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2024-03-31-accounts

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

ANNUAL TRUSTEE REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

for the year ending

31[st] March 2024

Charity Number

305942

1

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year to 31[st] March 2024

Section A Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the
charity as set out in its
governing document
The objectives of the District are its operation as a unit of the Scout
Association.
The purpose of Scouting
Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their
personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to
society.
Summary of the main activities
in relation to these objects
The District’s main function is to support the sections in achieving the aims
of the Scout Association. As a District the main activities during the last
twelve months have been:

Support for Groups, ESU and GSLs

Support for adult training

District events which this year have included, hikes, camps and
sleepovers.
The Provision of Scouting within the District is totally dependent on the
contribution made by unpaid volunteers.
Public Benefit The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on
Public Benefit on deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Membership subscriptions are charged to cover the immediate running
costs of the District and these do not unduly restrict membership. The
District follows the principle that no one should be excluded because of their
inability to pay membership subscriptions.
Two key principles which demonstrate that Scouting’s aims are for the public
benefit are that through the scout method young people develop towards
their full potential and there is a clear link between the benefits for young
people and the purpose of scouting. The safety of young people is taken
very seriously and the benefits scouting activities provide far outweigh the
risks. Any private benefits from scouting are incidental, other than to those
as beneficiary.

Section B Achievements and performance

Summary
of
the
main
achievements of the charity
during the year
This year the District saw a continued growth in youth members to 798 (up
from 772 in 2023), and also in Explorer numbers to 117 (107 in 2023).
Volunteers were 282, comparable to the previous year.
Following the replacement of the District minibus in February 2022, bookings
have continued to increase and this year the income from bookings fully
covered the costs of running the minibus.

2

Section C Financial review

Policy on Reserves The District’s primary source of funds is from membership contributions; its
primary outgoings relate to membership subscriptions payable to the Scout
Association, and administrative running costs for the District.
The District policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the
charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities
fall short.
The Board of Trustees considers that the District should hold a sum
equivalent to 6 months running costs. This is equivalent to £3,000. The
District held free reserves of £14,230 against this at year-end.
The District also holds two funds;

The Jamboree Fund, up to £3,000, to provide help with the cost of
attending Jamborees, currently at £2,410

A Restricted Fund totalling £2,201 which is a ring-fenced amount
to be used for development within the District.
Further financial review details The District does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer term
investments. The District has therefore adopted a risk averse strategy to
the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream
banks or building societies.
Section D Structure, governance and management
Type of governing document The District governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They
consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the By Laws of
the Association and The Policy Organisation and Rules of The Scout
Association. The District is further governed by the District Constitution.
How the charity is constituted The District is a trust established under its rules which are common to all
Scouts.
Trustee selection methods The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy Organisation and
Rules of The Scout Association.
Additional governance issues The District is managed by the The Board of Trustees, the members of which
are the “Charity Trustees” of the Scout District that 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 applicable.
The committee consists of several Independent members who meet at least
four times a year.
Ex–officio Members:

Chair

District Commissioner

Secretary

Treasurer

District Scout Youth Commissioner

District Explorer Scout Commissioner
Elected Members:
Persons elected at the District Annual General Meeting.

These should normally be two to six in number.
The actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the District Scout
Council.
Nominated Members:

Persons nominated by the Chair and District Commissioner

3

Co-opted Members:

This Board of Trustees exists to support the Group Leaders in meeting the responsibilities of their appointments and is responsible for:

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.

The District maintains and regularly reviews a Risk Register of its keys risks and controls.

