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Scouts Blackpool Annual r accoun 024-20

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Welcome from the Chair A year of achievement Shaped by young people

ontents Wl f th Chi
ecome rom e ar	5
A year of achievement	6
Shaped by young people	8
Programme Team
Squirrel Scouts	11
Beaver Scouts	14
Cub Scouts	17
Scouts	19
14-24 Team	21
Mowbreck Scout Campsite	23
Blackpool Gang Show	24
Our finances	27
Our membership	34
Our board of trustees	35
Roll of Honour	36
Gone Home
Our thanks	37

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Welcome from the Chair

Welcome to Blackpool District Scouts’ Annual General Meeting 2025!

Another action packed and youth lead activity filled year across all of Blackpool. Like every other year we should all be immensely proud of what we have individually and collectively achieved and delivered across Blackpool. It truly is something to be proud of the impact we are having. Sadly worldwide events over the last 12 months have made many aspects of life more challenging and in parts unstable, but this is where the values of scouting, our inclusivity, our openness for all, and our values still ensure that we are a clear beacon of light for our young people and all of our adult volunteers.

On behalf of all the Board of Trustees, thank you for your continued efforts and the support you have shown me and the wider Board. Every single person involved in Scouting in Blackpool, whether that is delivering weekly sessions or providing key support roles should reflect on your own personal year. Be proud of the achievements we have made not only in our groups, but collectively as a District.

I like many of you could not be prouder to be part of Blackpool District and the work that we do in our town and our local communities. The work that goes on across all our groups, by all of those that support Scouting, truly confirms to me that Blackpool Scouts is the best!

Thank you all!

Chris Hardy

Chair of the Board of Trustees

A place to call home

As many of you will be aware, we are in the fortunate position to have acquired land at the old Marton Methodist Church. Alongside this we have a preferred partner to work with to help design and build the new headquarters. This will be Joseph Boniface architects and Leeming Associates who will guide us through the process from design to completion. The real hard work now begins to ensure we build a building that will meet all of our needs, one that is future proof in its design and ensure that it is multifunctional to serve many community needs. Many of you across the district will be able to help us in this quest so that we can deliver a building that the district is rightly proud of, and that it continues to mark our footprint across Blackpool.

As I have said before, what we provide as a District is second to none, and it does not happen by accident. It is the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers involved in Scouting that allows us to continue to be the largest voluntary group across Blackpool and positively impact the lives of many young people.

A year of achievement

As we gather here today, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what has been an incredible year of adventure, growth, and impact for Scouts here in Blackpool. From windswept hikes in the mountains to quiet moments

around the campfire, we’ve lived out the very spirit of Scouting—friendship, courage, and community.

This year, we’ve taken real strides in strengthening our presence in the local community. Our young people have stepped forward as leaders, helpers, and change makers. Whether through beach clean-ups, fundraising, or lending a hand to those in need, our young people are showing they’re not just the future—they’re already making a difference right now.

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It’s been brilliant to see the expansion of our youngest section too, with new Squirrel Dreys opening across the District—and even more in the pipeline. It's inspiring to see children as young as four beginning their Scouting journey, already developing the values, confidence, and curiosity that will carry them forward.

I’m proud to say that this year marks our fourth consecutive year of growth here in the District. That’s growth in both our young people and our adult volunteers. It’s a sign of a thriving movement—but with that growth comes a responsibility. To continue supporting our existing groups and to open new ones, we need even more adults to step forward. People who are willing to share their skills, time, and passion to help bring the benefits of Scouting to more young people. People just like you!

Because what we’re doing works. Our young people are achieving their top awards and striving every day to be the very best version of themselves. They are developing skills for life—resilience, teamwork, leadership—and they are doing it because of the safe, supportive, and inspiring environments that you, our volunteers, help to create.

We are proud to be the largest volunteer-led youth organisation in Blackpool , and we wear that badge with pride. To each and every one of our volunteers: thank you. Your commitment, your time, and your belief in what young people can achieve truly matters. You are making a real and lasting difference every day.

And as we look to the future, there is so much to be excited about. More adventures, more opportunities, and more young people discovering what they’re capable of.

