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2024-12-31-accounts

Scouts Watford South Annual Report2025

Contents

**Contents **
AGM Agenda 3
Overview of minutes of 2024’s AGM 5
Policy, Organisation and Rules 13
Constitution
Note the District’s financial year: 23
1 January 2024- 31 December 2024.
Reviews of 2024
District Lead Volunteer 35
District Chair 40
District Youth Lead 42
District Safeguarding Lead 45
Apollo ESU Report 47
Network Report 48
Excalibur ESU Report
Dis~~trict~~Contacts		 49
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AGM Agenda

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Apologies for absence

3. Governance topics

a. Approve the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in 2024

b. Adopt the model constitution from Policy, Organisation and Rules

c. Note the District’s financial year

d. Approve appointed and community members of the District Scout Council

e. Agree the number of members that may be appointed to the Trustee Board

f. Agree the quorum for future meetings of the District Scout Council (excluding this AGM)

4. Review of the previous year

a. The District Lead Volunteer’s review of Scouts in Watford South

b. Receive and consider the Annual Report of the District Trustee Board, including the annual Statement of the Accounts

c. Apollo review

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5. Making appointments

a. Confirm the District Chair, following recommendation from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board

b Confirm the District Treasurer, following recommendation from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board

c. Appoint members of the District Trustee Board, following recommendations from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board

d. Appoint the Scrutineer / Independent Examiner / Auditor

f. Nominate 2 representatives of the District Scout Council to represent the District on the County Scout Council

g. Confirm the County Team Lead

6. Awards

7. Any Other Business and closing remarks

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Overview of minutes at 2024’s AGM

10th July 2024

Attendees:

District Trustees: Sam Shepherd (District Chair Person) Christine Turnbull (District Commissioner) Barry Hulin (Treasurer) Jack Jarman (Safeguarding) Neo Moise (Youth Commissioner) Brian Fox (District Secretary)

Meeting Started: 19:45 Meeting Ended: 21:05

Note: These minutes should be read in conjunction with the document titled "Watford South Annual Report 2023" .

1. Introduction & Welcome

1.1 Sam Shepherd welcomed members of the District Scout Council and guests Ian Tycer – County Lead Volunteer and Councillor Parveen Rani – Deputy Mayor of Hertsmere.

1.2 Sam Shepherd thanked Lees Wood for use of 'Flight Oaks' for the meeting venue.

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2. Apologies for Absence

2.1 Apologies for absence were received from the following: Cllr. Richard Butler – Mayor of Hertsmere Council Cllr. Steven Scott – Mayor of Three Rivers Council Tony Tickner Jonathan Daly Rachel Cannon Cathy Stamp Vicki James

3. Governance Topics

3.1 Minutes of Last A.G.M

3.1.1 Minutes of the last A.G.M which was held on 6th July 2023 have been reviewed and approved by the District Trustee Board at their board meeting held on 18th June 2024.

Acceptance of the minutes: Proposed: W. Waite Seconded: G. Farthing

Approved: Members of the District Scout Council present.

3.2 Adoption of District Constitution

3.2.1 In line with the recommendations from Scout Headquarters, the District Trustee Board proposed adoption of the model constitution from Chapter 5 of Policy, Organisation & Rules. A copy of this was made available for review and inspection prior to the A.G.M and copies were also available at the meeting. (See also Annual Report for 2023 attached).

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Acceptance of the Model Constitution: Proposed: Sam Shepherd

Seconded: Larry Hunt

Approved: Members of the District Scout Council present.

3.3 District's Financial Year

3.3.1 Sam Shepherd asked members of the District Scout Council to note that our District charity financial year is 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023.

3.4 Approval of appointed & community members of the District Scout Council

3.4.1 No appointments proposed.

3.5 Agreement to the number of members that may be appointed to the District Trustee Board

3.5.1 Following good practice recommendations from the Charity Governance Code, P.O.R states that Trustee Boards should have a minimum of 5 and no more than 12 members. The outgoing Trustee Board recommended that 7 people are appointed to the District Trustee Board.

Proposed: Sam Shepherd

Seconded: J. Wright

Agreed: Members of the District Scout Council present

3.6 Agreement of the quorum for future meetings of the District Scout Council

3.6.1 The outgoing District Trustee Board recommended that the quorum of District Scout Council members which must be present at District Scout Council meetings be set at 15 members.

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Proposed: Sam Shepherd

Seconded: J. Wright

Agreed: Members of the District Scout Council present

4. Review of the previous year (2023)

4.1 District Lead Volunteer's Review

4.1.1 See Annual Report 2023 attached for the DLV's Report.

4.1.2 Chris Turnbull presented her annual review highlighting the large number of vacant roles in the District Team, including the lack of a Deputy DLV, as a matter of concern. Consequently she is having to undertake many additional duties, greatly increasing her scouting workload.

4.1.3 Recent District events held include:

New volunteers are required to run District events.

4.1.4 A District expedition to Lochernhead for Scouts and Explorers is planned for 2025. An encouraging number of younger leaders have volunteered to help run the event.

4.1.5 Chris Turnbull thanked all attendees for everything they do to support the District and deliver a good time in scouting for the young people.

4.2 Annual Report of the District Trustee Board

4.2.1 See Annual Report 2023 attached for the District Financial Review for 2023.

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4.2.2 The District Trustee Board have reviewed and approved the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts. The accounts have been independently reviewed by Valerie Collins and will be 'signed off' by her.

4.2.3 Barry Hulin outlined main items from the District accounts for

  1. There were no questions from attendees on the accounts.

4.3 Apollo Explorer Unit Annual Review

4.3.1 Members of Apollo Explorer Unit made a presentation on activities carried out during 2023.

4.4 Excalibur Explorer Unit Annual Review

4.4.1 Chris Turnbull read out the Excalibur Explorer Annual Review prepared by Dave Fayer, the Unit Leader. (Copy attached).

