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Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2022
Section A Reference and Administrative Details
2[nd] CUDDINGTON (ROWE) SCOUT GROUP
Charity Registration Number 297571
Group Registration Number with The Scout Association 154 082 2575
Contact Name and Address Rodney Clarke, 147 Seaforth Gardens, Stoneleigh, EPSOM, Surrey KT19 0LW
TRUSTEES: Ex-Officio – Appointment
Name
Group Scout Leader Martin Gerrard Deputy Group Scout Leader Dave Pfeiffer Deputy Group Scout Leader Sandra Gosden Beaver Scout Leader Diana Baker (until 1/1/22) Cub Scout Leader Julie Roberts Scout Leadership Representative Simon Digweed Explorer Scout Leader Jo Blackgrove SASU Manager Callum Mitchell
TRUSTEES: Elected
Name
Group Secretary Rodney Clarke Group Treasurer Tim Rogers Parent Clifford Abbott Parent Jackie Durbridge Parent Michelle Matson Parent David Roberts Leader (YP) Sam Hodgson (until 4/9/21)
TRUSTEES: Nominated – Appointment
Name
Group Chairman Paul Nowak Chairman - Supporters’ Committee Shelley Hutton Supporters’ Committee June Foster Group Joint Quartermaster Paul Nicholas Group Joint Quartermaster Robert Baker
CUSTODIAN TRUSTEES (if any) None
OTHER ADVISORS None
BANKERS: Barclays Bank, Worcester Park Branch PO Box No 283, SUTTON, Surrey SM1 1TB
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Section B
Structure, Governance and Management
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.
The Group is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts.
The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.
The Group is managed by the Group Executive Committee, the members of which are the Charity Trustees of the Scout Group which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate.
The Committee consists of the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary together with the Group Scout Leader, individual Section Leaders who have opted to take on the responsibility, and 8 other elected or nominated trustees, and it meets 5 times a year.
Members of the Group 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 safety and welfare of the young people and adults in the Group;
- The maintenance of Group property;
The raising of funds and the administration of Group finance;
The insurance of persons, property and equipment;
As Data Controller for the Group, ensuring compliance with the GDPR;
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.
Risk and Internal Control
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 building, property and equipment. The Group would request the use of buildings, property and equipment from neighbouring organisations such as the Church and other Scout Groups. Similar reciprocal arrangements exist with these organisations. The Group has sufficient buildings and contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss.
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 fundraising. The Group is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions and fundraising. The Group does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a
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major reduction in income. The Committee could raise the level of subscriptions to increase the income to the Group on an ongoing basis, either temporarily or permanently.
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 18. 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.
Section C
Objectives and Activities
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.
Our main activities in relation to these objects
The object of the Group is to provide a Scouting training programme for young people in the Worcester Park, Stoneleigh and Cuddington areas. Through the Scout method, young people develop towards their full potential and there is a clear link between the benefits for young people and the purpose of Scouting. The safety of young people is taken very seriously, and the benefits that Scouting activities provide far outweigh the risks.
Public Benefit 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
See Attached - 2[nd] Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group Annual Report 2021-22.
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Section E
Financial Review
The accounts have been drawn up on the receipts and payments basis which is consistent with the previous year.
Subscriptions are charged for membership to cover immediate running costs of the Group and these do not unduly restrict membership. The Group follows the principle that no-one should be excluded because of their inability to pay membership subscriptions.
Reserves Policy
The Group's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the Group’s activities for Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, and Explorer Scouts should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Group Executive Committee considers that the Group should hold a sum equivalent to 6 months running costs, circa £15,000.
The Group held reserves of £46,578 against this at year end. This is well above the level required for operating expenses. In addition to the Group general reserve and the funds held by Sections, the Trustees have designated funds for transport, hall improvements and training.
Investment Policy
Funds to cover operating costs are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies. A significant proportion of the Group’s additional funds are invested in an ethical fund holding UK and overseas equities. This has the advantage of instant access and should generate income against future expenditure and enable subscriptions to be kept as low as possible. This is seen as a medium to long term investment which should mitigate against short term market fluctuations.
Section F
Other Information
The Group maintains a Development Plan for the next few years and the following projects are being planned at a cost of about £12,500:
Redevelopment of the male and female toilet facilities.
Major tree works and foliage clearance.
