2023-03-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report

For the period

From (start date) 0 1 0 4 2 2 to end date 3 1 0 3 2 3

Section A

Reference and administration details

Charity name Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council Other names the charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 3 0 3 4 6 6 Charity’s principal address 2 Argyle Road Tunbridge Wells Kent Postcode T N 4 0 S U

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15	Trustee Name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
	Ian Wadey	Chair
	Terri Collier	Secretary
	George Cran	Treasurer
	Nick Burgess	District Commissioner
	Connor Terry	District Youth Commissioner
	Steve Dennis	District Explorer Scout Commissioner
	Scott Towner
	Brian Hobden		Until 13/9/2022
	Stuart Watt		Co-opted 25/4/2023
	Section A Reference and administration details (continued)

Names and addresses of advisers (optional information but encouraged as best practice)

Type of advisor	Name	Address
Independent Examiner	Louise Tunstall	19 Fleming Way, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 4RX

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Section B

Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document (e.g. trust deed, constitution) How the charity is constituted (e.g. trust, association, company) Trustee selection methods (e.g. appointed by, elected by)	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.

Additional governance issues (optional information but encouraged as best practice)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about: Policies and procedures adopted for: a) the induction and training of trustees; b) trustee' consideration of major risks and the systems and procedures to manage them	The District is managed by the District Executive Committee, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout District which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate. The Committee consists of 3 independent representatives, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, together with the District Commissioner and elected members and meets on a minimum of 3 occasions per annum. The Executive Committee exists to support the District Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of the appointments and is responsible for: • The maintenance of District property; • The raising of funds and the administration of District finance; • The insurance of persons, property and equipment; • District public occasions; • Assisting in the recruitment of leaders and other adult support; • Appointing any sub committees that may be required; and • Appointing District Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected.
	Risk and Internal Control The District has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss; these include 2 signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.

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Section C Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects
	Objectives and activities
	The objectives of the District are as a unit of the Scout Association. The Aim of The Scout Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local national and international communities. The method of achieving the Aim of the Association is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, based on the Scout Promise and Law and guided by adult leadership. In order to achieve these aims the District relies heavily on its volunteer leaders who all undertake training relevant to their appointments. All young people across the district have had the opportunity to experience a wide and diverse programme of activities. The trustees also provide a district camp site - Adamswell.

Additional details of the objectives and activities (optional information but encouraged as best practice)	Additional details of the objectives and activities (optional information but encouraged as best practice)
Youmay chooseto include The Executive will assist with 50% of the cost of a relevant training
further statements, where course up to a maximum of £150, subject to the following criteria:
relevant, about:
• The course is good value;
•policy on grantmaking; • Other avenues of funding have been explored by the
applicant; and
•contribution made by • There is a binding agreement for the individual to support the
volunteers District.
The Executive will also make grants, up to 50%, to young people
who will represent the District at International Jamborees up to a
maximum of £6000 in total.
The Executive also provides support to adult leaders attending
international events organised by the District up to a maximum of
£5000 in total.
Public benefit statement 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.

Section D

Achievements and performance

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Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

