BRIGHTON & HOVE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] January – 31[st] December 2020
REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
Brighton & Hove District Scout Council
Registered Charity number 305826
Principal Address: 512 Falmer Road, Brighton, BN2 6LH
Names of the Charity trustees who manage the charity: Trustee Name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole year Ex officio Peter Elliff Chairman Marcus Bennison District Commissioner David Simon Administrator - Secretary/Treasurer vacant District Explorer Scout Commissioner vacant District Scout Network Commissioner Daniel Markanday District Youth Commissioner
Nominated Tim Thorley
Elected Sarah James Andrew Addison Curtis Collins until 31[st] August 2020
Co-opted Chris Denham Parkwood Sub-Committee
Right to attend
County Commissioner and County Chair
Sub Committees, to which the District Commissioner and District Chairman have the right to attend
Finance Sub-Committee
David Simon District Treasurer Chris Denham Parkwood Treasurer Clare Ashdown & Jacob Bloss
Parkwood Sub-Committee
Chair Chris Denham Treasurer John Cripps Bookings Secretary Stephen Cropp, Chris Denham, Alison Denyer, Glen Downs, Neil Leggett, Derrick Payne, David Simon & Liz Wakeling
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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
The governing documents of Brighton & Hove District Scout Council [herein referred to as The District] 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.
The District is managed by the District Executive Committee, the members of which are the charity trustees of the District Scout Council, 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 three independent representatives, chair, secretary and treasurer, together with the District Commissioner and nominated, elected and co-opted members. It is intended that the committee is representative of Brighton & Hove Scouting – of sections, Groups and reflective of the range of members.
The District Executive Committee’s role is to support the District Commissioner and his team of Commissioners and Advisers in meeting the responsibilities of their appointments, which are laid down by the Scout Association. The Executive Committee also advises the 17 Scout Groups registered at the census on 31[st] January 2020, some of which are registered independent charities in their own right. In particular it is responsible for finance and property issues. It appoints three sub-committees. The Finance Sub-Committee advises the Executive Committee and supports the District Treasurer on financial issues and may act within certain delegated limits. The Appointments Advisory Sub-Committee satisfies itself as to the suitability of applicants for Group or District appointments. The Parkwood Sub-Committee is responsible for the management of this property, within certain delegated powers. Other informal teams manage specific aspects of District affairs such as adult training and support for the training sections.
The Scout District’s bankers are HSBC, 153 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1SW. Jenny Robinson FCA of 209 Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, BN1 8TF independently examines the District accounts.
The District Executive Committee has identified the major risks to which they believe the District is exposed. These have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate against them. The main areas of concern which have been identified are:
- Damage to building, property and equipment
The District has sufficient buildings and contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss.
- Injury to leaders, helpers, supporters and members
The District, through membership fees, contributes to the Scout Association’s national accident policy. In addition, the District obtains additional cover for adults supporting District activities. Risk assessments are undertaken before all activities.
- Reduced income
The District is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions. The District does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Executive committee could raise the value of subscriptions to increase the income to the District on an on-going basis, either temporarily or permanently.
- Reduction or loss of leaders
The District is totally reliant upon volunteers to run and administer the activities of the District. If there were a reduction in the number of leaders to an unacceptable level, there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of activities. In the worst case scenario, the complete closure of the District.
- Reduction or loss of members
The District provides activities for all young people aged 5¾ to 24. If there were a reduction in membership in a particular section or the District as a whole, then there would have to be contraction, consolidation or closure of activities. In the worst-case scenario, the complete closure of the District.
The District has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss. These include two signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
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OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES
The aim of the Scout District, as part of the Scout Association, is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:
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enjoy what they are doing and have fun;
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take part in activities indoors and outdoors;
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learn by doing;
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share in spiritual reflection;
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take responsibility and make choices;
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undertake new and challenging activities;
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make and live by their Promise.
Scouting has an Equal Opportunities Policy and it has public benefit since it complements the formal education received by the young people who join it. 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 Scout District’s overall objective is to encourage the development of Scouting in Brighton & Hove. It does this by supporting the District Commissioner and his team in ensuring that appropriate administrative and financial arrangements are in place to promote good practice in the Scout District and Groups. In particular it organises certain activities for the young people in the District, which are not provided at a more local level. It manages electronic communications to keep the community, volunteer adults and members informed of activities and developments.
