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2025-12-31-accounts

HANO WASH STATION Hertford Distri¢LScouts. . Annual

Hertford District Scout Council Annual General Meeting

Monday 15[th] June 2026, 7.30pm at 2[nd] Bengeo HQ, Watermill Lane.

AGENDA

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Apologies for absence

3. Governance topics

4. Review of the previous year

5. Making appointments

6. Closing remarks

Hertford District Scouts AGM 15[th] June 2026

District Lead Volunteer’s Report

The most rewarding aspect of a Lead Volunteer’s role is visiting sections across the district and seeing the hard work our amazing adult teams put in to provide activities for our youth members. It is this dedication that inspires other adults and young people to join Scouting. This year, we launched the Horizon Explorer Scout Unit, based at the Watton-at-Stone HQ started with 9 members and 2 leaders, growing to 15 members and 3 leaders by the end of the year. Thank you to Alex Corin, Cara Stewart and Richard Wing for the care and enthusiasm that have made this project such a success.

Explorer Scouts in both Nomad and Horizon Units have, in addition to taking part in the District’s St. George’s day parade, Remembrance Sunday and Night Hike, had the opportunity to try their hand at axe throwing, pumpkin carving, climbing and golf as well as a Nomad expedition to 3 peaks in Yorkshire and Horizon joining Watton for their summer camp. Explorers have also supported Cubs at the swimming gala and Scouts at Green Beret. Horizon ended the year with a Christmas Fete – a fund raiser for the Unit which raised just over £600.

Our thanks to Duncan for not only leading Nomad, but also for looking after our minibus and transporting equipment for District events.

Our thanks to Helen Miller and Andrew Chastell who led the annual Scout Expedition Challenge weekend to Roughton Mill in Norfolk, where the Scouts enjoyed exploring the North Norfolk coastal paths and learned new skills in navigation, camping and cooking.

Nights Away are a key part of Scouting, enabling young people to gain valuable life skills. We are very grateful to Dani Cox who, in addition to running Cubs at Hertford Heath, also manages the Nights Away Permit Scheme for Hertford. Her attention to detail and the support she provides to permit holders ensure that our young people can enjoy safe activities and

high standards are maintained.

We are very lucky that Peter (Uggi) Knight organises a portfolio of events for Hertford Scouting that bring the district together and enhance the programme of activities for our young people.

The Trustee Board, under the leadership of Martin Bayliss, has focused on strong governance of the charity by collating a risk register and ensuring that planned actions are followed up and reviewed as necessary.

Stephen Watson the Mayor of Hertford selected Hertford Scouts as one of his charities for 2025. The fund will go towards developing Scouting by recruiting and training more adult support. Supporting families to fund Scout expeditions, supporting Scout Groups to maintain and develop their Scout HQs.

Thank you to Ian Smith our treasurer who spends hours managing the accounts, providing admin support and looking after the website.

Chris Searle

District Lead Volunteer 2021 - 2025

1st Watton at Stone Scout Group

In summary the Group is vibrant, good growth across all four sections, supportive parents, and a very committed set of leaders/helpers. We have a good relationship with the Watton Guide section and the local Parish Council - collaboration is excellent. The feedback I receive from the parents and from social media is always very positive and lots of great quotes – ‘fun’, ‘exciting’, ‘action packed’, ‘well organised’ and lots of photos with smiling young members faces. We have recruited two new helpers this year and all leader training is up to date. Big thanks to all the Volunteers in the group.

Key points to be noted for the Group:

Beaver Section – Phoebe and her team do a great job, with great help from the parents, Chief Scouts Award being gained by several Beavers, the induction process works well, and this is re fl ected with great parent feedback, and the section offers a wellbalanced program. The Beavers have attended and supported both District and County events with the support of parents.

Cub Section – David, Alex, Kaine and team have provided a great and broad program – the use of external activity providers by the Cubs has extended the Cub program – they have organised four great camps all being well attended. The cub section has attended District, County and village events.

Scout Section – Peter, Martin and Matt have done a great job in growing the number of Scouts to 18, this has come about by offering a more diverse program and starting to work more closely the Cub and Explorer section. Good attendance at District events and joint troop camps.

Horizon Explorers - establish in March ’25 with 21 young members and focus on a youth led programme with lots of adventure, new skills learnt and camping, which has been key to the success of the unit. Great leadership from Alex, Cara and Hali.

