AGM Report
Friday 15[th] September; 7.30pm
The Scout Hut, Heathorn Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5AQ
Registered Charity: 303416
AGENDA
ST. LUKE’S (MAIDSTONE) SCOUT GROUP
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
A G E N D A
Friday 15[h] September; 7.30pm
The Scout Hut, Heathorn Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5AQ
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Chairman’s welcome
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Apologies for absence
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Minutes of the last meeting
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Matters arising
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Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of Accounts
▪ Approve Scrutineer
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Group Scout Leader Report
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Election of Officers for 2019/2020
▪ Chairman – GSL nomination
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Group Secretary
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Group Treasurer
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District Commissioner address
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Any Other Business
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Minutes of the St Luke’s Scout Group –
Annual General Meeting 2022
Date: 30[th] September 2022 Attendees: Jim Martin – Group Chair Natalie Bot – Thursday Cubs Gavin Mills – Group Scout Leader Olaf Revell – Thursday Cubs Sarah Wood – AGSL Jim Lakin - Friday Scout Leader Dave Hubble- Treasurer Neil Hurley – Friday Scouts Torz Dervisoglu – Monday Scout Leader Wendy and Asa Liston Halvor Wood – Monday Scout Leader Ian and Victoria Soames David and Anna Brooks – Monday Scouts Michael Cooper Graham Embleton –Wednesday CSL Alyss Miles Derek Long – Beaver Scout Leader Ben Homewood Sam Hurley- Thursday CSL Sarah Alsebrook Beth and Helen McHale Andy Sissons
Chairman’s Welcome
Jim Martin welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for making the time to attend on the AGM. St. Luke’s are making a good job of providing Scouting in Maidstone. Business will proceed as quickly as possible and will be compliant with the Charity Commission and The Scout Association.
Apologies for absence
The following apologies were received. Clare Foulsham - Secretary Linda Waring – District Commissioner Gareth Dickinson – St Luke’s Church Vicar Catherine Mills Henry Mann - Jaguars Explorers Heather Brooks
Minutes of the Last AGM on
The minutes had been circulated to all at the AGM, there were no amendments and the minutes were approved by everyone present.
Matters Arising:
There were no matters arising.
Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of Accounts
Copy of accounts circulated to all, and attached below. No questions regarding accounts were received. A normal year for St. Luke’s with a full year of subscription fees.
Surplus £5021.19 Closing balance £39,683.74
We are in a good position financially. Funds have been spent on meetings, outings, and hut maintenance. The accounts have not yet been scrutinised, but they are ready to go to the scrutineer. If anyone knows of someone who would be willing to do this for the group, we would be very grateful for their assistance. The full accounts are at the end of these minutes.
Group Scout Leader Report
Gavin Mills started his report by showing a video of this year’s Scouting highlights, which included all sections.
This has been another fantastic year, when we have been able to enjoy what Scouting is all about, including growth and camping within all sections. Jaguars now has 35 Explorers and there are waiting list for both the Beaver and the Cub sections. We are constantly on the lookout for new leaders so we can grow the group further.
We have given out huge numbers of badges this year, as Scouting returned to face-to-face meetings and badge work was easier to achieve. Other high lights of this year include Jaguars winning The Winter Survival challenge (a winter hike set over 30 hours covering more than 40 miles), Gang Show, the biggest turn out for St. George’s Day parade and 4 Young people from the Group being selected for the World scout Jamboree.
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Gavin thanked the members of the executive committee, the leaders, and parents for their help in running the group and outlined leadership changes. Gavin thanked Dave Brooks, who is stepping back as Monday Scout Leader, but remaining within the group. Torz and Halvor have taken over jointly as Monday Scout leaders and are running the troop. Rosie Bright has also left the troop after moving to Liverpool to go to university. Alfie Spencer, previously a young leader, turned 18 and joined the St. Luke’s leadership team on his birthday! Gavin also thanked Andy Sissons, previous Monday Scout leader, for his 10-year service to the group, which ended during Covid and which we wanted to mark face-to-face.
Thanks to Jim Martin, Dave Hubble, and to Sarah wood for being an ear to bounce ideas off when things seem a little rocky. Also, to all those behind the scenes – Partners and families who give so much without being an official part of the team.
Jim Martin followed and thanked Gavin for amazing job he does for the group and all the leaders who give up their time to make it successful.
Election of Officers for 2021/22
Jim moved on to the election of the Group Executive Committee members.
Gavin nominated Jim Martin as Chairman, and this was seconded by Sarah Wood and agreed by the meeting.
Clare Foulsham was nominated for Group Secretary by Jim Martin; the motion was seconded by Sarah Wood and agreed by the meeting.
Dave Hubble was proposed by Jim Martin. Seconded by Derek Long and agreed by the meeting.
Jim asked all parents to sign a gift aid form to claim 25% on top of subscriptions for their young people. Forms are available with which to do this.
District Commissioner Address
Linda Waring was unable to attend the evening due to illness but sent a message thanking Gavin and St. Luke’s as a group for doing a terrific job. Well done to everyone at St Luke’s, you have been the forefront of scouting in Maidstone, delivering Scouting as it should be delivered.
Jim Martin presented a Growing the group award, which was accepted by Gavin Mills.
Presentations
Wood Badge – Dave Brooks Long Service – Graham Embleton – 30 years Long Service – Halvor Wood – 5 years
Close of Meeting followed by BBQ
The official part of the meeting closed at 8pm
The Friday Scouts, led by Jim Lakin, made a delicious curry and cooked a BBQ, which was then served to all.
Thank you to all for coming.
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2023
2023 has been a very active year for the Group and young people have accessed some amazing opportunities and experiences including 4 of our young people attending the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea and showed the resilience and fortitude that embodies Scouting.
There are some changes ahead for our movement and you will see as time progresses that roles in scouting will have some name changes, no more Commissioners, but Lead Volunteers. There are also changes to the Group Executive Committee structure as we become a Trustee Board – these will be implemented during the coming year.
