2023-03-31-accounts - Gravesham District Scout Council

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Gravesham District Scout Council Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 March 2023

Registered Charity No. 303399

Trustees who have served at any point in the year

Henson Appleby District Commissioner Paul Livett Chair Pat Duncumb Secretary Susan Livett Treasurer Dave Moesli District Explorer Scout Commissioner Lucy Stanford District Scout Network Commissioner Hannah Booth District Youth Commissioner Jack Reeves District Youth Commissioner (from 1 March 2023) Alan Skelton Darren Stanford Fraser Patrick Janet Jones Keith Jones Marion Weston Myles Sullivan Richard Painting Richard Ruddick Rob Viner Terry Duncumb

Custodian Trustee: The Scout Association Trust Corporation Contact address: Mr F Patrick, 3 Michele Cottages, Chalk Road, Higham, ME3 7JZ

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Gravesham District Scouts (the District)'s governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association. The District is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts. The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association and the constitution of the District.

Risk and internal controls

The District has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include dual approval for payments, regular reports to the trustees including emerging issues and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that relevant insurable risks are covered.

Trustees need to be alerted to possible conflicts of interest which may arise. Trustees are required to identify and declare any conflict of interest; trustees are removed from any decision making process where a conflict of interest is declared or identified; details of discussions and decisions made when a conflict has been identified are recorded and care is given to managing the conflict of interest once a decision has been made.

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Objectives, activities and achievements

Objectives

The objectives of the District are as a unit of The Scout Association. Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. As Scouts we are guided by these values:

Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we cooperate with others and make friends.

Activities and achievements

The District operates four Explorer Scout units for 14-18 year olds and a Network Scout unit for young people aged 18-25 and supports 13 groups across Gravesham which provide Scouting to 4-14 year old girls and boys. It also operates a campsite (Hopehill in Meopham).

This was the first full year of activities after COVID and the District has run a full programme of activities which have been well attended.

Hopehill visitor numbers have returned to pre-Covid numbers and preliminary work on the upgrade of the toilet block was completed with the removal of the old adult portacabin.

The annual census at 31[st] January showed an increase in youth membership across all sections and we have passed pre-COVID levels, with a slight increase on the January 2000 (pre- Covid) return.

Scouting in the District is entirely dependent on the volunteer Scouters and other adults who give their time and energy to plan and run activities and provide support for the benefit of the young people.

Public benefit

The District meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings. The trustees have regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission when exercising any powers to which the guidance may be relevant.

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Financial review

Performance in the year

This year saw a return to financial norms after COVID, although with significantly increased utility costs. There was a small surplus of receipts over payments before investment activities.

The Clifford Allen Memorial Trust (which is included in the accounts) showed a decrease in carrying value of 9.4%, with £10,000 of payments towards jamboree fees and a drop in the carrying value of investments.

Reserves and investments

The District continues to maintain sufficient reserves to provide for the ongoing operation of its activities, including future capital requirements for its properties in the short and long term. Cash is held in various current and deposit accounts, or in The Scout Association Charity Deposit Account. Investments are managed under a low to moderate investment risk and balanced income & capital growth investment objective and made in accordance with the recommendations of our advisors, Brewin Dolphin.

Plans for the future

The District will continue to provide activities for Scouts in Gravesham (including hill walking, water activities, camps, clay pigeon shooting, archery and many more). The Scouts are embarking on a transformation project which includes embedding a team based volunteering culture and will lead to a number of changes over the next year. At Hopehill, the project to refurbish the Madeline Allen toilet block to provide more and better facilities suited to today’s users has started.