I’d like to thank the support of all our ambassadors but the increased support from Jordan Wylie MBE for all that we do in Blackpool. Having someone like Jordan in our corner and championing what we do is great and he’s an inspiration to young people and adults alike.

The future is bright and together; we’ll keep moving forward.

Thank you all for being a part of this journey.

Let’s keep going, keep growing, and keep believing in the power of what we do! Thank you.

Best wishes,

Matt Hornby District Lead Volunteer

Our vision

By 2025 we will have prepared more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing leaders delivering an inspiring programme. We will be growing, more inclusive, shaped by young people and making a bigger impact in our communities.

Our goals

We will achieve the following goals against our four objectives:

Growth Inclusivity

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Grow to 900 young people
Increase adult volunteers to 400
More young leaders, 2 per section
Fewer sections with less than 12 members
All Groups with at least 3 sections
Our members reflect the demographics of our local area
Stronger groups within areas of deprivation within the town
Increase our members from underrepresented communities

Youth Shaped

100% of young people shaping their Scouting experience
50% of young people achieving their top awards

Community Impact

Young people making a positive difference in their local community
Develop a community impact week

Our pillars of work

To meet these objectives, we will focus on four pillars of work:

Programme

A fun, enjoyable, high-quality programme consistently delivered and supported by simple (digital) tools.

People

More, well trained, better supported and motivated adult volunteers, and more young people from diverse backgrounds.

Perception

Scouting is understood, more visible, trusted, respected and widely seen as playing a key role in society today.

Places

Good quality, practical locations are available to support our scouting programme across Blackpool.

Shaped by young people

Youth Shaped Scouting continues to be a big part of our programme in Blackpool Scouts.

It has been brilliant to see lots of Squirrels- Explorers continuing to earn their ‘YouShape’ award across the district. By starting with their ‘goal’ and then continuing to ‘plan’, ‘lead’, and ‘represent’ with their own section,

our young people truly are shaping their own experiences.

It has been great to see our young people not only inputting into their weekly meetings but also getting involved with what other activities they would like to do. This has included things such as going on particular walks, planning what to do on their camps/ sleepovers and even some external visits that they would like. Some groups and sections have let their young people completely take the lead and run entire activities and evenings, which has then in turn sparked more programme ideas brought around by the young people.

Our District sections have also been proactive with their youth shaped programme. A great example was the

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District Warhammer day organised by the District Scout team after a group of scouts had expressed an interest in an event around this hobby. Our Network members also continue to run a programme based off what their members would like to do and collaborate especially well on this.

Gabby Howson-Tax Youth Lead Volunteer District Leadership Team

We have seen many linking events between sections this year, for example, the Squirrels and Beavers have joined together for a District Founder’s Day and County Adventure Day. We have also seen linking events between the Scouts and Explorer sections with events such as sandcastle competitions, Remembrance Sunday and Scout Car Races.

I am pleased to be passing over the Youth Lead role to Holly Brookfield who (alongside Jake Robinson on her team) has many ideas of how we can continue to work on our Youth Shaped programme within our groups and the District. Holly is very enthusiastic about making sure that our young people get the best out of their Scouting journeys and I know that you will all continue to give your support to her and her team. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish her all the best in the role!

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3 years of Squirrels in Blackpool and the section is continuing to grow and stay adventurous! We now have 8 Dreys in the District and more groups that are starting their journey to opening their own Squirrel Drey!

In January, we saw some Squirrels performing in Blackpool Gang Show and what a great job they did! Whilst there weren’t too many Squirrels on the stage this year there was certainly many Squirrels singing and dancing along in the audience! We can’t wait to see more of them performing in next year’s Gang Show!

In February, Squirrels joined with the District Beaver section to celebrate Founder’s Day. We had lots of fun making birthday cards, hats and biscuits as well as practicing on our teamwork skills. It was great to see so many Squirrels and Beavers together celebrating Baden Powell’s birthday, and we even learnt how to sign the ‘Happy Birthday’ song.