Section E Reference and administration details

Charity Name Wiltshire North District Scout Council
Charity Number 305942
Charity’s principal address Unit 177, 8 The Bridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1FY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee Name Office Dates if not for whole year
Ex Officio
1 J Purkis Chair
2 G Livingstone Commissioner
3 J Coombs Explorer Scout Commissioner
4 H Millard Treasurer
Nominated
5 C Butson Group Scout Leader Representative
6 T Roberts
Co-opted
7 E Hollamby-Jones Resigned 13 July2023

Name and address of advisor

Type of advisor Name Address
Independent Examiner Christopher David Watchman
Watchman Accountants Ltd
48 The Causeway,
Chippenham,
Wiltshire,
SN15 3DD

4

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature ~~PT~~ Full name J Purkis ~~PT~~ Position held Chair Date 20 June 2024

5

CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examlnerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report R•P￿ to th• tru•t• TSHfR6 N)eTH On lor th• y••i •nd•d 0317QZ4+ Ch•rlty no I (M ￿y) Zos4lt 2 S•¢ wt M pag I fOPtst ￿ th• truit••A ￿ my ol th• •ctow)ts d the alx>ve wy TruAf) tstho >•ar 4 110 JI ?021t t￿111 ol f•P¢ Acr). undor s•ctM)n 145 01 IM 2011 Act c•rTr4ng Out my •Mimlth>rK I ve folbpd 81 th• appScablè Drecliffis by lh• Cmrly Cofffftmls•lon undor MciK>n 145(SXb> Acl knd•p•nd•nt •x4fflln•rfs st•i•m•rf rxxn• to my attonik￿ ￿ crmrhxlkin wlth lh• eX￿tha￿n th•i b•lty• ") t4ch givos mo cau1• to b8kne th•1 In. arty rn•l•rl•l the Chwlueg Act; Ihe 0(Xx￿￿3 dKI not •LxryO wlth lh• acc￿nE1ng rncryd•; r th• •c¢¢wNs nol CLVnFty •Mth the apsAbcabl• r•quir•rnonts cort•mif¥ lh• form arKI content d acc￿1¢$ $•1 oul In Ihe Chanb'eB (ACC￿n(S and RowlaiiLTh 2CK)8 txhw Ihan fequirwngnl Ihai Ihe accixmts give • f•irf i• riot 4 maty con8ldw•d aj pjrt of •n Ino•p•nd•nl exan￿0￿C￿. ilh Ihe •yArnInatK￿ lo whth att•nbon shDukl bo drawn in Ih&8 repm ¢xo•r to enable a ￿DPer UfKJerJiaTrdry ol lh8 ac(¥)wits lo be rethd. . Pl••s• the Iho Of•¢lr•ts rf t￿Y do Th)f ath. Dat•: | Iq 8n•d: 0617 ( Hrtr£TPPIIS¢ 0￿￿0 A7CllhlA quallllcatl•n(•) of bo* IER Oct 2018

(If any): Address: Wiltshire SN15 300 Em811.. chris@watchmanaccouritants_com Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material mallers of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of Charity accounts." directions and guidanc8 for examiners). Glve here brlof dotalls of any Items that tho •xaminerwishos to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

ANNUAL TRUSTEE REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

for the year ending

31[st] March 2024

Charity Number

305942

1

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year to 31[st] March 2024

Section A Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the
charity as set out in its
governing document
The objectives of the District are its operation as a unit of the Scout
Association.
The purpose of Scouting
Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their
personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to
society.
Summary of the main activities
in relation to these objects
The District’s main function is to support the sections in achieving the aims
of the Scout Association. As a District the main activities during the last
twelve months have been:

Support for Groups, ESU and GSLs

Support for adult training

District events which this year have included, hikes, camps and
sleepovers.
The Provision of Scouting within the District is totally dependent on the
contribution made by unpaid volunteers.
Public Benefit The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on
Public Benefit on deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Membership subscriptions are charged to cover the immediate running
costs of the District and these do not unduly restrict membership. The
District follows the principle that no one should be excluded because of their
inability to pay membership subscriptions.
Two key principles which demonstrate that Scouting’s aims are for the public
benefit are that through the scout method young people develop towards
their full potential and there is a clear link between the benefits for young
people and the purpose of scouting. The safety of young people is taken
very seriously and the benefits scouting activities provide far outweigh the
risks. Any private benefits from scouting are incidental, other than to those
as beneficiary.

