## **Wantage Scout Group Financial report 2024-2025** This report covers the period from April 2024 through to end of March 2025 for our 1[st] and 4[th] KA Beaver, Cub & Scout groups, and Challow Beaver & Cub groups. We also manage the finances for the Ridgeway Explorer group. ## **2024-25 accounts** **Overall summary** : Our finances are in good health there are no major issues … We started the year with £28,850 in our various accounts. We had income of £58,826 versus expenditure of £57,578. So, we close the year with an increased balance of £30,098. **Income** : Subs income of £24,485 is higher than to 2024. We have a slightly higher headcount and good recovery of subs from all sections. All subs are collected via Online Scout Manager (OSM). We received Gift Aid of £4,417 (up to end Feb 2025), in addition to a similar payment for the previous year that missed the year end deadline last year so shows up here, and largely explains the increase in our balance for the year. Gift Aid is a great way to boost our income, refunded from HMRC - if we can get Gift Aid mandates completed for all eligible parents then we could claim even more. Fundraising this year … Our Dickensian Evening burger stall was not so successful, but still raised £884 - largely due to the appalling weather on the night. Scout Post was successful - our share (with Grove Scouts) earned £1,300. We held a sponsored hike in May, linked to Sobell House OxTrail. This raised an amazing £3471, of which we donated £1,300 to Sobell House hospice (£200 in previous financial year). **Expenditure** : We paid £13,855 in fees to District/County/UK Scouting; Rent of £7000 for the DHQ building (n.b. we do not own it); £880 for the lodge (Explorers); and £1140 to hire Challow Village Hall. Activity spend across all sections came to £26,266. This was offset by parental contributions for specific activities of £17,961. These figures are higher this year, in part due to early invoices and payments for the Kent International Jamboree (held every 3 years). All groups participated in successful camping trips and other fun activities. We also spent £2,523 on badges (this remains high and is further evidence of our focus on badge work and doing great stuff); £796 on equipment; and £205 on OSM system support. Our insurance bill for the year was £2,965. Our existing ‘contents’ policy was £608, slightly higher as the insurance world continued to rise post pandemic. We also paid £2237 for building insurance just before the year end. This is because we were taking ownership of the building from 1[st] April. **Explorers** : Our Explorer group is ‘owned’ by King Alfred District Scouts, but financially are in with Wantage Scout Group. If we separate out their spend, then £8,531 was raised … by subs (£3,083), Gift Aid (£863), parental contributions (£4,124) and an allocation of group income/fundraising (461) … versus spend of £7,351 split by rent (£880), fees (£1,767), badges (£61) and activities (£4,147) and allocation of group spend (£392). So, a surplus for the year - we can see that Explorers are selfsufficient, not a financial burden on WSG. **Looking Forward** : As mentioned above, we took ‘ownership’ of the DHQ building from District Scouts on April 1[st] . This has significantly changed our financial landscape for the current financial year. We no longer pay rent but have taken on the costs of utilities and maintenance. We do not currently have a lot of income from sub-letting the hall to other groups, but we hope to find a tenant for the ‘office’ space in the lodge. **Thanks** : Many thanks to Tessa Blake and Kay Williams for assisting me in managing the group finances, paying bills and expenses; and to Laura Legate and group leaders for managing membership and subscriptions. Many thanks too to Darshana Patel for reviewing and completing a formal independent examination of these accounts. ## **John Bales** **Wantage Scout Group Treasurer** **October 2025** ## **Wantage Scout Group (1st/4th KA, Challow & Ridgeway Explorers)** |Balance Sheet as at 31 March
**Receipts:**
Membership / Subscriptions
_Subs Bank Acc_
_Subs OSM GoCardless_
_Explorers Subs OSM GoCardless_
Donations / Grants
_Donations_
_Sponsorship_
_District Scouts for DHQ Shelter_
_District Explorers Start Up_
Activities
_Group Activities and Camps_
_Scout Activities and Camps_
_Cub Activities and Camps_
