2024-03-31-accounts - 4th Uckfield (Holy Cross) Scout Group

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4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Introduction:

1) 4[th] Uckfield Scout Group has a management committee (known as Group Trustee Board or GTB) which is elected each year at the Group’s annual general meeting. The GTB (who are the Group’s Trustees) has overall responsibility for ensuring that the Group is well managed and that all Group income is managed properly and put to best use.
2) The Treasurer, acting on behalf of the other GTB members, has overall operational responsibility for the governance and maintenance of the Group finances.
3) Financial records are kept so that the Group can:
a. Meet its legal requirements and other obligations regarding the Policy, Organisation & Rules (POR) of the Scout Association, the Charities Act (1992), HMRC and common law
b. Enable the Trustees to be in proper financial control of the Group
c. Enable the Group to meet any obligations and requirements for any funders should there be any.
4) The GTB will ensure that appropriate financial records are kept including:
a. An Excel spreadsheet that records income, expenses, and year end accounts
b. Bank statements
c. Details of all funds received
d. Invoices and other receipts for all payments
5) Our financial year ends 31[st] March
6) We will draw up accounts at the end of the financial year and have them examined by a suitable person who is independent of the Group. Our annual end of year accounts will be reviewed by the GTB and then recommended to the Group’s annual general meeting for approval.

This policy takes effect from September 2023 until such time it is superceded and will be reviewed annually by the Group Trustee Board

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Bank accounts:

a) 4[th] Uckfield Scout Group operates a current account and a Gold savings account with CAF Bank Ltd., 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ
b) All bank transactions will go through the current account. To withdraw money from any other account, it will first be transferred to the current account and withdraw from there. If money is paid into any other account, it will be as a transfer from the current account.
c) There are six approved signatories on the account - Group Treasurer, Group Chairperson and Group Scout Leader and three other members of Group Trustee Board. Online access is available to all signatories for the purpose of account monitoring. The bank mandate lists the people who can authorise payments. Changes to the bank mandate will be approved by the GTB and minuted at Trustee Board meeting
d) Any withdrawals or transfers between accounts are digitally authorised via online banking by two of the signatories, one of whom will be the Treasurer – must be agreed by Trustee Board
e) The bank provides monthly statements every month and the statements will be reconciled against the account book/online account
f) Due to the nature of our on-line bank account and the lack of facilities to pay in cash and cheques via other banks, we are no longer able to accept cash or cheques and all payments for membership fees, camps and other activities should be made via the Group bank account
g) However, if cash is received for a specific activity, this may only be used to defray expenses of that same specific activity if the Group Trustee Board has so authorised beforehand, and if a proper account of the receipts and payments is kept – this account of receipts and payments should be signed and dated by the Section Leader and one other at the time of the event/activity and forwarded to Group Treasurer for inclusion in the accounts

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Membership fees:

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group account is operated on a “Receipts and Payments” Accounting method and membership fees are paid on line and received into the Group Account. Activities for the Sections are paid for largely using the membership fees that are received and, in some cases, additional fund-raising activities. Current membership fees of £40 are paid three times a year as per timetable

TIMETABLE FOR THE PAYMENT OF MEMBERSHIP FEES (Subs)

Autumn September to December	Autumn September to December	Spring January to March	Spring January to March	Summer April to July	Summer April to July
Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
Membership fee of £40 due by end of September (Phoenix Scouts – requested via OSM)		Membership fee of £40 due by end of January (Phoenix Scouts – requested via OSM)		Membership fee of £40 due by end of April (Phoenix Scouts – requested via OSM)

		New to Group	New to Group
Autumn September to December		Spring January to March		Summer April to July
Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
New starter in Term 1	New starter in Term 2	New starter in Term 3	New starter in Term 4	New starter in Term 5	New starter in Term 6
Membership fee of £40 due by end of term 1	½ membership fee of £20 due by end of term 2	Membership fee of £40 due by end of term 3	½ membership fee of £20 due by end of term 4	Membership fee of £40 due by end of term 5	½ membership fee of £20 due by end of term 6

Non-payment of membership fees:

If finances are an issue at any stage then families are urged to contact the Group Treasurer in confidence so options can be discussed and agreed.
Where payments are not received by the due date, parents/carer will be contacted via email the following month by the Group Treasurer. A second reminder will be sent after a further 2 weeks. If after a month payment is still not forthcoming, parents/carer will be asked to remove their child/children from the Section by GSL. Section Leader will be advised of situation at all times

Refunds:

No refunds are made where a child does not attend weekly meetings or other events and activities covered from Section/Group funds.