Section B Achievements and performance

Summary
of
the
main
achievements of the charity
during the year
This year the District saw a continued growth in youth members to 798 (up
from 772 in 2023), and also in Explorer numbers to 117 (107 in 2023).
Volunteers were 282, comparable to the previous year.
Following the replacement of the District minibus in February 2022, bookings
have continued to increase and this year the income from bookings fully
covered the costs of running the minibus.

2

Section C Financial review

Policy on Reserves The District’s primary source of funds is from membership contributions; its
primary outgoings relate to membership subscriptions payable to the Scout
Association, and administrative running costs for the District.
The District policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the
charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities
fall short.
The Board of Trustees considers that the District should hold a sum
equivalent to 6 months running costs. This is equivalent to £3,000. The
District held free reserves of £14,230 against this at year-end.
The District also holds two funds;

The Jamboree Fund, up to £3,000, to provide help with the cost of
attending Jamborees, currently at £2,410

A Restricted Fund totalling £2,201 which is a ring-fenced amount
to be used for development within the District.
Further financial review details The District does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer term
investments. The District has therefore adopted a risk averse strategy to
the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream
banks or building societies.
Section D Structure, governance and management
Type of governing document The District governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They
consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the By Laws of
the Association and The Policy Organisation and Rules of The Scout
Association. The District is further governed by the District Constitution.
How the charity is constituted The District is a trust established under its rules which are common to all
Scouts.
Trustee selection methods The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy Organisation and
Rules of The Scout Association.
Additional governance issues The District is managed by the The Board of Trustees, the members of which
are the “Charity Trustees” of the Scout District that 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 applicable.
The committee consists of several Independent members who meet at least
four times a year.
Ex–officio Members:

Chair

District Commissioner

Secretary

Treasurer

District Scout Youth Commissioner

District Explorer Scout Commissioner
Elected Members:
Persons elected at the District Annual General Meeting.

These should normally be two to six in number.
The actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the District Scout
Council.
Nominated Members:

Persons nominated by the Chair and District Commissioner

3

Co-opted Members:

This Board of Trustees exists to support the Group Leaders in meeting the responsibilities of their appointments and is responsible for:

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.

The District maintains and regularly reviews a Risk Register of its keys risks and controls.

Section E Reference and administration details

Charity Name Wiltshire North District Scout Council
Charity Number 305942
Charity’s principal address Unit 177, 8 The Bridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1FY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee Name Office Dates if not for whole year
Ex Officio
1 J Purkis Chair
2 G Livingstone Commissioner
3 J Coombs Explorer Scout Commissioner
4 H Millard Treasurer
Nominated
5 C Butson Group Scout Leader Representative
6 T Roberts
Co-opted
7 E Hollamby-Jones Resigned 13 July2023

Name and address of advisor

Type of advisor Name Address
Independent Examiner Christopher David Watchman
Watchman Accountants Ltd
48 The Causeway,
Chippenham,
Wiltshire,
SN15 3DD

4

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature ~~PT~~ Full name J Purkis ~~PT~~ Position held Chair Date 20 June 2024

5

CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examlnerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report R•P￿ to th• tru•t• TSHfR6 N)eTH On lor th• y••i •nd•d 0317QZ4+ Ch•rlty no I (M ￿y) Zos4lt 2 S•¢ wt M pag I fOPtst ￿ th• truit••A ￿ my ol th• •ctow)ts d the alx>ve wy TruAf) tstho >•ar 4 110 JI ?021t t￿111 ol f•P¢ Acr). undor s•ctM)n 145 01 IM 2011 Act c•rTr4ng Out my •Mimlth>rK I ve folbpd 81 th• appScablè Drecliffis by lh• Cmrly Cofffftmls•lon undor MciK>n 145(SXb> Acl knd•p•nd•nt •x4fflln•rfs st•i•m•rf rxxn• to my attonik￿ ￿ crmrhxlkin wlth lh• eX￿tha￿n th•i b•lty• ") t4ch givos mo cau1• to b8kne th•1 In. arty rn•l•rl•l the Chwlueg Act; Ihe 0(Xx￿￿3 dKI not •LxryO wlth lh• acc￿nE1ng rncryd•; r th• •c¢¢wNs nol CLVnFty •Mth the apsAbcabl• r•quir•rnonts cort•mif¥ lh• form arKI content d acc￿1¢$ $•1 oul In Ihe Chanb'eB (ACC￿n(S and RowlaiiLTh 2CK)8 txhw Ihan fequirwngnl Ihai Ihe accixmts give • f•irf i• riot 4 maty con8ldw•d aj pjrt of •n Ino•p•nd•nl exan￿0￿C￿. ilh Ihe •yArnInatK￿ lo whth att•nbon shDukl bo drawn in Ih&8 repm ¢xo•r to enable a ￿DPer UfKJerJiaTrdry ol lh8 ac(¥)wits lo be rethd. . Pl••s• the Iho Of•¢lr•ts rf t￿Y do Th)f ath. Dat•: | Iq 8n•d: 0617 ( Hrtr£TPPIIS¢ 0￿￿0 A7CllhlA quallllcatl•n(•) of bo* IER Oct 2018