2022/23 has been a great year for Scouting in Tunbridge Wells and it’s great to see section numbers growing again following the Covid-19 Pandemic. Census & Finance This year’s census is once again showing growth with our youth membership up 1.4% and adult membership up 7%. Add to this the news that we have new sections already planned to open up during 2023, we are confident that growth will continue over the next year. Our annual membership capitation fee increased this year with the District holding its capitation rate whilst County and HQ have both increased. Adamswell had a good summer’s camping which has left the site in a very good financial situation allowing some projects to be undertaken over the quieter winter months. District Developments The District may have had a very successful year, however, there is still a real need to grow the district team further to allow us to increase the support that we offer groups throughout the District. There have been a number of developments at Adamswell. Our new climbing tower which was funded by a DCMS grant last year has now arrived and is ready for site users at Adamswell to use from April 2023. Bookings already indicate that this will be a highly popular activity and we are lucky that a team of leaders from across the district have undertaken the necessary training to run this new activity. Our new Outdoor Classroom was also finished over the winter months and is already seeing use from groups visiting the site. There are a number of projects which the Trustee Board are currently looking at to help develop Adamswell further and the main priority has to be the replacement of the Toilet Blocks and Sewage Disposal facilities. Recruiting, supporting, retaining and developing leaders so that we continue to have places to meet demand and reduce waiting lists remains a top priority for the district. Events and Activities It was brilliant to once again be able to hold our Annual St George’s Day Fun Afternoon in April 2022. It was our biggest ever St George’s Day and it felt so good to have the whole district together again after a few years absence. In June, Scouts and Explorers enjoyed a day on the sea at Whitstable at JAWS where they undertook activities such as Sailing, Kayaking, Paddleboarding and Powerboating. A great day was had and we hope to repeat this event in 2025. Remembrance Day took a big step forwards this year with Cubs once again being allowed to join the parade and we hope that maybe in 2024, we will once again be able to open this event up to all sections. In March 2023, Scouts and Explorers took over Velocity Paintball for an afternoon’s Paintballing which was attending by nearly 150 young people. This event is always a favourite and we hope to repeat it again next year. Another very pleasing development has been that we have finally managed to offer DofE Expeditions to our explorers and two such events have run over the past year to allow our young people to complete their Bronze and Silver awards. We are hopeful this is just the start and that this will develop further over the next year. Looking forward to the next year, we have a number of events planned includingDistrict Water Campfor Scouts and

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Explorers and a trip to Iceland being attended by a number of young people who attended the WSJ selection event but who we were sadly unable to offer a place to.

Section E

Financial Review

Accounts The gross income for the District in the year 2022-2023 was £144,803 and the expenditure was £132,929 giving an overall surplus of £11,874. These compare with figures of £146,859, £117,088 and £29,771 respectively for financial year 2021- 2022. Adamswellhad income from camping fees of £55,804 and expenditure of £29,300, giving a surplus of £26,504 - so a healthy situation. This allowed significant investments in a new classroom (£6,260), the upgraded kitchen (totalling £8,827), the finishing touches to the tower standing and fencing (£4,492) and initial costs of the rifle range (£1,445). Other major expenditures were for the campsite utilities (£9,204), Insurance (£4,377) and cleaning (£3,325). Eventsshowed an income of £61,855 and an expenditure of £64,714. These figures reflect significant activities by the Explorer Units as well as District itself. Three District events completed in the financial year (St George’s 2022, JAWS and Paintballing). It is usually the intent for events to break even, but with the problems with the Spa Valley Railway, St George’s 2022 showed a significant loss. Four other events (St George’s 2023, Bewl Water camp, Iceland trip and the Disneyland trip) have still to complete. Cash Funds With cash funds brought in of £165,535 the surplus of £11,874 means cash funds at yearend are £177,409 The surplus the previous year was £29,771, mainly due to the £50,000 grant received that year. Savings and Investments Two deposit accounts are still held with Redwood Bank earning interest of £1,079. The account with Monmouthshire building Society which was opened the previous year was closed as its interest did not increase when rates went up but earned interest of £200. The investment with CAF Investments was closed in year as the account itself was shut down. The account with Witan is still held. Interest of £173 and £128 was earned from these two respectively. Restricted Funds The Restricted funds from the sale of Baden-Powell Hall are intended for improving the facilities at Adamswell and as such have been used to cover the cost of the new Classroom, the climbing tower and the costs so far of the Rifle Range. The funds remaining at the yearend are £17,836. Restricted funds of £2,000, received from Tunbridge Wells Round Table as a contribution towards the Climbing Tower, were used for the final payment of the tower. At the yearend £6,000 remains in the W E Ryder endowment fund.

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Unrestricted Funds

At the yearend the District had unrestricted cash and investment funds of £158,458. This is in excess of its reserves policy of £25,500 (see below). The Committee plans to continue to invest in Adamswell facilities in the next financial year (see Section F).

