part in activities indoors and outdoors
-learn by doing
-share in spiritual reflection
-take responsibility and make choices
-undertake new and challenging activities
-make and live by their Promise.
Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects
The Group meets 5 nights a week carrying out scouting activities indoors and outdoors, and has held a number of camps including a Christmas Camp where the majority of members attended for a week end. Young people have undertaken community service such as litter picking. We ran a community 10k run day in June.
Additional details of the objectives and activities (optional information but encouraged as best practice). You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about: policy on grant making; contribution made by volunteers; policy on investments).
Significant time is contributed by well over 20 regular volunteers, with contributions on a smaller scale by many of the Group’s parents and other helpers including Young Leaders (aged 14 – 17).
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.
– Section D achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
We held meetings on five nights a week for young people covering the full spectrum of scouting activities, and various additional days or weekends. We held camps for all age groups (Beavers, Cubs and Scouts), including a whole group Christmas Camp for around 120 young people. We are the largest Scout Group in the wider Oxford area, providing scouting activities for approximately 145 young people, and also the providing the benefits of volunteering to all those who help run the group whether young leaders or adults, and whether helping regularly or occasionally.
– Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves (quantify and explain any designations)
We do not operate a formal reserves policy, however we keep an eye on cashflow and impending expenditure, particular capitation in February/March each year which takes about 50 per cent of our subs income so funds for this payment are be reserved in advance. Our expenditure is otherwise closely tied to the number of members at any time and it is they who pay for the activities that we spend money on, so if our activities stopped or our income were reduced our expenditure and income would likely decrease in proportion. The Group held reserves of approximately £25,000 (notionally to cover costs of obtaining permanent premises), which is well above the level that might be required if our income stream stopped.
Details of any funds materially in deficit (circumstances plus steps to eliminate)
n/a
Further financial review details (optional information, for example the charity’s principal sources of funds including fundraising, how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity, investment policy and objectives)
The Group's Income and Expenditure is small and as a consequence does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and shares. The Group has therefore adopted a low risk strategy to the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies.
– Section F Other Optional Information
Plans for future periods (details of any significant activities planned to achieve them).
The Group will meet every weekday evening during school terms, and several weekend (and one week-long) camps. The Group continues to seek a permanent home where it can carry out in full its activities of a full scouting programme. The Group intends to run the Oxford Greenbelt 10k Run again in 2025.
– Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signature(s) : :
Full name(s) : : Position held : : Date :
4[th] Oxford SCOUT GROUP
TRUSTEE BOARD
TREASURER’S REPORT
YEAR END ACCOUNTS
1[ST] APRIL 2023 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2024
Page 1 of 4
Income & Expenditure
| 2023-2024 | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Bank Interest | 288.43 |
| Donation | 356.44 |
| Events | 10,489.45 |
| Events - Beavers | 1,016.42 |
| Events - Cubs | 1,285.00 |
| Events - Scouts | 14,626.30 |
| Fundraising | 1,195.06 |
| Meetings | 24.50 |
| Membership Fees | 20,985.00 |
| Uniform | 207.18 |
| Total Income | 50,473.78 |
| Expense | |
| Activity Equipment | 152.55 |
| Admin | 313.84 |
| Badges | 2,022.45 |
| Camping Equipment | 4,235.75 |
| Events | 12,198.25 |
| Events - Beavers | 402.34 |
| Events - Cubs | 1,656.84 |
| Events - Scouts | 17,065.53 |
| Insurance | 348.06 |
| Meetings | 1,059.15 |
| Meetings - Beavers | 276.18 |
| Meetings - Cubs | 492.57 |
| Meetings - Scouts | 1,016.01 |
| Membership Costs | 10,322.54 |
| Venue Hire | 1,420.25 |
| Venue Maintenance | 918.53 |
| Total | 53,900.84 |
| Custodial Funds | 2,352.92 |
| Account balances | |
| Expense Account | 313.23 |
| Group Account | 10,285.67 |
| Saving Account | 24,245.64 |
Page 2 of 4
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Account balance brought forward | 35,918.68 |
| Total income | 52,826.70 |
| Total expenditure | 53,900.84 |
| Net income | -1,074.14 |
| Account balance carried forward | 34,844.54 |
Note to the accounts:
2023-2024 has been another successful year providing a large number of young people with high quality scouting activities. Meetings have taken place every weekday during term time, with camps for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The annual Christmas Camp was a great success. Adult helpers have also increased their skills and qualifications to take young people hill walking, kayaking, rock climbing and run air rifle target shooting.