Section G
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Paul Nowak Martin Gerrard Group Chairman Group Scout Leader
Date 27[th] July 2021
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Congratulations
It is a pleasure to record the following outstanding achievements during the year ended 31[st] March 2022
Lord Lieutenant’s Award of Appreciation
Mathieu Glover
Chief Scout’s Gold Award
Suzanna Abbott
Chief Scout’s Silver Award
Rory Baguley Mathieu Glover Alexander Huckle Euan Jones Jessica Martin Liam McCusker-Mason Dolcie O’Leary Dexter Pinch Gabriella Poleviou
Chief Scout’s Bronze Award
Blake Bhuiyan Amy Gray William Kavanagh Zoë Llewellyn Lukas Need Michael Pesce Ruben da Silva Rente Arthur Scott Frederick Willes
Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award
Amelia Boardman James Nicholas
Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award
Sam Featherstone Ryan Hooper
The following awards were made by the Chief Scout in recognition of adult service to Scouting
Chief Scout’s Service Awards
(in recognition of good services in an adult role over the period shown)
Chief Scout’s 30 Year Service Award
Paul Nicholas Rob Pallant
Chief Scout’s 25 Year Service Award
Diana Baker
Chief Scout’s 20 year Service Award
June Foster
Chief Scout’s 15 Year Service Award
Brogan Aldred Mark Hodgson
Chief Scout’s 10 year Service Award
Paul Carter Veronica Gravatt Tom Hutton Nick Lennon Wendy Pilgrim
Chief Scout’s 5 Year Service Award
Frances Cummins Callum Mitchell Jack Savas
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Annual Report 2021-22
Group Chairman’s Report
This last year has seen a return to near normality for the Group as Government restrictions were lifted. Group section meetings have returned together with camps and other activities. The Group Executive has also been able to meet face-to-face avoiding the battle with technology created by holding meetings on Zoom. As we have come out of lockdown the Group membership has remained stable and currently stands at 177. This is a major achievement as Covid resulted in a fall in membership for most youth organisations across the country.
The transport fleet is now fully operational again and we have purchased a new minibus to replace the LDV vans both of which have been sold. The Transport team of Ruth Louch and Dee Willis have seamlessly organised that all the vehicles are roadworthy so are available for all required trips and camps away.
The HQ Maintenance Sub-Committee has carried out sterling work over the past year with numerous small projects to keep the Headquarters up to the high standard that they have always achieved.
The restrictions of 2020 continued to prevent the staging of any Jumble Sales, Fairs or the Beer Festival in 2021 but 2022 will see the return of the Summer and Christmas Fairs and the Beer Festival in July which are much needed to replenish the Group funds. A further £9,000 was, however, received in further Local Government Business Grants.
The £23,000 bequest from Graham Manly will be used for a refurbishment of the facilities at the Headquarters that will take place over the summer. Additionally, the facia boards and guttering around the Headquarters will be replaced due to the discovery of woodworm.
The Group Executive held a Development Day in February in order to focus on issues to take the Group forward over the next five years. The main action points resulting from the discussions relate to Parent Engagement, Fundraising and IT & Communications and Working Groups will be established to develop these themes over the coming year.
As always, an appeal. The Supporter’s Sub-Committee are desperate for new members and the current Beer Festival Committee have said that the event this year will be their last. These events contribute some 50% of annual Group funds and without them we will not be able to provide the level of activities that we currently provide for our young people.
Please volunteer to carry these events forward into the future if it is only a few hours of your time. The more volunteers that we have the lighter the load of organisation.
I would like to thank all members of the Group Executive for their considerable efforts over the year. Your support has been most appreciated in getting the Group through what has been a very difficult time. Additionally I would like to thank the Section Leaders and Teams for the time and effort that they have put in to re-establish activities to what is, now, nearly normality.
Paul Nowak Group Chairman
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Group Scout Leader’s Report
As ‘normality’ resumes, the tremendous challenges that the Group experienced in the second year of Covid start to fade from memory, but what a tremendous tribute it is to the leader team that the Group finished the year as large and active as it was ‘pre-Covid’. It is even more impressive when you remember that everyone at 2[nd] Cuddington is a volunteer. In a two year period when many organisations with paid staff sadly declined or closed, our fantastic volunteer team haven’t stopped and have developed in even more innovative and challenging ways.
The last two years have been like sitting at a fast-changing set of traffic lights governing what we could do and how we could do it. The analogy was reinforced by the fact that the various stages of ‘Covid readiness’ for youth organisations were described as ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’.
We started the reporting year with a move from ‘red’ to ‘amber’ and the resumption of faceto-face meetings but with only half a Section at a time meeting outdoors. The move to complete Sections meeting using the Headquarters building with socially distanced activities followed but wherever possible we continued with outdoor meetings. The reporting of each positive Covid test to Scout Headquarters became a commonplace task but an added duty for the leader team. Initially limited residential experiences were allowed with a maximum of 6 people but as restrictions were gradually relaxed Summer Camps and Expeditions became possible with a return to ‘green’.
Planning and running section meetings subject to Covid restrictions placed a significant further burden on the leaders, quite apart from the need for cleaning of equipment and the HQ after each meeting, and they have been doing a fantastic job bringing everything back to some sort of normality. (I would say bringing everything back online but that would be confusing – we’ve had nearly two years of that!). The National Youth Agency guidance meant that we finished the reporting year at ‘green’ which brings us almost back to normal for meetings and activities. We still have some distancing and cleaning rules in force for the HQ but most other requirements have now been relaxed.
Despite the challenges of Covid there were some terrific highs, and it was great to have news early in the year that Mathi Glover (then a Sixer in the Cub Scout Pack) was to be one of the first recipients of the new Lord Lieutenants Award. This is not a Scout award but is designed to acknowledge outstanding service to the community that does not qualify for a national honour. Mathi is not only one of the first recipients (the first 12 were announced on Surrey Day 2021) but also by far the youngest and it was a pleasure to welcome the County Commissioner to the Troop meeting on the 9[th] July when Mathi received his Award.