Overall

At the yearend the District holds £182,293 in cash and investments up from £176,748 in 2022. Non-Monetary Assets

These figures have been increased in line with the insurance valuations of these items. Scouting Equipment has gone up significantly to include the new climbing tower. The total value of non-monetary assets now stands at £617,929. Total Assets Total assets of all types are valued at £800,222. Brief statement of the charity’s policy Reserves Policy on reserves The District’s policy on reserves is to hold sufficient funding to continue the charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities fall short and to cover the depreciation costs of the capital equipment held. The District Executive Committee considers that the District should hold a sum equivalent to 12 months running cost - £5,000. In addition an estimate to cover depreciation costs has been made of £20,500. This gives a total of £25,500 to be held aside to cover unexpected costs.

Youmay chooseto include additional information, where relevant, about: • the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

Investment Policy The District's Income and Expenditure is relatively small and as a consequence has limited funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and shares. The District has therefore adopted a low risk strategy to the investment of its funds. Most funds are held in cash using banks but some funds are invested in bonds and shares. The District Executive regularly monitors the levels of bank balances and the interest rates received to ensure the District obtains maximum value and income from its banking arrangements. Occasionally this may involve using an account that requires a period of notice before funds may be withdrawn, before doing so the District Executive considers the cash flow requirements.

Section F Other Optional Information

Plans for future periods (details of any significant activities planned to achieve them)

The Executive Committee will concentrate next year on improving the facilities at Adamswell including the provision of a rifle range, planning for the updating of the toilet block and improving waste disposal. The replacement of some of the older campsite maintenance equipment will also be made as and when required. A full events programme will also be provided including allocating funds to support international activities in futureyears,includingJamborees.

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Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees. report above Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees Signalure{s} Full name{sl Positson (eg Secretary, Chairl Date 7 LT700001

Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council

Receipts and Payments Account

		Year start date		Year end date 31-Mar-23
	For the year from	01-Apr-22	To	31-Mar-23
Receipts and payments
Receipts				Total funds £ 496 58,120 (48,791) 9,825 1,462 883 12,170 - 497 497 55,804 61,855 5,741 85 123,485 107 940 430 1,477 5,593 1,581 7,174 144,803 144,803
		2023			2022
	Unrestricted funds £ 496 58,120 (48,791) 9,825 1,462 883 12,170 - 497 497 55,804 61,855 5,741 85 123,485 107 940 430 1,477 5,593 1,581 7,174 144,803 144,803	Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds £		Total funds £
Donations, legacies and similar income
Membership subscriptions paid for prior year	496			496	439
Membership subscriptions received for currentyear	58,120			58,120	52,394
Less: Membership subscriptions paid for current year	(48,791)			(48,791)	(46,128)
Net membership subscriptions retained	9,825			9,825	6,704
Donations	1,462			1,462	655
Gift Aid	883			883	550
Sub total	12,170			12,170	7,909
Grants
Adamswell grants	-			-	14,667
Fundraising	497			497	52,893
Sub total	497			497	67,560
Charitable Activities (Note 1)
Adamswell campsite	55,804			55,804	29,396
Events & Active Support	61,855			61,855	38,531
Jamboree	5,741			5,741	140
Explorers	85			85	1,171
Sub total	123,485			123,485	69,239
Other income			- -
Bank Interest	107			107	-
Online Scout Manager	940			940	920
Other income	430			430	-
Sub total	1,477			1,477	920
Investment income			-
Closure of CAF Investment	5,593			5,593	-
Other investment income	1,581			1,581	1,232
Sub total	7,174			7,174	1,232
Total Gross Income Total receipts
			-	144,803	146,859
	144,803	-	-	144,803	146,859

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Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council

