## **ROMSEY DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL**
**Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31[st] December 2024**
Registered Charity Number: 302287
**District President:** The Lady Alexandra Knatchbull
**District Vice President:** Mr David Sutton
RDSC AGM Papers for FY 2023 Page 1 of X
**Legal & Administrative Information for the Year Ending 31[st] December 2024**
## **ROMSEY DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL**
## **Membership of the District Trustee Board for the year to 31[st] December 2024**
|**Trustees (Ex Officio):**|David Shill*|District Commissioner/District Lead Volunteer|District Commissioner/District Lead Volunteer|District Commissioner/District Lead Volunteer|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Robin Taylor-Milton*||District Explorer Scout Commissioner||
||_Vacant_|||District Scout Network Leader|
||Daniel Hunt|||District Youth Commissioner|
||Peter Black||District Active Support Manager||
|**Trustees (Co-opted):**|None||||
|**Trustees (Elected):**|Claire Sutton *|||Chair|
||Fiona West*|||Treasurer|
||Robert Link* Deputy District Commissioner/Acting DC from June 2024||||
||David Sutton*|||District Vice President/DPC Rep|
||Elizabeth Holloway*||Assistant Treasurer/Executive Member||
||Quentin Saloway*|||Executive Member|
||Darren Reed*|||DPC Rep/ Executive Member|
|**Invited to attend:**|Jo-Ann (Joe) Ray|||ADC (Squirrels)|
||James Child (to November 2024)|||ADC (Beavers)|
||Zoe Hammerton (from December||2024)|
ADC (Beavers)|
||Cameron Beale (to October 2024)|||ADC (Cubs)|
||Ryan Orgill (from October 2024)|||ADC (Cubs)|
||Tina Elliott|||ADC (Scouts - joint)|
||John Heagren|||ADC (Scouts - joint)|
ADC – Assistant District Commissioner *Indicates registered Charity Commission Trustee
The voting members are the ex-officio, co-opted and elected members.
NB: The District Commissioner/Lead Volunteer and District Chair are ex-officio members of all sub-committees.
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**Principal Appointments** David Shill Rob Link Robin Taylor-Milton _Vacant_ Daniel Hunt Jo-Ann (Joe) Ray ( _from October 2022_ ) James Child Cameron Beale Tina Elliott and John Heagren Phil Coles Ben Kington John Heagren Jon New Tomasz Ciuksza Ian Moore _vacant_ James Child Cameron Beale
District Commissioner/Lead Volunteer Deputy District Commissioner District Explorer Scout Commissioner District Scout Network Leader District Youth Commissioner Assistant District Commissioner (Squirrels) Assistant District Commissioner (Beavers) Assistant District Commissioner (Cubs) Assistant District Commissioner (Scouts) Group Scout Leader: 1[st] Romsey Group Scout Leader: 3rd Romsey Group Scout Leader: 4th Romsey Group Scout Leader: 6th Romsey Group Scout Leader: 9th Romsey Group Scout Leader: 10th Romsey Group Scout Leader: 11[th] Romsey (from July) Group Scout Leader: 15th Romsey (from Feb) Group Scout Leader: 21st Romsey
## **District Contact**
David Shill District Commissioner c/o The Dr Peter Centre Baden Powell Way Romsey SO51 8EA
E-mail: dc@romsey scouts.org Website: www.romseyscouts.org Telephone: 07814 686 120
## **Additional Information**
Registered Charity Number: 302287 Scout Association Registration Number: 10001161 Bankers: Charities Aid Foundation; TSB Bank. Independent Financial Examiner: Helen Stephenson AAT, 8 Halden Close, Romsey SO51 7TS
## **Custodian Trustees**
The Scout Association
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## **PRINCIPAL OPERATING ACTIVITIES**
Romsey Scouting's principal purpose is to support a quality programme of activities, events and expeditions that allow young people to achieve their full potential in a spirit of fun and adventure. In working to achieve this aim its main operating activities fall into the following areas:
- District Team Using monies raised via membership fees and fundraising to provide administrative support to Scouting in Romsey District and to fund the further development of Scouting across the District.