Overall, 2021/22 saw two different patterns of programme delivery, with the early months very much subject to Covid restrictions whilst the summer of 2021 onwards saw a return to what we would now describe as approaching ‘pre-Covid’, before yet another return to ‘Amber’ in December. Sectional meetings were able to run with the full membership and return indoors, overnight activities resumed and tents shared, although some restrictions did continue. That said, wherever possible the meetings remained outdoors and this proved a
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wise decision as positive Covid tests continued across the Sections. The restriction on numbers that can camp together resulted in the Troop running two shorter separate ‘backto-back’ camps rather than the original and traditional week-long summer camp in July.
I really cannot overstate the demands that the planning and running of section meetings subject to Covid restrictions placed on the leaders, quite apart from the need for cleaning of equipment and the HQ after each meeting and they have done a truly fantastic job in both maintaining programme delivery and bringing everything back to some sort of normality. It would be impressive if they were paid but as volunteers it is stunning. We took the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the Leader Team by holding a very sociable quiz night in January – an evening at the HQ without having to look after young people.
Leaders
Key to everything we do is our volunteer leader team which comprises not only those in uniform ‘front of house’ but also our Executive Committee and sub-committee members without which the Group would not exist. There have been some changes in the leader team in the last year, most notably Diana Baker moving from the role of Beaver Scout Leader having led the Colony so well for 5 years. The really good news is that we haven’t lost Diana’s 20 plus years’ experience as a leader as she is continuing with the Colony Team as an Assistant Beaver Scout Leader. We welcomed Vanessa Hill to the Beaver Team as a Section Assistant and Russell Dane in a similar role to the Pack Team. Vanessa has joined us from ‘outside’ Scouting whilst Russell was a Young Leader with the Cubs so already has a couple of years’ experience looking after the Pack and both are great additions to the adult team.
The Scout Active Support Unit continues to grow and is a valued part of the leader team. Aged 18 plus, the Unit exists to provide support for all the Sections and the Group, but it also has a well-deserved reputation for the quality of their support for Scout events wider afield. During the reporting year it was a pleasure to welcome Amelia Boardman, Gemma Lambert, Rebecca Watkinson, Rebecca Farrar, James Ascough and Alistair Laidman Milne to the Unit.
Sadly, we lost one member of the leader team as Lee Tarron needed to focus on his university studies but we are grateful for his past support with the Troop Team.
World Scout Jamborees are held every four years and the 25[th] World Jamboree is in Korea in 2023. It is a pleasure to record that two of our leader team, Jo Blackgrove and Ellie Hodgson, have been selected as leaders for the Surrey contingent whilst Explorer Scout and Young Leader Isabella Matson has also been successful in her application as a member of the contingent.
Beavers
Like the other Sections, the Beavers started the reporting year with only half the Colony each week and a raft of new Beavers there for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt which had to be delayed from before Easter. Zoom meetings were never tremendously successful for the Beavers as it needed a parent online with them and the early timing made this difficult. Sadly this reduced the number of Chief Scout Bronze Awards completed in 2021 but I’m pleased to say the return to the HQ and outdoor meetings has seen a return to badge achievement.
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As the summer progressed the Beavers had fun evenings doing rainbow experiments, parachute game, growing cress, and rounders, chatterbox and cricket. They did a Hogsmill Walk and finished the summer term with party games. They worked on the Disability Awareness Badge and went on a ‘muddy walk’. It was good to get all the ‘traditional’ items back in the programme such as Halloween and the Christmas Party. Christmas saw Diana’s move from the Section Leader role, and we restructured how we would run the Colony for the Spring and Summer terms. Having Diana still around has greatly helped the transition!
Although having half the Colony at a time had been a Covid requirement we returned to the format in the Spring with half the Colony at a time caving and playing night Frisbee Golf at Walton Firs whilst the remainder were at the HQ. Like all the other Sections the variety of activities covered at the normal Colony meetings is amazing and far too many to list here.
It is worth stressing that the Beaver Colony is the foundation of the Scout Group and the start of that 6 – 25-year-old progressive training scheme. An excellent example is the dozen Beavers who took part in the District Lizard hike in March which, like the muddy walks, is the start of the progressive training which could carry them through to doing the ten day, one hundred mile Explorer Belt expedition in 15 years’ time – we have a team doing that this year!
Cubs
Under Julie Robert’s leadership the Pack have had another fantastic year despite Covid. Although able to have face to face meetings, they split the early meetings with some members still online, and others physically present. In effect, they were running two separate and differently programmed meetings. The first full pack meeting was described as a bit like herding kittens, especially maintaining social distancing. For those that were present the first two weeks, the meetings were based around planting whilst those online did Taskmaster.
Like the other Sections many of the meetings have been outdoors and this included the Pack doing two fire lighting sessions on a Saturday whilst the normal Tuesday evening meetings included problem solving, games, pioneering, knots and ropes. The programme in the summer of 2021 included tent pitching as Covid meant that some Cubs had not seen a tent let alone put one up.
24 Cubs attended Summer Camp at Adamswell (near Tunbridge Wells) plus a further 7 visited on a day trip. Themed on Harry Potter, the programme included a display with Birds of Prey. The Cub camp also provided a training base and starting point for the DofE expeditions mentioned later in this report.
