## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** 

**Year to 31 March 2023** 

**Registered No. 520163** 



**1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR TO  31 MARCH 2023** 

## **CONTENTS** 

1. Significant Information 

2. Trustees Report 

3. Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees 

4. Receipts and Payments Account 

5. Statement of Assets and Liabilities 



## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **1: SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION** 

## **OFFICERS** 

|||Occupation|Address|
|---|---|---|---|
|Chairman<br>|K Siddorn|Farmer|Meadowbank Farm,|
||||Whitchurch Road,|
||||Broxton, Chester CH3 9JS|
|Treasurer:|D Lithgow Smith|Retired Company|The Old Scypen, Bickley Town|
|||Director|Malpas, SY14 8EQ|
|**TRUSTEES**||||
|Keith Siddorn||Chair||
|David Lithgow Smith||Treasurer||
|Brent Heyes||Group Scout Leader||
|Tony Straw||D/Group Scout Leader||
|Brad Beazley||Leader, Affiliated Explorer Scout Unit||
|Alison Mason||Scout Leader (Larkton)||
|Hannah Adamson||Scout Leader (Bickerton)||
|Catherine Dowsett||Cub Leader (Badger)||
|James Weddell||Cub Leader (Fox)||
|Petrina Weddell||Beaver Leader (Woodland)||
|Tim Clarke||Beaver Leader (Hillside)||
|Clare Davies||Bickerton & Egerton PC||
|Malcolm Benson||Site Trustees||
|Fran Lithgow Smith||Woodland Trustees||
|Charlie Milner||Equipment Manager||



## **ADVISERS** 

**Bankers:** National Westminster Bank Plc, 33 Eastgate Street, Chester CH1 1XA 

**Principal Office:** The Old Scypen, Bickley Town, Malpas, SY14 8EQ **Telephone:** 01948 820800 



## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **2: TRUSTEES' REPORT** 

The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 

## **Aims and Organisations of the Charity** 

The governing document of the Charity is the ‘Constitution of the 1st Sandstone Scout Group’ approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Scout Group Council held on 7 February 2017 

The aims of the Scout Group are those of the Scout Association. 

The Group consists of four Sections: Explorer Scouts, Scouts, Cubs, and Beavers. 

The Group is managed by the Group Executive Committee, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout Group 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. 

## **Risk and Internal Control** 

The Group Executive Committee has identified the major risks to which they believe the Group is exposed, these have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate against them. The main areas of concern that have been identified are: 

- Damage to the building, property and equipment. The Group would request the use of buildings, property and equipment from neighbouring organisations such as the church, community centre and other Scout Groups. Similar reciprocal arrangements exist with these organisations. The Group has sufficient buildings and contents insurance in place to mitigate against permanent loss. 

- Injury to leaders, helpers, supporters and members. The Group through the capitation fees contributes to the Scout Associations national accident insurance policy. Risk Assessments are undertaken before and during all activities. 

- Reduced income from fund raising. The Group is primarily reliant upon income from subscriptions and fundraising. The group does hold a reserve to ensure the continuity of activities should there be a major reduction in income. The Committee could raise the value of subscriptions to increase the income to the group on an ongoing basis, either temporarily or permanently. 

- Reduction or loss of leaders. The group is totally reliant upon volunteers to run and administer the activities of the group. If there was a reduction in the number of leaders to an unacceptable level in a particular section or the group as a whole then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the roup. 

- Reduction or loss of members. The Group provides activities for all young people aged 6 to 18. If there was a reduction in membership in a particular section or the group as whole then there would have to be a contraction, consolidation or closure of a section. In the worst case scenario the complete closure of the Group. 

## **Public Benefit Statement** 

The Group meets the Charity Commission’s public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizenship or community development headings 



## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **Reserves Policy** 

The Group's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the group should income and fundraising activities fall short. The Group Executive Committee considers that the group should hold a £4000 contingency reserve 

## **Investment Policy** 

The Group does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer term investments. The Group 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. 

## **Trustees Responsibility for the Accounts** 

Charity law requires the trustees of the group to prepare a receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and of liabilities for each financial year.  In addition, the trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which are sufficient to show and explain the group's transactions and to disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group.  They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

## **Financial Activities and Affairs** 

The financial activities and affairs during the year can be seen in the accounts as set out on pages 4 and 5. 