Group Highlight – we held a Group weekend camp in July which was attended by 50+ young members across the Group at Boyd Campsite. Action packed with focus on survival skills and team building activities. The Beavers stayed overnight in a converted double decker bus whilst at Boyd.

Richard Wing

Group Lead Volunteer 1st Watton at Stone

1st Hertford Heath Scout Group

Our AGM is, of course, the formal opportunity to review the business, operation and governance of our charity with members of the 1st Hertford Heath Scout Council. But it is also something much more important: a chance to recognise what this group really exists to do, and the people who make it possible.

At 1st Hertford Heath Scout Group, every leader, trustee, volunteer, supporter and parent plays a part in helping young people develop the skills, con fi dence and values they need to thrive in life and make a positive contribution to their communities. Through adventure, teamwork, leadership and personal development, Scouts helps young people build resilience, independence and responsibility in a safe, inclusive and above all enjoyable environment.

In simple terms, Scouting gives young people skills for life.

That is exactly what we continue to see across our Group. As the photographs in this report show, our Beavers and Cubs enjoy a wide range of activities, challenges and new experiences. As at the Census date of 30 January 2026, we had 13 Beavers and 10 Cubs actively taking part in the life of the Group. While we remain a small group, we are pleased to have achieved 15% growth since 2025. That progress has been helped by your encouragement, recommendations and support in sharing news of the Group with friends and local networks, and I would encourage you to keep doing so.

This year our Cubs have taken part in several District competitions including the ;

This exciting programme is only possible because of the commitment of our volunteer leadership team, led by Akela, Daniele Cox, and Paul Cox, who have been supported this year by Shane Bowden and Caitlin Evans. I would like to record our thanks to Shane and Caitlin for everything they have contributed to the Group. Both have now stepped away due to personal circumstances, and we are very grateful for the time, energy and care they gave to our young people.

Their departure also highlights a very real challenge for us. To continue delivering the high-quality programme our young people enjoy, we now need more practical support from parents and carers. Our Parent Rota is an important part of that support, and I strongly encourage everyone to consider helping for one, two or more evenings across the year. Even occasional help can make a signi fi cant difference and provides vital support to a leadership team that is working hard to keep Scouting active and thriving in Hertford Heath.

I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to the members of our Trustee Board, including Andrew Gradwell, Chair, and Ruth Boulton, Treasurer. Our trustees are volunteers who take overall responsibility for governing the charity, making sure it is properly run, fi nancially accountable, and delivering its purpose in line with the law and The Scout Association’s Policy, Organisation and Rules.

Meeting six times a year, the Trustee Board makes an essential contribution to the success and sustainability of the Group. Their work may be less visible than the weekly programme, but it directly underpins everything we do for our young people. Without this support behind the scenes, we could not deliver the safe, fun and adventurous Scouting experiences our members enjoy.

We do, however, need more help. In particular, we are looking for someone, or perhaps two people sharing the role, to take on the position of Secretary. I am currently covering this role in addition to my other responsibilities, but we urgently need additional support to strengthen the Trustee Board and help the Group operate effectively.

Our Group has momentum, committed volunteers and young people who clearly bene fi t from everything Scouting offers. But to keep growing and to keep delivering the quality programme our children deserve, we need more adults to play their part. If you can offer time, practical help, organisational support or trustee involvement, please consider stepping forward. Your support will make a direct and lasting difference.

Thank you for everything you do to support 1st Hertford Heath Scout Group.

Arthur Lewis

Group Lead Volunteer

1st Letty Green

1st Letty Green continued to prosper in 2025.

It was good to see that, as a group we won both the Swimming Gala and the Night Hike. Well done to everyone who took part in these events.

A highlight for me was our Group summer camp at Tolmers with both Cubs and Beaver in attendance, Cubs for two nights and Beaver just the one.

Later this month the we are holding our 2026 Group camp at Danemead Scout Campsite. For the first time both Dawn and Katie-Leigh will (officially) take the lead and hopefully should receive their Nights Away permits. That will be four of us in the group.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the Leaders, Paul, Dawn, Kate-Leigh, Sarah, Anna and Mike for the time and energy they put into planning and running meetings and events. Thanks also to my co Trustees and committee members, Denise, Paul, Dawn and, Lisa who, without their additional work, the group would struggle to survive. Can I also thank all the parent who give their time helping out at the numerous activities during the year.

