2024-03-31-accounts - Alresford And Cheriton Scout Group

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

Do more.

Scouts is about fun, challenges and adventure

The Scout Association’s purpose is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
We act with care, respect, integrity, cooperation, exploring our own and others’ beliefs.
We believe that through adventure we challenge individuals so that they learn and experience new things and enrich their lives. Each week over 400,000 young people and 100,000 adult volunteers take part in Scouting projects and activities at the heart of the UK's communities.
Scouts has prepared young people with skills for life for over 100 years.

Scout values: we act with care, respect, integrity, cooperation, exploring our own and others’ beliefs.

Structure and Governance

The Scout Association, our umbrella organisation, has recently updated its standards and guidance for the governance of the charities which run local Scout Groups. The Alresford & Cheriton Scout Group is a stand-along charity (registered with the Charity Commission number 302267) and is a member of the Scout Association, a UK-wide umbrella organisation.

At this AGM we will consider the adoption of a constitution for the first time to apply specifically to our Charity. The Scout Association has strongly recommended that we adopt the model constitution as set out in “Policy Organisation and Rules” of the Scout Association, which is attached to this report.

A significant change arising from the adoption of the new constitution is that a new body, the Scout Group Trustee Board , will be created. The Board s a team of volunteers who work together, as charity Trustees, to make sure the Scouts is run safely and legally. At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance. The Group Trustee Board is responsible for the governance of the charity. Although the Group Trustee Board is responsible for the charity, it is accountable to the Group Scout Council.

The Group Scout Council will appoint a chair, a treasurer and a secretary to the Group Trustee Board, and other members as necessary.

The Group Scout Council remains much as it was, and comprises:

a) People who are automatically members of the Council as a result of their role in the Group

all adult members of the Group
all Patrol Leaders of the Troop(s) in the Group
all parents or carers of Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in the Group
all Explorers,
all parents and carers of Explorers,
the District Commissioner
the District Chair

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

b) The appointed members of the Group Scout Council are other supporters of the Group appointed by the Group Scout Council on the recommendation of the Group Scout Leader and the Group Trustee Board. The number of appointed members must not exceed the number of ex officio Group Scout Council members. A Group Scout Council does not need to have any appointed members.

c) The community members of the Group Scout Council are representatives of the local community appointed because of their role rather than by their name. For example local headteachers, or Parish Council members. The Group currently has no community members.

The Group Scout Council appoints the Group Trustee Board but does not have Trustee responsibilities for the charity.

Requirements for the meeting

In the formal business of the AGM, it is intended that we will adopt the new constitution and then appoint the appropriate members of the Group Trustee Board. This will include a Group Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. The GSL is automatically a Trustee as a result of the position (“ ex officio ”).

In this first set of appointments to the Trustee Board, the following are proposed (by the GSL) for approval by the Scout Group Council:

Chair - Bob Page Treasurer – Charlie Walton Secretary – Jane Bayreuther

We would very much like to add to the Trustee Board to ensure a breadth of views and best governance. As well as the formal responsibilities, the Trustees are also involved in the Group operations at various levels to directly support the sections, and so gather some great exposure to the activities of the Group. In particular we participate in the fund-raising events and the bigger Group activities.

If you might be interested in volunteering, please speak to the GSL or the Chairman (or any Section Leader)

Further, the business of the AGM will include:

Formally noting the financial year-end of the Charity, which is March annually.
Deciding the maximum number of members of the Trustee Board. There are four members who will be appointed at the meeting and it is proposed that the maximum number of members should be set at eight.
Deciding the quorum of the Group Scout Council. It is proposed that the quorum should be five including at least one of the Chair or the GSL, two Section Leaders and one other non-uniform member of the Council

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

Annual General Meeting Reports 2024

Chairman’s Report

Dear Parents,

Your Scout Group continues to thrive and to deliver great Scouting for our 120 young members. There are more details in the reports below.