4.5 Jamboree Review

4.5.1 A presentation was made on the 2023 Jamboree in South Korea by two Explorers who had attended.

4.6 District Youth Commissioner's Review

4.6.1 See Annual Report 2023 attached for the District Youth Commissioner's Report.

4.7 District Chair's Report

4.7.1 See Annual Report 2023 attached for the District Chair's Report.

4.7.2 Sam Shepherd presented her report, highlighting the work she is doing to conduct safety risk assessments on individual Groups HQ buildings and other property.

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5. Appointments

5.1 Appointment of District Chair

5.1.1 Appointment of Sam Shepherd as District Chair for 2024.

Proposed: C. Turnbull Seconded: J. Wright

Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

5.1.2 Chris Turnbull asked the meeting to note that two trustees currently hold other roles within the District. Sam Shepherd is Secretary for the 64th and Barry Hulin is Chair at the 29th. No conflict of interest is perceived in these individuals holding dual roles.

5.1.3 The role of Secretary no longer exists on the Trustee Board. Brian Fox will undertake the role of Administrator for the Board in the future.

5.1.4 One nomination has been received for the Property Portfolio Manager role on the District Trustee Board. (Kira Wilkinson. Not present at the A.G.M). The District Chair is to discuss requirements of this role with the individual concerned prior to their appointment to the Board.

5.2 Appointment of District Treasurer

5.2.1 Appointment of Barry Hulin as District Treasurer for 2024.

Proposed: S. Shepherd

Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

5.2.2 Sam Shepherd thanked Barry Hulin for the good work done by him in managing the District accounts during 2023.

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5.3 Appointment of Safeguarding Lead

5.3.1 Appointment of Jack Jarman as District Safeguarding Lead for 2024.

Proposed: S. Shepherd

Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

5.4 Appointment of Scrutineer for 2024

5.4.1 Appointment of Valerie Collins as Scrutineer for 2024.

Proposed: S. Shepherd Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

5.5 Nomination of two representatives from the District Scout Council to represent the District on the County Scout Council 5.5.1 Sam Wright & Bruce Scott (as per last year).

Proposed: S. Shepherd Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

5.6 Nomination of two Lees Wood representatives 5.6.1 Jenny Wright & Dave Fayer.

Proposed: S. Shepherd Approved by members of the District Scout Council present.

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6. Awards

7. Any Other Business and Closing Remarks

7.1 Ian Tycer commented on the good standard of presentations made by the Explorers. He noted that some Groups in the District had full sections and that some had Squirrel Dreys.

7.2 There was no other business.

7.3 Sam Shepherd closed the meeting thanking everyone for attending.

End of minutes

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Policy, Organisation and Rules Constitution

5c.2 Constitution for a District (except Scotland)

5c.2.1 Preamble

5c.2.1.1

This constitution describes the role, membership and operation of the District Scout Council, and the District Trustee Board.

In the previous versions of POR, it was section 5.5.

5c.2.2 Charitable objects

5c.2.2.1

[Rule 1.1 of POR]

Our purpose is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

5c.2.3 The District Scout Council

5c.2.3.1

The District Scout Council has a governance role for the charity and makes District Trustee Board appointments other than ex officio and co-opted Trustee appointments.

5c.2.3.2

The District Scout Council has no Trustee responsibilities.

5c.2.3.3

The members of the District Scout Council are

a) The ex officio members of the District Scout Council are detailed in Rule 5b.3.2.5

b) The District Scout Council may appoint some members as detailed in Rule 5b.3.2.8.

c) The District Scout Council may appoint some community members. See Rule 5b.3.2.9

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d) The maximum number of appointed and community members of a District Scout Council is detailed in Rule 5b.3.2.10.

5c.2.3.4

District Trustee Board administration must ensure that appointed District Scout Council Members are recorded locally in the minutes of the District Scout Council meeting which appoints them (normally the AGM). District Scout Council members (whether ex officio or appointed or community) must not be recorded as such on the membership system.

5c.2.4 The District Trustee Board

5c.2.4.1

The District Trustee Board is responsible for the governance of the charity. Although the District Trustee Board is responsible for the charity, it is accountable to the District Scout Council.

5c.2.4.2

District Trustee Board membership

The members of the District Trustee Board are:

a) Ex officio

The ex officio roles are defined in Rule 5b.3.3.5(a).

b) Appointed District Trustees (including Chair and Treasurer) are persons appointed by

the District Scout Council as described in Rule 5b.3.3.5(b).

c) The selection process for appointed District Trustees must follow Rules 5b.3.3.5(b)

and 5b.3.3.6.

d) Co-opted Trustees are persons co-opted by the District Trustee Board, see Rule

5b.3.3.5(c). Their term of appointment is a maximum of 12 months (though re- appointment is permitted).

The number of co-opted members must not exceed the actual number of appointed Trustees, excluding Chair and Treasurer. If a co-option is

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required mid-year because of a vacancy arising, then this rule may be broken, provided that the total number of Trustees remains no greater than the total number of Trustees permitted by District Scout Council resolution at the AGM.

The selection process for co-opted Trustees must follow Rules 5b.3.3.5(c) and 5b.3.3.6.

5c.2.5 District Scout Council – Annual General Meeting 5c.2.5.1

To support the planning and delivery of a District AGM there is a downloadable ‘script’ (including agenda and script templates and a suggested planning timetable).

5c.2.5.2

Each District Scout Council must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) within six months of the end of the District’s financial year. The District should give four weeks’ notice of the date of the AGM.

5c.2.5.3

The AGM must:

a) Undertake governance oversight by

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annual statement of accounts which have been approved by the District Trustee Board.

c) Make appointments

recommendation from the selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board.