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18 Cubs attended a (very wet) activity weekend at PGL in October whilst the autumn programme included working on the Communicator Badge over 3 evenings including an evening with a BSL Interpreter. Ski-ing, undertaking training in navigation and maps, and an Easter themed meeting, a sleepover and activity day in lieu of a planned PGL weekend completed the year.
Scouts
The Troop leadership continued to be shared with Simon Digweed, Mark Pitcher, James Turner and Jane Weller sharing the Scout Leader role, ably supported by the rest of the Troop Leader Team. The start of the reporting year saw the Troop split into four groups for Troop evenings and there were challenges in maintaining social distancing.
The Troop managed to get an early resumption to ‘away activities’ with a day out at Birchmere camp site on 1st May, with parents driving the young people down. Waiting on National Youth Agency decisions meant various contingency plans had to be put in place for summer camp. Originally planned for Keynsham, Covid restrictions meant the location needed to be changed to Earleywood (near Ascot) and from taking the whole Troop to a maximum of 16 at a time with a mid-week changeover. As if Covid restrictions were not enough, both the Troop and Unit summer camps endured heavy rain and swamp like conditions – Scouting is fun! As the year progressed activities and programmes returned to normal and the traditional Troop cycling weekend (in the New Forest), winter camp and May camp have all taken place.
Explorers
Zoom meetings hit the Explorer Scout attendance figures and the Unit struggled to regain normal numbers as face-to-face meeting resumed. Jo Blackgrove leads the Unit Leader Team, and the early meetings were outdoors both at the HQ and Horton Country Park and the meeting time was changed to 7pm to make the best use of daylight. The Unit Summer
Camp was held at Park
Wood at Brighton, (Covid rules restricted the distance we were allowed to travel for camps and activities). The programme included paddle boarding on Hove Lagoon, an investiture on Devils Dyke and an overnight wild camp. I’m pleased to say that attendance and programme have now returned to ‘normal’ levels. The DofE Award scheme has featured strongly in the Unit programme with 20 Explorer Scouts and SASU members
undertaking expeditions in 2021/22 and completing other Sections of the Award.
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SASU
The Covid rules for adults in Scouting were different to those for young people and the number that can meet was strictly limited. They maintained an outdoor programme to avoid indoor number restrictions which enabled them to include digging the foundations for the new trailer parking. More recently they continued the ‘digging theme’ by planning dwarf daffodils along the entire frontage of the Headquarters – you might have noticed them. When meeting on Zoom they were doing games, quizzes and planning evenings.
They were able to volunteer at Walton Firs Activity Centre and covered the warden duty weekend for the Group at Boidier Hurst, our local campsite. The Unit has continued to provide leader support to all the Sections on a weekly basis as well as for special events, camps and activities. Members of the SASU can continue to work on the D of E award scheme and the Queen’s Scout Award and a team completed their Gold level expedition in 2021.
Four members planned to tackle the County Explorer Belt Expedition (100 miles in 10 days from a base in Luxembourg with a variety of projects to tackle on the way). Sadly Covid restrictions prohibited them travelling in 2021 as planned but the good news is that they will be tackling the challenge this July.
Leader Training
Sandra Gosden oversees Leader Training in the Group and we have an enviable 100% compliance record with the training requirements of the Scout Association. In addition to the initial training for each role it also includes ongoing training in Safety, Safeguarding and First Aid which all have to be repeated every three years. The Group currently has 128 adults recorded with a current DBS clearance on the Scout Association Management System, all of which require monitoring and renewals etc. We provide First Aid training in the Group (run by our good friends from St John Ambulance) to ensure everyone keeps their First Aid qualification up to date. Normally done every three years, we ran an extra course in the summer of 2021 for 14 leaders whose qualification expired whilst training was banned during Covid.
The mark of a fully trained leader is the Wood Badge (those two wooden beads on a leather thong that you see leaders wearing). It can take up to three years to complete the training programme and a change of role requires training to match. Congratulations to Ellie Hodgson, Jane Carter, Dave Pfeiffer and Jane Weller who all completed their Wood Badge during the reporting year. In the case of Jane Weller and Dave Pfeiffer it was their second Wood Badge as they have changed roles and I am grateful for their commitment and enthusiasm.
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A really valuable resource for the Group is our team of Young Leaders. Aged 14 -18, they work with the Colony, Pack or Troop whilst also completing a Young Leader training programme. We had a total of 14 Young Leaders in the Group in 2021/2 (13 Explorer Scouts and 1 DofE volunteer), two of which, Hannah Durbridge and James Nicholas are helping at 2[nd] Stoneleigh. Becca Simpson sadly had to stand down from the Troop team because of studying, whilst K Lewis (Colony) and Russell Dane (Pack) both turned 18 and I’m pleased to say that Russell has completed the transition to an adult leader role. Hannah also reached 18 and moved to an adult role with 2[nd ] Stoneleigh. I am very grateful to all four for what they have done to help the younger members of Scouting.