In February and March, Squirrels took part in some balance bike sessions at Palatine Leisure Centre. The Squirrels practiced balancing on their bikes, took part in some races and even played some games like ‘what time is it Mr Wolf?’ all on their bikes. The Squirrels were very enthusiastic and truly grew in confidence on their bikes by the end of the session.

Also in March, we held our 2[nd] annual Squirrels Sleepover, this time Space themed! 33 Squirrels from across 5 Dreys came together to become astronauts in training and had lots of fun completing their space explorer activity badge. We investigated the cycle of the moon using Oreos, created our own constellations and UFOs and even went on an alien hunt around the area! It was also great to see some Squirrels from 7[th] Blackpool on their first outdoor group camp back in October!

April once again brought around St. George’s Day and our District ‘Picnic in the park’.

It was brilliant to see even more Squirrels in their red jumpers navigating their way around the park before coming together to renew our Squirrel Scout promise.

In May, 31 Squirrels joined County Squirrels and Beavers at the SQuAD day at Waddecar. Here we completed the Earth Tribe badge by learning all about nature and thinking about what we can do together or independently to make a difference around us. We completed some activities such as nature colour

matching, making animal footprints (and poo!), creating wind catchers, bird and butterfly feeders and so much more! We also took part in some adventurous activities such as bouldering, low ropes, soft archery and axe throwing! Later in May, lots of Squirrel Dreys also took part in the BOTT walk along the promenade. Thank you to the Cub section for organising this.

In June, Squirrels took part in 2 District events: a sports fun day and a district adventure day at Mowbreck. The sports fun day was a great opportunity for Squirrels to come together to have some fun, which we did through sack races, hula hoop challenges and some traditional races. Squirrels had lots of fun at the adventure day trying out real archery and angel blade throwing, as well cooking on fires and getting stuck in with nature!

As well as weekend events, Dreys have also been putting on some brilliant weekly programmes. We have seen visits to Pets at Home, the fire station, the beach, the circus and so much more. We have also had programmes on Chinese New Year, making bird nests, exploring our senses, conducting experiments and so on! These brilliant programmes have meant that lots more Chief Scouts Acorn awards have been presented, and it’s been great to see these Squirrels continuing their adventures in Beavers!

A big thank you to everyone who has supported the Squirrel section over the past year with all our activities. Whilst there’s too many to name, we certainly couldn’t have put on these events without your help! A special thank you must also be given to the rest of my team, Heather Smith and Zoe Derbyshire. Whilst they’ve only officially joined the Squirrel Team recently, their support over the last 12 months has been unwavering.

Here’s to another year of adventures and growing the Squirrel section in Blackpool!

Gabby Howson-Tax Squirrel Programme Team Leader

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We begin as we always do, thinking about how it has been another busy 12 months for our Beaver Scouts across the District.

It has been fantastic to see all the exciting adventures our Beaver Colonies have been getting up to over the past 12 months.

I am going to take us back to last June for our ‘Great Outdoor Sleepover’ at Mowbreck – we quite literally saw every kind of weather in 24 hours….and I very nearly had to send everyone home. However Beaver Scouts are made of strong stuff, and we had plenty of adventure with slacklines, archery, soft tomahawks, campfire and catapults as well as fun exploring and enjoying being in nature! The team were delighted to donate the left-over food as part ‘Big Help Out’ to local food bank charities local to Blackpool.

Following on the from the Colony Programme Surveys we held a ‘Volunteers and Ideas’ morning to allow you to come together and share ideas and tools to make programme planning a little easier with the added opportunity to take some resources from our District Store.

In the Autumn Term, it was fantastic to host two nights for Beavers to earn the Musician Badge. It was great to see different colonies taking part and huge thank you to our guest Musicians for giving up their time to teach our young people new skills. We also have some of our own budding musicians of the future.

December brought the opportunity to think of those less fortunate than us as we collected or all the generous food donations that we were able to give to local charities in need. Thank you for your kindness as ever.

A slight change for the New Year as back in January, it was a delight to see the many Beaver Scouts who were performing on The Grand Theatre in Blackpool Gang Show – we were so very proud to see so many of you on the stage! I am of course slightly biased but singing, bus drivers, cyclists traffic lights, and traffic cones can’t help but make you smile!