• appoint other members of the District Trustee Board, following recommendation from the selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board.

5c.2.6 District Trustee Board – purpose

5c.2.6.1

The District Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together, as charity Trustees, to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally. At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance, working to ensure that the District is meeting The Scout Association’s overall aims and strategic goals. Effective Trustee support helps other volunteers run the Scout programme that gives young people skills for life.

5c.2.6.2

Members of the District Trustee Board must act collectively as charity trustees of the District, and in the best interests of the District’s members.

5c.2.6.3

The District Trustee Board must act in the charity’s best interests, acting

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with reasonable care and skill and take steps to be confident that:

a) the charity is:

b) The charity is operating compliant with POR and the local charity regulator, including effective management of each of the Key Policies listed in POR Chapter 2.

c) Young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels

d) The District has sufficient resources (funds, people, property and equipment) available to meet the planned work of the District including delivery of the high quality programme and resource requirements of the training programme (see Rule 4.3.7)

5c.2.6.4

The District Trustee Board members must themselves collectively: a) develop and maintain a risk register, including putting in place appropriate mitigations

b) ensure that the District’s finances are properly managed, including development and maintenance of appropriate budgets to support the work of the District

c) ensure that where one of the District’s Explorer Units is partnered with a Group and the operational financing is undertaken by the Group, this arrangement is documented in the Partnership Agreement, and the finance arrangements must follow this guidance.

d) maintain and manage:

circumstances in the District, and must also include a statement about how reserves outside that ‘minimum’ will be used for development of Scouts

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e) ensure that people, property and equipment are appropriately insured, and that any property and equipment owned or used by the District is properly protected and maintained

f) ensure the appointment and management and operation of any subteams, including appointing a Chair to lead the sub-teams. This should normally be one of the District’s Trustees. This sub-team Chair role title is Sub-Team Leader (see the Teams Table in Chapter 16).

g) ensure that effective administration is in place to support the work of the District Trustee Board

h) appoint any co-opted members of the District Trustee Board

i) ensure transparency of operation, including:

• prepare and approve the Annual Accounts and arrange their examination by an auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer as appropriate and as appointed by the District Scout Council at their AGM

• prepare and approve the District Trustees’ Annual Report which must include the Annual Accounts and include the report from the auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer

• present the approved Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Accounts to the District Scout Council for their consideration at the District’s AGM

• following the District AGM, ensure that a copy of the District Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts is filed as described in 5e.2.1.2

j) take responsibility for the District’s adherence to Data Protection Legislation recognising that, dependent on circumstances, it may at different times act as a Data Controller and as a Data Processor k) individually and collectively maintain confidentiality regarding appropriate District Trustee Board business

l) put in place annually an open and transparent selection process to recommend to the District Scout Council appropriate persons to be appointed members of the District Trustee Board, including Chair and Treasurer. Vacancies for appointed Trustees only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a Trustee may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be re-appointed or re-selected after years 1 and 2).

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m) where staff are employed:

5c.2.6.5

A District Trustee Board may create sub-teams it deems necessary to support its governance function. The District Trustee Board must ensure that for any sub-team it appoints:

a) its purpose is governance focused and not operational

b) its members are agreed and approved by the District Trustee Board

c) the District Chair has right of attendance

d) the District Lead Volunteer has right of attendance

5c.2.6.6

Sub-team members are not District Trustees unless they are already members of the District Trustee Board.

5c.2.6.7

All sub-team members must be recorded on the membership system.

5c.2.6.8

To support effective governance and share good practice, the District Chair and Treasurer should create a support network amongst the Group Chairs and Group Treasurers of the District.

5c.2.7 District Scout Council - Conduct of meetings

5c.2.7.1

The District Scout Council meets at their AGM (see 5c.2.5). 5c.2.7.2

It would be unusual for there to be additional meetings of the District Scout Council. This is because the primary task of the District Scout

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Council is to appoint the District Trustee

Board. If members resign from the District Trustee Board, Rule 16.9.2.2 must be followed,

thus rendering an additional District Scout Council meeting unnecessary.

5c.2.7.3

A District Scout Council meeting should normally be convened with at least four weeks’ notice. A meeting may be convened on shorter or no notice with the agreement of at least three quarters of the members of the District Trustee Board.

5c.2.7.4

District Scout Council meetings are chaired by the District Chair. If the Chair is unable to be present, the Chair may appoint a delegate to chair a meeting of the District Scout Council subject to such appointment being approved at the start of the meeting by a majority of the District Scout Council members present.

5c.2.7.5

Only District Scout Council members, as defined in Rule 5c.2.4.2, may vote in District Scout Council meetings.

5c.2.7.6

The quorum for a District Scout Council meeting is agreed by the District Scout Council at their AGM (see 5c.2.5.3(a)).

If there is no quorum present at a meeting of the District Scout Council, the meeting must be closed and reconvened at the earliest opportunity.

5c.2.7.7

Decisions are made by a majority of votes cast by those present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side, the Chair does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.

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5c.2.7.8

To discharge their responsibilities, the District Scout Council may meet by video conference as well as (or instead of) face to face when agreed by the District Chair. The District Scout Council must not ‘meet’ using any indirect process, such as email. At any meeting which is not fully in person, there must be an online poll or other electronic method of counting votes.

5c.2.7.9

All meetings of the District Scout Council, whether face-to-face or otherwise, must be properly recorded and minuted.

5c.2.8 District Trustee Board - Conduct of meetings 5c.2.8.1

Meetings of the District Trustee Board should be convened on at least two weeks’ notice. Meetings may be convened on shorter or no notice with the agreement of at least half of the members of the District Trustee Board.