Group Events
Group events during 2021/22 were plagued by Covid cancellations and postponements. Gatherings of large number of Scouts didn’t sit well with the restrictions. This was the second year where Covid prevented us from holding our traditional Group St George’s Day outing, but the annual Renewal of Promises took place at St Marys, with thanks to our Vicar, Theresa, for kindly allowing us to hijack the normal morning service. Our ‘in-church’ attendance had to be limited by Covid rules but at least we were able to mark the day. (I’m pleased to say that the 2022 St George’s Day event returned to our full day format, but more of that in the 2023 report!). We managed to hold both the Harvest Festival and Remembrance Day Parade Services but sadly we were back into restriction territory by December 2021 which resulted in the cancellation of the Group Carol service. Our links with the Parish Church remain strong and we are grateful to the support we receive from Theresa and the team at St Marys. A littleknown fact is that the 2[nd] Cuddington look after the erection of the Christmas trees and the decorating/lighting of the trees and church for Christmas (and taking it all down afterwards).
Our traditional Jumble Sales, the Summer and Christmas Fairs, Formal Meal and Beer Festival were all Covid victims with the resulting hit on fund raising. With a lot of hard work, the Supporters sub-committee ran a Christmas Draw, involving the hand delivery and collection of tickets as we were back in ‘no contact’ territory. We made the draw as planned on the evening of the (now cancelled) Carol Service with six of us, masked and distanced in front of the Christmas trees in an otherwise empty building.
The Santa Special on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway had to be cancelled too, as the Covid restrictions meant it was impractical for a Group our size, but we did manage to go ahead with Group ice skating at Hampton Court. Over 90 members attended which meant we had to run a shuttle coach service – an excellent departure from what had become the norm.
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DofE
After so many cancellations it was great to get more than 20 Explorers and members of the SASU away for four days of training for Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE expeditions in August. Based at the Cub Camp at Adamswell they used Broadstone Warren and Hammerwood campsites for the practice expeditions following on-site training. Qualifying expeditions for Bronze, Silver and Gold expeditions took place in the New Forest in October so we managed to complete the process during the lull in the Covid restrictions. It was good to get back to serious expedition stuff for our older members with the gold team attacking up to 90 kms over four days. Our success with DofE is due to Tracey de Whalley and all that she does as our Group DofE Adviser. Her tireless motivation of our Explorers and SASU members results in the completion of a commendable number of DofE sections and a steady flow of awards.
Executive
As it is an independent charity, the Scout Group has a Board of Trustees (known as the Group Executive Committee) comprised of elected, nominated and ex-officio members led by our Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer – Paul Nowak, Rod Clarke and Tim Rogers respectively. The Group Executive manages all our resources and ensures the leaders have the means to deliver the programme. A good Scout Group doesn’t stand still though and key to our future is the Group Development Plan. Twice postponed because of Covid, the Group Executive finally manged to hold a Development Day in early 2022. Led by our former County Commissioner, Roxanna Bostock, it brought together a cross-section of adult members of the Group. The product of that day is being taken forward in 2022/23by three working Groups to ensure we continue to provide quality Scouting and resources at 2[nd] Cuddington.
The Group continues to produce a Newsletter, albeit the bulk of the copies are now distributed by email. Whilst the distribution might be online the material still has to be written and Carol Priddy does a great job chasing and editing contributions to ensure that we not only tell people what we are doing but also have a tangible record of the Group. Our website, Facebook and twitter presence continues although we recognise that this needs constant review to stay relevant and it is one of the areas prioritised at our Development Day.
The year saw the Group change the design of our T shirts, polo shirts and hoodies to the new Scout logo to ensure we remain ‘on brand’. Jackie Durbridge looks after these supplies and kindly managed the change and as a result they can now be seen across the Group.
Mike Gravatt has given another year of sterling volunteer work in sorting the collection (and chasing) of membership fees. In an organisation where everyone is a volunteer giving up their time for the young people it is disappointing to find some parents who can’t be bothered to pay on time or have the courtesy to reply to repeated requests. Mike also kindly manages the Group Gift Aid claim which is a key part of our fund raising.
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The work of Shelley Hutton and the hard-working Supporters sub-committee was really frustrated by Covid last year although they did find a way through the regulations to run the very successful Christmas Draw. They have hit the ground running now the restrictions have eased with the Summer Fair already lined up for 2022.
Whilst other things may pause or be postponed, we do need to ensure the maintenance of our Headquarters. During the year major professional work was needed on the trees and grounds, both for what was the ongoing infestation of oak processionary moth and to remove overhanging branches and foliage which couldn’t be done without specialist equipment. Dave Pfeiffer and the HQ sub-committee look after our estate, not least cutting the grass at least every
month. They meet on a Thursday morning each month and do a mountain of work – another team of unseen volunteers who are a key part of the leader team. Major work on the lighting, inside and out, was completed by Clifford Abbott during the year, whilst Roy Turner completed works both upstairs and, well, pretty much anywhere in the building that needed it. A significant investment was the new cooker in the kitchen, a sizeable piece of kit but essential, not least for the Beer Festival and Formal Meal.