I would also like to offer many thanks to Chris Searle who, in his former role as District Lead Volunteer (DL) has acted as our of a Group Lead Volunteer and a Trustee. As Chris has now retired as DL he has asked to stand down this positions within our group.

Mike Crafer

Group Chairman

Beavers

1st Letty Green Beavers began the new Scouting year in September 2025 with 13 young people, following the natural summer transition of our eldest Beavers moving up to Cubs. At that time, the section was supported by three leaders. Since then, we have been delighted to welcome two new leaders, with another currently completing the joining process. This strengthened team has enabled us to grow

significantly, and we now have a thriving cohort of 25 Beavers.

Throughout the year we have seen six Beavers successfully move on to Cubs, and we are very proud of the progress they made during their time with us. Our programme has been busy and varied, with the colony working towards and achieving a wide range of badges including the Gardener, Community Impact, Musician, and Communicator badges, alongside elements of the Skills, Creative, World, and many other challenge areas.

In September, two teams represented us brilliantly in the District Night Hike, showing great teamwork and enthusiasm. In November, the Beavers took part in the Remembrance Parade, looking exceptionally smart and demonstrating real respect and understanding of the occasion.

December brought two memorable outings: a visit to Hertford Fire Station, where the Beavers explored the engines and equipment, and a festive trip to the pantomime with the Cubs to see Cinderella.

As the evenings grew lighter, we turned our attention to the signs of spring. The Beavers created bug hotels and bird feeders, explored global issues in age appropriate ways, and enjoyed a high energy trip to laser tag. We also made pancakes, got creative at Manic Ceramics, and had an unforgettable visit from Safari Stu, which was a huge highlight for the whole colony.

We said goodbye to several of our older Beavers as they moved up to Cubs, but we also welcomed many new faces who have since been invested into the colony. They all looked incredibly smart and proud at the District St George’s Day Parade.

We also said a fond goodbye to Leader Anna. We are incredibly grateful for her time, energy and commitment to the colony, and she leaves with our warmest thanks. She will continue to help in the background with bits and pieces when we need her.

With the warmer weather arriving, we are looking forward to spending more time outdoors as we work

towards our Sports Badge and Time on the Water Badge. We recently held a hugely successful Sausage Sizzle, which brought families together and raised valuable funds for the group.

Excitement is now building for Summer Camp, which this year will be held at Danemead instead of Tolmers. Both Dawn and I will be completing our Nights Away permits.

We also have an action packed programme ahead, including an upcoming session at the Edge Assault Course and a QR Code Treasure Hunt in a few weeks’ time. Our newest Beavers have settled in brilliantly, and we will soon be allocating them to their lodges—so parents, keep an eye out for more emails from me.

It has been a fantastic year of growth, adventure and achievement for 1st Letty Green Beavers. Thank you to our leadership team, parent helpers, and of course our wonderful Beavers, who bring energy, curiosity and laughter to every session. We can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

Katie Eyre , Section Leader

Cubs

Time flies when you're having fun! As some Cubs move on to new chapters, we’re excited to see fresh faces joining us for another year of Scouting adventures.

Since our AGM last year, we have had three Cubs that have achieved the highest honour in Cub Scouting, the Chief Scout’s Silver award. They were Hudson Brown, Alex Minikin and Henry Bostock. Congratulations to them all and we wish them well as they continue their Scouting journey.

Our Cubs also had great success in the Swimming Gala in February this year and at the Night Hike in September 2025, as the winners! The last time that 1st Letty Green won the swimming gala was in 1987, according to the inscription on the cup. Well done to both teams.

Our camp this year was at Tolmer’s with the Beavers. A great time was had by all. This is always a fun packed weekend, one night away for the Beavers and

two nights away for the Cubs.

Other notable evenings were, a visit to Hertford Fire Station, where I remember a lot of Cubs getting very wet and an evening learning about parliament and how debates are done. We also finished the year with a visit to a pantomime at Campus West, which was really great fun.

Last year at our remembrance service and recently at the St George’s day parade in Hertford, our Cubs did us proud. It was great to see them in their full smart uniforms and being on their best behaviour. These events are the only two events we ask the Cubs to make sure they can attend. Please put a note in your diaries for this year’s remembrance service on the 8th November, as we would like to see everyone attend.

2nd Bengeo

I reflect on my comments from years ago and many challenges that we faced as a group. It is reassuring to see great progress with both the operational of Scouting activities and the behind- the- scenes work in terms of maintenance of the Scout Group, but most importantly, huge achievements in terms of fundraising. We have much to thank Pauline Page for her time and commitment to securing significant donations from a wide range of bodies that now support Scouting.

