OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report

For the period 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025

1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group

Registered Charity Number 302539

Website:

Email address :

gadebridgescouts@hotmail.co.uk

1[st] Gadebridge Group Chair’s Report

This year has been a year of change and challenge but as a group we have worked through and continued to build and grow.

I would like to take this time to thank those volunteers that are still on the journey with us and to those that have moved on this year we owe you a massive thank you for all your hard work, time and dedication you have put into building the group to where it is now. And to those whose journey at 1st Gadebridge has just begun, welcome.

As the group has changed and grown with both young people and volunteers our main aim moving forward is to have a clear direction and communication.

We have started volunteer upskill sessions. This provides volunteers with the chance to learn and practise Scouting skills, providing the best opportunities possible for our young people.

The hut itself has also taken on some change with updated flooring, new roof and new pieces of equipment to support maintenance, which is what we are continuing to strive for this year. With some serious raising of funds, we hope eventually to develop our open sided extension creating a larger space for the young people. And can’t wait to see where this group can go in the future.

Please find below this year’s Annual Report for 1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group

Thank you

Ben Whittle

Chair of Trustees

Group Lead Volunteer’s Report

Hi Everyone,

I would like to start with saying a big thank you to all of you for coming today and continuing to support 1st Gadebridge Scout group, we couldn’t do it without all of you and your support. And as you all are probably aware we are a charity and run on a voluntary basis so all support is welcomed to make sure we can continue to keep going and give our young people the best possible experiences.

We currently have 196 young people here at 1st Gadebridge Scout group having been fortunate to grow the group over the past couple of years. Of course, we couldn’t do this without our fantastic volunteers that you may see on a regular basis as well as those behind the scenes.

We have our amazing Membership Co-Ordinator, Alison, who we couldn’t do without and you’ve all probably spoken to without even realising, working really hard behind the scenes doing invaluable work and we can’t thank her enough.

Our fantastic Treasurer Janette who is pivotal to making sure that 1st Gadebridge can operate and sustaining it for the future. Again absolutely invaluable team member that you may not see and we thank her so much for all she does. Ben our Chairman and Zoe or GLV who you may regularly see and hear but again the work they put in behind the scenes and their passion for providing the young people with the best Scouting experience is helping to secure the future of the group and provide a supportive, inclusive and fun environment for them all.

Our Lead volunteers who run Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scout groups who offer up their time to not only run the groups on a weekly basis but also the planning and co-ordinating of sessions, camps and additional days all for the benefit of our young people. And all the other volunteer team members who support them and the young people. The sessions wouldn’t happen without you all and the group wouldn’t be where it is today.

And we cannot forget the support of our young leaders who are an invaluable addition to each group they assist with.

Collectively we work to provide the children with experiences they cannot get elsewhere and learn skills they may never have been able to without Scouting. As well as ensuring we provide a safe, engaging and fun environment for all. With the aim of also preserving the hut for those in the future.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Zoe Whittle

Group Lead Volunteer

Trustees

1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group is a Trust established under the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

Trustees Serving on the Group to 5[th ] July 2025

Mr Benjamin Whittle Chairman Nov 2023

Mrs Janette Frewin Treasurer Nov 2022

Mrs Chris Tucker Group Lead Volunteer Nov 2022

Mrs Zoe Whittle Elected Member Nov 2023

Mr Dan Tucker Elected Member Sept 2024

Mrs Nicola Chinn Elected Member Nov 2023

Mr Lewis Chinn Elected Member Nov 2023

Trustees elected at AGM on 6[th] July 2025

Name Role Term of office

Mr Benjamin Whittle Chairman 3 Years to July 2028 Mrs Zoe Whittle Group Lead Volunteer Ex- officio

Mrs Janette Frewin Treasurer 3 Years to July 2028

Mr Dan Tucker Elected Member 1 Year to July 2026

Mrs Tracie Green Elected Member 3 Years to July 2028

Mr James Green Elected Member 2 Years to July 2027

Mrs Ellie Pynaert Elected Member 3 Years to July 2028

Mrs Jenny Ivory Elected Member 1 Year to July 2026

Bankers

Lloyds Bank, Hemel Hempstead, Herts

The Trustees confirm that during 2024 there were no serious incidents or matters which needed to be reported to the Charity Commission.