The SASU led on works in the grounds both to clear vegetation and dig out the area for a new trailer park (by the vehicle gate) and to move the pioneering rack. Both these projects are on hold at the moment as Surrey County Council is planning to build on the field adjacent to the Headquarters. This will involve a new access road to the site which will cross the land currently owned by the Group. At the time of writing the plans for the development are in a very early stage and we have an excellent working relationship with the Council who are very supportive of the Group. Meanwhile the projects in the existing gate area are on hold but the hole remains.
One of our major assets is our vehicle fleet and we own two minibuses, a coach and two trailers. These are very well managed by Dee Willis and Ruth Louch, our volunteer Transport Managers. All our vehicles were ‘SORNed’ during Covid with insurance cover reduced to a minimum. A resumption of normal activity required all the vehicles to be retaxed, insured, serviced and tested and this was completed by July 2021. We also still had an old LDV which we sold the year before, but which had never been collected. Despite having been paid for it, it continued to live at the HQ. Thanks to some clever work by Dee, he managed to get the vehicle moved off-site when the second LDV was sold. Maintaining the vehicles is a constant treadmill but they enable us to provide the sort of programme that we do, whether it is Beavers on a local visit or Explorers on a wild country expedition. It would be remiss not to also mention the work of the SASU who periodically cleaned the vehicles or the volunteers who drive them.
2[nd] Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22
Page 14 of 22
In Conclusion
I’m conscious that a glance back over the annual report reveals a litany of events that had to be cancelled or postponed because of Covid, but although we had to lose our big headline Group events, we still managed to ensure that camps, expeditions and activities went ahead as the Covid traffic lights allowed. In last year’s report I flagged how the list of ingenious programmes for the weekly Section meetings devised by the hard-working leader team was really amazing and truly covered the alphabet. Just to prove that it continues, the Sectional programmes this year have included (amongst a host of other games and activities) the following – and before you check I can assure you that every single one of them is different from the 26 that were listed last year. That’s the quality of the 2[nd] Cuddington Leader Team!
Axemanship; Birds of prey; Climbing; Disability awareness; Electricians Badge; Faith activities; Gardening; Hiking; Ice Skating; Jubilee; Knitting (oh yes it featured, but have Kayaking if you prefer the outdoor); Ladders; Magic evening; Night Hike; Orienteering; Power boating; Quadrants; Recycling; Skiing; Team building /Task Room; Underground activities (OK, it’s caving); Visits; Warhammer; Xbox (but we do far more Xpeditions) and Zoones (we had enough of Zoom last year!) .
2[nd] Cuddington continues to be a great Scout Group led by a great team of volunteers who fill a multitude of roles. This report doesn’t name them all, but together they make up the leader team which ensures such great Scouting for our young people.
Martin Gerrard Group Scout Leader
Group Membership 2022
As at the 31[st] March 2022, the Group membership comprised:
| Section | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Scouts | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 29 |
| Cub Scouts | 33 | 40 | 39 | 29 | 30 |
| Scouts | 35 | 35 | 27 | 33 | 35 |
| Explorer Scouts | 18 | 15 | 25 | 21 | 28 |
| Active Support Unit (SASU) | 32 | 23 | 22 | 19 | |
| Leader Team and SASU* | 34 | 40 | 36 | 38 | 54* |
| Total | 177 | 177 | 174 | 166 | 176 |
- includes Scout Active Support Unit
2[nd] Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22
Page 15 of 22
Group Leader Team as at 31 March 2022
Those marked * are members of the Group Executive Committee and consequently trustees of the 2[nd] Cuddington Scout Group
