Group Trustee Annual Report and Presentation 2025 ## 1. Welcome **by Shanna McNamee (Group Lead Volunteer)** 2. Approval of last year's AGM minutes held 22nd June 2024 #SkillsForLife ## 3. Appointments of Officers and Trustees The following appointments are recommended by the Group Trustee Board - **Group Chair** No nominations, role is currently vacant - **Group Treasurer** Ian James – Length of term 3 years ending June 2027 #SkillsForLife ## 3. Appointments of Officers and Trustees (Cont) **Members of the Board of Trustees:** Shanna McNamee (Ex-Officio) Group Lead Volunteer **Length Term end of term date** Current Trustees Jane Butcher 2 years June 2026 John Hickson 2 years June 2026 Mike Stout 3 years June 2027 Robert Davies 3 years June 2027 Approval of nominations is requested for Mark Mackie 2 years June 2027 #SkillsForLife ## 4. Group’s Constitution - The Board has recommended that the Model Group Constitution from The Scout Association is implemented. - The objective and primary purpose of the Charity is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. - Where practicable within the bounds of The Scouting Association, Policy, Organisation and Rules the Group supports the local community by providing a community-based facility. - Constitution will be reviewed to align further with the local community and its existing procedures. - Approval and Adoption of the Constitution is requested ## 5. Note on the Group’s Financial Period and Independent Examiner **Current Financial Year:** February 1[st] 2025 – January 31[st] 2026 ##  Approval is requested for **Independent Examiner of Accounts:** Julie Bates, as per previous years ## 6. Annual Review - Annual Statement of the Accounts – Ian James - Community Centre - John Hickson - Annual Group Review – Shanna McNamee - Annual review of Scouting Activities – Section Leaders - Presentation of Awards #SkillsForLife ## Annual Accounts Financial year 1 April 2024 to 31 January 2025 **A mixture of activities for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, with some equipment and maintenance purchases, funded by excellent venue hire income** ## **Main Income streams** **Scouting** Payments for activities including membership **Approx £8,000** ## **Hall Income** Main income is hall hiring, mainly the NHS **Approx £16,400** Comments: 10-month financial period impacted slightly membership fees. 10-month financial period impacted slightly alignment of rental income ## **Fundraising** Solar panels, and supporting Gulliver’s World activities **Approx £23,300** **Total** _c._ **£47,700** Solar panel and battery income held on account for 2025/2026 period #SkillsForLife ## Annual Accounts Financial year 1 April 2024 to 31 January 2025 **A mixture of activities for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, with some equipment and maintenance purchases, funded by excellent venue hire income** ## **Main Payments** Comments: ## **Scouting** Payments for young people’s activities, membership **Approximately £4,800** **Hall Payments** Other costs, including utilities, building maintenance and cleaning **Approximately £9,800 Total** _c._ **£14,600** 10 month reporting period impacted, £2k payment taken in March 2025 so not included here. Annual payments for County and District scouting £6K impacted in March 2025 so not included here. #SkillsForLife ## CASH FUNDS IN BANK ACCOUNT **Funds in account on: 31 January 2025 £57,611.78** Includes emergency reserve at £12,000 PV panel installation of £22,924.88 Insurance/ Scout Association membership fees. £8K paid in March 2025 **As a comparison, available funds on account 31 March 2024 £24,292.64** (includes emergency reserve at £10,000) #SkillsForLife - Healthy accounts and similar to previous years numbers only impacted by the financial period change, £8K taken in March 2025 - £23,300 held on account at year close for solar panel and battery storage installation in summer 2025 - Scouting heavily supported by hiring the Arkell Centre to third party, particularly NHS - Focus for 2025/26 Period 1. Continue to build financial reserve to improve financial risk. 2. Standardise income hirer rates to help support item 1 3. Continue to digitise Groups financial accounts and systems. - Headline figures from the Group’s Annual Accounts. If you require more detail, please email Treasurer@1stupton-by-chester.org.uk ## The Arkell Centre: ## **John Hickson, Trustee** #SkillsForLif e The Arkell Centre Maintenance & Improvements #SkillsForLife ## Annual Group Review # **Shanna McNamee, GLV** #SkillsForLife ## SO FAR… - Group growth – 93 youth members in June 2025, up from 68 in 2024 - Leadership growth – increase in Young Leader numbers and Cubs Team - Collaboration with Wolf Explorers - Solar Panel Project and wider community involvement - Higher youth member and leader attendance and involvement in: - Young Leader training events - Duke of Edinburgh Award - Cheshire Hike (the Scouts Team have done excellently when leading on this!) #SkillsForLife ## STILL TO COME…  Continue offering unique experiences to our youth members. Are you under 25? Are you good at admin, or governance? Then our Trustee Board needs you! We are looking for:  Group growth – we want to return to two units per Section! Maybe even open a Squirrel Drey… but we need you! - Even greater presence in the Community and at District events - An 18-25 representative - Group Chair - Healthier Leadership Teams – Beavers and Scouts could use additional uniformed team members - An additional Trustee - Recognisable identity – colours and branding - New ways to improve on accessibility and inclusion #SkillsForLife ## ARE YOU GOOD AT…  Maintenance, construction  Administration  Fundraising  Leadership Then you could support us in creating sub-teams to achieve and fulfil a larger number of tasks! Likewise, if you have skills that you think would be useful to furthering our Group’s ethos, then come and say hi! #SkillsForLife ## THANK YOU To my wonderful team of Leaders, who work hard every week to provide Scouting to the young people of Upton. To our parents – without you, this Group would not exist or continue to thrive And