Signed for the Trustees By:

Chair of Trustees Board

Structure, governance and management

Type of governing document

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.

How the charity is constituted

The Group is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts. This document is known as Policy, Organisation & Rules (POR) and can be found at: www.scouts.org.uk/por.

Trustee selection methods

The Trustees are appointed in accordance with POR.

Additional governance issues

The Group is managed by the Trustee Board, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the 1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate. The Trustee Board consists of the Chair, Treasurer and 4 Trustees (including the Group Lead Volunteer as an ex-officio member) and meets every approximately 2 months. Members of the Trustee Board complete “Being a Scouts Trustee” learning within the first 6 months of joining the Board. This Group Trustee Board exists to make sure the charity is well-managed, risks are assessed and mitigated, buildings and equipment are in good working order, and everyone follows legal requirements and the organisation's policies and rules. Their support helps other volunteers run high-quality and safe programmes that gives young people skills for life”.

Risk and Internal Control

The Trustee Board 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 all users of the premises. 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 fund raising .

The Group is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions and fundraising. The Group does also hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Board could raise the value 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 to 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 directly provides activities for all members aged 14 to 25. If there was a reduction in membership in a particular section then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section.

Material mis-management or loss

The group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include 2 signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.

Buildings & Contents Insurance

The buildings and contents are insured through Unity Insurance – details of which are obtainable via the Group Treasurer.

Public Liability Insurance

The Scout Association arranges a Legal Liability Policy for claims by third parties, alleging legal liability arising out of loss, injury or damage occurring during any authorised Scout activity. A copy of the certificate and further details are available from the link below: https://www.unityinsuranceservices.co.uk/scoutinsurance/public-liability-insurance

Employers Liability Insurance The group does not directly employ staff, so does not hold an Employer Liability policy.

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:

• 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:

Public benefit statement

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.

Financial Review Reserves Policy

The Group’s policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the group should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Group Trustee Board considers that the group should hold a sum of circa £25,000 in liquid funds – either in the current account or short term, easy access savings accounts. All funds are held in mainstream banks. The Trustee Board regularly monitors the levels of bank balances and the interest rates received to ensure we obtain maximum value and income from its banking arrangements. Occasionally this may involve using an account that requires a period of notice before funds may be withdrawn, before doing so the Trustee Board considers the cash flow requirements and a rolling programme of fixed term investments are made to ensure fund become available every few months to reinvest or bring back in the current account if required.

1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group

Receipts & Payments Summary for the year ended 31[st] March 2025

2023-2024 2024-2025 Balance brought Forward from previous year £25,756.32 £16,930.07 Total Receipts £15,618.74 £26,248.74 Total Payments -£24,444.99 -£28,185.44 Net receipts (payments) -£8,826.25 -£1,936.70 Balance carried forward £16,930.07 £14,993.37 Cash, Bank & Deposit Account Balances £16,930.07 £14,993.37

The above accounts were prepared by the Treasurer

Mrs D J Frewin Maat

The above accounts were approved by the Trustees on 6[th] July 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Chair of Trustees

Notes to the Accounts .

1. Receipts and payments for group events include events which span two or more financial years, so cannot be used to draw any conclusions about the financial success of the group’s programme. Reports on individual events can be produced by the group treasurer on request and are monitored by the treasurer and trustee board.

2. New flooring and roofing for the hut were installed for health & safety purposes totalling a cost of £6,540 which reduced our reserves. Subscriptions and other charges have had to be raised, and we will have to fundraise to increase our reserves. There is a robust budget in place for 2025/26 which should stop the uncontrolled overspend of previous years.

3. The group has accounts with Stripe and SumUp for handling card payments for activities – these are treated as bank accounts for the purposes of these documents.

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the 1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group:

I report on the accounts of the 1[st] Gadebridge Scout Group for the year to 31st March 2025 which are set out above.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The Group’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a

‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention:

  1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the Charities Act and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met or

  4. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.