BRIGHTON & HOVE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] January – 31[st] December 2024
REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
Brighton & Hove District Scout Council
Registered Charity number 305826
Principal Address: 66 Overhill Drive, Patcham, Brighton, BN1 8WJ
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 Chris Denham Acting District Commissioner Vacant District Secretary Vacant District treasurer Glen Downs District Explorer Scout Commissioner Tim Thorley District Scout Network Commissioner Rose Fisher District Youth Commissioner Anne Claxton Deputy Chairman
Nominated Co-opted Neil Leggett Parkwood Representative From 1/7/2024
Right to attend County Commissioner and County Chair
Sub Committees, to which the District Commissioner and District Chairman have the right to attend
Parkwood Sub-Committee
Chair Chris Denham Treasurer John Cripps Bookings Secretary Stephen Cropp, Alison Denyer, Glen Downs, Neil Leggett & Liz Wakeling
For Information role titles changed following Transformation at the end of 2024 and will be reflected in next years report for ease.
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 Trustee Board, 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 Lead Volunteer 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 Trustees Board role is to support the District Lead Volunteer and his team of Volunteers and Advisers in meeting the responsibilities of their appointments, which are laid down by the Scout Association. The Trustee Board also advises the 15 Scout Groups registered at the census on 31[st] December 2024, some of which are registered independent charities. In particular it is responsible for finance and property issues. It appoints three sub-committees. 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 Metro Bank, One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA.
The District Trustee Board 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 Trustee Board 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 person approval for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.
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
2024 brought a series of highs and lows for Brighton and Hove scouting. Groups and sections are working harder than ever to deliver exciting opportunities for the young people including some summer camps. The numbers were down sadly due to a loss of leaders again with youth numbers below 1000 for the second year in a row. We do see several sections running with barely enough young people, leaders and many leaders having multiple roles.
Parkwood had another busy year and income grew steadily. Our thanks go to the crew who keep the place running despite the extra usage. Work was completed on a new heating system, a Traverse Wall and a Hammock Village area As well as significant repair to the roof between the dining area and the bunk house.
Both beavers and cubs had smaller individual district camps with the scout sections working on Forester and Pioneers badges.
2024 also saw the role out of the UK wide Transformation project which meant a lot of hard work for those in the District teams and Chris Denham agreeing to take on the role as District Lead Volunteer.
And finally… thanks to all the leaders, administrators and other adults across the District who have worked hard this year to keep us moving forward.
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 Trustee Board considers that the District should retain a sum equivalent to 24 months running costs, circa £20,000 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 (£16,690.89 at the end of 2024) are raised by the members of these units and cannot be considered available for use by the District.
At the end of 2024, the District held balances of £216,296.11, including the Explorer and Network funds. This balance is above the level required for operating expenses, but continued expenditure is planned at Parkwood to further development the site and a recruitment drive.
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 Trustee Board 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 Trustee Board considers the cash flow requirements.
FUTURE PLANS
Our efforts going forward must be on supporting our current leaders and adult supporters. We set up in 2023 our own section of the county training team to deliver more First Response courses in 2025 than ever before. A substantial legacy was received in 2022 from the Estate of Reuben Whiting who for many years was a scouter at 29[th] Brighton but also held the post of ADC Adult Training so some of this will be spent on Recruiting new volunteers and further improving and increasing the training we offer to leaders. The Regional Services Team has identified several groups they wish to work with and plan to assist in generating growth.
We will also use this legacy to boost our visibility in the communities we serve so we can attract and keep new leaders and volunteers.
We are reworking our 5 Year Development plan for Parkwood which will see a replacement for the garages as well as upgrading the current activities and plans are moving forward on some new ones.
Further work will be needed in 2025 to bed in the major changes brought about by the transformation project.
Work is also gathering pace to see the development of our District website which went live in 2024.
Above all, we will continue to support our existing volunteers to cope with the demand from young people across the City and hope to see an increase in membership especially in adults in 2025.
DECLARATION
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Name(s) Peter Elliff Chris Denham Position District Chairman District Lead Volunteer Date
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024
| RECEIPTS Net membership fees Activities Badge sales Gift Aid Fund raising Donations Grants Sub-total District sections Net subscriptions Activities Fundraising Scarves, badges, etc. Other Sub-total Parkwood Campsite fees Souvenir sales Donations Sub-total Hove Building Lets Investment income Interest received Total receipts PAYMENTS Activities Equipment Badges Administration Insurance Computing and PR Sub-total |
Unrestricted funds 2024 2023 £ £ £ 8,245.50 8,246 10,144 6,847.50 6,847 22,157 316.10316 12 0.00 0 2,294 0.00 0.00 52 926.23 926 22 - - - |
|---|---|
| 16,335.33 16,335 34681 3,688.41 3,688 2.751 3,898.34 3,898 3,384 80.50 81 294 - - - - - - |
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| 7,667.25 7,667 6,429 70,073.51 70,073 57,167 1,248.81 1,249 1,061 1,446.00 1,446 1,048 |
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| 72,768.32 72,768 59,276 3,760.00 3,760 5.385 179.26 179 142 |
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| 100,710.16 100,710 105,914 |
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| 6,567.31 6,567 31,107 224.80 225 1490 0.00 0 180 962.99 963 2,302 1671.11 1,671 1,558 854.17 854 1,020 - - |
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| 10,280.38 10,280 37,657 |
| District sections Activities Rent Equipment Scarves, badges, etc. Kandersteg trip Sub-total Parkwood Maintenance Development Utilities & Rates Insurance Equipment/Consumables Sales stock Booking system Cleaning Bounce Back Loan repayment Other Sub-total Hove Building Hove Building refurbishment Rent Cleaning Utilities Maintenance Sub-total Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Funds brought forward Funds carried forward |
8,085.57 8,086 7,141 1395.00 1395 725 199.99 200 684 149.50 149 - - - - |
|---|---|
| 9,830.06 9,830 8,550 21,612.99 21,613 9,579 11,461.56 11,462 10,067 11,759.15 11,759 12,963 3361.32 3,361 3,410 1,295.35 1,295 3,894 2,029.80 2,030 810 1,484.50 1,484 144 2,635.70 2,636 2,393 4.259.40 4,259 4,259 - - - |
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| 59,899.77 59,899 47,520 - - - 350.00 350 350 2,762.34 2,762 4,470.41 2,301 2,301 2,111.00 1,455 1,455 |
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| 9,693.75 9,694 4,106 |
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| 89,703.96 89,703 97,833 |
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| 11,006.20 11,006 8,080 205,289.91 205,289 197,209 |
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| 216,296.11 216,296 205,289 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31[st] December 2024
| Cash funds Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities Bounce Back Loan Net assets at 31st December |
Unrestricted funds Total 2024 Total 2023 £ £ £ 216,296.11 216,296 205,289 (8,973.70) (8974) (12,953) |
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| 207,322.41 207,322 192,336 |
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 a years’ time.
Approved and signed on behalf of all the trustees
District Chairman Peter Elliff:
Date of approval: 08/06/2025
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 2024, 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.
ADDRESSES OF SENIOR DISTRICT OFFICERS
District Chair Peter Elliff 01273 501852 66 Overhill Drive p.elliff@brightonandhovescouts.org.uk Brighton BN1 8WJ
District Lead Volunteer
Chris Denham 01273 307449 6 Truleigh Close c.denham@brightonandhovescouts.org.uk Brighton BN2 6TS