The leaders at St. Luke’s do an amazing job as volunteers, giving up countless hours of time and giving their all to ensure that your children experience as many activities, learn new skills and have the opportunity to challenge themselves and work in teams. Thank you to each and every one of them.
We would love you to get involved with Scouting at St. Luke’s. You can help with a section or give time supporting with fundraising, hut maintenance or as a Trustee. There is something to suit everyone. It’s a proven fact that volunteering is good for you and the communities in which we live. So come on talk to us (we don’t bite) and join the adventure!
A big thank you too, to the Group Executive who have spent time ensuring that the Group is on a sound financial footing and everything is kept up to date.
There are lots more ways to help the Group. Perhaps you could run a marathon, hold a cake sale, buy something and use easy fundraising, maybe even leave a legacy – every little helps! Being part of Scouting is fun, worthwhile and rewarding, so get involved!
Jim Martin Group Chairman
TREASURER’S REPORT 2023
The group consolidated account for the year ended 31[st] March 2022 has been compiled and is published following this report. To the best of my knowledge the accounts have been prepared in full accordance with the rules and guidelines as prescribed by the Charity Commission and policy, organisation, and rules of the Scouts association.
Receipts and Payments account summary
I am very pleased to be reporting on a healthy set of accounts. A year that has been a bit more like normal after the previous two years. The Group has achieved a surplus of over £5000. This has been helped with the group receiving a full year of subscription fees. The group finances have also been helped by Covid-19 grants from Maidstone Borough Council.
It has been nice this year to be able to get back to spending more of our funds on various outings as well as provisions for meetings at the hut. With hopefully much more to be spent in the coming year. We have also spent some of group funds on the upkeep of the hut.
The accounts summary is the same as the last few years, which we hope is clear to read. On the next page shows a summary of the receipts and the payments as well as the funds held by the group at the end of the year. We only publish the abbreviated account, however if you wish to view the full set of accounts, we’ll be pleased for you to view them this evening or you will be able to do so on the Charity Commission website in the coming months.
Dave Hubble
Group Treasurer
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ST. LUKE'S (MAIDSTONE) SCOUT GROUP
REGISTERED CHARITY No. 303416
CONSOLIDATED RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR YEAR TO DATE 31st MARCH 2023
| Receipts | Receipts | Payments | Payments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Year | £ | Last Year | £ | ||
| Subscriptions | 1146.30 | Badges and Courses | 1170.86 | ||
| 2240.60 | Beaver Scout Colony | 2310.54 | 6802.82 | Upkeep of HQ/ Repairs/Rent | 839.72 |
| 5351.43 | Cub Scout Packs | 6197.95 | 387.65 | Utilities | 316.38 |
| 3703.39 | Scout Troops | 4876.39 | 1969.96 | Insurances | 1946.35 |
| 0.00 | Jaguar Explorer Unit | 0.00 | 4800.00 | Capitation Fee | 5772.00 |
| 18.99 | Purchase of Equipment/ Uniform | 815.00 | |||
| 0.00 | Fetes/ Jumble Sales/ Bazaars/ Webshop | 1007.10 | 3002.50 | Camps/ Outings | 12284.67 |
| 310.10 | Donations | 100.00 | 0.00 | Fetes/ Jumble Sales set up costs | 0.00 |
| 2504.00 | Costs of Camps/ Courses/ Outings | 9723.00 | 0.00 | Stationery/ postage/ Photocopying | 98.75 |
| 182.94 | Misc Fund Raising/ Sale of Uniforms | 443.42 | 1617.37 | Provisions for Meetings | 2888.77 |
| 0.00 | Tax, Charities Refund (Gift Aid Scheme) | 0.00 | 299.38 | Sundry Expenses | 2251.56 |
| 105.71 | Sundry Receipts | 773.35 | Group Vehicles | ||
| 10667.00 | Grants | 0.00 | 0.00 | Tax & Insurance | 0.00 |
| 0.99 | Bank Interest | 43.81 | 0.00 | Repairs to Minibus | 0.00 |
| 0.00 | Petrol/ Oil/ Diesel | 0.00 | |||
| 25066.16 | 25475.56 | 20044.97 | 28384.06 | ||
| Opening Balance | Surplus/Deficit of receipts over payments | -2908.50 | |||
| 1788.86 | Cash in Hand | 1998.89 | |||
| 22913.53 | Cash at Bank | 27723.72 | |||
| 9960.16 | Reserve A/c | 9961.15 | Balances at end of year | ||
| 34662.55 | 39683.76 | 1788.86 | Cash in Hand | 1501.46 | |
| Transfers from/ to Group (+/-) | 22913.53 | Bank Accounts | 25268.84 | ||
| 5,021.19 | Surplus/ Deficit for period | -2,908.50 | 9960.16 | Reserve Account | 10004.96 |
| 39683.74 | Closing Balance | 36775.26 | 34662.55 | 36775.26 |
GSL REPORT 2023
Scouting at St Luke’s continues to go from strength to strength and the amazing work of our leadership team continues to impress me and make me continually very proud of their achievements. I only wish that we could extend the opportunities to even more people as we also, for the first time, now have waiting lists for all three of the younger sections and are held back only by the number of adults who work with the team. If you believe in the good that St Luke’s is doing in Maidstone and think that more people should be involved, please, please, please take the plunge and get involved! Scouting is great fun and is incredibly flexible so you’ll be surprised at what we can come up with.
Group Membership
At the time of the census in February, there were 138 members in the Group, including the adults. Due to the way Scouting works, this doesn’t take into account the Explorer Scout section as it’s not technically part of the group where there are another 30 young people and an active leadership team. As you can see, this makes the group the biggest it has been for nearly 10 years (and possibly longer but my records don’t go back that far!)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 115 | 127 | 149 | 127 | 135 | 133 | 120 | 122 | 138 |
Leadership
There has, as always, been some changes to our leadership team over the course of the year.