Receipts and Payments Account

			Year start date			Year end date 31-Mar-23	Year end date 31-Mar-23
	For the year from		01-Apr-22	To		31-Mar-23
Receipts and payments
Payments						Total funds £
			2023					2022
	Unrestricted funds £		Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 0 - 12,197 12,197 (12,197) - 30,033 17,836	Endowment funds £				Total funds £
Support payments
Insurance	94		-	-		94		84
Media	265		-	-		265		1,069
Licences	885		-	-		885		122
Training and literature	-		-	-		-		150
OSM	2,035		-	-		2,035		1,742
Bank fees	297		-	-		297		647
District Equipment	552		-	-		552		67
Gift Aid	883		-	-		883
Rent	480		-	-		480		365
Other costs	682		-	-		682		930
Sub total	6,172		-	-		6,172		5,177
Charitable Activities - Note 1
Adamswell campsite- Note 2	29,300			-		29,300		22,974
Events & Active Support	64,714		-	-		64,714		33,118
Jamboree	11,719		-	-		11,719		1,478
Explorers	-		-	-		-		4,342
Sub total	105,732		0	-		105,732		61,912
Total Gross Expenditure Asset and Investment Purchases Deposit for New Tower Adamswell improvements Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end	111,904 - 8,827 120,732 24,071 129,502 153,573			- - - - - - 6,000 6,000		111,904 - 21,025 132,929 11,874 - 165,535 177,409
								67,088
								50,000
								-
								117,088
	24,071		(12,197)	-		11,874		29,771
			-	-		-		-
	129,502		30,033	6,000		165,535		135,764
	153,573		17,836	6,000		177,409		165,535

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Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council

Receipts and Payments Account

			Year start date	Year start date			Year end date 31-Mar-23	Year end date 31-Mar-23
	For the year from		01-Apr-22		To		31-Mar-23
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year
			2023						2022
	Unrestricted funds £ 92,981 60,593 - 153,574 4,884 - 4,884 442,502 19,675 155,752 617,929		Restricted funds £ - 17,836 - 17,836 - -		Endowment funds £ - 6,000 - 6,000 - -				Total funds £
Cash funds
Bank current account	92,981								62,186
Redwood Bank	60,593								83,349
Monmouthshire BS	-								20,000
Total cash funds	153,574								165,535
Investment assets
Quoted investments WITAN	4,884						4,884		5,049
Other investments - CAF	-						-		6,164
Sub total	4,884		-		-		4,884		11,213
Non monetary assets for charity's own use
Land and buildings	442,502						442,502		408,639
Motor vehicles	19,675						19,675		19,500
Scouting equipment, furniture etc	155,752						155,752		89,850
Sub total	617,929		-		-		617,929		517,989
Total assets and cash funds	776,387		17,836		6,000		800,222		694,737
	- - -		- -		- - -		- - -
Liabilities
Expenses incurred but not invoiced	-				-		-		-
Climbing Tower final Balance	-		-		-		-		18,400
Sub total	-		-		-		-		18,400

The above receipts and payments account and statement of assets and liabilities were approved by the Trustees

on ………………………………………………………………………………….. and signed on their behalf by

Signature Print Name

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Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Group Receipts and Payments Account

		Year start date		Year end date
	For the year from	01-Apr-22	To	31-Mar-23
Receipts and payments
NOTE 1	£ INCOME 55,804 61,855 5,741 85 123,485	£ EXPENDITURE (29,300) (64,714) (11,719) - (105,732)	2023 £ NET SURPLUS/ (DEFICIT) 26,504 (2,859) (5,977) 85 17,753 2023 1,703 1,512 4,535 507 4,377 294 2,499 555 1,716 4,435 3,325 1,214 1,058 788 782 29,300
				2022
				£
Charitable Activities (gross)	INCOME			NET SURPLUS/ (DEFICIT)
Adamswell campsite	55,804			73,982
Events & Active Support	61,855			5,413
Jamboree	5,741			(1,338)
Explorers	85			(3,170)
Total	123,485			74,887
NOTE 2
Adamswell costs			2023	2022
Materials and equipment			1,703	629
OtherCapitalpurchases			1,512	3,267
Maintenance, servicing			4,535	3,452
Fuel			507	361
Insurance			4,377	3,417
Rates			294	150
Light andheat			2,499	2,754
Water			555	730
Waste disposal			1,716	968
Sewerage disposal			4,435	2,520
cleaning			3,325	1,990
Activities			1,214	720
Telephone andinternet			1,058	890
AdamswellOSM			788	638
Other costs			782	488
Total			29,300	22,974

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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council (‘District’) for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the District 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 Trust’s 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:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. 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.

Louise Tunstall FCA 19 Fleming Way Tonbridge Kent TN10 4RX

Date: 14 August 2023