Trustees Report – 1[st] Welwyn Scout Group 2020 Our sections in the Group had in the order of 80 young people across beavers, cubs and scouts throughout the year, despite the very real challenges of Covid in Q2 to Q4 Also 40 or so girls meet in the hut in Rainbows and Brownies At lockdown in March, meetings stopped for about 4 weeks whist the Scout Association through the National Youth Counsel, agreed with Government what meetings could take place. Virtual meetings commenced in April, and apart from a brief period in September/October when face to face meetings outside the hut were allowed, the virtual meetings lasted throughout the year Our Group Scout Leader and his team of 18 leaders are to be congratulated on this fantastic effort, despite their own work and family commitments ## Finances Opening balance in 1/2020 in all accounts with Charity Aid Bank £29,138, closing balance £40,492 No fund raising took place in Welwyn Week, when we usually raise £1800 from our Duck Race and car park manning duties, as the Week was cancelled due to Covid Initially a number of parents took up our offer to stop paying subscriptions in March as lockdown stopped meetings, but most continued, and many of those that stopped payments, recommenced them later in the year. Overall, we lost just under £2,500, reducing income to £9,650 We also lost around £1800 in Gift Aid claims, but our treasurer still achieved a 23% recovery rate. All bar a handful of parents have now completed GA forms, so in 2021 we expect to achieve close to the 25% recovery from HMRC of our subs income Our income from tenant lettings, which had increased substantially in Q1, fell away dramatically in Q2 to Q4, reducing income to £1500, when we expected it to achieve just short of £5,000 for the year However we qualified for a government grant of £10,000, a local supporter gave us £1700, and the local Am/Dram Group a further £500 ## Premises Following the refit in 2013/4 the HQ is in good condition, with new roof, wall insulation, new doors and windows, toilets and mains services. We are fortunate to have a committee member who attends promptly to any maintenance work as required ## Covid costs To make the HQ Covid compliant we put in hand sanitizers, extra wash stations, signage and other alterations costing in the order of £900, and as we are allowed to reuse the hut in 2021, these costs will enable sections and tenants to continue to use the property safely and in compliance with guidelines We also completed external works for £1800 to pathways and drainage which had been omitted in 1977 when the hut was extended. The absence of those works had lead to serious water ingress to the hut in the years leading up to the hut being condemned in 2012, when its use ceased for two years. During that time the £140,000 refit took place, and the path and drainage works were the last element of that refurbishment ## Insurance We continue to use the Scout Association insurance company Unity to cover the building, contents and volunteer insurances. They reduced their premium requirements when our treasurer obtained other quotations ## Recruitment We have managed to maintain our very high number of uniformed leaders at 18 plus our Group Scout Leader Tony Worsley, despite all the challenges Covid has thrown at them, and we are proud of what they have achieved. Beavers only has 3 leaders, two of whom may have to step back due to work commitments in 2021, so more recruitment, perhaps from our 32 parent Group Occasional Helpers, will be required Fund raising We ask parents to man fund raising activities, to build up reserves for equipment (£20,000 of which is in the stores and needs renewal every 5-10 years) and to cover capital works to the HQ. We hope to restart those activities if Covid restrictions permit, in 2021 ## Tenant management We have gradually built up a wide range of mainly community based tenants Art, yoga, baby massage, rock band, Am/Dram, and other groups In a normal full year we hope these will bring in around £4-5,000 which adds to our equipment and building replacement funds, exceptional costs (e.g. Covid!) and special events for the Group or community. The tenants are well managed by a committee member ## Summary of the year This has been one of the most difficult years for the country, for the community, and for the Group I am proud to report that I think the Leaders, GSL and our committee have managed to ensure that the 80 scout section youngsters have continued to be given the chance to learn Skills for Life, despite all that has gone on Also the 40 guide section youngsters in Rainbows and Guides have also met when their leadership rules have permitted I am confident we will deal with what ever challenges the coming year has for us, in the same resourceful and cheerful way we have in 2020 Andy Trotter Group Executive Chairman 1$tWe Scout Grou c•1 ts and Pa nts for 302603 31.12.20 r endln YE 31n2tt020 YE 31M212019 •lpts Ptym•nts £9.650 £3.981 £12.136 £3.708 £2.213 £0 £0 £240 £5.811 £7.617 £12.2LK) to t7OJ £250 t12 É1.751 E12 IIMk lrtl Chwp £33 £0 E2.445 Éo E6 £1.487 Éo INb• 2.954 Éo £0 £4.384 £902 £377 £1.VAI £58 £3,719 £sio £0 t816 26.lU¥J E13.292 T+X•l• £26.419 £22,163 VE J111W2019 CAF £5.305 CAF £35.1 £3 AF Cash £3,974 CAF Gthj £25.161 £40.492 9,13B £11.354 2.224 £563 É1.469 CoitB weptry £880 Grt￿P ExeartA* Cha 2510212021 Tre•sw ts21osIz?21 Ewirer 2510212021 2510212021 1st we￿ accounts ?020.xlsx 1$tWe Scout Grou c•1 ts and Pa nts for 302603 31.12.20 r endln YE 31n2tt020 YE 31M212019 •lpts Ptym•nts £9.650 £3.981 £12.136 £3.708 £2.213 £0 £0 £240 £5.811 £7.617 £12.2LK) to t7OJ £250 t12 É1.751 E12 IIMk lrtl Chwp £33 £0 E2.445 Éo E6 £1.487 Éo INb• 2.954 Éo £0 £4.384 £902 £377 £1.VAI £58 £3,719 £sio £0 t816 26.lU¥J E13.292 T+X•l• £26.419 £22,163 VE J111W2019 CAF £5.305 CAF £35.1 £3 AF Cash £3,974 CAF Gthj £25.161 £40.492 9,13B £11.354 2.224 £563 É1.469 CoitB weptry £880 Grt￿P ExeartA* Cha 2510212021 Tre•sw ts21osIz?21 Ewirer 2510212021 2510212021 1st we￿ accounts ?020.xlsx