1st Compton Scout Group Trustee's Annual Report For the period from 1st April 2024 to 31# March 2025 Scouts 1st Compton Reference and administration details Charity name: 1st Cornpton Scout Group Registered Charity Number: 285980 Charity's principal address: Wamharn Lane, Cornpton. Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 7PL Names of the Charity Trustees who managed the charity during the year lthe-Group Trustee Board"): Ex-officio Pete Smith members Chaimian Luae Foot Claire Pritchett Treasurer Secretary Group Scout Leader Keith Simms Elected Kate Lloyd members Richard Spraggett Drew Limbert Invited to attend Emma Pullinger Explorer Scouts Bankers: CAF Independent Scrutineer for the Annual Accounts: Sarah Marshman Structure, governance and management The Group's governing documents are those of The Scout Assoaation (Registered Charity number 3061011. They consist of a Royal Charter. which in turn gNes authority to the Bye Laws of the Scout Association and the Policy, Organisation and Rules (Chapter 51 of The Scout Association. The Group is a trust estsbknshed under The Scout Assouation's rules. which are cornmon to all Scout undertakings in the United fingdom. In accordance with those rules. the Group is an educational charity which is also registered with the Charity Commission. I" Compton sCt Group JunE 2025
The Group Trustee Board The Group is managed by the Group Trustee Board. the members of which are the Charity Trustees of the Scout Group and are appointed in accordantr with the rules of The Scout Association. The Board consists ofr. three independent representstives - Chairman. Treasurer and Secretary the Group Scout Leader and any Section Leaders who have expressly indicated that they wish to be a Trustee Parents of Group member5 elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Group Scout CounciL The Group Trustee Board meets three or four times eath year and exists to support the Lead Group Volunteer in meeting the responsibilities of their appointment Members complete 'Essential Information for Trustee Board Members, training when they join the Board. Members of the Group Trustee Board must act collectively as the Charity Trustee5 Of the Scout Group. and in the best interests of rts members to.. Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation: Comply with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association; Protect and maintain any property and equipment owned or used by the Group: Manage the Group finances: Provide insurance for people. property and equipment Provide sufficient resources for Scouting to operate. This includes. but is not limited to, supporting recruitmenL other adult supporL and tundroising artivities.. Promote and support the development of Scouting in the local area.. Manage and irnplement the Safety Poliw locally: Ensure that a positive image of Scouting exists in the local community., Appoint and manage the operation of any other sub-committees. intluding appointing a Chair to lead each sub-committee: Ensure that Young People are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels wf(hin the Group., Open, close and amalgamate Sertions within the Group as neSsary. The Group Trustee Board must a15Q= Appoint Administrators. Advisers. and Co-opted members of the Trustee Board.. Approve the Annual Report and Annual Accounts after their examination by an appropriate independent examiner or scrutineer, Present the Annual Report ènd Annual Accounts to the Group Scout Council at the Annual General Meeting and file a copy with the Distrirt Trustee Board. and with the Charity Commission if their rules require it. Maintain confidentialty with regard to appropriate Trustee Board business. Internal controls The Group Trustee Board has in place sy5tem5 of intemal controLs that are designed to provide feasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss of the Group's property and money- these include two authorisations for all bank paymerts. IM Compton Scwt Grtrjp 2025
Objertives and activities The objectives of the Group are achieved by operats.ng in accordance with the Purpose. Values and Method of Scouting and The Scout Assoctation The Purpose of ScoLrting 15 to actively engage and support young people in their personal developmenL empowering them to make a positbve contribution to sotiety. The Purpose of Scouting. and therefore the Group. is for public benefrt and encompasses several of the charf(able purposes required by the Chartties Art and Commission. The public benefit requiremenL which applies to all charities. is most speoficaLiy met by our charitable purposes to- advance the education Ipersonal development) of young people; to advance citizenship and communrty development The Values that guide Scouts are Intsgrity, Respect Care. Betief and Co-operation. The Scout Method takes place when young people. in parthership with adults. work together based on the Values of Scouting and: enjoy what they are doing and have fun: take part in activities indoor5 and outdoors: Learn by doing: share in spiritual reflection., tske responsibilty and make choices: undertake new and challenging activities- make and Live by their Promise. This Method is delivered mainly at Section leveL through a weekly training programme and regular camps