(If any): Address: Wiltshire SN15 300 Em811.. chris@watchmanaccouritants_com Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material mallers of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of Charity accounts." directions and guidanc8 for examiners). Glve here brlof dotalls of any Items that tho •xaminerwishos to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

ANNUAL TRUSTEE REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

for the year ending

31[st] March 2024

Charity Number

305942

1

Wiltshire North District Scout Council

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year to 31[st] March 2024

Section A Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the
charity as set out in its
governing document
The objectives of the District are its operation as a unit of the Scout
Association.
The purpose of Scouting
Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their
personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to
society.
Summary of the main activities
in relation to these objects
The District’s main function is to support the sections in achieving the aims
of the Scout Association. As a District the main activities during the last
twelve months have been:

Support for Groups, ESU and GSLs

Support for adult training

District events which this year have included, hikes, camps and
sleepovers.
The Provision of Scouting within the District is totally dependent on the
contribution made by unpaid volunteers.
Public Benefit The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on
Public Benefit on deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Membership subscriptions are charged to cover the immediate running
costs of the District and these do not unduly restrict membership. The
District follows the principle that no one should be excluded because of their
inability to pay membership subscriptions.
Two key principles which demonstrate that Scouting’s aims are for the public
benefit are that through the scout method young people develop towards
their full potential and there is a clear link between the benefits for young
people and the purpose of scouting. The safety of young people is taken
very seriously and the benefits scouting activities provide far outweigh the
risks. Any private benefits from scouting are incidental, other than to those
as beneficiary.

Section B Achievements and performance

Summary
of
the
main
achievements of the charity
during the year
This year the District saw a continued growth in youth members to 798 (up
from 772 in 2023), and also in Explorer numbers to 117 (107 in 2023).
Volunteers were 282, comparable to the previous year.
Following the replacement of the District minibus in February 2022, bookings
have continued to increase and this year the income from bookings fully
covered the costs of running the minibus.

2

Section C Financial review

Policy on Reserves The District’s primary source of funds is from membership contributions; its
primary outgoings relate to membership subscriptions payable to the Scout
Association, and administrative running costs for the District.
The District policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the
charitable activities of the District should income and fundraising activities
fall short.
The Board of Trustees considers that the District should hold a sum
equivalent to 6 months running costs. This is equivalent to £3,000. The
District held free reserves of £14,230 against this at year-end.
The District also holds two funds;

The Jamboree Fund, up to £3,000, to provide help with the cost of
attending Jamborees, currently at £2,410

A Restricted Fund totalling £2,201 which is a ring-fenced amount
to be used for development within the District.
Further financial review details The District does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer term
investments. The District has therefore adopted a risk averse strategy to
the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream
banks or building societies.
Section D Structure, governance and management
Type of governing document The District governing documents are those of The Scout Association. They
consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the By Laws of
the Association and The Policy Organisation and Rules of The Scout
Association. The District is further governed by the District Constitution.
How the charity is constituted The District is a trust established under its rules which are common to all
Scouts.
Trustee selection methods The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy Organisation and
Rules of The Scout Association.
Additional governance issues The District is managed by the The Board of Trustees, the members of which
are the “Charity Trustees” of the Scout District that 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 applicable.
The committee consists of several Independent members who meet at least
four times a year.
Ex–officio Members:

Chair

District Commissioner

Secretary

Treasurer

District Scout Youth Commissioner

District Explorer Scout Commissioner
Elected Members:
Persons elected at the District Annual General Meeting.