In the new year we launched our Challenge Countdown with a scrapbook and points to earn over the year to show all the incredible things you have been up too and try and think outside of the box a little bit with your programmes. We look forward to seeing them in December.

As our Squirrel dreys and numbers grow it only seemed right to join to celebrate Founders Day together. The

Makaton signing of well over 100 young people to Happy Birthday Baden Powell was the perfect end to a ‘smooth, calm, lots of activity choice’ (your feedback) afternoon. Back in April so many of you joined Blackpool District at St George’s Day Picnic in the park, the sun shone all afternoon which makes a change! I saw lots of ice cream being eaten that day too. We enjoyed a treasure hunt around the park, as well as games and flag making before renewing our Beaver Scout Promise at the Bandstand. Two coaches and lots of cars from Blackpool full of Squirrels and Beavers attended the County joint Squirrel and Beaver Event – ‘SQuad Adventure Day’ at Waddecar Scout Campsite. The sun was defiantly shining – not a waterproof in sight. Another jam-packed fun day that involved bouldering, archery, a challenge course, bug hotels, orienteering, bird feeders, nature hunts and poo making!

So glad the sunshine stayed for you all to complete your BOTT walks this year. A thanks as ever to the Cub Team for organising this event for everyone.

2025 has also brought colony visits and sleepovers, visitors to colonies, and badge earning nights. I have been delighted to see and hear the badge work you have been focussing on over the past 12 months……. according to Nic’s records our young people have earned approximately 1243 badges! Wow! Adventure challenge, Animal friend, Money skills, Outdoor challenge, Builder, Communicator, Personal challenge, Camp craft, Experiment, World challenge, Collector, Health & fitness, Skills challenge, Cyclist, Cook, Teamwork challenge, Sports, Space, Disability awareness, Creative, Book reader, Faith, Safety, Gardener, You shape, Explore, Hobbies, Swimmer, Nights away, Photographer, Emergency aid, Hikes away, International, Navigator, Musician, Global issues, Paddle sports, Time on water - to name a few!

I have been so fortunate to visit our colonies and proudly congratulate many Beaver Scouts on achieving the Chief Scout Bronze Award, the highest award you can earn as a Beaver. This also meant we had to say goodbye to lots of young people who moved onto Cubs, and we can’t wait to see you in all in the next stage of your Scouting journey.

For all the above to take place a great deal of planning, commitment, enthusiasm, and time is required. Our young people are fortunate to have such amazing leaders and supporters. I am also reliant on such a supportive Leadership Team. A special thank you must go to Sarah, Ann, Irene and Annastasia. I would also like to thank the wider District Team who we are fortunate to have as support at our events, as well as without you simply none of this would be possible.

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Finally, as I come to the end of my time as Blackpool Programme Lead for Beavers, I would like to express my thanks to each and every one of you for your time and support. It has been a pleasure to work alongside such a dedicated team of volunteers and friends in this role. I know you will give the next lead the same support. I have enjoyed my time over the last four years, and I look forward to what the future holds for the Beaver Section.

Emma Hornby

Beaver Programme Team Leader

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Once again, I have the pleasure of reviewing the last year for Cub Scouts in Blackpool. The Cubs are fortunate to have brilliant volunteers in the packs who put on activities, events and camps for them to enjoy. In addition to pack activities, below is a brief outline of what we have achieved as a district section this past year.

The 2023/2024 Cub Scout calendar ended with our annual trip to Blackpool Zoo. Cubs and volunteers enjoyed playing Zoo-opoly, racing around to visit all the locations on the game board. September 2024 started off the new Scouting year with the return of a popular event from last year - ‘Race to Silver’ held at our District Campsite. Shaped by our volunteers, it allowed Cub Scouts to attend and complete some vital badge work necessary for gaining their Chief Scout Silver award.

Throughout the year, a team of volunteers have been getting to know a group of 22 Cub Scouts, ready to take them to London in August 2025. With a ‘King’ theme, getting to know you events included a private hire of the Backlot cinema to see Mufusa, a London themed challenge and a walk in the local area. Many exciting activities are planned for the trip including seeing the Lion King at the theatre and visiting the Tower of London. We look forward to sharing the trip with you all!