and activities for each age group. The Group supports this detivery mainly by providing programme advice and guidance for Section leaders (from the Lead Group Volunteerl and by providing the physicaL financial and human resources needed to operate the Sertions. The Group also provides some joint camps. activities and fund raising opportunities for all Sertions in the Group. Achievements and performance The year ending 31 March 2025 was another good one for the Group, wrth each section having a strong membership. there are further young people who would like to join and there has once again been a wide range of Group activities. D.1 Artivities The excfcing weekly programme of activities for each Sertion in the Group continues to deliver fun. challenge and adventure for our members. Many Sertions have outings away from their meeting pla$ each month and several meet outdoors throughout the Summer term. which brings out the full ethos of the Scout Metht)d. Most Sections also have Summer camps or expeditions whith develop many new skills and lifelong friendships. The highlights ofthe year Il"April 2024- 31st March 20251 were: Grou Hut Ground Clearance day I Compton Scout Group June 2025
Remembrance Parade District Archery S ulrrels Distrirt Christmas Party Den building Campfire Distrirt RAF Museum London TTIP Beavers Distrirt Christrna5 Party Teddy Bears Picnic Easter Egg Hunt District RAF Museum London Trip Cub5 Back 2 Basics Camp12 ni8htl Watersports evening Summer Camp14 nights) District Christmas Paity Youlbury Sleepover12 nights) Bowlin8 District Cub Quiz District Athletlcs Scouts Football camp12 nights) District Archery D.2 Membership numbers Our Purpose to actively engage and 5UPPOrt young people in their personal development can only be achieved by providing quality Scouting for more young people each year. The Group continued to have a good membership with 90 youth members and 20 adult helpers. We have just enough adult support to run a full programme for the existing Section5. However. additional support would be welcome in all sections as there is an inevitable turnover of volunteer5 eath year. We must therefore increase our efforts to recruit new Leaders and retain those that are already involved. Numbers at the end of january 2025 census were.. SquirreLs. 13 squirrels Beavers. There were 19 Beavers. Cubs. Continue to be strong, with 36 young people enrolled and a number on the waiting 5t. Scouts. As of the end of January 2025 thr numbers were 22. 1° Compton Scout Grol June 2025
D.3 Group administration The Chairman has worked closely with the Lead Group Volunteer and other members of the Group Trustee Board during the year to try and ensure that we have a dear framework for managing and sUppOn9 the Group. The Group Trustee Board continued to apply careful scrutiny to the management of our finances. as described below. D.4 Group headquarters The Scout GroLtp is jointly responsible. with the Compton Guide Company and Brownie Pack, for the management of the-scout Hut- in Compton village. The Hut is leased from the landowners- Beeswax Dyson Faming to whom we are grateful for all their help & support over the last year. The day-to-day management of the Hut is delegated to a management committee. chaired by local resident Rob HilL The Section Leaders and Lead Group Volunteer are members of the committee and meet regularly to discuss and plan the maintenance and development of the facility. The Group Executive provide the ne$Sary funds to meet the Scout Group's share of the upkeep and management costs. We are very grateful to Rob for his continuing leadership of this important management committee on behalf of the Scout Group. D.5 Group fund raising The Group has a healthy bank balance. and we expect to be able to support most of our equipment needs from the existing funds for the forthcoming year. Fundraising will continue to be an on-going issue in order to support the group and contributs to the maintenante of the hut. Any fundraising ideas would be gratefully received. Financial Review The annual Receipts and Payments statement of accounts for the Group is attached. It has been prepared by the Group Treasurer and approved by the Group Trustee Board in accordance with the legislation applicable to charities and the guideLines published by The Scout Association. This year. the Group's accounts are being examined by an independent examiner as the gross income for the year to 3151 March 2025 rises above the threshold of £25.000. The GroLtp's principal source of funds is a membership fee charged each term for every youth member in the Group. The membership fee for the year ending 314 March 2025 was £132 per member for the year - in order to maintain the unallocated reserves whilst covering the routine running costs of the Scout Group. These routine costs include the upkeep ofthe Scout Hut and annual membership fees forthe Scout District, County and Headquarters. The membership fees due to Taceham Hundred Scout Distrirt Berkshire Scout County and The UK Scout Association were collerted during the year and paid to them in April 2025. OveralL the accounts forthis year show a gain of £3.791. compared to a smaLI gain of £53 in the preceding year. The year-end cash funds are £15.590. 1° compl StoutGroup June 2025