Managing a large but old building is a ‘Forth Road Bridge’ project – the repair and maintenance never ends….. Without the support of everyone within the group, leaders, volunteers who support Scout groups, and everyone on the Trustee Board, we could not function so successfully. We are hugely fortunate to have a wide range of skills to support the group, from fundraising through to managing the statutory legal responsibilities that we have as a Trustee Board.

Once again, we have collectively shown that 2nd Bengeo Scout Group is strong, resilient and able to continue Scouting activities in all its forms. We are prepared. Nonetheless and always, we would welcome more volunteers to both support Scouting activities and the Trustees because challenges do remain. The most important of which is group leadership. At present we have vacancies for more Team Members (Assistant Leaders & Helpers) in Scouts, Thursday Cubs and Beavers, including a new Team Leader for the Monday Beaver Colony so we can re-open it.

Without Leaders, Scouting cannot happen. Therefore, my primary message again is to urge every parent/carer of our young people to consider if they are able to step up and offer to support our activities. Everyone who has been involved as a Leader will tell you how incredibly rewarding it is working with young people, if you have any questions about what the roles involves, please talk to Debbie Ryan, our Group Lead Volunteer.

fundraising activities.

Moving on, we should pay our usual tribute to our leaders and supporters who ensure that the children have high quality, high value activities, including the evening meetings, camps and other trips. The Scout Group is a collective of many willing and enthusiastic individuals, particularly those under the 2nd Bengeo umbrella. They put in huge amounts of time to provide varied and fun activities for all our members. I would like to extend out thanks to them in the usual manner.

Despite everything, the Group continues to maintain its very healthy role, having grown considerably in previous years. This is a particular tribute to the great programmes of activities organised by the leaders. Sadly, one of our Beaver Colonies is temporarily closed due to Leaders retiring, it would be good to get that re-opened as it is important for the overall health and longevity of our Scout Group, as the young people work their way through the various tiers of Scouting.

Scouting is a not-for-profit organisation; the leaders are unpaid; there are no profits and any surpluses generated from your child‘s subscriptions are ploughed straight back into the Group and invested in equipment, energy costs and general maintenance costs associated with the building. Without your payment of the very modest subscriptions, Scouting could not continue.

I would also take the opportunity again to remind parents of the East Herts Lottery, where 50p of every ticket purchased goes straight to the Group.

Our Thanks go also to others who help with maintenance and housekeeping of the building and grounds.

Jon Durbin

Chair, 2nd Bengeo Scout Group

Moving onto other matters, 8 years ago in 2017 we made the important announcement that we had secured a 40-year lease on our Scout HQ. That means the future of Scouting is as good as 100% secure on the site for at least as long as I will be involved in Scouting. However, that has come at a cost, and we now pay a rent of £3000 per year. We could not afford to pay this if it were not for the

The past year was our Group’s 80th year and has seen a big turn over in the leader teams. With the Beetles Beaver Colony closing with Ollie & Chris retiring in July, Hayley kindly kept both Beaver Colonies running for another term to see if we could get new leaders but sadly it has closed temporarily. Scout leaders Allan & Marc left in the autumn and with the knowledge of the Llinos & Pauline retiring in early 2026, I have had a lot of brilliant leaders to try and replace. As you will see from the chart below, we have a lot of vacancies which puts too much pressure on the ones we have left.

I would like to thank our existing Trustees and Operational Team who have kept the Group and HQ running plus all the Leaders and Parent Helpers who have made it possible to run the section activities, we can’t do it without you. As you will see the sections have put on some amazing activities for the members.

Being in these teams is fun, you can get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction from it. Help can be in many forms please see our chart of vacancies we urgently need to fill. Can you help? Do you know someone who can?

Debbie Ryan

Ollie stood down. The Monday Colony remained open until October half term but sadly closed as a new leader could not be found.

Autumn Term saw both Colonies combine as one with myself at the helm. We started the term with a theme of friendship to help groups meld seamlessly. The Beavers took part in the annual District Night Hike with one of our teams coming third place! Great fun was had by all. The Beavers learned how to make water filters and learned about the difficulties that other parts of the world face finding clean water. In October, we had a Beaver & Cub Sleepover at Wymondley Wood. 16 Beavers & Cubs took part in numerous activities over the course of the weekend which hopefully taught them some skills for life! We finished up the Autum Term with the annual Carol Service where the Beavers used sign language to sing, or should I say sign, Jingle Bells.