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Membership fee split:

Currently £26 of the membership fee received stays with the Group (to pay for things such as utilities, hall maintenance, insurance, equipment and Scout Association Capitation). The remainder £14 is “credited” to the appropriate Section to pay for weekly activities and the badges for those in that Section.
The Group Treasurer will send out an email to Section Leaders each month once the Group account bank statements have been reconciled. This will confirm the income and expenses for the section

Gift Aid:

Where possible and appropriate, we encourage parents/carers to agree to Gift Aid as this enables the Group to obtain additional funds without there being an increased cost to the individuals.
Gift Aid on membership fees of £40 is claimed back from HMRC three times a year and currently £6.50 stays with the Group and the remaining £3.50 “credited” to the appropriate Section, unless required for specific projects within the Group

Other activities (camps, day trips, etc):

The cost for camps and other day trips are normally charged by attendance, and are budgeted on the basis to “cover costs”. For all UK camps and events the costs of the appropriate number of adults attending is normally factored into the cost for each young person, although on occasion this may come from Section or Group funds. Where a Young Leader is attending solely in their leadership role, the same applies.
On occasion a small surplus or deficit may occur, for example where food costs are lower than budgeted or transport higher than budgeted. When this happens, and after any refunds have been considered and processed, if the positive balance equates to:
10% or less of the fee charged to participants, this is retained by the Section, or in the case of Group camps or events, by the Group
More than 10% of the fee charged to participants, the first 10% will be retained by the Section and the parents/carer will be offered a refund or the opportunity to donate some or all to Section funds of the remaining percentage.
Where a loss occurs no refunds will be considered and the deficit for the camp or event will be debited to the relevant Section or Group fund

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group Finance Policy

Refunds for camp and other activities (where an additional fee has been charged) are only considered if there is a surplus after all income and expenditure has been processed, and only offered in exceptional circumstances.

Members moving between Sections:

If a member moves between sections after the membership fee has been paid, the membership fee remains credited to the initial section but further payments will be credited to the new section.

Group expenditure – buying goods and services:

Any proposed Group purchases will be discussed and agreed at Trustee Board meeting and decision minuted accordingly.
The Treasurer keeps a file of all the paperwork and checks the invoices before making payments.
Every payment out of the Group’s bank accounts will be evidenced by an original paper or electronic invoice (never against a supplier’s statement or final demand), or any expense claims form with receipts
The original invoice or claims form and receipts will be retained by the Treasurer and filed appropriately. The authorisation paperwork will be referenced with details of payee, amount, date and who authorised
The only exceptions not supported by original invoice would be for such items as advanced booking fees or deposit for venues, etc. Here a copy of any email request to be attached to payment details
Any works/services (with the exception of Quartermaster equipment expenses) must have competitive quotes before action is taken
Expenditure from Group funds up to £200 can be agreed and authorised by the Group Treasurer and one signatory
Expenditure from Group funds between £200 and £600 must be agreed by at least two members of the Group Trustee Board (excluding the Group Treasurer)
Expenditure from Group funds over £600 must be agreed by the majority of Group Trustee Board.
These agreements can be obtained via email or at an Trustee Board meeting
Cheque books (unused and partly used) must be kept under lock and key
No cheques will be signed without paperwork to support payment
No blank cheques will be signed. The relevant payee’s name will always be inserted on the cheque before signature and the cheque stubs will be properly completed at time of payment
Two signatories are required on each cheque or electronic payment and transfer to Gold Account
Two signatories are required to set up a direct debit or standing order, one of whom will be the Treasurer and a record is kept

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Uniform: The Group pays cost of formal uniform (not hoodies, etc) for Section Leader/Assistant Section Leader/Section Assistant with requests for replacements considered as required.

Section expenditure:

All expected expenditure must be agreed by Section Leader.
All expense claims must be accompanied by receipts and sent to Group Treasurer within 6 weeks of purchase. If receipts are emailed to Group Treasurer, arrangements must be made for the original to be sent to Group Treasurer for auditing purposes.
Expenses will normally only be paid against receipts but it is accepted that on occasion receipts may get lost. In this situation the claimant must email the Group Treasurer and state on the expense claim form that the receipt has been lost
If a Section Leader is also an authorising signatory on the bank account, their own expense payments must be authorised by another signatory.

Camps and other day activities:

Once date/price has been agreed for camp or activity, and at least one week before email and registration open for event, email to be sent to Group Treasurer with details of camp/activity, dates and fee for attendance
Group Treasurer will keep a record of all payments received and expenses in separate ledger for each camp or activities
Post camp expense claim form to be completed and original receipts attached and sent to Group Treasurer within 4 weeks of event
Once reconciled, statement of income and expense for camp to be emailed to Section leader by Group Treasurer
The Group Treasurer will check with the Section Leaders should an invoice for a camp/activity be emailed direct and, if Section Leader is an bank signatory, they will authorise the payment

Advances:

Section leaders may request the Group Treasurer to supply an advance on expenses to be incurred (i.e. camp expenses)
In this situation an “Advance expense form” should be completed detailing the request and amount required. Invoices/receipts will subsequently be required to support the advance and must be submitted, along with any remaining advance, immediately after the expense has incurred.