5c.2.8.2

District Trustee Board meetings are chaired by the District Chair. If the District Chair is unable to be present at a meeting, the District Trustee Board may choose a member to act as chair for the duration of the meeting of the District Trustee Board subject to such appointment being approved at the start of the meeting by a majority of the members present at the meeting.

5c.2.8.3

Only members of a District Trustee Board as defined in 5b.3.3 may vote in its meetings.

5c.2.8.4

The quorum for a meeting of a District Trustee Board is one third of the Trustees (ex officio plus appointed plus co-opted) plus one [round down if necessary]. So, a Trustee Board with 10 members would have a quorum of four. And a Trustee Board with six members would have a quorum of

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three. For any sub-teams of the District Trustee Board, the quorum for each sub-team must be set by the District Trustee Board, based on the size of the sub-team and the complexity of its task(s).

If there is no quorum present at a meeting of the District Trustee Board, or a sub-team, the meeting must be closed and reconvened at the earliest opportunity.

5c.2.8.5

Decisions are made by a majority of votes cast by the Trustees present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side, the Chair does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.

5c.2.8.6

To fulfil their responsibilities, the District Trustee Board may meet by video conference or in person, as determined by the District Chair. This includes 'hybrid' meetings, where some Trustees are present at an agreed location while others participate remotely via phone or video.

5c.2.8.7

Where urgent matters arise between scheduled meetings of the District Trustee Board and if it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Trustee Board, electronic voting (such as email) may be used for decision making provided the District Chair deems it appropriate.

For such decisions, a minimum of 75% approval from the Trustees is required [the ‘rounding’ guidance from 5c.2.8.4 also applies in this case]. The results of the vote must be reported to, and recorded in, the minutes of, the next District Trustee Board meeting.

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Financial Review 2024:

These accounts have been drawn up on the Receipts & Payments basis, which is consistent with previous years.

The major part of our income is derived from the subscriptions we raise from our Groups using the annual census return before paying County the Capitation fee so that in 2024 the surplus was £4,357.95 increased from £3,999.50 in 2023 despite subsidising one Group by £810.

We did have an investment account run via The Scout Association but that was closed due to poor administration by the investment managers involved. So, we only now receive interest on our current account with CAF Bank at £81.11 substantially down from the total of the previous year of £480.61.

As Trustees we have agreed not to pass on the full amount of the increases made by County on the Capitation fees but our District Commissioner has asked all Groups to carefully consider the level of subscriptions charged in future as we might not be able to contain these increases in future years.

When a Group closes any monies left over become part of the District’s funds. There were no such amounts in the year although £23.66 was found in collecting tins left at the 15[th] in the previous year.

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Diane Rogers continues to manage the supply of badges to the District and does an excellent job in doing so. She does create a surplus and made a donation of £250 in the year slightly more than the year before at £233.54.

Events & Groups show the finance of the sections where District has been involved including District Events as well as showing the income and expenditure for the Explorer sections; Apollo and Excalibur . In 2025 Apollo opened their own bank account and the funds District held on their behalf have been transferred to them including a £3,000 grant they secured from ‘Blackbaud’ .

Please also note that for our planned trip to Lochearnhead the finance is to be operated separately from District. However, before this could be set up, we paid a deposit of £1,433.25 but we have agreed to allow this as part of District funding of the event particularly as we did have a surplus last time we visited.

In summary we started the year with funds of £36, 863.25 which included £642 Restricted Funds, £3,632.53 Apollo and £611.02 Excalibur so the General Fund was £32,619.70.

Whilst overall there was a surplus of £2,134.71 that included £250.99 belonging to Apollo and £1,873.78 belonging to Excalibur thus leaving a magnificent £9.94 surplus for the General Fund !

Our Explorers continue to be well funded with Excalibur having a much higher balance than previously. Whilst Apollo was much the same, they did secure a grant in 2025 for £3,000 from Blackbaud . Bear in mind these figures will reduce in February 2025 after Capitation is taken into account.

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The General Fund did not increase in the year which was by design as we already have a significant reserve as shown.

There were no other significant entries after the year end.

The accounts have been scrutinised by Val Collins who has

confirmed they are in order. She has agreed to continue for another year in this role.

Barry Hulin FCII

Treasurer

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Financial Result

2023 2024

Excess or (deficit) of (£16,285.60) £ 2,134.71 Receipts over payments Balance of funds at 1[st] January £53,148.85 £36,863.25 Balance of funds as 31[st] December £36,863.25 £38,997.96

The balance as at 31[st] December 2024 was made up as follows:

Current Account £38,997.96 Cash in hand £ Nil Total £38,997.96

The current account is held with CAF Bank Ltd in Kent. The investment account arranged via The Scout Association was closed in 2023 due to poor performance.

The total is made up of the following funds:

Designated Funds

Jamboree Reserve £ Nil
Apollo Explorers £ 3,883.52
Excalibur Explorers £ 2,484.80
General Fund £31,987.64
Kenya Fund Bushey & Oxhey R £ 412.00
Tony Smith Memorial Collection R £ 230.00
Total £38,997.96

The funds marked R are Restricted Funds where the money is committed to be spent on specific items.

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Assets & Liabilities

2023 2024
Money Assets
Cash in hand £ Nil £ Nil
Current Account £36,863.25 £38,997.96
Investment Account £ Closed £ Closed
Total £36,863.25 £38,997.96
Liabilities Restricted Funds
Kenya Fund (Bushey & Oxhey) £ 412.00 £ 412.00
Tony Smith Memorial Collection £ 230.00 £ 230.00
Designated Funds
Jamboree Reserve £ Nil £ Nil
Apollo Explorers £ 3,632.53 £ 3,883.52
Excalibur Explorers £ 611.02 £ 2,484.80
General Fund £32,619.70 £32,629.64
Total £36,863.25 £38,997.96

Notes:

When a Group closes or merges The Scout Association ‘POR” gives the District the responsibility for their assets and liabilities. More information is given elsewhere but included here we should include the land, buildings and contents of the 15[th] Scout Group that closed in 2019. This site is a drain on our resources but we have engaged agents to find a buyer.