Over the course of the year, we were delighted that five of our Beavers earned their Chief Scout Awards. A huge well done to Emily, Maisie, Jude, Louis and Daniella. We hope that you are enjoyed your time at Cubs!

Hayley Abrahams - Team Leader Buffalo Beavers

Group Scout Leader

Bumbles & Buzzard Cub Packs

Beavers

Our Beaver Colonies have had another jam-packed year full of fun and games. The Beavers started Spring Term off with another visit to Beane River View care home as part of their Community Impact badge. They played games and shared songs and stories with a few of the residents as part of our pledge to help to combat loneliness. Both Colonies also learned some first aid skills and had great fun making their own spring rolls as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Later in the term, both Colonies were lucky enough to be taught some basic archery, and performed poems to their Mums for Mother’s Day. We finished the term with a movie night in our pyjamas at the Scout Hut with popcorn and hot chocolate!

Our Summer Term started with the annual St George’s Day Parade as well as VE Day celebrations. The Beavers learned about the role of Scouting during the war and were also delighted to have received a letter form a veteran. Beavers also worked more on their Community Impact badge picking up litter at Hartham Park. Both Colonies spent more time outside having fun on the obstacle course at Hartham, creating tie-dye t-shirts, planting seeds at the hut, going to Broxbourne Woods and finally finished the term with our annual sports day. Sadly, the end of summer term saw our Monday Beaver Team Leader,

2025 was another busy year which has flown by and both Packs have been very active.

Jointly with 1st Hertford Heath we won the District Cub Swimming Gala, other District events included attending St George’s Day & Remembrance Parades the annual District Night Hike which was around Cottered and preparing Pack paper mosaic pictures to enter into the Johnstone Cup Competition. A small team took part in the County Bushcraft learning back to basic skills e.g. fire-lighting, rope making

Weekly activities have included making bird feeders, trying out Guiness Book of Record Lego building and challenges, a visit and talk from Ken Judd and Jim Smith who have lived in the area for many years and had interesting tales to tell, a crazy golf night at Mulligan’s, Stevenage, pancake making, Mosaic coaster making for Mother’s Day & musical entertainment evening, finding out about festivals, visit to see Beauty & The Beast, community work - litter picking & collecting for the Hertford Food Bank, geocaching, local knowledge, walking the Blue Plaque Trail and a hike to & from Chapmore End, Bivouac building, map & compass work, cooking stew bags on the fire, decorating Halloween cakes, some health & fitness, building a poppy arch for remembrance, making puppets, personal safety and finishing the year with Christmas crafts, Bengeo Scout

& Guide Carol Service at Holy Trinity church always a popular event and lastly a pyjama film party.

During these sessions they work towards their challenge and activity badges two that they worked on were their Scientist & Photographer badges, amongst others. Two Cubs gained their highest Cub award the silver Chief Scout Award.

Our first camp was the Group camp to Gilwell Park, staying in the tented village, Cubs, Beavers & Scouts attended. During the weekend they took part in a variety of adventurous activities and sat to watch the amazing sunset at the end of the day.

Summer Camp was held at Belchamps at Hockley, Essex with the Cubs & Scouts which included, axe throwing, air rifle shooting, den building, t-shirt printing, caving, 10 pin- bowling and many more exciting activities.

Our last night’s away activity was a Beaver & Cub Sleepover at Wymondley Wood Activity Centre a weekend of fun activities.

Our thanks go to Garry, Gordon, Kim, Chloe & Cecily for your help at Bumbles Pack and Simon, James & Parent helpers who have been helping Buzzard Pack. Thanks to the Trustees for keeping the governance side of the group covered.

Debbie Ryan ‘Akela Bumbles’ Louise Douglas ‘Akela Buzzards’

Scouts

This year has been an exceptional one for our Scout Group, filled with achievements, growth, and memorable moments. We are incredibly proud of everything our young people have accomplished.

Five of our Scouts earned a prestigious Gold Chief Scout Award and will be continuing their Scouting journey as Explorers and Young Leaders. We were also delighted to celebrate the selection of one Scout to attend the World Scout Jamboree in Poland 2029, along with two others who will represent Hertfordshire on an international expedition to the Azores that same year. In addition, a 2nd Bengeo Scout was chosen to serve as one of the Mayor’s Scouts, supporting the mayor in civic duties. Our team also won the District Ready Steady Cook competition, going on to cook in the County competition in 2025.