- District Activities Offer financial management and banking services to a range of District events and activities.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The District's governing documents are those of The Scout Association (TSA), as summarised in our Constitution, which is based upon TSA Royal Charter; this in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and the Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) of the Scout Association.
The District is a Trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts and a Charity registered in England. The Trustees are appointed in accordance with our Constitution.
The District is managed by the District Trustee Board, the members of which are the Charity Trustees of the District (wherever possible), which is an educational charity. As Charity Trustees they are responsible for complying with the legislation applicable to charities. This includes registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate.
The Trustee Board comprises three independent representatives; Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, together with the District Commissioner/ Lead Volunteer, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Network Leader and other elected District representatives.
The District Trustee Board exists to support the District Commissioner/ Lead Volunteer in meeting the responsibilities of the appointment and is responsible for:
- The maintenance of District property (including the District field and the Dr Peter Centre);
- The raising of funds and the administration of District Finance;
- The insurance of persons, property and equipment;
- District public occasions;
- Adult Support, including adult recruitment and training according to TSA rules;
- Appointing any sub committees that may be required; and
- Appointing District Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected.
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## **RISK AND INTERNAL CONTROL**
The District has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss; these include two signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered. We also maintain and regularly review a District Risk Register to help manage risks identified and the potential impact of those risks.
## **OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
The purpose of Scouting is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Scouting uses a method, it 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; and
- make and live by their Promise.
Under the Charities Act 2011 Romsey Scout Council is required to demonstrate that our aims are for the public benefit. The Trustees confirm that they have taken account of the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. Our assessment is that we have met the public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings. Two principles demonstrate that Scouting's aims are for the public benefit.
- Principle 1a - through the Scout method young people develop towards their full potential
- Principle 1b- the clear link between the benefits for young people and the purpose of Scouting
- Principle 1c- the safety of young people is taken very seriously and the benefits Scouting activities provide far outweigh the risks.
- Principle 2a- the aim of Scouting refers to young people and the beneficiaries, aged between 6 and 25.
- Principle 2b- full scouting membership is restricted to young people who are willing to make the Scout Promise.
- Principle 2c– Romsey Scout Council does not exclude those in poverty from its benefits. While the Council charges a subscription to members, the benefits of Scouting are not restricted by the ability to pay. Locally there are arrangements to waive subscriptions and other costs for young people who cannot afford to pay. Nationally there are funds available for uniform and activities so that young people are not excluded from activities by virtue of being unable to pay.
- Principle 2d- any private benefits from Scouting are incidental, other than to those as a beneficiary.
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## **ABOUT THIS REPORT**
The report shows what we aimed to achieve in 2024, whether we achieved it, and how we plan to achieve even more in 2025.
## **HOW WE DID**
We identify below the objectives we set for 2024 and how we did;
||_Objective_|_Target_
_Completion_|_How we did_|
|---|---|---|---|
|1|_None set due to the change in DC_
_personnel_|||
|2||||
|3||||
|4||||
## **OUR NEXT STEPS**
We identify below the current concerns/needs within the District and the objectives for 2025 to address these;
**Top current issues/needs in the District and Objectives for 2025** 1 2 3 4
_None set at this time; our incoming DC/DLV will look to set objectives for summer 2025 into 2026 once he has settled in._
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## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Grants Policy**
Grants, noted by the Trustees, are issued in line with any restrictions or designations. Their availability and how to apply is regularly advertised in District meetings and email bulletins.
## **Activities and Volunteers**
A summary of the main activities of the District is included in the accompanying annual review. We are very appreciative of the considerable amount of voluntary help that is given to all aspects of Scouting throughout Romsey District.
## **Reserves Policy**
The District's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising fall short. The District Trustee Board considers that the District should hold the sum equivalent to between 80% and 120% of the average of the last three years routine general fund expenditure of the District.
## **Investment Policy**
The surplus funds of the District are largely represented by Sections’ and activities’ working capital and by various restricted and designated funds. The Trustees have therefore adopted a policy of low risk to the investment of funds and therefore funds are held in the commercial banks, building societies and charity banks.
## **Plans for the Future**
The District's plans for the future are detailed in 'Our Next Steps' earlier in this report.
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of The Royal Charter. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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