The 22nd Watford South Group closed and I am currently trying to establish details of their bank account and the amount of any residual funds.

The 72[nd] closed some time ago and there are two garages behind the Trinity Methodist Church Whippendell Road Watford. Not clear if these garages were owned by the Group or are church property. Trying to gain access to see what contents remain inside.

We should also not that we own a minibus for use by Groups; LT59RTV Citreon Relay 15-seater 2009 bought 18[th] November 2011. The last valuation for this vehicle was £4,000 but is probably worth much less now.

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2023 2024

Notes to receipts

  1. Subscriptions £35,062.50 £40,170.00

We pay Capitation to County based on the annual census return which showed 623 in 2023 and 683 in 2024. We charged £60 and paid £52.50 in 2024 as against £55 and £53.35 in 2023.

We are liable to County for Capitation whether or not we have collected the money from our Groups. There was a shortfall of £810 in the year where one Group did not pay the full amount in that year.

2. Groups

Final closure of 15th £ 23.66 £ Nil
3. Sections/Events
Beaver Section £ 18.81 £ Nil
Cub Section £ Nil £ Nil
Scout Section £ 295.00 £ 168.00
District Events £ Nil £ 564.51
Apollo Explorer Section £ 4,666.02 £ 9,895.50
Excalibur Explorer Section £ 1,902.50 £ 2,677.50
Total £ 6,882.33 £13,305.51
4. Miscellaneous
TSA Investment Account interest £ 239.73 £ Nil
CAF Bank account interest £ 240.88 £ 81.11
Watford Borough Council £ 213.42 £ Nil
XMAS Charity Collection £ Nil £ 368.22
Herts Lottery £ Nil £ 45.76
Total £ 694.03 £ 495.09

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2023 2024

Notes to payments

1. Event Expenses

Beaver Section £ Nil £ Nil
Cub Section £ 230.00 £ Nil
Scout Section £ 119.10 £ 97.75
District £ 316.25 £ 1,837.25
Apollo Explorer Section £ 5,487.09 £ 9,644.51
Excalibur Explorer Section £ 2,127.33 £ 803.72
Total £ 8,270.77 £12,383.25

Note

That under the District item we paid a deposit of £1,433.25 for Lochenhead. The accounts for this trip are to be operated separately from District.

2. Administration

Insurance £2,535.45 £331.20
Administration/ Donation £ Nil £ Nil
Bank Charges £ 60.75 £ 60.00
Data Protection Registration £ 40.00 £ 75.00
Website & email server £ 35.95 £ 37.95
Bury Lake Membership £ 150.00 £ Nil
Training £ Nil £ 51.00
Badges £ 227.98 £ 66.11
Lottery £ Nil £ 20.28
Total £3,050.13 £641.54

3. Group Payments

14th/2nd £11,484.99 £ Nil
15th £ 3,797.38 £ Nil
Totals £15,282.37 £ Nil

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Membership

----- Start of picture text -----
Membership
800
700
60 68 42
600 170 59 200 56 33 205
173 209 195
500
48
400 248 231 217 165 206 192 199
300
200 160 171
196 169 198 179 184
100
96
0 66
19
20180 20190 20200 20210 20220 2023 2024
Squirrels Beavers Cubs Scouts Explorers
----- End of picture text -----

The figures are taken from the annual census return we make to The Scout Association on which the capitation fees are paid.

For the 2024 year there were 66 Squirrels, 171 Beavers, 199 Cubs, 205 Scouts and 42 Explorers giving a total of 683 up from 623 in 2023.

Out of interest the census return for 2025 made in January 2025 for the year ahead showed: 72 Squirrels, 174 Beavers, 217 Cubs, 205 Scouts & 45 Explorers making a total of 713.

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Receipts

2023 2024
Subscriptions see note 1 £35,062.50 £40,170.00
Groups see note 2 £ 23.66 £ Nil
Badge Secretary £ 233.54 £ 250.00
Sections/Events see note 3 £ 6,882.33 £13,305.51
District Minibus £ 922.50 £ 1,159.20
Jamboree £ 5,828.03 £ Nil
Miscellaneous see note 4 £ 694.03 £ 495.09
Total Receipts £49,646.59 £55,379.80

----- Start of picture text -----
Receipts
80000
70000
60000
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Payments

2023 2024

Capitation to County see note 1 £31,063.00 £35,812.05
Sections/Events see note 5 £ 8,270.77 £12,383.23
Group Payments see note 7 £15,282.37 £ Nil
Minibus LT59RTV £ 1,972.43 £ 1,448.01
Administration see note 6 £ 3,175.13 £ 641.54
Jamboree £ 6,168.49 £ Nil
15thMaintenance £ Nil £ 2,960.26

Total Payments £65,932.19 £53,245.09

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Moreton Hall

This continues to be a drain on our resources although we have reduced the buildings insurance to cover demolition costs only as we would not rebuild in the event of damage. This reduced the premium payable.

Whilst the gas is turned off for safely and insurance purposes, we were paying a standing charge but have now had the service cut off to avoid further bills. We are still paying water rates but have recently asked Castle Water to explain the reason for a 22% increase in their bills bearing in mind the site is not used and also to explain how the service can be terminated to avoid further cost.

Barry Hulin continues to visit the site most weeks and is still removing and sorting the contents. Two van loads of metal have been removed for example. A neighbour to the rear of the site expressed concern over the safety of an Ash tree which she thought was threatening her property. We thought it prudent to have all the trees assessed by professionals and whilst surprisingly the Ash tree was safe and free of Ash Die Back that tree and others on the perimeter of the site were pruned at a total cost of £2,400.