Dave Brooks (who also appeared in my report last year) has now stepped down from Monday Scouts completely due to other commitments but will be joining the Group Leadership Team to support our programme and develop activities for the Leaders, past and present.
On a Wednesday, we have said goodbye to Tim and Christine Price who supported Graham so well for many years. We are sorry to see them go and would like to thank them for all their efforts, but welcome Jeremy Martin and Alan Sullivan to the team who are already proving invaluable with running activities for our Cubs.
On a Thursday, we have been joined by Zaye Harry as a Section Assistant and Carrie Revell is now helping as an Occasional Helper to keep the section expanding and moving forward.
The Beaver team has been strengthened by Victoria Wisniewska who has been absolutely brilliant
Events
St George’s Day Parade
Despite the weather, the young people at St Luke’s did the group proud and provided an impressive (if slightly damp) sight to all the crowds who lined the street in the town as we proceeded to the church. Thank you to all of them and to the support from the side lines!
Group Camp – Pirate Camp
It’s not happened yet, but planning is well underway for the post-Covid return of Group Camp next week. We can’t wait and know that we will have over 100 people taking over Hamlet Wood. Thank you especially to Sarah Wood for taking the lead and putting it all together.
Thanks
I’m not going to lie: 2023 has not been the easiest year for me personally and there has been a lot going on at home which has meant that I have had to rely on the brilliance of the leadership team and our exec to
keep things ticking over. More than that though, they have absolutely excelled and our rise in numbers just goes to show that the Scouting that they provide is high-quality, exciting and in demand. I know that you will join me in thanking all the section leaders Derek “Rikki” Long, Torz Dervisoglu, Halvor Wood, Graham Embleton, Sam Hurley, Henry Mann and Jim Lakin as well as all their team members.
Although he always denies it, Jim Martin continues to be an extremely helpful and effective Chairman and he, Dave Hubble, Clare Foulsham and all the members of our Group Executive committee provide such amazing support in helping with our decision-making and making sure that the group continue to thrive. Sarah Wood dedication and extreme organisation as Assistant Group Scout Leader has also saved us all this year on a number of occasions when I have had to be elsewhere or simply haven’t been able to do as much as I need to, whilst our new Maintenance Committee has also started to make an impact. My longsuffering wife, Cath and my kids ( Amie & Tom ) also deserve a mention for letting me spend so much time either at the hut or in front of a laptop doing all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff which means the group can still function.
Here’s to another fantastic year at St Luke’s – to more adult volunteers and more young people getting involved!
Gavin Mills Group Scout Leader
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Because of the pandemic having disrupted normal Beavering I have included some information and statistics that might not, in normal times, have been included in this report but have not been reported anywhere else.
At present we have 19 Beavers, 14 boys and 5 girls. During the last year (plus a few extra weeks) we have invested 28 Beavers, 8 Beavers have gone up the Blue River to Cubs and 3 have left the movement.
The pandemic made it difficult to cover the training schedule but we managed with a few compromises. For example, because it was almost impossible to organise a camp or sleepover for the Outdoors Challenge Badge, we decided to accept a sleepover with friends or relatives so long as a parent was not present. I had to clear this with the ADC but hope to be able to go on doing it for some of the more hesitant children. I think it is true to say that the pandemic will have changed some things forever.
We have awarded 10 My Adventure Challenge Badges, 11 Personal Challenge Badges, 12 My Outdoors Challenge Badges, 11 My Skills Challenge Badges, 12 Teamwork Challenge Badges and 12 My World Challenge Badges. 12 Beavers have been presented with the Chief Scout’s Bronze Award which is the highest award a Beaver can get.
We have presented 5 Joining In Badges (the first year Badge) and so far as Activity Badges are concerned we have presented 17 Creative Activity Badges, 16 Experiment Badges, 20 Health and Fitness Badges, 14 Safety Badges, 16 Cook’s Badges, 19 Disability Awareness Badges, 16 Explore Badges, 18 Hikes Away 1 Badges, 12 Nights Away 1 Badges, 1 Space Stage 1 Badge, 1 Collector Badge Stage 1 and 1 Air Activity Badge Stage 1.
We have enjoyed a full range of activities during the year and our programmes have covered a wide variety of topics which have qualified the Beavers for the Challenge Badges. We visited Mote Park, Penenden Heath and Cuckoo Woods. We had several international evenings with appropriate food. We had our traditional Walk in the Dark. We ended the summer term with our traditional sausage sizzle and tiger hunt in Cuckoo Woods. It was the hottest day in recorded history so Halvor was quite heroic for sizzling the sausages and we are very grateful to him. We must also thank William for playing the part of the tiger this year.
12 Beavers attended the District Beaver Camp at Hamlet Wood in June this year and thoroughly enjoyed themselves despite a spectacular thunderstorm which fortunately did not happen until after they had gone to bed. We also attended the District Beaver Fun Day at Hamlet Wood in September last year which I don’t think has been reported previously. 3 Beavers attended the Group trip to the District Gang Show on the 9[th] April this year. We had a great turnout for the joint District St. George’s Day Parade on the 24[th] April this year and, as usual, our Beavers were a credit to the Group and their leaders were very proud of them.
So far as the adults are concerned Martyn Cumming has left us which is very sad but we owe him a huge debt of thanks for all that he did and are very grateful to him. On a brighter note we have been joined by Mrs Sarah Davis as an Assistant Beaver Scout Leader and she is proving to be pretty wonderful! We have also been joined by Mrs Victoria Wisniewska as a Section Assistant. Victoria is a Beaver’s mum and we are really enjoying having her with us. Heather Brooks is now a full ABSL and is doing a great job (as always) but is pretty busy with university work at present although she still Beavers whenever she can. We wish her well with her studies. Sarah Wood, the Assistant Group Scout Leader, has been working with Beavers ever since we came back from the pandemic and we are very lucky to have her. The Beavers love her. We also have her son William who is a Scout and is very helpful indeed at Beavers.