With an emphasis on staying outdoors where possible and the increasing size and number of Scout sections the constraints of the existing hut’s location continue to be apparent with many more visits to the Bramdean camp site and other outdoor activities having to be arranged away from the hut. This emphasises the need to resurrect our project for renewal of the hut, and we aim to do that soon. However, we need support – the volunteers are already at full stretch – so any help would be gladly received.

We are working with the Alresford mens Shed to allow them to build some premises on our car park site and we are currently finalising a lease to enable them to apply for lottery monies. In addition to helping them we believe there is mutual benefit for working together with the new hut.

I take this opportunity to thank all the section leaders both uniformed and not, for their time and dedication helping us through this year. As I hope you are aware we always welcome help of any kind and if you can spare any time please talk to Roy, myself or any of the Scout leaders. Most of the sections are run by small teams this allows for greater flexibility of your time and a reduced personal workload, so any time you can spend will be appreciated and be of great value.

As explained above, the Scout Association has revised its rules for member Scout Groups and we are now required to adopt a specific constitution for the Group. This has been defined by the Scout Association and is attached to this report. A new body, the Group Trustee Board will focus on the responsibilities for running the Group safely, overseen by the Scout Group Council which constitutes all those directly involved in the Group. We would benefit from new members of the Board and I invite you to speak to us about joining to help support the Group.

Thank you for all your support,

Bob Page, Chairman

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

Group Scout Leader’s Report

As Scouts, we believe in preparing young people with skills for life. We bring communities together and contribute to society. Above all, we aim to build better futures.

The Group continues to thrive and our band of dedicated, hard-working, over-stretched and caring leaders continue to give of their precious time to deliver Scouting to the youth of Alresford, Cheriton and surrounding districts.

We are running six sections – a Beaver colony (6-8 years old), two Cub packs (8-10), two Scout troops (10-14) and an Explorer unit (14-18). In total we are delivering Scouting to 120 youth members each week. We also have a waiting list for all the sections and a particularly large list for the solitary Beaver colony; we would love to have a second Colony and all we need is a few more willing volunteers…! The Scout Association also now support Squirrel dreys, targeted at children aged 4-6 years old. We haven’t managed to grasp that yet but again, it’s all about the adult volunteers.

All of the sections have been very active, more information below, and we have probably had more nights away than ever before, including trips to Wales and the New Forest. There is much more to come.

Summer camp in August 2023 was held on the edge of the New Forest. We had 58 youth members supported by up to 24 adults across the weekend. The highlights included a warm and sunny hike in the Forest and the construction of an amazing wooden tower which everyone had fun climbing.

Our Explorer Section is bigger than it has ever been and that is because the Scouts we have nurtured over the past 10 years have now moved up to the oldest section. They are experienced and dedicated Scouts and have a great camaraderie, evident to see whenever they get together. Seeing these young men and women come into their own after watching them as Cubs and then Scouts is an absolute pleasure and is a significant part of the joy to be achieved from being a Scout Leader.

Many, many thanks to all our leadership team for committing so much energy and time to Scouting in our area. I will emphasise that we are all volunteers and the majority of us don’t have children in the Group anymore – we do it because it’s fun, because it supports our community and because it makes a difference to our young members. It is also quite stressful sometimes, difficult to get right all the time and is pretty relentless. All these things would be easier if we had more adult volunteer support. It’s difficult for us to keep asking for help, so if you are minded to do something for your community, please do step forward to help, either with a section or on the Trustee Board.

Happy Scouting!