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Independent Examination

As a local Scout District, we are an unincorporated body and as such there are no legal requirements regarding format and auditing of accounts.

On advice from the HQ who would have drawn on the legislation for limited companies and charities we have prepared this receipt & payments account based on the guidelines they have recommended.

Whilst it is not necessary for the accounts to be audited, we have also adopted the recommendation that these accounts be independently examined which involves the following procedures:

comparison of these accounts with the accounting records; inspection of all accounting records for material errors; analytical review of the accounts to identify problems; review of accounting policies, material assumptions & judgements;

and the examiner has also obtained an understanding of our activities & accounting systems, the nature of our assets, liabilities, income & expenditure to be able to plan this work properly.

Signed:..................................................Dated:…………………………

Valerie Collins

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District Volunteer Lead Report: Chris Turnbull

2024 has been a year of continued momentum and enthusiasm as we returned fully to the vibrancy of post-Covid Scouting. Across Watford South, we’ve delivered more nights away, awarded more top awards in the younger sections, and offered more opportunities for our young people to develop #SkillsForLife than ever before.

Our district has grown significantly:

We now have five Squirrel Dreys across four groups, offering our youngest members a fantastic start to their Scouting journey. Our youth membership increased by 40 young people.

Our adult volunteer team grew by 15, reaching a total of 155 dedicated volunteers.

However, we still face challenges. According to the 2024 Census, 154 young people of Scouting age remain on our waiting lists. If each of our 39 sections took just four young people, we could clear that list. But, of course, that requires more adult volunteers to help us meet this demand.

We’ve seen wonderful Scouting delivered across all sections: Squirrels and Beavers have raced boats on the river and even enjoyed camping experiences.

Cubs tackled the Gauntlet Challenge and participated in athletics competitions.

Scouts held a district Marksman Competition and enjoyed several nights away.

Many of our groups attended the Lees Wood Anniversary Camp, which was a fantastic celebration of adventure and community. We also had the pleasure of presenting several Awards of Merit to

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volunteers who’ve gone above and beyond, supporting the district and county while continuing their group roles. Their dedication is deeply appreciated.

Towards the end of 2024 and into early 2025, many volunteers across the UK faced frustrations with the delayed rollout of the new adult membership system. The transition to teams and new role titles has not been easy, but our district has worked hard to: Ensure all adult roles were migrated correctly.

Complete the new Safety Module, safeguarding training, and maintain valid DBS checks for all volunteers in youth-facing roles. This compliance work is essential to keeping our young people safe. A kind reminder: if you receive a 60-day training reminder, please prioritise it—every late completion adds to the compliance report, and that means time spent chasing rather than supporting.

Though this report technically covers January to December 2024, the start of 2025 has already shown us just how exciting Scouting continues to be. We've already celebrated numerous Chief Scout’s Bronze and Silver Awards, and we expect to see more Gold Awards before the end of the year.

Some 2025 highlights include :

A joint St. George’s Day celebration with Watford North. A district trip to Lochearnhead (though sadly with lower participation than hoped).

An Explorer international trip to France.

A Network team completing the Explorer Belt expedition—our first in many years!

A Thank You to Our Volunteers

None of this happens without our exceptional volunteers:

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Section leaders delivering weekly meetings.

Administrators managing records and logistics.

Parents and supporters helping with camps, kit, and transport. Those quietly maintaining Scout HQs and huts across the district.

You make Watford South a thriving and safe place for young people to learn, grow, and explore.

Opportunities to Get Involved

We still have much more we can achieve, but we need your help. The Scout Association’s national goal is to grow youth membership by 4.4% in 2025. For us, that’s just 28 additional 6–18-year-olds and 21 Squirrels—achievable if we can clear our waiting lists, but only with more adult support.

Lees Wood Scout Camp Needs You!

Lees Wood is a stunning, volunteer-run site used by our groups nearly year-round. We’re currently:

•

District Team Vacancies

To better support our groups, we need:

District Team Leads for each age section to provide training

guidance, event coordination, and peer support.

A Volunteer Support Team Lead to welcome new volunteers and ensure our teams feel recognised and appreciated.

More activity instructors—particularly for walking and water-based activities.

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If you’re interested or simply want to explore how you might help, please get in touch. Let’s have a conversation.

And to guiltily pinch a closing statement

Scouting has something for everyone

And

Everyone has something to offer scouting

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District Chair’s Report:

Sam Shepherd

It’s hard to believe that another year has passed already in Watford South.

During that time, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting more of our wonderful volunteers at group level and helping to support with trustee board related challenges. I’ve also broadened my own Scouting experience by volunteering with one my local Scout group’s Squirrels dreys.

Through these experiences, it has become clearer than ever that the cost of living crisis continues to affect Scouting across the District. From trying to raise funds for roof repairs and having to pay greatly increased energy bills, to young people struggling financially to attend camps or even afford uniform, our groups need support now more than ever.

In the short term, I’m always available to support and advise groups regarding potential grant applications that they could make to

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obtain additional funds. Please contact me on

sshepherd7989@gmail.com should this be something you’d like help with.

However, the question remains: What long term support can we provide to ensure that Scouting can go from strength to strength in Watford South?

Thanks to our former District Youth Lead, Neo Moise, who is now County Youth Lead, we are several steps closer to reaching an answer.

Moreton Hall

As referenced in the Financial Review conducted by Barry Hulin, Moreton Hall (previously occupied by the 15[th] Bushey and Oxhey Scouts) has continued to be a drain on our resources over the past year.