I should like to thank Gavin, the Group Scout Leader, for all his help, encouragement and support during the year. Thanks to all the Leaders and members of other sections who have helped. I know there are people who I have forgotten to thank and I hope they will forgive me. Despite my forgetfulness I am as grateful to them as I am to everyone else.
Thanks to the parents who have turned up when asked. Finally thanks, of course, to the parents for trusting us with their children because, as I have said many times before, there is no greater trust that you can put in anyone.
D.F.LONG (Rikki) - Beaver Scout Leader
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Last year we finished with 20 cubs 2 leaders, 2 parent helpers and 2 young leaders. We unfortunately had to say good bye to Henry and Christine. Now we are 25 cubs 2 leaders and 4 parent helpers. The cub numbers have now been capped to ensure safety around the hut and activities generally. There will of course always be room for any beavers that wish to come up to the section. The numbers are a testament to the help and support of our amazing team (Chris, Ricky, Jeremy, James and Alan long with Clark our young leader) makes scouting so much easier.
The past year for us has consisted of lots of activities such as Canoeing, climbing, raft building, several camps and nights away. The camps involved Camp craft Skills evening, knotting rifle shooting, archery, making touches and compasses, they completed their DIY badge by making stools. We had fun with laser quest and a couple of hikes and served the parents with tea and cakes whilst the parents enjoyed some fun and games. I could go on but it’s been a packed year for activities which they all appeared to enjoy.
The above activities in the last year have gone towards the achievement of 392 badges. They consist of 5 chief scouts 37 challenge badges 297 activity badge and 48 general badges.
We have an amazing group of young people always challenging themselves to get involved to learn new things and grow. It’s been a pleasure to see them strive on and grow in themselves. Looking forward to another amazing year.
Graham Embleton
Cub Scout Leader (Wednesday).
We’ve had another fun and varied year at Thursday Cubs.
We currently have 24 cubs, having sent 3 up to Scouts just before the end of the summer term, with another 6 due to move to Scouts after October half term. At the moment we have 1 Cub Scout Leader, 2 Assistant Cub Scout Leaders, 3 Section Assistants and 4 Young Leaders. Zaye Harry joined us as a section assistant in early 2023 and Carrie Revell has joined as an occasional helper. We have established a good cohort of parents that are willing to help out when necessary. Our cubs have earned 6 Chief Scout Silver Awards and 51 challenge badges over the year plus numerous activity badges.
September 2022 and we started the new term with the very sad news breaking during our 2[nd] meeting of term, that Queen Elizabeth II, our patron, had passed away. We changed our programme to build in some tributes and reflection to her. The rest of the term was packed with archery, cave bus, trampolining and 2 sessions of emergency aid run by local paramedics. We fitted in fire safety and some cooking too.
Spring activities included a science night, chip shop hike, celebrating Chinese New Year, climbing, crafts, cooking and our 2 older Young Leaders planned and ran a session for the cubs to complete their artist activity badge which they thoroughly enjoyed. Well done Josh and Jess.
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Summer term included the St George’s Day parade with a fantastic turn out from the Cubs. We did more science experiments, tobogganing and fitted in 2 camps – our first District Sixer and Seconder camp and a St Luke’s Cub Camp with the Wednesday Pack which was named Camp Brainiac and had a science theme. This was partly planned and run by a team of 4 young leaders – thank you Jess, Josh, Eddie and Clark for your ideas and time you put in. Jess also designed our camp badges we had made, which were brilliant.
We managed our annual sausage sizzle plus pond dipping and raft and duck racing at Loose stream, kayaking and The Sky Trail and Dino Golf at Mote Park and finished the term with a wide game and picnic in Mote Park.
We are looking forward now to more fun over the next year, welcoming new cubs and learning more new skills.
All this wouldn’t be possible without the fantastic Thursday Cubs leadership team of Nathalie, Ollie, Ray, Zaye and Rikki plus Ben when he is home from university and of course our 4 Young Leaders, Jess, Josh, Edie and Alex and Carrie, our occasional helper. Thanks also to the parents who have helped out when we have needed extra adults, and in general the support of all the parents, it has been much appreciated. Of course the biggest thank you goes to our Cubs, who are the most fantastic group of young people and make us look forward to seeing them each week.
A big thanks to all the St Luke’s leaders, who are always on hand to help out or to give advice, and to my family for allowing me the time for planning, preparing, training and camps etc to be able to run Thursday Cubs.
Sam Hurley
Cub Scout Leader (Thursday)
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I am delighted to report on our Scout Group's activities since last September’s Annual General Meeting. It has been an absolutely fantastic year filled with exciting adventures, skill-building activities, and remarkable achievements. I am incredibly proud of all 32 of our scouts and the dedicated leaders who have made it all possible. Here are the highlights of our journey.
Survival Skills:
We kicked off the year by delving into the world of survival skills. Our scouts learned survival skills and shelter building to participate in the Porchlight event, putting their newfound knowledge to camp out without tents.
In an effort to connect with scouts from all corners of the globe, we took part in JOTI. Our scouts engaged in conversations with scouts from various countries, filling our world map with dots that represented these connections. A few of our scouts that missed out on the microlight flight were able to fit it in this weekend too!
Equipping our scouts with practical skills, we dedicated time to bicycle maintenance. Learning how to care for their bikes gaining valuable knowledge about repairs and upkeep.
We enjoyed swimming, hiking, and had a wonderful time crafting a collection of beautiful Pumpkin lanterns. And all this was just October for our scouts!
We introduced a new club in November, the Dungeons and Dragons Club, which meet weekly at our scout hut. This initiative aimed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork among our scouts and is still running strong thanks to our newest and youngest Scout Leader Alfie.
Magical Christmas Party:
In a surprising turn of events, we stumbled upon a portkey to Hogwarts and had an unforgettable Christmas party. Our scouts experienced the magic of the wizarding world, creating memories that will last a lifetime I'm sure.
Burns Night Celebration:
To honour the Scottish culture, we celebrated Burns Night with Haggis and tatties. Additionally, our scouts designed their own tartan, embracing the spirit of creativity and heritage.