The Parkwood Sub-Committee’s objective is to manage the campsite and activity centre on a commercial basis for the benefit of Scouting. Within this overall objective the site endeavours to provide and improve facilities, particularly those which are attractive to Scouts, to encourage greater use. It also seeks to increase bookings from outside organisations at times when it is not being used by Scouts so as to maximise its income.
ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE
Following a return to growth of membership during 2019, unfortunately 2020 saw another decrease. Overall, there was a 3.9% decrease, taking the District to 1,738 members. A similar decrease was seen in the number of Beavers, Cubs and Explorers across the District. However, the Scout section saw an increase of 1.1% and Network an increase of 14%. Most notably, there was a significant decrease of 15% in the number of adults across the District. We continue to see a number of sections running with barely enough leaders, with some adults covering multiple roles.
Sadly, 5[th] Hove Scout Group closed during 2020, although all remaining members were offered places at neighbouring groups. The vacant headquarters was taken on by the District as a base for Hove Actually Explorers, and work has almost been completed on a thorough refurbishment.
In March, the global pandemic took hold and saw the suspension of face-to-face Scouting, putting an end to summer activities and camping. The majority of sections across the District, including both Explorer Units, continued to deliver Scouting online via Zoom, providing exciting programmes for our members to stay engaged throughout the summer period. Inevitably, the pandemic meant that most of our plans had to change, as the focus became supporting adult volunteers to deliver Scouting online.
With Parkwood closed for the majority of the year, the Parkwood Crew initially focused on completing work that ensured the site met required Health & Safety standards. Their attention then turned to ensuring that the site was COVID-safe, enabling its reopening as soon as allowed. This ensured that some much-needed income was secured during over Summer period. It was great to see a number of groups using Parkwood as an outdoor meeting place for face-to-face Scouting when they were able to do so.
And finally… thanks to all the leaders, administrators and other adults across the District who have worked harder this year to provide Scouting, during difficult circumstances, for the young people of Brighton & Hove. Without you, we really couldn’t do it.
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FINANCIAL REVIEW
The District’s policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities fall short. The District Executive Committee considers that the District should retain a sum equivalent to 18 months running costs, circa £15,000 plus funds held by the Explorer Scout and Network sections, which can fluctuate between £5,000 and £30,000, depending on the activities being undertaken. These funds (£13,851 at the end of 2020) are raised by the members of these units and cannot be considered available for use by the District.
At the end of 2020, the District held reserves of £70,934, including the Explorer and Network funds. This balance is above the level required for operating expenses, but continued expenditure is planned at Parkwood to ensure compliance with current standards and further development of the site.
The District operates a break-even policy in relation to activities and requires the Parkwood Committee to request approval for larger, non-routine items of expenditure.
The District’s income and expenditure is small and, as a consequence, has adopted a low risk strategy to the investment of its funds, which are held as cash using only mainstream banks or building societies.
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 making such deposits, the District Executive considers the cash flow requirements.
FUTURE PLANS
Having seen a significant decrease in adult numbers over the last year, there will be a continued focus on adult recruitment across the District to ensure that we are able to meet the demand of Scouting from young people. It is hoped that the Regional Services Team will provide some additional support. The main priority will continue to be finding Group Scout Leaders, enabling the District Team to withdraw from roles within groups and focus on the overall development of Scouting across the District.
There will be a continued focus on getting all adults to where they should be with regard to their training and ongoing learning. With the first phase of this work due to finish at the end of January 2021, the focus will then be on those adults who need to complete a Wood Badge. Following this process, ongoing work will ensure that mandatory training requirements are kept up to date, supporting groups and sections to remain compliant.
At Parkwood, the hoped-for major upgrade to the sewage processing system has been delayed due to the disruption to income, and an electrical upgrade is also shortly required. The crew will complete some preparatory work for these projects, as well as continuing to modernise the existing facilities.
Above all, we will need to ensure that we support our existing volunteers to bounce back successfully following the disruption caused by the pandemic.