Group Scout Leader Martin Gerrard Deputy Group Scout Leaders (Leader Training) Sandra Gosden (Headquarters and Events) Dave Pfeiffer Beaver Scout Colony Beaver Scout Leader Vacant – covered by GSL Team Assistant Beaver Scout Leaders Brogan Aldred, Diana Baker, Sue Blackgrove Section Assistants Frances Cummins, Sam Featherstone, Louise Bridle (SASU) Young Leaders Suzanna Abbott, Isabella Matson, Amy Messenbird Cub Scout Pack Cub Scout Leader Julie Roberts Assistant Cub Scout Leaders Jane Carter, Tom Hutton, Paul Nicholas, Carol Priddy Section Assistants Rod Clarke, Lillian Carter, Russell Dane, Amy Gravatt (SASU), Roy Turner, Emma de Whalley (SASU) Young Leaders Daniel Keers, Ash Lawrence, Hannah Martin Scout Troop Scout Leader (shared) Simon Digweed, Mark Pitcher, James Turner, Jane Weller Assistant Scout Leaders Ellie Hodgson, Mark Hodgson, Karl Nicholas Section Assistants Sam Hodgson, George King, Nick Lennon, Jack Roche, Corinne Snell, Lee Tarron Young Leaders Ben Lewis, Greg Newell Explorer Unit Explorer Scout Leader Jo Blackgrove Assistant Explorer Scout Leaders Adrian Murphy Section Assistants Lawrence Carslake, Paul Digweed, Stuart Duffell (SASU), Dave Simms, Tom de Whalley (SASU) Active Support Unit Manager Callum Mitchell Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Adviser Tracey de Whalley Quartermasters Robert Baker, Paul Nicholas Group Executive Committee – Trustees of the 2[nd] Cuddington Scout Group Chairman Paul Nowak Secretary Rod Clarke Treasurer Tim Rogers Members Clifford Abbott, Robert Baker, Jackie Durbridge, June Foster, Sam Hodgson, Shelley Hutton, Ruth Louch, Michelle Matson, Paul Nicholas, Dave Pfeiffer, David Roberts Ex-officio members Group Scout Leader Team and Section Leaders Supporters Sub-Committee Shelley Hutton (Chair), Clifford Abbott, Janet Brown, Jane Carter, Paul Carter, Frances Cummins, Jackie Durbridge, June Foster Richard Pilgrim, Wendy Pilgrim, Jan Winter, Maureen Turner Maintenance Sub-Committee Dave Pfeiffer (Chair), Clifford Abbott, Ken Blackgrove, Richard Priddy, Roy Turner Page 16 of 22 2[nd] Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22
Il ¥* Iiijiiiliiiiiiii 2. Cuddington (Rowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22 Page 17 of 22
Receipts and payments 202q122 2020121 Receipts Unre5trfLted funds Re5trfcted funds Degnat& funds Total funds Tota fund$ natIC5, egacies a Membership subscriptions Le5s'. MemtwshipsthBcriFons tHd NordlC IAreDislrict Less.. Yrath-r losecb SWCUt6Is¢rt$1EM et rr Ipsu r8t8ined 11.606 3,745 15. 1981 15,2921 c*ers Cnptiot 6,408 11,5471 txination5 805 606 Grfl Aid 644 1,769 Transport income Sub total 7.857 tlvltles Beavers 31 Cubs 5,652 Scouts 4,270 493 Explorers 4.357 SASU 348 1,022 Group 658 Euro sneY Sub total 146JS 11293 FuMlralslrvJ Igrossl Supporters 1.781 2.211 Beer Festival 1,396 S) tc¢al 1.781 Investment income Bank interest 4,106 9,498 Hall Pre 1,399 1.185 Other incoffe (see >te 21 14.304 750 43.711 Sj tcrtal 19.809 750 0,$59 Total Gross IncL¥no 30,105 750 14,635 Page 18 of 22 nd 2 Cuddington IRowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22
Receipts and payments 2021122 2020121 Payments char5t86 paymonts Unre5trlded runds Re5trfced funds Dgnatj ftrnds Total funds Total funds Beavers 401 161 Cubs 4.161 1,980 SGouts 3.159 438 EXplor$ 4.332 SASU 267 1,875 Group 1,416 16 17401 Euro tisney Adult support and training Badge$ 1.973 720 Water and Serage 201 65 Electricity and Cas 3,787 1,965 Insurance 1,493 1,31g Repairs and Renewals 7,304 3,025 Materia15 and equiptYEnl 1.191 504 Printing pholoGopying 896 538 Telecoms 615 15 603 T-shirts & Swtalshirts Transport 9,545 2,331 Olher Expenditu 562 270 2.991 tsal 31,597 270 12.320 87 18,054 Fwdral8lng 0xn&e$ Supporters 236 217 Beer F8Stival Sthj trlal 236 236 217 Tot•1 Gros$ EX01r 31,833 12,320 44423 18370 Net ofr•celMS/(Ymentsj {1,7281 Tr8n5fer8 t•tsv8en fLW 13,0001 12501 3,250 Cash fiwK15 185t year 81 51.307 250 48,928 57.894 Cash this year end 41578 2. Cuddington (Rowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22 Page 19 of 22
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year 31 March 2022 31 March 2021 Unrestrfded funds R¢strkteil funds De¥gnatol funds Totsl funds Total funds Cash fvNIs ecliona an accounts BeaverslCubslScout51 10,267 8,539 Supporters tyank account 2.259 2,582 Scout Shop 206 79 Beer Festival bank account 3,376 3,376 Bank current account 2,633 480 7,240 Bank deposit account 12.9901 44,649 43,655 COIF account 40.959 36,857 Petty cash and unClead f8ceipt$ 636 40 1,243 Prepaynkn15 12022-2023 SGDI 11801 11,6801 Tclal cash funds 480 54956 102,336 101.891 .mon&tary assets T-shirt slock 2,426 382 Beer Fesllval stock 1.253 1,253 Land and buildings 779.099 705,706 lor vehicles 11,070 11,070 Scouling equiprrÈnt, fumiture, elc. 38.685 35,458 Sub tctsl 821,*W 11,070 753,870 Lialxlitr05 Uncleared ch8que$ 321 463 1,406 Sub tctsl 321 784 The above receipts and payments account and statemenl of assets and liabilities were approved by the Trustees on 12 June 2022 and signed on their behalf by Sgnalure Prt Nan Cha Twn Rogers Page 20 of 22 nd 2 Cuddington IRowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22