We were lucky enough to be invited by Wateringbury Scouts to join in their fabulous campfire and Easter Egg Hunt, it was great to meet other scouts in Kent and enjoy their company.
King's Coronation and DIY Badge:
Inspired by the King's coronation, our scouts built thrones and engaged in an exhilarating sedan chair race exactly like the royalty of old. We also worked towards earning our DIY badges, honing our practical skills building the chairs and on another week an assault course.
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Quiz Night:
we successfully organized a quiz night in collaboration with the church, raising funds for a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Thanks to Dave, quiz master extraordinaire and most importantly Anna, his fabulous partner! Expedition and Camp Gadgets:
The older scouts embarked on an unforgettable expedition, showcasing their resilience and teamwork. Meanwhile, the younger scouts demonstrated their scout skills during a memorable camp out. They impressed everyone with their creativity by crafting incredible camp gadgets and even practiced tomahawk throwing.
Water Sports, Shooting, and Geocaching:
Our scouts engaged in a variety of thrilling activities, including water sports, shooting, and geocaching as well as braving Kent Scouts Bag Drop! These experiences allowed them to develop their physical abilities and sense of adventure.
Bush Tucker Trials and World Scout Jamboree:
We held the Scout Bush Tucker Trials, embracing new culinary experiences. Surprisingly we all like buffalo worms, Crickets and cactus juice! In addition, one of our scouts has the incredible opportunity to represent our group at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea. To celebrate this achievement, we organized a Korean BBQ, immersing ourselves in the culture South Korea.
Chief Scout Gold Awards:
Six of our dedicated scouts have achieved the prestigious Chief Scout Gold Award this year. It is a testament to their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to personal development.
Summer Camp:
We concluded the year with an exciting summer camp organised by Jim from Friday Scouts. It was an enriching experience for all involved.
In conclusion, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the success of our Scout Group throughout the year. Our leaders, volunteers, parents, and the wider community have played a vital role in making all these incredible experiences possible for our scouts. I would like to extend a special thank you to Jim for his exceptional efforts in organising the summer camp. Your dedication and hard work create a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.
I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our scouts who have shown tremendous commitment, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn and grow. Your achievements, whether it be earning badges, completing challenges, or embracing new adventures, are a testament to your dedication and spirit.
Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to the church for their support in organizing the successful quiz night. Your generosity in raising funds for the new AED will undoubtedly make a significant impact on the safety and well-being of our community.
In closing, I am immensely proud of the progress we have made as a Scout Group over the past year. Our scouts have developed new skills, formed lasting friendships, and created cherished memories. Let’s continue to inspire and guide the young people in our community, fostering personal growth, resilience, and a sense of adventure.
Thank you all for your unwavering support and dedication. Together, we have made this year an outstanding success, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our Scout Group.
Torz Dervisoglu Scout Leader (Monday)
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At Friday scouts we have been enjoying a year of growth with our numbers swelling to 26 full time youth members. We have also been joined by Asa as an assistant Leader.
Through the year we have enjoyed many activities at the hut including, pudding night, hobbies and board game eve, Pioneering, curry night, First aid and fire safety. We also have been continuing with camping skills and outdoor activities.
We had great fun Tobogganing at Capstone Park with Monday Scouts and enjoyed a Harry Potter themed Christmas Party organised by Torz and the Monday scouts.
We spent a night at Hamlet wood rough sleeping to raise funds for Porchlight, A Local homeless charity.
The jumble Sale this year was very successful raising funds to offset Annual Camp costs.
We had a weekend camp at Hamlet Wood organised by Neil to get started on the Shooting Range and had fun building a Trebuchet.
We awarded 3 Chief Scout Gold awards this year, a big congratulations to the recipients, who have demonstrated the commitment required.
ANNUAL CAMP
This Summer we spent a week at Eaton Vale Scout activity Centre in Norwich, Norfolk.
The scouts enjoyed Climbing, Archery, Air rifle shooting, Tomahawk Throwing, Kayaking, Raft building and sinking, Grass sledging, Pedal go carts, Pioneering, a trip to the beech to fly kites and have fish and chips, A trip to Pleasurewood Hills theme park. Our evenings were spent playing board games, Table tennis, crafting and wide games. It makes me exhausted just remembering and writing it all down!! Which leads me to thanking the extraordinary group of Leaders who helped to make it all happen. Neil, Sam, Dave, Anna, Olaf, Alfie, Torz and Halvor Thank you for giving your time and energy to make this camp a success.
Another Big thank you to Neil, Matt and Asa for giving their time each week to help run Friday Scouts, I really couldn’t do it without you.
And last but by no means least, thank you to my wife Shoba for all the support and understanding over the last year.
Jim Lakin Scout Leader (Friday)
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Jaguars are blessed to have had another brilliant year with loads of exciting activities and events.
We continue to have high numbers of young people, with a record number of 17-year olds who will be ageing out this year. It is amazing to watch these young people develop into adults. The Leadership Team have been excellent with Paul, Ben, Tracey, Finley and Rob all continuing to offer their own skill set and time to the cause.
Throughout the year we have enjoyed a wide-ranging programme from rifle shooting and axe throwing to shelter building, hikes and quad biking. We’ve also participated in large events such as Winter Survival, Fireworks Night and a trip to Thorpe Park.
Our success at Winter Survival meant that for the second year running Jaguars formed the colour party for the St. George’s Day Parade, at which we had another strong turnout and represented ourselves and Maidstone well.
We are proud that so many of our Explorers are also Young Leaders at St. Luke’s and other Scout Groups in the District, and we thank the support that their Section Leaders provide them throughout the year to develop their leadership skills.
As always, I will take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of my Leaders, without whom we wouldn’t be able to provide such a brilliant programme. Thank you to everyone at St. Luke’s for all of the invaluable support you provide to us through our invaluable partnership with you.
We look forward to what the next year holds for Jaguars and St. Luke’s.