Approved by the trustees on 23 June 2023 and signed on their behalf by 

Signed         David Lithgow Smith                                                             Trustee 



## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **3: INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS UNQUALIFIED REPORT** 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the 1[st] Sandstone Scout Group for the year ended 31 March 2023. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the charity trustees of the 1[st] Sandstone Scout Group 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 1[st] Sandstone Scout Group 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 1[st] Sandstone Scout Group 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. 

Signed: P E Kerr (original signature held on file) 

Name:  Paul Kerr BEM 

Address: Hilbre, Covert Rise, Tattenhall, Cheshire, CH3 9HA 

Date: 9 May 2023 



## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **4: RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** 

||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|**INCOME RECEIPTS**|||
|**MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS**|14520|13220|
|**DONATIONS**||8|
|**ACTIVITIES**|||
|Kandertsteg (incl 750 held in FE acct)|6350||
|Windermere|7250||
|Group camps|5160||
|Other camps|2329||
|Other events|1532|1867|
|DofE|1125|785|
|**HMRC GIFTAID**|3370|2900|
|**UTILITIESSCOTTISHPOWER REFUND**||2746|
|**SUNDRYRECEIPTS**|||
|Badges etc|107|468|
|Hut hire|2570|1030|
|**FUNDRAISING**|||
|**TOTAL RECEIPTS**|**44313**|**23024**|





## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

|**PAYMENTS**|**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|**MEMBERSHIPSUBSCRIPTIONS **paid on (capitation)|9460|8957|
|**ACTIVITIES**|||
|Section activities|986||
|Kandersteg|828|345|
|Windermere|218||
|Group camps|3087||
|Other camps|2159||
|Other events|1152|2021|
|DofE|851|823|
|Cheshire Hike||51|
|**ADMIN**|||
|Utilities & insurance|1263|2830|
|Legal|613||
|Stationery|31||
|**MAINTENANCE**|||
|Hut and site|6562|1620|
|Equipment|130||
|**PURCHASE**|||
|Capital equipment|4854|1018|
|Badges etc|2592|2996|
|Hoodies||344|
|**TRAINING**|1648||
|**MISCELLANEOUS**|||
|Subs refund||80|
|Hardship fund|560||
|Misc admin||933|
|**TOTAL PAYMENTS**|**36,995**|**22,018**|





## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **BANK ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION** 

|Balance at start of year (main account)<br>Balance at start of year (FE account)<br>Balance at start of year - total<br>Add total receipt for year<br>Less total payments for year<br>Balance at end of year (main account)<br>Balance at end of year (FE account)<br>Balance at end of year - total|**2023**<br>19070<br>0<br>19070<br>44313<br>36995<br>25638<br>750<br>26388|**2022**<br>18064<br>0|
|---|---|---|
|||18064<br>23024<br>22018<br>19070<br>0|
|||19070|





## **1ST SANDSTONE SCOUT GROUP** 

## **5: STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH** 

||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|**CASHFUNDS**|||
|Bank account (main)|25,638|19,070|
|Bank account (FE)|750|0|
|**Sub total**|26,388|19,070|
||||
|**CASHLIABILITIES**|||
|Mountain Day (Apr 23)|(230)||
|Caving Expedition (May 2023)|(190)||
|Windermere (Jul 2023)|(7,031)||
|Kandersteg (Jul 2024)|(5,522)||
|**Sub total**|(12,973)||
||||
|**TOTAL MONETARY ASSETS**|13,415|19,070|
||||
|**NON MONETARY ASSETS FORCHARITY’S OWN USE**|||
|Buildings|195,000|Not valued|
|General contents|8,650|Not valued|
|Camping and sports equipment (all risks)|23,300|Not valued|
|Equipment stored off site|1,900|Not valued|
||||
|**TOTAL NET ASSETS**|**242,265**|**19,070**|



## **NOTES TO ACCOUNTS** 

The surplus (+) or loss (-) resulting from major camps and events was: 

|Beaver Camp|+ 67.79|
|---|---|
|Damboree|-7.00|
|Cub Camp|+109.32|
|Group Camp|+2223.37|
|Awards evening|-147.75|
|Laser Tag|+106.62|



The above receipt and payments account and statement of assets and liabilities were approved by the Trustees on 23 June 2023 (the date of the Executive Committee meeting that approved the accounts) and signed on their behalf by: 

Keith Siddorn                Chair 

David Lithgow Smith    Treasurer