finally, to our young people, the true face of 1[st] Upton. Thank you for turning up each week and always giving 110%! #SkillsForLife ## Annual Review of Scouting activities #SkillsForLife BEAVERS Annual report 2025 We continue to have a busy time at beavers working towards our badges. Since our last AGM we have enjoyed trips out to the fire station, a walk in the dark and snow in the Chester meadows along with several evenings in the country park. Sadly our Easter sleepover had to be cancelled due admin issues. Hopefully this will be re visited later in the year. We are looking forward to visiting District Camp next month with 10 children signed up to attend. BADGES VOLUNTEER WITH SCOUTS GIVING BACK WILL IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING, EQUIP YOU WITH SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE, AND HELP YOU MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE As usual we are full, with 24 children. Now my own children are no longer at school, I am taking most of my holidays in term time - this leaves us short on leaders and we have struggled this last year on a few occasions with leaders work commitments, meaning that they are not able to attend some sessions. A big thank you to our GLV who has stepped in to cover for us but we could really do with another regular leader to ease the pressure. On a more positive note, at the last AGM, we were without any young leaders but we now have 3 which has been a great help. If you are interested it doesn’t have to be every week (although that would be great) please do come and speak to myself or any of the Beaver team. I hope that we will continue to be able to offer the fun world of Scouting to local children who will learn how to work and play together, to grow in knowledge and character, improve our community and appreciate the amazing world we are entrusted to care for. Yours in Scouting Heather (Beaver leader) CUBS There are currently 35 Cubs which is an increase to last year (whoop). The Cubs Team consists of Shanna, Sean, Brandon, Jodie, Jake, Wallace and Stuart. We are also still supported by Natalie as a helper, along with Effie. We finally have 5 Young Leaders! In the past year, we have awarded **214** badges! #SkillsForLife ## **Gulliver's World** We fundraised almost £450 towards our Gulliver Trip. We also secured an additional subsidy of £10 per Cub. The Cubs got to go on all the rides, build shelters, tackle real archery, made s'mores and had their own private disco in the rain. #SkillsForLife ## **What else have we done?** - First Aid - S’mores and sparklers - Pioneering and Knot Work - Supermarket Sweep - Recycling Runway - YouShape Award - Soap Carving - Christmas Sleepover - County Fun Day - “Future Vets” Session **----- Start of picture text -----**
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SCOUTS Congratulations to ours winners from Chester & District Pathfinder: Team 205 - 1st Upton-By-Chester Pathfinder Plus: Team 306 - 1st Tarvin Explorer.. Team 542 - Maverick ESU #cheshirehike @chester_scouts ## 7. Closing remarks Group Lead Volunteer #SkillsForLife ## **1[st] Upton-by-Chester Scout Group** ## **Registered Charity Number 52026** ## **Group Treasurer Report, Annual Accounts 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] January 2025** Ian James This report includes details of income and outgoings for the 1[st] Upton-by-Chester Scout Group for the year from 1 April 2024 to 31 January 2025. A 10-month period due to a change in the closing date of the accounts. As an overview, in comparison to the previous year’s receipts and payments, similar values are seen with the exception that the annual building and contents insurance and the outgoing annual capitation fees to cover national, county and district subs, which are taken in March each year were outside this reduced financial period. The capitation fees were paid in March 2025 at £6,030 a 17% increase in membership fees. The only other point to note in comparison to previous year accounts is that a Spacehive structured project has been undertaken during the period; this has collected £22,924.88 for installation of photovoltaic panels encompassing a battery storage system. The project is on track to be installed in summer 2025. Cash funds are currently held for this installation. In more detail, an income of £16,393.33 was received from hiring out the hall together with other incoming payments of membership subscriptions of £5,474.02 and income from scouting activities of £2,487.43. Outgoing payments for activities for the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts totalled £4,816.82 with scout equipment purchases including repairs and replacements at £1,564.68. Other notable payments were utilities at £3,611.82, building maintenance and cleaning costs at £4,533.36. A breakdown of the accounts is as shown The above receipts and payments accounts and statement of assets and liabilities were approved by the trustees on 3[rd] June 2025 and signed on their behalf by: |**Position**|**Name**|**Signature**| |---|---|---| |Group Lead Volunteer|Shanna McNamee|| |Treasurer|Ian James|| Independent examiner's report to the trustees of the 1st Upton-by-chester Scout Group I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Isi Upton-by-chester Scout Group for the year ended 31StJanuary 2025 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the 1st Upton-by-chester Scout Group you are re5ponsibLe for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 I'the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the I" Upton-by-chester Scout Group accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed aLI the appLicabLe Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the ACL Independent examiner's ststement 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.. accounting records were not kept in respect of the I" Upton-by-chester Scout Group as required by section 130 of the ACL. 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: Name: Julie Bates Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies lif any).. ACMA. CGMA Address: 21 Queensway, Chester. CH2 IPF Date: 2nd ApriL 2025