In the latter months of 2024, Neo took great initiative in setting the ball rolling to sell the site, doing lots of preliminary research and getting us to a position where we had several offers coming in.

When his new commitments at County beckoned, Neo handed the baton to me. I’m pleased to be able to share that we have now engaged a buyer for the site.

The full details of the sale will remain confidential for the time being, as it’s still early days with lots of red tape to navigate.

However, all being well, the resulting funds have the potential to secure a greater level of financial security for Watford South in years to come and enable you to keep providing and having great Scouting experiences.

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District Youth Lead’s Report:

Toby Hancock

Since taking over from Neo Moise as Youth Lead in April, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to be able to meet many young people and teams from around the district at section evenings, camps and events. Ranging from Squirrels to Network, I have spoken with young people within the district about what they enjoy within scouting, and how they would like to build on these experiences going forwards with a focus on how to provide a youth shaped programme.

I was invited to a group camp organised by the 74th, and another with Apollo ESU as they attended Explorer Chill Fest at Well End. I attended the recent district Athletics at Merchant Taylors’ school where over 100 Cubs took part in sporting activities to complete their Athletics or Athletics plus badges, along with the Squirrel,

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Beaver, and Cub Sports Day at Queens’ school. In addition, it is wonderful to see so many young people from within Watford South being given opportunities outside of the district, with Squirrels, Beavers, and Cubs attending Hertfordshire Scouts Squirrel’s in Trees, Beavers in Tents, and Cubs in Tents respectively, as well as the county water activity days for Cubs and Scouts.

In August the district will be returning to Lochearnhead Scout Station in Scotland for the first time since 2019 with 40 young people and 29 adults in attendance. The adult team includes multiple members of Harlequin Network, with experience of previous trips as youth members. Looking to pass on what they know to the next generation of Scouts. Our recent training camp at Lord Hyde campsite was very successful, with everyone learning vital skills that they will use at the station and getting to know others from different groups around the district.

During the next year, I hope to host structured youth forums with all age groups up to the age of 25, to ensure that the youth voice, the core of everything that we do within scouting, is listened to and catered for to the best of the district’s ability.

I would like to take a moment to thank Ryan Perrin, who stepped up to take on the role of Deputy Youth Lead at the same time as my appointment and has assisted me greatly by attending events around the district and county as we try to be as far reaching as possible. I would also like to thank the other members of the district leadership team who have helped me to have a smooth transition into the role and settle so quickly.

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Transformation report

Towards the end of 2024, Scouts moved from away Compass to a new system to manage all adult member records, permits, nights away notifications (NANs), awards and training.

The system has had a steep learning curve for all members of scouting, with this continuing till now. Most members have now logged into the new system, and we as a district continue to strongly encourage that all members log in and sign their declaration.

As a result of the ‘Prevention of Further Deaths’ enquiry, all adult members of scouting which require safety training as part of their role are required to redo this training. A hard deadline

of the 14th of July has been set for this to be completed, with anyone who has not completed this training being restricted from certain activities or suspended. As of 06/07/2025, there are

32 individuals within the district still yet to complete this training. The district will support anyone who needs assistance with the new system as we all continue to get used to it. Anyone who has questions or requires help should contact Toby Hancock.

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District Safeguarding Lead Report

Safeguarding remains one of the most vital responsibilities we all share as leaders within Scouting. While I cannot provide a detailed summary of the past year due to the sensitive and confidential nature of safeguarding matters, it is important to highlight some key principles and reminders to ensure we are always putting young people’s safety and wellbeing first.

1. Vigilance is Key

Safeguarding is not just a process—it's a mindset. We must all operate from the assumption that it could happen here, rather than thinking it’s unlikely to happen in our group. This proactive approach ensures we are constantly alert to signs of concern and ready to act.

2. Mandatory Training

Please ensure all your mandatory safeguarding training is up to date. This is not only a requirement but also an essential tool in helping you recognise and respond to any concerns appropriately. If you are unsure of your training status or need help accessing a course, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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3. Supporting Individual Needs

Safeguarding is not one-size-fits-all. Many of our young people have additional needs, and it is essential we are equipped to support them effectively. Do not be afraid to speak with parents or carers to gain a better understanding of how to best support these individuals. Proactively asking questions and building those relationships can make a big difference.

4. Challenging Behaviour

Children who display challenging behaviour may be expressing an unmet need or underlying issue. Leaders should feel comfortable raising concerns or discussing these behaviours within their teams. Open, honest conversations help us support the child appropriately and ensure a safe environment for everyone.

5. When in Doubt, Ask

If you ever have a concern—no matter how small—it’s always best to report it. You can contact me directly (Jack Jarman), or you can go straight to the national safeguarding team. The most important thing is that action is taken promptly and responsibly.

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our young people safe. Safeguarding is a collective responsibility, and your vigilance, care, and ongoing learning make all the difference.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need further support.

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Apollo ESU AGM Report

2024-25 has been a year of continuing strength for Apollo ESU. Our 43 members have participated in, and organised, a number of successful evenings, including lipsync, Rupollo’s Drag Race, and Hunted. Suit nights have continued to be successful, and it is pleasing to see younger members stepping up as those who have traditionally organised those evenings have turned 18 and moved on.

We have had a good year for events, with London Lightweight, Monopoly Challenge, summer camp, and another patrol camp in March particular highlights. This summer, we have Explorers participating in the district trip to Lochearnhead and the joint trip to Paris with Trident ESU. We have continued to provide crews for Lees Wood every 7 weeks.

A special mention for David for his dedication in organising Watford South’s only crew contribution.

Our Duke of Edinburgh programme is slowly building post-covid; we have had two of our members achieve their Bronze award and move on to Silver which we hope to have completed by the end of this year. We have a fresh crop of Explorers giving back to the younger scouting sections as Young Leaders.