Henry Mann Explorer Scout Leader
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ST. LUKE'S (MAIDSTONE) SCOUT GROUP
REGISTERED CHARITY No. 303416
CONSOLIDATED RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR YEAR TO DATE 31st MARCH 2023
| Receipts Last Year Subscriptions 2240.60 Beaver Scout Colony 5351.43 Cub Scout Packs 3703.39 Scout Troops 0.00 Jaguar Explorer Unit 0.00 Fetes/ Jumble Sales/ Bazaars/ Webshop 310.10 Donations 2504.00 Costs of Camps/ Courses/ Outings 182.94 Misc Fund Raising/ Sale of Uniforms 0.00 Tax, Charities Refund (Gift Aid Scheme) 105.71 Sundry Receipts 10667.00 Grants 0.99 Bank Interest 25066.16 |
Receipts £ 2310.54 6197.95 4876.39 0.00 1007.10 100.00 9723.00 443.42 0.00 773.35 0.00 43.81 25475.56 |
Payments Last Year 1146.30 Badges and Courses 6802.82 Upkeep of HQ/ Repairs/Rent 387.65 Utilities 1969.96 Insurances 4800.00 Capitation Fee 18.99 Purchase of Equipment/ Uniform 3002.50 Camps/ Outings 0.00 Fetes/ Jumble Sales set up costs 0.00 Stationery/ postage/ Photocopying 1617.37 Provisions for Meetings 299.38 Sundry Expenses Group Vehicles 0.00 Tax & Insurance 0.00 Repairs to Minibus 0.00 Petrol/ Oil/ Diesel 20044.97 |
Payments £ 1170.86 839.72 316.38 1946.35 5772.00 815.00 12284.67 0.00 98.75 2888.77 2251.56 0.00 0.00 0.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28384.06 | |||
| Opening Balance 1788.86 Cash in Hand 22913.53 Cash at Bank 9960.16 Reserve A/c 34662.55 Transfers from/ to Group (+/-) 5,021.19 Surplus/ Deficit for period 39683.74 Closing Balance |
1998.89 27723.72 9961.15 39683.76 (2,908.50) 36775.26 |
-2908.50 Balances at end of year 1788.86 Cash in Hand 1501.46 22913.53 Bank Accounts 25268.84 9960.16 Reserve Account 10004.96 34662.55 36775.26 Surplus/Deficit of receipts over payments |
|
| 36775.26 | |||
ST. LUKE'S (MAIDSTONE) SCO REGISTERED CHARITY No. 303416
Financial Statement
| For the year: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Receipts and Payments | ||
| note RECEIPTS Member Income 1a Beaver Subscriptions Cub Subscriptions Scout Troop Subscriptions Total subscriptions Contribution from Jaguar Explorer Scout Unit 1b From Charitable Activity Income Contribution to camp costs and outings Sale of uniforms Sundry Receipts Gift Aid, Donations & similar income Gift Aid Donations Legacies Other similar income Grants 2 Maidstone Borough Council Cobtree Charity Trust Other grants Fundraising Bag Packing Jumble Sales Barn Dance |
2022/23 £ 2,311 6,198 4,876 Unrestricted Funds |
2022/23 £ - - - Restricted Funds |
| 13,385 - |
- - |
|
| 13,385 | - | |
| 9,723 - 773 |
- - - |
|
| 10,496 | - | |
| - 100 - - |
- - - - |
|
| 100 | - | |
| - - |
- - - |
|
| - | - | |
| - - - |
- 1,007 |
| Quiz Night Other fundraising activities 3a Investment income Bank interest Building Society interest Property Rent income Other investment income Total Gross Income Asset and investment sales, etc. TOTAL RECEIPTS |
- 443 |
|---|---|
| 443 1,007 |
|
| 44 - - - - - - - |
|
| 44 - |
|
| 24,468 1,007 - - |
|
| 24,468 1,007 |
|
| Consolidated Receipts and Payments (cont) | |
| note PAYMENTS Charitable Activity Costs District Membership Subscriptions 4 Youth programme and activities Badges and Adult Courses Camp and outings costs Stationery/ Postage/ Photocopying Purchase of Uniform Building Refurbishment Lottery Grant spending 5 Scout Group Running Costs Upkeep of HQ/ Other Repairs/Rent Electric/ Water/ Sewerage Insurances Equipment repairs and renewals Sundries Vehicle Costs Tax & Insurance Repairs to Minibus Petrol/ Oil/ Diesel |
2022/23 2022/23 £ £ 5,772 - 2,889 - 1,171 - 12,285 - 99 - - - Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
| 22,215 - |
|
| - | |
| 840 - 316 - 1,946 - 815 - 2,252 - |
|
| 6,169 - |
|
| - - - - - - |
| Minibus Training courses Fundraising expenses Barn Dance Quiz Night Jumble Sales Other fundraising costs 3b Total Gross Expenditure Asset and investment purchases, etc. TOTAL PAYMENTS Net of receipts/(payments) 8 Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
- - |
|---|---|
| - - |
|
| - - - - - - |
|
| - - |
|
| 28,384 - - - |
|
| 28,384 - |
|
| (3,916) 1,007 - - 37,608 2,076 |
|
| 33,692 3,083 |
|
| Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year | |
| note Cash funds Bank current account Bank deposit account Building society account Scout Association Short Term Investment Service Cash/Floats Other monetary assets Subscription arrears Gift Aid claim District Capitation prompt payment rebate Jaguar Explorer arrears Non monetary assets for charity's own use Badge stock Other stock |
3/31/2023 3/31/2023 Unrestricted Funds £ £ 26,386 - 1,118 10,005 - - - - - 384 1,118 Restricted Funds |
| 36,775 - |
|
| - - - - - - - |
|
| - - |
|
| 300 - - - |
| Buildings (Land Leasehold) 6 Motor vehicle (Minibus) 6 Scouting equipment, furniture etc 6 Boating equipment 6 Other Liabilities Accounts not yet paid Expenses incurred but not invoiced Other liabilities |
89,500 - - 0 - 20,107 - 3,036 - - - |
|---|---|
| 112,943 - |
|
| - - - - - - |
|
| - - |
Contingent liabilities and future obligations
The above receipts and payments account and statement of assets and liabilities were approved by behalf by
| Signature Print Name |
Signature Print Name |
|---|---|
| Mr JAMES MARTIN Chair |
|
| Mr DAVID HUBBLE Treasurer |
|
| Notes to the accounts |
1a. Member Subscriptions
The Group Trustees reviewed the member subscription and agreed that no rise in subscriptions was requir will continue to be reviewed annually to ensure that the Group's unrestricted costs are being met by it's unr
1b. Contribution from Jaguar Explorer Scout Unit
Jaguar Explorer Scout Unit is not a part of the Scout Group and is under the jurisdiction of Maidstone East Unit is however based at the Scout Group premises by Partnership Agreement whereas the Unit is permitte in return of a nominal contribution based on the following formula calculated annually on 1st April and paid
Scout Group Running Costs (per annual accounts) / Total number of members x Number of Exp Due to Covid-19 no contribution was asked for.