Roy Naismith, Group Scout Leader

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

Section Reports

Six sections cover ages 6 to 18 with 120 young members meeting on a regular basis throughout the year

We have two Scout Troops which meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively. The Thursday troop currently has 17 Scouts and an active programme which has included:

A number of events in conjunction with the Wessex River trust including chalk stream dipping and a night bat walk along the river Arle
Climbing the Alresford Church bell tower and a bell ringing lesson in Alresford in October
Hike and sleepover in Bishops Sutton in November
Exploring the inside of a Chinook at RAF Odiham in February
Learning about the work Trinity do in preparation for the big sleepout 2024

The Wednesday Troop has similar numbers and has also been extremely active, highlights including:

Scary gorge walking in Wales
A tranquil overnight at NSPCC’s “Cameron’s lodge” in the New Forest,
A fun trip and overnight stay at Cheddar Gorge
A day’s fishing in the Test Valley
Rock climbing
Joining with the town community for the lantern procession in the Autumn
Both Troops were involved in:
The Church in the Woods carol service and campfire in December
A marvellous day in London on the “Monopoly Run”, a Scout-organised national event involving a dash around the capital to collect locations
Raised £3000 at the Big Sleep Out in the grounds of Winchester College in May
Helping the Rotary at the Christmas Tree Sale

Explorer Scouts continues to be popular in Alresford & Cheriton with currently 34 Explorer Scouts listed on OSM. The leadership team has four regulars Martin (Leader), Alistair, and Steve (DESC) and Rachel who also support DofE across the District. Generally, between 10 and 20 Explorers attend the regular Tuesday meetings, attendance being influenced by the periods of school exams. The core skills that we offer the Explorers are (night) hiking, cycling, map reading and navigation to enable them to take part in DofE at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Highlights from the 2023/2024 year are helping at the Alresford show members tent, attending Army challenge days, tree and hedge planting in conjunction with the Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group, a joint visit with the Scouts to Winchester Cathedral and taking a team to the county KUDU night challenge.

We have two Cub Packs which meet on a Tuesday and Thursday in the Scout Hut and St John’s church hall (due to a timing clash at the hut) respectively. In total we are engaging with 34 young members and presenting a busy programme of visits, hikes, river-dipping, camps, kites, dens, games, campfires, cooking, pets, bird feeders, arts and crafts, climbing walls, and lots of fun.

The Beaver Colony has a membership of 17 boisterous members who also get involved in a broad range of activities aiming to develop their skills and self-confidence. Highlights have included an investigation into Diwali, home baking, night hiking, gardening, bird feeders and first aid.

All the sections were involved in the Group Summer camp in August, an opportunity for all to learn about self-reliance, leadership and team work.

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

Finance R rt epo

Charlie Walton Year from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

The financial position of the Group has been bolstered by receipt of the £25,000 agreed for the sale of the strip of land on the edge of the car park area which was finally received in the year. This, and other spare funds, have been invested in interest-bearing accounts generating some welcome interest income now that rates are higher.

Excluding the land windfall, the Group generated a surplus in the year of £2,000 compared to a shortfall of £4,475 in the previous year. This difference was largely due to the timing of receipts for activities, but also reflects healthier subscription income from six busy sections.

We have not increased our rate of subscriptions for some years, even though the amount paid to the national organisation has increased over time and is now £59.50. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Fundraising reflects the net gain generated at the Watercress Festival, Festival of Toy Trains and the Agricultural Show. The lower values are caused by a wet day at the Watercress and the increased cost of the Spider Mountain equipment which now costs £1,200 at each event. The income should be considered along with the donations received from the organisers of these events and the profile we generate through attendance.

The closing position is now very healthy given the income from the land. The intention is to retain the windfall for use in upgrading our premises in due course.

