Trustees Report
Annual General Meeting of 1[st] November 2024
The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission and accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's Royal Charter 4 January 1912, the Charities Act 2011 and 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016)".
Objectives and activities
The running of a local youth organisation, namely the Town's Scout Group and management of the Scout building which is also one of the Town's community facilities. The Trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit when preparing the activities for the year and believe that this is at the centre of what they provide throughout their activities.
Achievements and performance
We continue to make progress recovering from the effects of Covid. Good progress has been building on the recovery programme that the committee put in place once the restrictions that Covid placed on organisations were lifted. The Committee has endeavoured to keep any increases to booking rates as modest and considerate as possible but the inevitable impact of the recent high inflation period has necessitated some increased in fees.
The Committee has reviewed staffing arrangements and have staffed the Centre with Centre Manager and a part time cleaner, a salaried relief manager covering for holiday and unavoidable absences. Volunteer help is arranged as and when
necessary. Staffing will continue to be kept under review, matching staffing levels to demand. The committee acknowledge that the dedication of staff in the past twelve months has contributed to the success of our recovery programme.
Scout, Cub and Beaver meetings have taken place over the last 12 months, and we currently have approximately 50 children, from age 6 to 14, we offer as full a range of scouting activities as possible. Our fund raising activities are limited due to a lack of volunteers although some activity has taken place in cooperation with local supermarkets with bag packing. Our traditional Scout Christmas Post took place in 2023.
Financial review
The requirement for free reserves for scouting activities is low and the charity therefore does not feel that significant free reserves are required, whilst endeavouring to maintain reserves covering at least 6 months operating costs on the community centre.
We continue to maintain a higher level of reserves than required and the committee is mindful that with the building approaching its 10[th] anniversary that there will be an increase in maintenance costs as equipment reaches the end of its useful, and safe, life. The committee has taken advantage of any appropriate grants that are available to maintain and improve the facilities for the benefit of the scouting activities and the community users. The charity has restricted reserves which relate to the Scout Headquarters and Community Centre. These are diminished each year as the property depreciates.
Bookings have steadily improved. The change of booking policy, implemented by the centre manager post pandemic to keep a full day per week free for short notice bookings continues to be successful and has contributed to an overall increase in the centres use. The relaxation of weekend booking policy continues to contribute to additional booking and increased income.
Changes introduced by the committee in the last year in matters relating to financial planning and undertaking more work in the preparation of accounting information has yielded a benefit in the information available to the committee together with a reduction in costs for professional services; this is in no small part due to the committee having the benefit of our treasurer, who has a professional accounting background.
The Charity is grateful for the continued assistance of its volunteers, who take on a number of roles, from Committee Members, Leaders and Assistant Leaders and Section Assistants and who give up their time free of charge to assist with the aims and activities of the Charity. We also give thanks to the Parents who give up their free time to help with the various activities that are run throughout the year. The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed, and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
Structure, governance and management.
The Charity is a registered unit of The Scout Association in the United Kingdom. The Council is required to be governed as per arrangements laid out in the prevailing version of the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association. New Trustees are appointed in accordance with the arrangements set out in the Policy, Organisation and Rules. The trustees who served during the year were :-
| during the year were :- | |
|---|---|
| Vincent Howells | Chair |
| Myfanwy Shane Squibb | Secretary |
| Bronwen Poole(Dec’d) | Treasurer |
| Ian Thomson | Acting Treasurer |
| Farrell McManus | Group Scout Leader |
| Michael Poole | Committee Member |
Sheet1
| Expenditure: Staff Costs Insurance Heat & Light Telephone Cleaning Printing & Stationery Rent Accounting & HR Services Waste Disposal Consumables and Equipment Maintenance Scouting Activity Scout Capitation Scout Equipment/Tents Other Income: Donations Grants Facilities hire Interest PV Panels Scouting Activities Other Net Brought Forward 01.04: Cash at bank debtors Creditors Difference for year Carried Forward 31.03: Represented by: Cash at bank debtors Creditors |
Comm Centre Scouting 2022-23 2022-23 £ £ 38202 1698 4812 1023 361 30 3605 5844 3394 2776 5858 1596 60565 8634 220 410 4131 41537 643 5540 2094 877 48625 6827 -11940 -1807 38476 24129 38476 24129 -11940 -1807 26536 22322 27582 22322 516 -1562 26536 22322 |
Total 2022-23 £ 62605 0 0 62605 -13747 48858 49904 -1562 48858 |
Comm Centre Scouting 2023-24 2023-24 £ £ 36002 1825 52 5285 1018 410 58 2433 469 843 3274 1464 3233 1284 1456 424 53073 6457 50 1120 51111 411 42 2024 4467 961 53596 6590 523 133 27582 22322 27582 22322 523 133 28105 22455 28305 22455 -200 28105 22455 |
Total 2023-24 £ 49904 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49904 656 |
||||
| 50560 50760 -200 |
||||
| 50560 |
Page 1
ISTCLIVE'S OWN SCOUT GROUP, WELSllPOOL Independent examintt's report TO THE TRUSTEES OF ISTCLtVE'S OWN SCOUT CROUP. WELSHPOOL I repon on the actt)unis of the for the yeaT ended 3 1st March 2024 which are attacbed. Rupe¢live rEspolbIlitieS of tnistee5 and euminer The charity's Ituslees are Tesponsible for the prepaTrtion rf the eKcounts. The ¢hatitYs trustees ¢onsAder t1 an iodependent vKamiThation rather than a full audii is sufficient insofar as the accounts have been ePared ort a 'reL#PiS and paymeftt$' basi$ rtflecting the level of turnovu for the year. Bisis •f ind¢p¢ndut naminer'i repori I have ttamined the accounting records kept by the charity and lh¢ the ac¢oJnts pregemed with those Tec0 and bave sou8ht yAplanations from the mistees as necessa. In my oixnion, the accounts present a fair view, . Mrs Natasha Lesli Greenfield5 3 Churth FaTn) Close Forden Welshpool Powys SY218FD