My thanks go, as always, to our volunteers who provide the excellent opportunities for our Cub Scouts every week. I am incredibly grateful to my team who make our District Cub activities possible. Plans are already underway for September 2025 onwards and I’m looking forward to sharing the activities with our members.

Stephen Chow

Cub Programme Team Leader

In October, to support Blackpool Young Leaders attending the West Lancs trip to Malawi, 2 badge nights based on the Global Issues badge were provided. Planned and resourced by the Young Leaders themselves, the nights were hugely successful. Proceeds from the evening were donated to each of the Young Leaders to support the fantastic work they will be doing in summer 2025. Volunteers in the section requested another night ‘under the sea’ sleeping at the Sealife Centre in November to give a unique experience and a valuable night away! In February, 90 Cubs visited the Liverpool World Museum for a day out to celebrate Founders Day, enjoying the exhibitions in the museum.

To celebrate our members achieving the highest award in Cub Scouts, we returned to the Town Hall so that the successful Cubs could have their awards officially presented by the Mayor watched by family and the leaders who had supported their journey. We are proud of the 54 members that earned this award and the effort that goes into it.

A new edition to the programme in March was a visit to Hanger 42 in Blackpool. Cubs from 6 packs earnt their stage 2 Air Activities badge, having the opportunity to look at a Spitfire and learn all about different aircraft.

With over 500 members taking part, BOTT (Blackpool On The Trial) 2025 took place in May, encouraging volunteers to get members out and about, particularly in the south area of Blackpool. The final part of the badge will be coming in 2026!

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What a whirlwind of a year it’s been for our Scout section!

From muddy boots to sandy hands and everything in between, it’s been a non-stop adventure. From the first campfire of the season to our final badge ceremony, our Scouts have embodied the values of teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Rain or shine, they’ve tackled every challenge with courage—and had a ton of fun along the way!

Our Scouts have filled this year with laughter, learning, and bold adventure, all powered by the unstoppable spirit that made this Scouting year truly unforgettable.

Packed with Adventure

This year saw our Scouts head out on numerous camps, and each one brought something special—whether it was learning to cook over open flames, perfecting our tent pitching (in the rain, of course!), or tackling creative team challenges. We’ve truly made the outdoors our second home!

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Sand, Shooting & Shouting (with excitement!)

A stand-out moment was sandcastle building at the beach, where Scouts showed off their creativity, teamwork, and a few competitive streaks—while soaking up some well-earned sunshine.

Then came the thrill of Take Aim, where Scouts tried their hand at various shooting activities in a safe, supportive environment. Confidence soared alongside the pellets, and many found a new favourite pastime!

County Rally Magic

The County Rally brought Scouts from across the county together, and ours certainly made their mark! From wild activities to new friendships, it was a jam-packed weekend of fun and adventure. Our Scouts did us proud with their energy, enthusiasm, and brilliant behaviour.

Badges Galore

This year, our Scouts worked hard to earn a wide range of badges, including outdoor skills, teamwork, and challenge awards.

Every badge represents a milestone of growth, courage, and curiosity—and we couldn’t be prouder.

Fun for the Grown-Ups too!

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19 network

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I am looking forward to supporting the development of the Network programme over the coming year.

This past year has seen the joining together of the Explorer & Network sections to create the14-24 section. This new section is to focus on providing a dynamic programme for our older youth members, encouraging leadership skills and offering exciting opportunities. Both sections still run independently of each other but with focus on linking where it is appropriate to do so.

We have joined together for our yearly Winter camp at Scout Adventures Great Tower and had some fun at laser tag, St Georges Day in the park, Halloween scare fest at Mowbreck and Network have run their Monopoly run for one of the units.

The team for both sections desperately needs to grow in order to support the provision of a dynamic programme, which will be my focus over the next year.

Blackpool Network have a newly appointed Chair, Rachel McMurdo, who leads the programme organization for their regular meets of every other week. She is currently working on the Three Peaks Challenge and hopes to have completed it by the time this report is read!