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Harlequin Network AGM Report

2024-2025 has been a year in which Harlequin Network has continued to grow. We have continued with our monthly meetings, with highlights being laser tag, Fright Night at Thorpe Park, wide games in Cassiobury Park, and campfires at Lees and Phasels Woods.

We have also had some meetings with Watford North.

Our work on rebranding from “Meteor” is going well, with a grand investiture event in the pipeline.

We have also participated in a number of larger events, such as Herts Monopoly Challenge. Internationally, a number of our members recently completed their Explorer Belt expedition in south-eastern Europe. We also have participants travelling to Portugal and Madagascar on international Scout expeditions in the next few weeks. We would like to thank everyone in the district for their wonderful support.

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Excalibur ESU AGM Report – 2024-2025

Well, it’s safe to say this year has been... eventful. A real rollercoaster – if that rollercoaster occasionally stopped halfway up the hill because someone had to work a Saturday shift. We’ve had our ups and downs in Excalibur. Many of our young people have had to juggle weekend commitments – from part-time jobs to GCSEs, A-levels, and just occasionally pretending they’ve done their homework. As a result, we haven’t been quite as action-packed as we’d hoped – but that hasn’t stopped our Explorers from excelling in a range of adventures.

Highlights from the Year

North Wales Adventure: In the annual North Wales trip – our fearless band of Explorers summited Cader Idris (or “Cider Idris” as spellcheck would have you believe – we promise it wasn’t that kind of trip). They explored abandoned mines, climbed a waterfall 800 feet below ground – because apparently, heights are even more fun when you’re also underground – and led their very own low-level hike around Beddgelert. GPS? Optional. Snacks? Essential.

High Flyers: Back on the surface – and way above it – some of our Explorers took to the skies with Hertfordshire Scouts at Cambridge. After tasting the skies once, some returned for a full gliding session with the Cambridge Flying Club. We’re still waiting to confirm whether one of them is secretly applying for their pilot’s license.

Young Leaders: We currently have four amazing Young Leaders supporting the 14th/2nd Beaver section. They're delivering weekly sessions with energy, creativity, and occasionally glitter. Two are about to step up into full leader roles – which is brilliant – and slightly terrifying because we still remember when they were the ones tying themselves up with rope.

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Chief Scout’s Award & DofE: We almost completed a Chief Scout’s Platinum Award... then university stepped in like an over-enthusiastic referee and blew the whistle. That said, we have three Explorers on the verge of finishing, provided they can muster one final push.

On the DofE front:

5 Explorers are working through their Bronze Award

3 Explorers are on Silver

We’re confident 2025 will be the year of certificates, celebration, and the occasional lost boot in a bog.

MasterChef: Excalibur Edition: In what was definitely the best-fed event of the year, our teams entered a full-on MasterChef-style competition in a real commercial kitchen. With surprise ingredients and a tight deadline, they pulled together three-course meals that impressed everyone. Let’s just say, Gordon Ramsay would’ve approved – and maybe even sworn less.

Water Sports – Kind Of… Ah, water sports. The spirit was willing, but the water... not so much. Thanks to a certain unnamed water company, who thought the river was a great place to "recycle" – our local lake got temporarily downgraded from ‘aquatic haven’ to ‘biohazard zone’.

Despite that, we managed 6 weeks of water activity – with PSRC training and Paddle Sports Awards on the go. Things are looking brighter this year, and we’re back to paddling, splashing, and trying not to fall in (too often).

The State of the Unit: On the financial front – we’re in a stronger place than last year. Subs are coming in more regularly (thank you to all the parents, you absolute legends), and we can now plan with a bit more breathing room.

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Membership is solid at around 20 Explorers, mostly from the 14th/2nd and 64th, with more expected to join us in September 2025 – especially as the Beavers keep growing like they’re on fast-forward.

Looking Ahead to 2025: The year ahead is shaping up to be a cracker. On the calendar so far:

More camping (and marshmallows, obviously)

More flying (with parachutes not included – just kidding, maybe)

More water sports (minus the contamination)

Another legendary North Wales trip

And – fingers crossed – more commitment from the Explorers to lead, plan, and maybe even pack their own kit before the night before a trip.

In Closing… Despite the challenges, this has been a year full of memorable moments, impressive achievements, and great potential.

We’re proud of what our young people have done – and incredibly excited for what’s next.

Huge thanks to the leadership team – myself, Zoe, and Spencer – and of course, to all the parents and supporters who keep the wheels turning and the kit washed.

Here’s to another year of adventure, growth, and slightly chaotic, always fun, Explorer Scouting.

Yours in Scouting,

Dave, Zoe & Spencer

(aka the slightly tired but very proud Excalibur ESU team)

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District Contacts

Name Role
Sam Shepherd
sshepherd7989@gmail.com		 District Chair
Christine Turnbull
christinescoutsws@gmail.com		 District Volunteer Lead
Brian Alan Fox
foxba@btinternet.com		 District Secretary
Barry Hulin
barryhulin@btopenworld.com		 District Treasurer
Toby Hancock
toby61st@watfordsouthscouts.onmicrosoft.com		 District Youth Lead
Jack Jarman
Jarman.scouting@gmail.com		 Safeguarding Trustee
Caroline Jarman
socialmedia@watfordsouthscouts.org.uk		 PR & Media
Vacant Parent Representative
Vacant Property & Portfolio

Stay in Touch

Web: https://www.watfordsouthscouts.org.uk/ Facebook: Watford South Scouts Instagram @Watfordsouthscouts Twitter: @Watsthscouts

If you have any pictures of scouting events that can be posted on social media or included in newsletters, please email them to: socialmedia@watfordsouthscouts.org.uk.

Please ensure you have correct permissions of all young people in the pictures.

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