Mileage expenses:

Mileage expenses incurred either during or to support scouting activity can be claimed by uniformed leaders with the Group from Sections account at a rate to be agreed by Trustee Board
Distances must be shown on the claim form including From: and To:

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Additional activities and costs:
There are occasions where certain weekly meeting activities are very expensive and in these situations the Section Leadership team may request an additional payment from families to assist with the cost.
These requests will be kept to a minimum as it is expected that all weekly activities should be covered from Section funds where possible and planned in advance

Section ledgers:

As we have charitable status, we are not allowed to accrue funds but due to significant cost of certain activities in the programme, the Sections are not required to spend the entire balance of their funds however they are encouraged not to retain significant funds over the year. At the end of the financial year all balances will be reviewed and any significant surplus monies over £1,000 transferred to the Group savings account to be ring fenced for future projects. Account will be taken if balance at end of financial year is over £1,000 but includes payments made for future camps, etc.

Equipment:

The cost of Group equipment (e.g. tents, etc.) is one of the major costs for the Group and requires being repaired or replaced on a regular basis. Any requests by Quartermaster for replacement equipment to be discussed at Trustee Board meeting and outcome recorded in minutes prior to any purchases being made.

Auditing of accounts:

Our financial year runs from April to March.
All Group and Section income and expenditure will be audited by an Independent Examiner
The Independent Examiner will submit an Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustee Board once satisfied that there are no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination of the Group’s finances
The Independent Examiner and the Group Treasurer will sign the Income and Expenditure statement which will outline all income and expenses for the current financial year
A copy of the Income and Expenditure statement and the Independent Examiner’s report will be forwarded to the District Treasurer and a copy sent to Group Scout Leader and Chairperson
The accounts will be presented at the annual AGM by the Group Treasurer
A copy of the accounts will be sent to the Charity Commission with the annual report

Fixed assets: The Group will adhere to good practice in relation to its finances at all times, e.g. when relevant we will set up and maintain a fixed asset register stating the date of purchase, cost, serial numbers and normal location.

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

4[th] Uckfield Scout Group

Finance Policy

Reserves Policy: Our Group, like most charities, hold some funds in reserve. Our level of reserves is set to ensure that there is sufficient resources to continue the core charitable activities of the group should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Trustee Board considers that the Group should hold a sum equivalent to 12 months running costs, circa £11,000 in reserve and this is held on deposit in CAF Gold savings account. Should the level of reserves falls below the target level, the Trustee Board will make efforts to restore the level within the financial year.

Updated and approved by Trustee Board

Scouts 4 Uckrield Group Accounts 1° April 2023 to 31" March 2024 Income Expenditure Income from sections- subs 14.411.(Kl Hall Hire 6.250.1J) 4,IKKI.80 824.72 5.538.53 7.756.Xl 16.17650 Group expenses Section expenses 35,772.43 25,658.48 th 90 camp income Donations and other income GiftAid Income to sections- subs Income to sertions- other Interest - Current account Interest- Gold Account 45.54 242.95 Total income 5524654 Current Account-01.04.23 2154.12 Gold Account-01.04.23 I171.96 Total eXlture 61,430.91 Current Account- 31.03.24 15.426.80 Gold Account- 31.03.24 11,320.91 £ 8&17&62 £ 88.178.62 have examined the aly)ve Income and Expendtture account and Balan Sheet for the 4 Uckfield Scout Group and find them in ac(x)Tdance wtth the supporting papers and vouthers given to me vthich are to the $t of my knowledge autl)orised transactions. I certify that these accounts are in accordan with the supportsng papers and psent a true cOrd of the Group'5 finan5 at for the year ended 315r March 2024 Independent Reviewer. .-...._____ Gerdld Baker FMA4T Date: 14- 2a29

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Independent Examiners report to the Trustees of 4th Uckfield (Holy Cross) Group Scout Council I report to the Trustees on my examination ofthe accounts of the 41h Uckfield {Holy Cross) Group Scout Council (rhe Trust) for the year ended 31st March 2024 Responsibilities and basis of report: As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {e Act,) I report in respect of my examination of the Trusts. 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)Ib) of the Act. Independent Examinerfs statement: I have Completed my examination. I Confi 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 Trust as required under section 103 of the Ac( or The accounts do not accord with those records I have no concems 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.. <ftth9 FMAA I Relevant professional qualificab.on or membership of professional bodies (if any): Address". I Date: I 2024