In the Explorer section we have been busy taking part in the County run Mountain Activity Challenge, running the Scout link event Who Dares wins, Winter Camp where we had a day on the hill and half a day at laser tag. One of our leaders said that capturing the flag during laser tag was one of the proudest moments of his life!

As leaders we must also have fun 😊 Summer camp in Cornwall, saw us surfing, biking, coasteering and of course having a cream tea or two!

Unit nights continue to be Youth led with a variety of activities including sign language, life skills, VE Day celebrations, backwoods cooking, tarping, international nights, cycle nights, environmental awareness, frisbee golf, outdoor climbing and water activities.

I would like to thank my team for their continued support and hard work to deliver a varied but challenging programmes.

Joanna Hacking

14-24 Team Leader

Rachel has kindly overviewed the past year for Network: This year, Network have been doing lots of different activities from ice skating, walking the illuminations, running our own monopoly run, celebrating pancake night, movie and games nights and having a backwards cooking night. Several members have also attended the West Lancs Reconnected & Network Gathering camps. As a section we have started to do more link events with the Explorers, along with supporting District and County events such as Gang Show, the St. Georges Day ball, the Squirrels & Beavers founders Day and Earth Tribe Day. We have multiple members working on their top awards. Polly-Ann has completed her Gold DofE residential & Adam has attended his presentation of his Gold DofE at the palace! We have also had Imogen parading at Windsor Castle on St Georges Day with Monica as part of the Colour Party.

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21 li network

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Mowbreck has gone from strength to strength over this last season, with groups from all over the county coming and staying.

We have also opened the site up to a couple of schools and home education groups.

Mowbreck is in the middle of improving the campfire area as well as several other site developments in the pipeline.

We held 2 site working days throughout the season where volunteers got to work pruning trees, laying wood chip and painting of the toilets and containers to name a few. Several groups also lent a hand during their stay and completed some site service which is always massively appreciated.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our meet and greet team, activity instructors and everyone else who has either helped or visited the site over the past 12 months as without them we wouldn’t have a campsite.

Here's to another successful year where we continue to grow and develop!

Andy and Stephen Mowbreck Campsite Managers

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2025 was a year of exciting change for Blackpool Gang Show. We welcomed a new leadership team, with Jordan Shuck as Director and Tor Kenmare as Business Manager, supported by a refreshed production and business team bringing new ideas and innovation.

The show moved from its traditional Autumn slot to January—a challenging but necessary decision, as The Grand Theatre prioritised higher-grossing productions during peak season. Despite initial concerns about staging a show in the depths of winter, the change proved successful. Encouragingly, ticket sales rose by 12% compared to the previous year.

We were thrilled to welcome an expanded live band under the direction of Musical Director, Steve Townsend. It was especially inspiring to see three young musicians Millie (drums), Charlotte (bass), and Isaac (guitar) leading the way. Their energy and talent significantly enhanced the musicality and atmosphere of both rehearsals and performances. We’re delighted they’ll be

returning next year.

Under Jordan’s direction, the show format changed, adopted a new theme, “Around the World” which brought cohesion and flow to the performance. Yet, it retained the classic Gang Show spirit. Highlights included:

Junior Gang’s lively trip to Ibiza aboard the Gang Show

bus

The rhythmic drums of Africa in the Serengeti
Dazzling Bollywood dance numbers
A vibrant show at the Copacabana
complete with a rogue pantomime camel causing a stir among the stalls.

Special thanks to Lesley Meddings and the wardrobe team, who not only styled the show beautifully but also sourced an incredible 50 penguin costumes, an idea that seemed impossible when first proposed at the production meeting.

At the end of this year's show, we saw several longstanding Gang Show contributors hand over the reins.

Kevan Benfold has stepped down as Backstage Manager after over 50 years supporting the show.

Paul “Tots” Towers also stepped down from backstage after many years crafting backstage.

Mark Stubbs has kindly taken on the backstage and props lead.

Emma Hornby & Shanice Griffiths have handed over the Junior Gang to a new team. Subsequently, Phil and Irene Wheatley have taken the decision to step back from the front of house team after over 40 years supporting the show in various roles. We’d like to express our sincere thanks to each and everyone of them for all their dedication over the years.