We raised just over £1,000 again from our Christmas Raffle. We also took over the running of the local Oxford Greenbelt 10k Run – this first year did not raise any funds for the Group because the arrangement to take it over involved fundraising from the first year going to the Oxfordshire Jamboree Contingent. We expect to generate over £2,000 each year in the future for the Group, and more if we can expand the number of races at the event to cover shorter distances which will appeal to more participants. The 20232024 accounts show about £2,500 we received from the run but which we paid to Oxfordshire County Scout Council in the 2024-2025 financial year as the funds belonged to them (the ‘custodial funds’), which increased our end of year bank balance by that amount.
We have spent about £4,000 on tents and other camping equipment, partly to replace worn equipment, partly to increase our ability to hold large events, in particular a District wide weekend camp where the whole group would camp in June 2024 and we would use more than 20 large tents to accommodate everyone, and provide catering/admin/first aid. This “investment” does not show in our cash accounts other than as expenditure.
This financial year provided some financial challenges and issues arose which have taken some time to resolve but we have learnt lessons and are putting processes in place to improve matters in future years:
Scout summer camp was significantly more expensive than the payments received from scouts. Costs of the camp were increased beyond our expectations when we had to change mini-bus provider, and when we had to provide alternative activities and pay for meals outside camp due to very heavy rain over many days. We are also owed £700 for the deposit on the hire of a van which ought to have been returned, which we are attempting to recover. In our future camp budgets we will increase ammounts to improve coverage for unforeseen contingencies and for earlier provision for families who may be unable to pay the full cost.
The Scout CPCW camp also raised about half the income necessary to cover the expenditure since the event lost about half of its participants after we had committed and paid for attendance, but before we had received payment from families. In future we will take require payments in advance from familes, and confirm numbers of genuinely committed participants, before these significant outgoings are due.
The annual Christmas Camp was a great success, and almost all young people attended it, but this also cost more than participants paid. We will exercise tighter budget control
Page 3 of 4
next year and increase the cost by a small amount. It is noted that 25% of the cost of Christmas camp, about £2,500, is the cost of hiring tents for the scouts, because there is insufficient space at Youlbury to accommodate all our young people indoors, and we would be unable to dry our own tents as we don’t have our own premises, so we can’t use our own tents but instead have to pay a large sum to hire other tents instead.
In general, we have seen that the cost of hiring services and buying food and other goods has increased significantly due to the highly inflationary financial environment (roughly, 20% over the last 2-3 years), and this has also had a significant impact both on expenditure and financial forecasting, and has increased the cost of events.
We have not recently claimed gift aid but are putting in place the processes to start a backdated claim within the next financial year.
We also changed both our accounting system and treasurer within this financial year, and while we are confident the new system is an overall improvemtn, the new processes adopted were not as straightforward as we had anticipated. Though all transactions have been recorded in full, and all expenditure has been for appropriate scouting activities, it has taken some time to order the records within the new system as we would wish, and generate these accounts
The format of this year’'s accounts differs from that of previous years, and is intended to match the near automatic formatting that our new accounting software will adopt in future years.The most significant number in the accounts is the balance at year end, compared to the balance at the previous year end. Due to our cash accounting this fluctuates year to year due to the timing of certain receipts and payments, and in any one year is not an entirely accurate reflection of the finances. For example, payments for Scout summer camp can be taken from as early as January some years, but not spent until the next financial year, similarly with the timing of half termly subs, and the annual payment of capitation fee to The Scout Association (50% 0f subs).
Page 4 of 4
Unqualified report for a non-company charity preparing receipts and payments accounts with a gross income of £250,000 or less in the relevant financial year
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of 4th Oxford SCOUT GROUP
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the 4th Oxford SCOUT GROUP for the year ended 31st March 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the 4th Oxford 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 4th Oxford 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:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the 4th Oxford SCOUT GROUP as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records.
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: Ilze Malan
Address: 3 Kidston Court, 12 Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 1AA
Date: 27 January 2025