These should normally be two to six in number.
The actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the District Scout
Council.
Nominated Members:

Persons nominated by the Chair and District Commissioner

3

Co-opted Members:

This Board of Trustees exists to support the Group Leaders in meeting the responsibilities of their appointments and is responsible for:

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.

The District maintains and regularly reviews a Risk Register of its keys risks and controls.

Section E Reference and administration details

Charity Name Wiltshire North District Scout Council
Charity Number 305942
Charity’s principal address Unit 177, 8 The Bridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1FY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee Name Office Dates if not for whole year
Ex Officio
1 J Purkis Chair
2 G Livingstone Commissioner
3 J Coombs Explorer Scout Commissioner
4 H Millard Treasurer
Nominated
5 C Butson Group Scout Leader Representative
6 T Roberts
Co-opted
7 E Hollamby-Jones Resigned 13 July2023

Name and address of advisor

Type of advisor Name Address
Independent Examiner Christopher David Watchman
Watchman Accountants Ltd
48 The Causeway,
Chippenham,
Wiltshire,
SN15 3DD

4

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature ~~PT~~ Full name J Purkis ~~PT~~ Position held Chair Date 20 June 2024

5

CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examlnerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report R•P￿ to th• tru•t• TSHfR6 N)eTH On lor th• y••i •nd•d 0317QZ4+ Ch•rlty no I (M ￿y) Zos4lt 2 S•¢ wt M pag I fOPtst ￿ th• truit••A ￿ my ol th• •ctow)ts d the alx>ve wy TruAf) tstho >•ar 4 110 JI ?021t t￿111 ol f•P¢ Acr). undor s•ctM)n 145 01 IM 2011 Act c•rTr4ng Out my •Mimlth>rK I ve folbpd 81 th• appScablè Drecliffis by lh• Cmrly Cofffftmls•lon undor MciK>n 145(SXb> Acl knd•p•nd•nt •x4fflln•rfs st•i•m•rf rxxn• to my attonik￿ ￿ crmrhxlkin wlth lh• eX￿tha￿n th•i b•lty• ") t4ch givos mo cau1• to b8kne th•1 In. arty rn•l•rl•l the Chwlueg Act; Ihe 0(Xx￿￿3 dKI not •LxryO wlth lh• acc￿nE1ng rncryd•; r th• •c¢¢wNs nol CLVnFty •Mth the apsAbcabl• r•quir•rnonts cort•mif¥ lh• form arKI content d acc￿1¢$ $•1 oul In Ihe Chanb'eB (ACC￿n(S and RowlaiiLTh 2CK)8 txhw Ihan fequirwngnl Ihai Ihe accixmts give • f•irf i• riot 4 maty con8ldw•d aj pjrt of •n Ino•p•nd•nl exan￿0￿C￿. ilh Ihe •yArnInatK￿ lo whth att•nbon shDukl bo drawn in Ih&8 repm ¢xo•r to enable a ￿DPer UfKJerJiaTrdry ol lh8 ac(¥)wits lo be rethd. . Pl••s• the Iho Of•¢lr•ts rf t￿Y do Th)f ath. Dat•: | Iq 8n•d: 0617 ( Hrtr£TPPIIS¢ 0￿￿0 A7CllhlA quallllcatl•n(•) of bo* IER Oct 2018

(If any): Address: Wiltshire SN15 300 Em811.. chris@watchmanaccouritants_com Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material mallers of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of Charity accounts." directions and guidanc8 for examiners). Glve here brlof dotalls of any Items that tho •xaminerwishos to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018