DECLARATION
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Name(s) Peter Elliff Position District Chairman Date 23[rd] March 2021
Marcus Bennison District Commissioner 23[rd] March 2021
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Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2020
| RECEIPTS Net membership fees Activities Badge sales Gift Aid Fund raising Grants Closure of 54thBrighton Closure of 55thBrighton Closure of 5thHove Sub-total District sections Net subscriptions Activities Fundraising Kandersteg trip Scarves, badges, etc. Other Sub-total Parkwood Campsite fees Souvenir sales Donations Sub-total Investment income Interest received Total receipts PAYMENTS Activities Equipment Badges Administration Insurance Training Hove Building refurbishment Hove Building running costs Closure of 54thBrighton Sub-total District sections Activities |
Unrestricted funds 2020 2019 £ £ £ 10,155 10,155 9,388 1,465 1,465 4,611 72 72 202 2,590 2,590 4,909 - - 213 16,334 16,334 - 81 81 - 1,800 1,800 - 38,304 38,304 - |
|---|---|
| 170,801 70,801 19,323 6,001 6,001 9,663 1,885 1,885 7,794 305 305 11,971 - - 34,574 1 1 61 - - 10 |
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| 8,192 8,192 64,072 8,656 8,656 47,933 152 152 668 1,435 1,435 2,295 |
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| 10,243 10,243 50,896 5 5 8 |
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| 89,241 89,241 134,299 |
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| 5,968 5,968 5,426 75 75 - - - 378 5,078 5,078 2,674 875 875 392 - - 264 42,293 42,293 - 771 771 - - - 648 |
|
| 51,061 51,061 9,782 5,968 5,968 18,424 |
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| Rent | 1,145 | 1,145 | 1,820 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 2,628 | 2,628 | 1,455 | |
| Scarves, badges, etc. | 408 | 408 | 122 | |
| Kandersteg trip | - | - | 44,113 | |
| Sub-total | 10,149 | 10,149 | 65,935 | |
| Parkwood | ||||
| Maintenance | 1,064 | 1,064 | 5,859 | |
| Development | 6,777 | 6,777 | 13,779 | |
| Utilities | 9,488 | 9,488 | 9,680 | |
| Insurance | 1,245 | 1,245 | 1,842 | |
| Equipment/Consumable | 1,258 | 1,258 | 846 | |
| Administration | 201 | 201 | 297 | |
| Expenses | - | - | 1,795 | |
| Other | 81 | 81 | 80 | |
| Sub-total | 20,112 | 20,112 | 34,177 | |
| Total payments | 81,323 | 81,323 | 109,894 | |
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 7,918 | 7,918 | 24,406 | |
| Transfers between funds | - | - | - | |
| Funds brought forward | 63,017 | 63,017 | 38,611 | |
| Funds carried forward | 70,934 | 70,934 | 63,017 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31[st] December 2020
| Cash funds Cash at bank and in hand Assets retained for own use Land and buildings1 Liabilities Money held for the Martlets Net assets at 31st December |
Unrestricted funds Total 2020 Total 2019 £ £ £ 70,934 70,934 64,426 - - - |
|---|---|
| 70,934 70,934 64,426 - - (1,410) |
|
| 70,934 70,934 63,017 |
Notes
1 The trustees have taken the decision not to include the value of assets within the accounts, as it can suggest that the District has more money available than it does. The majority of the District’s assets are low value items of equipment. However, there is Parkwood.
Parkwood has enormous value to the District, both for the outdoor activities it allows us to provide for young people and its income generation, but it is not a realisable cash asset. The current value of Parkwood is in the region of £2,300,000. This will be reviewed in four years’ time.
Approved and signed on behalf of all the trustees
David Simon: Peter Elliff:
Date of approval: 30[th] October 2021
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES
OF BRIGHTON & HOVE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31[st] December 2020, which are set out on pages 7 to 8.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep account records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or
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to which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jenny Robinson FCA 209 Ladies Mile Road Brighton BN1 8TF
Dated: 29[th] October 2021
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ADDRESSES OF SENIOR DISTRICT OFFICERS
District Commissioner Marcus Bennison 07872 075795 64 King George VI Mansions marcus.bennison@icloud.com Hove BN3 7QX District Chair Peter Elliff 01273 501852 66 Overhill Drive pje66@me.com Brighton BN1 8WJ District Administrator David Simon 01273 309885 Secretary & 512 Falmer Road david.simon@ntlworld.com Treasurer Brighton BN2 6LH
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