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So, as we move on to the 2026 show I have confidence that we will continue to embrace new changes and improvements and go from strength to strength. We are continuing to focus on the youth in our cast and welcome Darcy, Em, Erin and Lucy to the production team as young producers.

Make sure you have put week beginning 19[th] January 2026 in your diaries!

Tor Kenmare

Gang Show Business Manager

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25 r. Ii'iiiii,uiiK';:

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Our finances

Receipts and Payments account

For the year ending 31st March 2025

	2024-2025	2024-2025	2023-2024
Receipts		£	£
Badge Receipts		5818	7261
Carol Service		0	40
Christine Fitton Legacy		10000	0
Dinner Dance		2557	8747
Donations		1349	622
Fundraising		251	0
Gift Aid District		885	0
Gift Aid Gang Show		535	0
Gift Aid Mowbreck		2625	0
Greathead (DC)		1000	500
HQ Charity Account		0	27040
Interest and dividends received		1396	7457
International		100	0
Just Giving (HQ)		194	0
Membership fees		34110	30948
Miscellaneous		3143	80
Network Neckers		0	43
Recruitment/Media		72	30
Squirrels		1774	0
Swimming Gala		0	80
14-24		452	86
44th Blackpool		35	1217
	66612	84150
Secton Income
Beaver Scouts		4597	4998
Cub Scouts		15315	11284
Explorer Scouts		13647	10935
Gang Show		20796	21252
Mowbreck Campsite		10063	16405
Paul Marshall Legacy		16209	865816
SASU		130	1110
Scout Car Races		2179	0
Scouts		9755	8762
Total Receipts		92688	940561
	159300		1024711
Secton Costs
Beaver Scouts	4415		3955
Cub Scouts	11648		11964

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	2024-2025	2023-2024
Payments	£	£
AGM/DC Retrement	504	678
Badges	5231	6614
Carol Service	0	109
Dinner Dance	3416	6956
District Expenses	1858	6605
Fundraising	30	0
Gif Aid Gang Show	535	0
Gif Aid Mowbreck	2625	0
Greathead (DC)	280	510
Insurances	674	636
Internatonal	3112	2717
Jamboree	0	1120
Membership Fees	39424	30710
Miscellaneous	4360	765
Paul Marshall Legacy	0	8591
Recruitment/Media	2034	1153
St George's Day	440	143
Squirrels	1212	0
Swimming Gala	0	638
Training	972	1134
Virgin
Young Leader Training	0	219
44th Blackpool	574	964
	67392	920772
Explorer Scouts	13340	10554
Gang Show	17759	17241
Mowbreck Campsite	6284	19722
Paul Marshall Legacy	379848	0
SASU	660	1938
Scout Car Races	1991	0
Scouts	8170	7020
	444115	723393
Total Payments	511507	993165
Net Surplus/(Deficit)for the year	-352207	31546

SkillsForLife

£ Assets Monetary balances (cash and bank) Investment assets Rayner funds: 668.6 units in the Charities Office Investment Fund at Valuation 13025 Non-monetary assets District equipment 20950 District HQ 375000 Mowbreck buildings (revaluation 2024) 37500 Mowbreck equipment (revaluation 2024) 22725 Stock of badges 5751	2024-2025 2023-2024 £ £ £ 632412 984619 13661 13025 13661 645437 998280 20950 0 37500 22500 5106 461926 86056 1107362 1084336

	1107362	1084336
Represented by
Reserves brought forward	1084336	1048874
Net surplus/(deficit) for the year	-352207	31546
Increase/(reduction) in value of investment funds	-637	1089
Increase/(reduction) in value of non-monetary assets	375869	2126
Revaluation of asset (Mowbreck Building/Equipment	0	-30000
Less increase/(reduction) in liabilities	0	-701
Reserves carried forward	1107362	1084336

Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of the Blackpool District Scout Council

I report on the accounts of the district for the year ending 31st March 2025 which are set out on pages 1 to 3

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Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The districts trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

-1 examine the accounts under section145 of the 2011 act
-2 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
-3 to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiners report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the District 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 such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiners statement