Our weekly meetings have been wonderfully varied, offering Scouts a rich mix of learning experiences, practical skills, and hands on fun. From preparing for St George’s Day to enjoying activities such as fun rings, star gazing, first aid training, pioneering, and of course building and cooking on an open fire. We are

grateful to the parents who supported our rota and even planned and delivered sessions, including the Music badge – where our Scouts performed Coldplay’s Yellow – and environmental awareness.

Along the way, the Scouts have learned everything from pasta making, axe & knife safety; bike repairs to camping readiness and DIY, culminating in an outdoor project to sand and paint our fire pits, benches and shed.

Beyond weekly meetings, the group took part in a wide range of District events that enriched their Scouting experience. These included the St George’s Day Parade and Remembrance Parade; Annual Night Hike; a water sports weekend, and several camping adventures – from hiking in Norfolk to ever popular Green Beret Competition. Camping in November is challenging and our Scouts participated in rain and mud with no complaint! And of course, we can’t forget our weeklong summer camp with the Cubs. These events not only put their skills to the test but also strengthened friendships and deepened their sense of belonging within the troop.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated leaders, whose commitment has shaped the success of the group. In particular, we extend our gratitude to Marc, Llinos, and Pauline, who are stepping down after four and a half years of service. Their commitment to the group has been instrumental in its success, and they have played a vital role in saving the troop during challenging times. We are excited to welcome our new leaders, Caitlin and Chloe, who bring fresh energy and ideas to the team, working alongside Kim.

Looking ahead, we are preparing an exciting programme filled with new activities and challenges that will continue to inspire our Scouts and help them grow.

Finally, we want to thank all our Scouts for their enthusiasm, teamwork, and spirt- qualities that make Scouting such a joy. We are also deeply grateful to those who fundraised to help transform the space around the hut. Their efforts have created an area that will soon host campfires, a climbing wall, pond dipping, gardening, and a wildflower meadow for pollinators. It will be a space for the whole group and wider community to enjoy, and a lasting legacy for Pauline, whose dedication helped turn this dream into reality!

Llinos Thomas – Retiring Scout Team Member

Activities

The sections have again been very busy and the events have run with good participation.

In January the Ready Steady Cook competition was run with a theme of “Winter to Spring Fusion”. This was won by 3rd Hertford Scouts, followed by 2nd Bengeo and then 1st Hertford.

The Cubs swimming gala was held at the University of Hertfordshire’s Dehavilland Campus and was won by a combined team from 2nd Bengeo and 1st Hertford Heath, followed by 3rd Hertford Lions and then 1st Hertford

A well-attended St George’s day ran, and we had a successful parade with a much warmer day, a band and a dragon. A big thank you to all the marshals along the route and to the Guides for providing refreshments.

The Cub British Legion Cup for 2025 was held at Tolmers in Sunshine and had the theme of V.E. DAY, which included Anderson shelter building, real rations of the era, code breaking and even an air fly past. The winners were 1st Wattonat-Stone, followed by 2nd Bengeo and then 1st Letty Green

This year’s Scout British Legion Cup was combined with an activity camp for water activities, held at little Paxton with support from all troops with 44 young people having a very warm weekend. The competitive element was held in the evening with the winning team being 1st Watton-at-Stone

The Night Hike has re-run and we used the same course and activities from 2024 when the event was cancelled, but with better underfoot conditions; the winners were E01:NOMAD ESU, S06:1st Watton-at-Stone, C09:1ST Letty Green, B11:3rd Hertford

Green Beret was supported by Scouts from 3rd Hertford, 2nd Bengeo, 1st Hertford, and Watton-at-Stone taking part with a good contingent of Explorer Scouts supporting the activity. It was the 40th year and a very muddy event!

Once again I must thank all the Scout / Guide leaders and helpers, Members of Mid-Herts District, Hertford District current and retired team members / Guiding for their time and effort and considerable assistance in making these events run to a high standard. Without this continued support the District would not have events, which are the envy of the County.

Peter “Uggi” Knight

Accounts Notes | 2025

To be read in conjunction with the Account summary for 2025. Overall the District accounts started the year looking healthy and ended the year slightly more so.

Points of note

  1. There were unallocated receipts and balancing payments amounting to £1329.54 which passed through the main account and do not appear on the summary.