The trustees declare that they approved this report on 6[th] September 2023. Signed on their behalf by:

Henson Appleby

Fraser Patrick

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2023

Receipts

Payments

This year £ Note Membership subscriptions 34,189 Less paid over (35,696) (1,508) Adult training 353 Donations and grants 5 257 Interest 793 Investment income 14,063 14,855 District activities 25,404 Explorer activities 7,049 32,452 Property receipts 54,470 Insurance claim 2,738 57,208 Sub total 103,618 Sale of investment assets 93,344 Total receipts 196,962 Total payments (204,639) Net receipts / (payments) (7,677)	Last year This year £ £ Note 35,744 (31,202) 4,542 Administration 825 685 Adult training 368 16,135 Grants to groups - Purchase of equipment 390 73 15,797 Investment management costs 2 4,940 15,870 18,146 District activities 31,598 2,421 Explorer activities 10,078 20,567 41,676 17,725 Property running costs 46,244 10,000 Insurance replacements 2,512 27,725 Property improvements 6,012 54,768 85,524 Sub total 102,966 46,291 Purchase of investment assets 101,673 131,815 Total payments 204,639 (141,678) (9,863)	Last year £ 1,164 2,362 500 1,090 5,383 13,552 4,777 18,329 28,133 4,900 24,933 57,966 86,794 54,884 141,678

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Statement of Assets and Liabilities As at 31 March 2023

Note Monetary assets Cash held Bank current accounts Bank deposit accounts Clifford Allen cash held 2 Scout Association Charity Deposit Account Investments Quoted securities at market value 2 Debtors Due from Scout Groups Gift Aid from HMRC Non monetary assets held for charity use Stock for resale at cost Land at cost 3 Buildings and equipment at insurance value 3	This year £ 1,077 44,503 10,128 17,036 68,589 141,334 485,046 5,050 1,415 6,465 1,249 75,000 1,500,964 1,577,213	Last year £ 1,074 43,580 10,115 26,242 68,000 149,011 527,986 - 735 735 2,313 75,000 1,353,160 1,430,473

Signed on behalf of all the trustees on 6 September 2023 :

Susan Livett

Fraser Patrick

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2023

1 - Basis of preparation

These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. The statement of Assets and Liabilities includes cash and investments at market value, land and stock for resale at historic purchase price and other assets at insurance / replacement value.

They include all the activities of Gravesham District, including Hopehill Scout Campsite, four Explorer Scout units, a Network Scout and Active Support units and the Clifford Allen Memorial Trust. The thirteen Scout Groups in the District are separate charities and are not included.

2 - Clifford Allen Memorial Trust Market value at 1 April Grants to District Investment management fees Net investment returns Market value at 31 March	This year £ 554,228 (10,000) (4,940) (47,206) 502,082	Last year £ 529,763 - (5,383) 29,848 554,228

This comprises Quoted Securities of £485,046 (last year £527,986) and cash of £17,036 (last year £26,242)

3 - Property

The District owns the land and buildings at Hopehill Campsite and the land at Istead Rise Scout Hut.

4 - Hopehill campsite Camp fees Building hire Site activities . Tuck shop Insurance claim Other Ongoing expenditure Utilities Insurance Running costs Activity maintenance Tuck shop Cleaning Maintenance Ongoing equipment replacements Insurance replacements Projects Property improvements 5 - Donations and Grants COVID 19 restart / support grants Other Income	This year £ 32,311 11,977 5,363 2,425 2,738 2,394 57,208 (23,241) (8,780) (1,234) (1,238) (1,582) (3,025) (6,527) (616) (2,512) (48,756) (6,012) 2,440 This year £ - 257 257	Last year £ 10,948 4,927 1,673 296 10,000 41 27,885 (11,453) (9,083) (25) (182) - (2,910) (3,923) (1,054) (4,900) (33,530) (24,933) (30,578) Last year £ 16,000 135 16,135

Gravesham District Scouts Annual Report 2023

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Gravesham District Scout Council (Registered Charity No, 303399)

on accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2023 set out on pages 5 to 7

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the District”) for the year ended 31st March 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the District’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent Examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name: Luke Anderson Professional qualification: ACA Address: 21 Goodall Close, Parkwood, Gillingham, Medway, ME8 9NG Date: 20 September 2023