2. Grants and Donations
3. Other Fundraising
| Other Fundraising Easy Fundraising webshop Amazon Ebay Fundraisers Other |
3a Receipts 2022/23 2021/22 |
|---|---|
| 151.2 154.0 53.2 29.0 132 107.05 |
|
| 443 183 |
4. District Membership Subscriptions (Capitation)
District Membership Subscriptions (or Capitation as it is sometimes referred to), has been set this year at £ payment rebate from Maidstone East District Scout Council remains if payment is received on time howeve making payment as opposed to a rebate being refunded at a later date.
| 2023 subscription (111 x £52.5) 2022 subscription prompt payment rebate (96x £0.50) |
£ 5,827.5 (56) |
|---|---|
| 5,772 |
Notes to the accounts (cont)
5. Fixed Assets
| Insurance Value As at 1st April 2022 Additions Disposals Less Depreciation As at 31st March 2023 |
Building,Shed & Garage LDV Convoy Minibus |
|---|---|
| 147,110 742 - - - 742 |
|
| 147,110 - 0 - - 0 |
|
| 147,110 -0 |
These figures are only a guide of the current worth for insurance purposes. Fixed Assets are charged as an cost in the first year.
6. Surplus/ Deficit
The Group has recorded a deficit of net receipts over payments of £2908.50 for the financial year 2022/23 2021/22. This can be explained by:
i. Increased expenditure on camps & outings after couple years of covid interruptions
ii. Increased Capitation fees & no grants received
OUT GROUP
| Year start date Year end date |
Year start date Year end date |
Year start date Year end date |
Year start date Year end date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1/2022 | - | 3/31/2023 | |
| 2022/23 2021/22 Total Funds Last Year £ £ 2,311 2,241 6,198 5,351 4,876 3,703 |
|||
| 13,385 11,295 - - |
|||
| 13,385 11,295 |
|||
| 9,723 2,504 - 773 106 |
|||
| 10,496 2,610 |
|||
| - - 100 310 - - - - |
|||
| 100 310 |
|||
| - 10,667 - - - - |
|||
| - 10,667 |
|||
| - - 1,007 - - - |
| - | - |
|---|---|
| 443 | 183 |
| 1,451 | 183 |
| 44 | 1 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 44 | 1 |
| 25,476 | 25,066 |
| - | - |
| 25,476 | 25,066 |
| 2022/23 | 2021/22 |
| Total Funds | Total Funds |
| £ | £ |
| 5,772 | 4,800 |
| 2,889 | 1,617 |
| 1,171 | 1,146 |
| 12,285 | 3,003 |
| 99 | - |
| - | - |
| 22,215 | 10,566 |
| - | - |
| 840 | 6,803 |
| 316 | 388 |
| 1,946 | 1,970 |
| 815 | 19 |
| 2,252 | 299 |
| 6,169 | 9,479 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
|---|---|
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 28,384.06 | 20,045 |
| - | - |
| 28,384 | 20,045 |
| (2,909) | 5,021 |
| 39,684 | 34,663 |
| 36,776 | 39,684 |
| 3/31/2023 | 4/1/2022 |
| Total Funds | Total Funds |
| £ | £ |
| 25,269 | 27,724 |
| 10,005 | 9,961 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 1,501 | 1,999 |
| 36,775 | 39,684 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 300 | 300 |
| - | - |
| 89,500 |
89,500 | |
|---|---|---|
| - | 0 |
927 |
| 20,107 |
20,107 | |
| 3,036 |
3,036 | |
| - |
- | |
| 112,943 |
113,870 |
| - |
- |
|---|---|
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
y the Trustees on and signed on their
Date of Approval
red for the forthcoming year. This restricted income.