The accounts this year refiect a full year of meetings and activities wtth the various sections being well subscribed. The group has been very fortunate to receive regular donations from our GLV'S employer who run a volunteering incentive. This has enabLed the group to invest in new equipment and make improvements to the premise It is often difficult to separate the Group's real operating expenses from the-cash flow-. caused by money being collected and then paid on for events and equipment This year the pre-payments land costs) for future everts were around £560 at the year-end. We estimate that the underlying operating expenses of the Group are approximately E4.250 per year - plus a turnover in the Sections of £13.200 per year for membership fees and weekly programme activities. The Group Trustee Board regularly monitors the levels of bank balances and the interest rates available to ensure the Group obtains good value and income from its banking arrangements. whilst maintaining a low risk and minimum effort investment strategv. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies. currently CAF Bank. The Group Trustee Board conlinues to enforce our policies to have three appropriate and unrelated signatories on the bank account mandate and to ensure that neither of the signatories for any payment is related to the payee. Reserves policy The Group's policy is to hold sufficient financial reseryes to continue the minimal charitable acbvities of the Group should membership, income and Section expenses fall. The Group Trustee Board therefore considers that the Group should hold a sum equivalent to a year's operating expenses. As stated above, the underlying operating expenses are estimated as £4,250 per year and the Group Trustee Board have therefore agreed that we should aim to hold unallocated reserves of £4.250. The Group held unallocated reseNes of approximately £15.600 against this at year end. This is above the level of agreed reserves to support one year's operating expenses. The Compton Scout Family Support Fund was set up in lune 2022 to support families who may need some financial help with the cost of but not Limited to membership fees. This has been allocated £500 initially from the unallocated reserves. For the year ending 3 1" March 2025. we were not approached for suppo Plans for future period and other inforrnation The coming year includes several Group activities which will be supported by the Group Trustee Board. including: East Ilsley Sheep Fair Yattendon Fete Scout Summer Camp I" Cornpton SCO Gmup Jure 2025
Cub Summer Camp Working towards WINGS 2026 The Group Trustee Board will continue to support the leadership of the Group. including the partnership with Apollo Explorer Scout UntL The Group Trustee Board will also continue to manage The Scout Association's Safety poLicy within the Group and support the other development and administrative needs of the Group Scout Leader. Agreed by the charity's trustees at the Group Trustee Board meeting on 20th May 2025 and signed on their behalf. e Smith. Chairman Luoe FOOL Treasurer 25June 2025 25 June 2025 IH Comptcn Scwt Grow) Jur* 2025
1st Compton Scout Group Receipts and Payments Account
For the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Receipts and Payments
| Receipts Membership subscriptions Sleepover/ Camp income Gift Aid Donations Bank Interest Miscellaneous Income Total Gross Income Payments Rent Capitation Materials and equipment Sleepover/ Camp expenses Sundry expenses Venue Maintenance Total Gross Expenditure Net of receipts/ (payments) Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end Cash Funds CAF Bank current account CAF bank savings account Expense Account Accrued expenses 1st Compton Scout Group net funds |
2024/25 £ 11,704.00 12,478.30 2,391.92 5,754.00 224.07 148.49 32,700.78 1,850.00 6,574.00 4,938.50 12,997.85 2,099.88 450.01 28,910.24 3,790.54 11,799.61 15,590.15 5,121.29 16,342.68 700.18 6,574.00 - 15,590.15 |
2023/24 £ 12,138.00 12,008.57 1,771.56 7,535.14 133.50 7.20 |
|---|---|---|
| 33,593.97 | ||
| 1,650.00 6,413.50 7,317.92 12,631.48 2,233.29 3,294.60 |
||
| 33,540.79 | ||
| 53.18 | ||
| 11,746.43 | ||
| 11,799.61 | ||
| 5,498.77 11,629.44 1,084.90 6,413.50 - |
||
| 15,590.15 | 11,799.61 |
Registered Charity Number: 285980
Independent examiner's report to the trustses of I" Compton Scout Council I report to the trustees on my examination of the accourrts of the 1st Compton Scout Group for the year ended 31" March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the I" Compton Scout Group you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the I, Compton Scout Group accounts carried out ijnder sertion 145 of the 2011 Act and in c8rrying o(rt my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charrf(y Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connertion with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in respéct of the I Compton Scout Group as required by section 130 of the Act.. or the accounts do not accord wrth those records. I have no CDncerns 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 Marshman Relevant professional qualrfication or membership of professional bodies lif anyl-. Address.. l Narbrough Lane. East1151ey, RG20 7LX Date.. 19" June 2025