Alresford & Cheriton Scout Group

Receipts & Payments Account for the year ended 31st March 2024

Receipts	General Fund (Unrestricted) £	Total Last Year £
Subscriptions Gift Aid Interest Income from Activities (inc. Camps) Fundraising (net of costs) Donations Miscellaneous	11,905 1,978 253 13,589 1,670 839 25,710	7,120 1,161 16 9,365 2,159 611 350
TOTAL RECEIPTS	55,944	20,781

Payments	General Fund (Unrestricted) £	Total Last Year £
Subscription to HQ & District Premises - Improvements Premises - Maintenance Premises - Running Costs Hall Hire (St Johns) Equipment Expenditure on Activities (inc. Camps) Fees - OSM General Expenses by Section Uniforms & Badges Insurance Miscellaneous	8,265 - 122 2,981 240 598 10,747 1,565 1,823 1,003 1,384 217	6,412 - 69 1,761 80 134 13,028 683 1,013 751 1,165 161
TOTAL PAYMENTS	28,944	25,256

Cash & Bank Balances b/fwd Movement in Year	22,338 27,000	26,813 (4,475)
Cash & Bank Balances c/fwd	49,337	22,338

Statement of Assets & Liabilities as at 31 March 2025

Cash & Bank Balances in Hand	General Fund (Unrestricted) £	Total Last Year £
Cash Float - Badge Secretary Bank - Business Current Bank - Business Reserve Bank - Liquidity Manager Investment Account	14 2,129 5,010 25,112 17,072	14 5,383 - - 16,941
TOTAL FUNDS	49,337	22,338

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AGM Report for the year to March 2024

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Agenda for the Annual General Meeting of the Alresford & Cheriton Scout Group Council to be held at 19:30 on 10 June 2024 at the Flower Pots Inn, Cheriton.

1 Welcome Bob Page, Group Chairman
2 Approval of minutes of the AGM held 26 September 2023
3 Adoption of the constitution of the Scout Group charity The Group Charity will adopt a constitution for the first time, as recommended by the Scout Association. The recommended form is attached to this agenda
4 Annual Report of the Group Scout Leader
Reports from the sections are attached to this agenda.
5 Financial report; Charlie Walton, Treasurer
6 Formal note to confirm that the charity’s financial year-end is 31 March annually
7 Appointment of the Group Chair
8 Appointment of a Treasurer of the Group Trustee Board
9 Appointment of a Secretary of the Group Trustee Board

10 Appointment of any other members of the Group Trustee Board

11 Approval of the maximum total number of members of the Group Trustee Board The proposal is eight

12 Approval of the appointment of any community members of the Scout Group Council

13 Appointment of independent scrutineer

14 Setting of quorum for future meetings of the Group Scout Council
It is proposed that the quorum should be five including at lease one of the Chair or the GSL, two Section Leaders and one other non-leader member of the Council
15 Any other business

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Alresford & Cherlton Scout Group Recelpts & Payments Account for the yearended 3tst March 2024 GenÈrnl Fund Totsl List {Unre5tr1rtedl Year Subscrlptions GfftAid IiJ05 L978 253 7.120 1,161 16 Inte51 Income from Artpiities {In¢. Camps) Fundrnisin8 (net of ¢osts Donations ia 9,365 2,159 611 1,670 Land Sale 25A70 140 MkscelEaneous 350 TOTAL REtsIIITS SS.944 20,782 Genernl Fund (UnY•strkW} Totsl last Year Paymems Subscriptbon to HQ & Dlstrlrt prniSes- Improvements Premlses- Maintenance 6N12 122 Piemlses- Runnln8 Costs Hall Hlre1StJohnsl Equipment Expendfture on Actpiltle5 Iln¢ Camps) Fees. OSM 761 2110 134 I747 ,028 General Expenses by Section Unffornis & Bad8es Insurance 1,0 751 IM)a 1.165 161 Miscellaneous 217 TOTAL PAYMENTS 25.257 Cash & Bank Bal•n$ blfwd Movement In Year 24813 14,4751 21338 26.999 49,337 Cash & Bank Balan clfwd ststement of Assets & Liabllities as at 31 March 2024 General Fund (Unreslrtcj Totsl last Cash & Bgnk 8alantès in Hand Cash Float- Badge Secretary BaTrk- Buslness Current 14 14 1129 5.010 25.112 17x172 49337 5.383 Bank- Buslness Rese Bank- tiquidity Manager Investment Account 16.941 TOTAL FUNOS