Notes to Accounts 1 Notes to Cash Funds General Fund {unrestricted funds,. balance at 31 March 2022 of £46.578.09) The general fund is the main reserve of the charity and can be used for any approved charitab purpose. Sectlonal Funds {deslgnated' balance al 31 March 2022 of £10.106.76) The sectional funds represent money hehy lo cover the cost of forthcoming actwities, meetings and camps. Transport Fund (designated,. balance at 31 March 2022 of £21.005.001 In 2015. a designated transport fund was created to accumulate funding required lo repLice vehiCs. Graham Manly Fund Ideslgnated; balance at 31 March 2022 of £23,381.30) This fund contains a legacy that is earmarked to pay for improvements to Rowe Hall. Training Fund (restricted: balance at 31 March 2022 of £0.00) The training fund contains donations restrrled lo paying for sailing courses. It was extinguished in 2021. Fotar Fund Irostrictod; balance at 31 March 2022 of £480.00) This fund was created from a grant from the Forster Trust to pay for one-to-one care of a member of one of the 5eclK)ns. 2 Other income Other income comprk%ed the folk)wing stems Covid Restart Grant Covid Lockdown Grant Balance of Graham Manly kgacy Sale of LDV Sale of minibus Contribulk)n lo Bronze certrficate Unexplained cash left in Treasurer's drawer 8,000.00 2,667.00 2,631.30 800.00 200.00 4.27 1.20 Total 14.303.77 2. Cuddington (Rowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22 Page 21 of 22
Independgnt Examinor's Report to the Trustees of the ..SCOUT GROUPIDISTRICTICOUNTYIAREA SCOUT COUNCIL -511,,-12022 118POrt oil Ihe account8 of the GfouplDlglrlcUCounlylArea lorthe ybar ended ..-.. whlch comfM18e the Statement ol Financlal ActitI88, Ihe 8o18nce 8heel related nolei gtt out on pagej......... Th1¥ r8POrt Is made 801gly to th¢ Iw&tee¥ in o¢eordan¢¥ wllh Section 145 ol th• Cltarilies Act 2011. My work ha$ been undertaken so Ihat I mighl sthle to the charlly'8 liuslees Iho8e mallors l am roqulred 10 8tale lo 1118m In an Independent ExaniSne¢s report and IOT no 01h purpose. To Ihe (ullÈsl exlent permiiied by law, I nol accept oi a85vme re8ponslblllly lo anyone olher th8n ihe chorSly and the charity's Iwu8lees (or my ex8mlnollon WDrk. R•opectlvo r••pon•lbllltl•• ol Tru•te88 nd ExAmln8r Tho Gioup8lDl$bicl'¥ I1¢08 ore re¥ponslblo for the prgparalion ol the 8¢¢ounl$. They (x>n8lder that an gudit l¥ nol requiie(J lor Ihis year (under Secllon 144 01 Ihe Charlli88 Act 2011 Ohe Charllleb Adl> aThJ that an indeperdenl examtnalion is needsd. It IB my r98pon8lblllly to- Examine Ihe aecounts (under S8dlDn 146 ol Ihe Chartll85 Acll., To lollow th• procedures lalcl down In Ihè Gèng191 Dirg¢llonJ wven by Ihe ChaTlly ComMIB8ioneT$ Ivniler Se¢llon 145(5llbl of thè Chorllls ACD: And To $18le whelh8T parflcular mattors h8ve come lo my atlentlon. BB$l• gf Ind•pendont Examln•r's r•port My exémlngllon wai carii8d out In accorttanco wlth Ihe General Dhrthns gIn by the Char41y Comm1851oner& An examlnallon Includes a revlaw ol lh• accounllng record6 kept by lh& GrouplDlslricl and a comp&rSson of the occoijrils presentecl wlth tho$8 iAe¢rd8. 11 hlso Ir*lude# eon$ldgrAtbn of any unusual items or dlydDsure¥ In the ac¢oiinl$. and seeking •xpl&n&llons from you gs 1rnI3tè81 eoncérnthg any iuch mBllèr8. Th8 prrt8dtJr88 [dertAkeft do not provld• all Iho &vldence Ihhl would b& fequlr8d in 81) Audil, and con8equently no oplnSon Is glven a6 10 whether Ihe 8c¢wII8 Pfe6enl a 'tsue and Iw¢ vlew oiid Ihe TOPOrt18 I1ted lo Ihose malleis sel oul In Ihe 8latemeiil bolow. Indop•ndont Ex•mlneT'g 8tatem•nl In connecllon wlth my WAOmln&llon, no mal¢ei com to my oltentlon {othor IhJn Ihal dl•cloied belDW y.. 1. whlch gfve¥ mg 108b1 cuu58 lo ball8ve Ih41 In any rn81¥r iespeclth9 18qUifgmenlB lo keep occovnling rewds In 8CCOfdgnce 1h Sedlon 130 01 Iho Chwttle8 Act,'and lo preparft 8ccounts whlch accord wllh lh8 8ccounllng record8 Dnd compw th the occounllng requlrem?nts of thè Ch&rill88 Act havg not been met,. or 2. lo whlch, In my oplnk)n, atlenll¢)n shcyjld b8 drawt) In order lo enable a propei.Llllrt8rstAiidlnp ol tho aecounlg to be Teached. . Pl8os& del8te Ihe wGrd8 In the brookgls Illhey do not 8ppI Nhmo.. Qts&iificallon'. Address.. 11.o.4J. V6L ...J.TIIu-.li Date- .... LT900006 Page 22 of 22 nd 2 Cuddington IRowel Scout Group TAR & Annual Accounts 2021-22