_Beaver Activities and Camps_
_Explorers Activities and Camps_
_Events via GoCardless_
_Kayak Activities_
Fundraising
_Dickensian Evening Takings_
_Christmas Post_
_Gift Aid_
_Amazon Commission_
_150 Club_
_Equipment Sale_
_Other_
_Interest Deposit Accounts_
**Total Receipts**
**Payments:**
Premises
_DHQ Rent_
_Explorers DHQ Lodge Rent_
_Challow Village Hall_
_DHQ Shelter_
Activities
_Group Activities and Camps_
_Scout Activities & Camps_
_Cub Activities & Camps_
_Beaver Activities & Camps_
_Explorers Activities & Camps_
_Challow Cubs/Beavers Activities_
_Kayak Activities_
Fundraising Expenses
_Dickensian Fee and Food_
_150 Club_
_Other_
Admin and Other Costs
_Capitation Fee_
_Explorers Capitation Fee_
_Contribution to District DHQ Repair Fund_
_Badges, Neckers & Woggles_
_Explorers Badges etc_|**2025**
Total
£
21,401.75
3,082.87
3,471.19
332.43
11,546.96
1,279.75
678.43
4,123.85
1,648.65
1,300.00
8,628.01
861.11
471.29
**58,826.29**
7,000.00
880.00
1,140.00
1,036.46
14,963.95
2,817.04
3,300.94
4,147.26
764.85
12,087.99
1,767.25
2,462.08
60.91|**2024**
Total
£
574.00
19,152.68
2,785.12
2,380.30
2,874.25
2,009.84
42.03
45.04
335.04
2275.57
1,125.00
47.50
224.00
949.15
56.42
**34,875.94**
7,000.00
1,100.00
855.00
1,190.83
4,916.09
2,432.92
1,137.84
807.79
473.87
1,156.17
45.00
11,485.47
929.46
2,130.68
99.81|**2023**
Total
£
2,726.00
16,588.19
1,851.47
150.00
398.76
500.00
5,461.90
1,579.81
511.44
1,693.94
1,100.00
3,067.70
13.43
508.00
468.90
14.22
**36,633.76**
4,600.00
1,000.00
720.00
1,100.00
9,090.74
4,316.88
1,365.11
1,533.42
339.29
535.00
10,321.56
1,086.48
1,392.47
149.73|**2022**
Total
£
6,758.00
10,069.62
702.20
2,057.01
1,645.60
415.00
272.50
4,116.33
1,984.48
5,749.38
40.05
702.00
880.00
220.00
3.65
**35,615.82**
4,600.00
480.00
1,645.60
495.47
5,345.72
1,042.15
1,847.17
529.64
330.60
194.00
776.01
145.00
7,565.16
926.69|**2021**
Total
£
12,536.00
371.03
2,120.00
120.00
4,174.47
3,357.00
48.73
566.00
16.01
20.73
**23,329.97**
4,600.00
4,161.97
656.23
957.79
14.08
214.77
102.12
289.00
8,306.10
2,653.00
689.20| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |_Equipment_
_Online Scout Manager_
_Insurance_
_Cleaning_
_Donations_
_Misc_
**Total Payments**
**EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
**CURRENT ASSETS:**
_1st KA - Barclays Community Account_
_4th KA - Barclays Community Account_
_1st KA - Barclays Business Premium Account_
_4th KA - Barclays 4Deposit Account_
_1st KA - Scout Assoc Short Term Investment Account_
_Wantage Scout Group - Barclays Community Account_
_UTB Fixed Rate Charity Deposit Account_
_PayPal_
**Monetary Assets**
**FINANCED BY:**
Balance brought forward
Less excess of payments over receipts
**Total**|796.94
205.00
2,965.49
1,100.00
81.55
**57,577.71**
**1,248.58**
Total
£
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
19,627.15
10,471.29
**30,098.44**
28,849.86
1,248.58
**30,098.44**|513.68
215.09
592.24
1,450.00
79.45
**38,611.39**
**-3,735.45**
Total
£
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
18,673.39
10,000.00
176.47
**28,849.86**
32,585.31
-3,735.45
**28,849.86**|1,143.99
198.75
515.75
49.98
**39,459.15**
**-2,825.39**
Total
£
0.00
480.54
0.00
1,509.93
3,122.57
27,469.66
2.61
**32,585.31**
35,410.70
-2,825.39
**32,585.31**|3,172.15
183.98
485.52
1,020.00
47.24
**30,832.10**
**4,783.72**
Total
£
11,819.31
1,154.54
100.50
1,506.65
3,111.73
17,715.36
2.61
**35,410.70**
30,626.98
4,783.72
**35,410.70**|108.60
470.91
**23,223.77**
**106.20**
Total
£
7,315.47
1,942.24
100.50
1,506.49
3,108.24
16,654.04
**30,626.98**
30,520.78
106.20
**30,626.98**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ## **Wantage Scout Group (Ridgeway Explorers)** |Explorers Subs OSM GoCardless
Explorers Activities and Camps
_Gift Aid_
_Allocation of Group Activity income_
_Allocation of Fundraising income_
Explorers DHQ Lodge Rent
Explorers Activities & Camps
Explorers Capitation Fee
Explorers Badges etc
_Allocation of Group Activity spend_
_Allocation of Fundraising spend_
_Allocation of OSM/Insurance spend_|3,082.87
4,123.85
_863_
_33_
_428_
**8,530.87**
880.00
4,147.26
1,767.25
60.91
_104_
_95_
_297_
**7,350.72**|2785.12
335.04
_250_
_315_
**3,685.20**| |---|---|---| |||| |||1,100.00
807.79
929.46
99.81
_103_
_101_
_70_
**3,211.23**| 20 182 0.10 Wantage Scout Group Accounts 2024-25 Independent Examination carried out by Darshana Patel in August 2025