  2. The District now has its main account along with Nomad and Horizon Explorer Unit current accounts with CAF Bank.

  3. The District also has a Gold account with CAF Bank which contains surplus operating funds from both of the Explorer Units as well as from our main account. Funds are moved as necessary and are accounted for separately on a spreadsheet with interest distributed proportionately according to the amount held for each in the account during the quarter.

  4. M&G Charifund continues to perform well with, at year end, unit prices and annual interest at their highest over the last 4 years.

  5. OSM expenses were higher (i.e. almost double) in 2025 as I brought forward payment for the Gold licences so as not to be caught short at the start of 2026 when a number are required.

  6. National and County subs both had a large increase in 2025 (£5 + £6 respectively); District remained the same. National in 2026 will increase by £1, but County and District will not change.

  7. The minibus has continued to pay for itself with use by the District marginally more than external use. The Trustees made the decision to put replacing it on hold, so some funds are being expended on minor repairs and MoT advisories.

  8. Included in Recruitment and Marketing: Hi-vis vests, team polo shirts, promotional events. The website hosting is listed separately.

  9. Training costs all relate to providing First Aid (Module 10) training: Train a trainer, room hire, materials.

  10. Team Hertford expenditure includes a donation for use of HQ for meetings, and incorporates AGM and Christmas ‘thank you’ event for volunteers.

  11. The only expense for St. George’s Day was purchase of badges.

  12. International: The Trustees agreed a contribution of £500 towards each of the District’s two participants participation in the World Scout Jamboree which was paid in December. Donations were also agreed towards costs for the 4 going to the Azores which will be paid in 2026.

  13. The Norfolk camp made a loss of approximately 20% of its costs – mainly due to the high cost of fuel for minibuses.

  14. Other events showed an unplanned profit as a result of:

  15. an unexpected discount from the venue for the Paxton Lakes weekend (formerly the Scout and Guide Challenge) and

  16. some Night Hike expenses being absorbed into the large loss of the cancelled event (due to weather conditions) in 2024.

  17. Being able to recoup the cost of a 4[th] team booked for Green Beret (lower numbers supporting the event) in time for County to re-sell the entry.

My thanks to Robert and Ruth Boulton at Thickbroom Chartered Accountants, our independent examiners, for the work they put in to checking our accounts and certifying them.

Ian Smith District Treasurer (Volunteer) treasurer@hertfordscouts.org.uk

Hertford District Scout Council | Charity # 302543 Payments to: Hertford District Scouts | a/c 00026774 | sort code 40-52-40 Expenses claim form: https://form.jotform.com/221694698749074

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HERTFORP DISTRJcf SCOUT COUIICIL Reostertd Charfty Numbey 302543 BALANCE SHEET AT3L DECEMBER 2025 2025 2024 BANK BALANCE5 CAF Cash accouni CAF GOLD account Bank balance asai 311121z5 Bènk balance a5at 31112125 627.45 51A60.86 52,488.31 698.80 44,580.04 45,278.84 OTHER GROUP Bank 8alantts Hertford District Scout Actiw Support Unli Hertford 01strict Eworei Scout Unit- Horiwn Hertford Distnrt EX￿)ref Scour UrMt- Nornad Hertford Oisiritt E¥pioref Scout Unit- Horiion Hertford Distritt Explorerscout Unit- Nomad lI￿.97 o. 1.098A3 CAF bank CAF bank 792.64 441.14 2.243.75 314.77 l.084.75 2.498.35 INVESTMENTS (Current Valuel IChanfund- Income ￿nIt$ 4,649 75114.649.751 (Total ori8inal Invesrment cost E44.IL9.901£4d,119.90 80,326.31 68,462.93 135.058.37 £ 116.240_12 Funds broutht forward 116.240,12 110,368.46 Surplu5 for the year 9.5C6.07 5.119.23 orherGrouw bank Trwmenis- swplusincomelldtfiorl 12.551.201 1987.041 Intrea5ellDEcrea5el in value of Charifun over and above additional inve5trrbent or ¥vithdrè¥Yals 11,863.38 1,739.47 Furrflsraryled llywa 135.058.37 £ 116,240.12 We have examined the accounts oftheCourKil fr*rihe year ended 31 December 2025 and certify ihat ihry are in ac¢ord3nce with rhe tnformation. dowmentarion and suwied tous. ThiikbrD m Covent Chartered Accountants 147A High 5reet Wèltham Cr05$ Hert5 EN8 7AP