Scout District. The Explorer Scout ed to use the Scout Group's Assets quarterly:
plorer Scout members
| 3b Payments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 2021/22 | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - |
- | ||
| - |
- | ||
| - |
- |
£52.50 per young person. A prompt er this is now deductable when
##
| Stores/ Camping | |
|---|---|
| Equipment etc | BoatingEquipment |
| 20,107 | 3,036 |
| - | |
| - | - |
| 20,107 | 3,036 |
| 20,107 | 3,036 |
n expense to the accounts as a 100%
3 against a £5021.19 surplus in the year
ST. LUKE'S (MAIDSTONE) SC REGISTERED CHARITY No. 303416
Abbreviated Financial Statem
| For the year: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Receipts and Payments | |||
| RECEIPTS Member Income Beaver Subscriptions Cub Subscriptions Scout Troop Subscriptions Total subscriptions Contribution from Jaguar Explorer Scout Unit From Charitable Activity Income Contribution to camp costs and outings Sale of uniforms Sundry Receipts Gift Aid, Donations & similar income Gift Aid Donations Legacies Other similar income Grants Maidstone Borough Council Sainsbury Local Fund Other grants Fundraising Bag Packing Jumble Sales Barn Dance |
2022/23 £ 2,311 6,198 4,876 Unrestricted Funds |
2022/23 £ - - - Restricted Funds |
|
| 13,385 - |
- - |
||
| 13,385 | - | ||
| 9,723 - 773 |
- - - |
||
| 10,496 | - | ||
| - 100 - - |
- - - - |
||
| 100 | - | ||
| - - - |
- - - |
||
| - | - | ||
| - - - |
- 1,007 - |
| Quiz Night Other fundraising activities Investment income Bank interest Building Society interest Property Rent income Other investment income Total Gross Income Asset and investment sales, etc. TOTAL RECEIPTS |
- - 443 - |
|---|---|
| 443 1,007 |
|
| 44 - - - - - - - |
|
| 44 - |
|
| 24,468 1,007 - - |
|
| 24,468 1,007 |
|
| Consolidated Receipts and Payments (cont) | |
| PAYMENTS Charitable Activity Costs District Membership Subscriptions Youth programme and activities Badges and Adult Courses Camp and outings costs Stationery/ Postage/ Photocopying Purchase of Uniform Building Refurbishment Lottery Grant spending Scout Group Running Costs Upkeep of HQ/ Repairs Electric/ Water/ Sewerage Insurances Equipment repairs and renewals Sundries Vehicle Costs Tax & Insurance Repairs to Minibus |
2022/23 2022/23 £ £ 5,772 - 2,889 - 1,171 - 12,285 - 99 - - - Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
| 22,215 - |
|
| - - |
|
| 840 - 316 - 1,946 - 815 - 2,252 - |
|
| 6,169 - |
|
| - - - - |
| Petrol/ Oil/ Diesel - - Minibus Training courses - - - - Fundraising expenses Barn Dance - - Quiz Night - - Jumble Sales - - Other fundraising costs - - - - Total Gross Expenditure 28,384 - Asset and investment purchases, etc. - - TOTAL PAYMENTS 28,384 - Net of receipts/(payments) (3,916) 1,007 Transfers between funds - - Cash funds last year end 37,608 2,076 Cash funds this year end 33,692 3,083 Cash funds breakdown Bank current account 26,386 - 1,118 Bank deposit account 10,005 - Building society account - - Scout Association Short Term Investment Service - - Cash/Floats 384 1,118 36,775 - The above receipts and payments account and statement has been approved by the Trustees on a Signature Print Name James Martin Chair David Hubble Treasurer Independent Examiner |
Petrol/ Oil/ Diesel - - Minibus Training courses - - - - Fundraising expenses Barn Dance - - Quiz Night - - Jumble Sales - - Other fundraising costs - - - - Total Gross Expenditure 28,384 - Asset and investment purchases, etc. - - TOTAL PAYMENTS 28,384 - Net of receipts/(payments) (3,916) 1,007 Transfers between funds - - Cash funds last year end 37,608 2,076 Cash funds this year end 33,692 3,083 Cash funds breakdown Bank current account 26,386 - 1,118 Bank deposit account 10,005 - Building society account - - Scout Association Short Term Investment Service - - Cash/Floats 384 1,118 36,775 - The above receipts and payments account and statement has been approved by the Trustees on a Signature Print Name James Martin Chair David Hubble Treasurer Independent Examiner |
- - - - |
|---|---|---|
| - - |
||
| - - - - - - - - |
||
| - - |
||
| 28,384 - - - |
||
| 28,384 - |
||
| (3,916) 1,007 - - 37,608 2,076 |
||
| 33,692 3,083 |
||
| 26,386 - 1,118 10,005 - - - - - 384 1,118 |
||
| 36,775 - |
||
| James Martin Chair | ||
| David Hubble Treasurer | ||
| Independent Examiner |
COUT GROUP
ent
| Year start date Year end date |
Year start date Year end date |
Year start date Year end date |
|---|---|---|
| 4/1/2022 | - | 3/31/2023 |
| 2022/23 2021/22 Total Funds Last Year £ £ 2,311 2,241 6,198 5,351 4,876 3,703 |
||
| 13,385 11,295 - - |
||
| 13,385 ## 11,295 | ||
| 9,723 2,504 - - 773 106 |
||
| 10,496 2,610 |
||
| - - 100 310 - - - - |
||
| 100 310 |
||
| - 10,667 - - - - |
||
| - 10,667 |
||
| - - 1,007 - - - |
| - | - |
|---|---|
| 443 | 183 |
| 1,451 | 183 |
| 44 | 1 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 44 | 1 |
| 25,476 | 25,066 |
| - | - |
| 25,476 | 25,066 |
| 2022/23 | 2021/22 |
| Total Funds | Total Funds |
| £ | £ |
| 5,772 | 4,800 |
| 2,889 | 1,617 |
| 1,171 | 1,146 |
| 12,285 | 3,003 |
| 99 | - |
| - | - |
| 22,215 | 10,566 |
| - | - |
| 840 | 6,803 |
| 316 | 388 |
| 1,946 | 1,970 |
| 815 | 19 |
| 2,252 | 299 |
| 6,169 | 9,479 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - |
- |
|---|---|
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| 28,384 |
20,045 |
| - |
- |
| 28,384 |
20,045 |
| (2,909) | 5,021 |
| 39,684 |
34,663 |
| 36,776 |
39,684 |
| 25,269 |
27,724 |
| 10,005 |
9,961 |
| - |
- |
| - |
- |
| 1,501 |
1,999 |
| 36,775 |
39,684 |
| and signed on their behalf by |
Date of Approval
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of St Luke’s (Maidstone) Scout Council
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the St Luke’s (Maidstone) Scout Group for the year ended 31 March 2023
.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the St Luke’s (Maidstone) Scout Group you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the St Luke’s (Maidstone) Scout Group accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the St Luke’s (Maidstone) Scout Group as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those 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.
Signed:
Name: Jeffrey Lee
Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any):
Address: 24 Braganza Drive, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0GS
Date: 24 August 2023