In connection with my examination, no other matter has come to my attention:

a) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material aspect the requirement to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 act have not been met; or
b) which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Notes to the accounts

For the year ending 31st March 2025 – Note 1

SkillsForLife

	2024-2025	2023-2024
Exec accounts	£	£
Caf bank current account	4524	3595
Caf bank gold account	55564	53676
Virgin account	194	110
	60282	57381
Section Accounts
Beavers	2315	2133
Beer Festival	5059	5059
Cubs	6963	3555
Explorers	2212	2611
Gang Show	19933	16971
Mowbreck	31390	27611
Paul Marshall Legacy	502177	865816
SASU	0	626
Scout Car Races	497	310
Scouts	1585	2117
Service Team	0	429
	572130	927238
Total	632412	984619

Notes to the accounts

For the year ending 31st March 2025 – Note 2

SkillsForLife

	2024-2025	2023-2024
Total Reserves	1107362	1084336
less:
Non monetary assets+	461926	86056
loans and liabilities
Restricted Funds
Rayner Bequest	0	997
Rayner Investment Fund	13025	13661
C Fitton Bequest	8900	0
44th Blackpool	29	253
Butterworth Bequest	10625	12113
Designated Funds
Beer Festival	5059	5059
District Camp	4000	3000
Explorers	2611	2611
Gang Show	19933	16971
Greathead Fund	720	0
International	10	672
Jamboree	2750	1500
Membership Fees	40000	30000
Mowbreck	31390	27611
Paul Marshall Legacy	502177	865816
Recruitment/Media	0	500
SASU	0	626
Scout Car Races	487	310
Service Team	0	429
Virgin (HQ)	194	0
Young Leader Training	0	281
Youth Lead	0	200
Free Reserves	3527	15670

Reserves Policy

The District mainly raises its running costs from its members and has limited capacity for other fund raising, therefore the trustees exercise a prudent approach to their free reserves policy: the trustees will initiate additional fund raising when free reserves fall to below the equivalent of nine months annual costs measured against the latest Trustee Income and Expenditure account or the forward budget plan.

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Donations

We gratefully acknowledge the following generous contributors to our fund raising this year: Peter Greathead, Ian Gledhill.

We also continue to benefit from the legacies of Mrs Patricia Butterworth, F G Rayner Paul Marshall, Michael Loomes and Mrs Christine Fitton

Our membership

Census results for the year ending 31 January 2025

	Male	Female	Self-identify	Prefer not to say	Total
Youth membership
Squirrel Scouts	64	27	0	0	91
Beaver Scouts	144	64	0	0	208
Cub Scouts	151	72	0	0	223
Scouts	116	62	0	1	178
Explorer Scouts (including Young Leaders)	26	35	0	2	63
Network members	4	14	1	3	22
	505	274	1	5	785

SkillsForLife

Adult membership (listing the main role category for each adult volunteer)

Leadership	82	97	0	179
Management	8	10	0	18
Governance roles	20	15	0	35
Support roles	23	15	0	38
	146	145	0	291
Total membership	651	419	1	1076

*Young Leader totals are not included in the overall totals as they are already included in Explorer Scout totals.

Our District comprises

Census results for the year ending 31 January 2025

Squirrel Scout Dreys	7
Beaver Scout Colonies	16
Cub Scout Packs	17
Scout Troops	16
Explorer Scout Units (including YL Units)	4
Young Leader Units	1
Groups	17
Sections	61

Our board of trustees

Governance structure and executive committee membership - 31 March 2024 to 1 April 2025

Ex-Officio
District Lead Volunteer	Matt Hornby
District Youth Lead*	Gabrielle Howson-Tax
Appointed
District Chair	Chris Hardy
District Secretary	Elizabeth Abbott
District Treasurer	Janet Hardy
Trustee	Joan Swan
Trustee	Lesley Meddings
Trustee	Andy Inglis
Trustee	Robert Ward
Trustee	Peter Rumley
Trustee	Tor Kenmare
Trustee	Joanna Hacking

SkillsForLife

*Until July 2025

Our Scout ambassadors & Supporters

Our incredible team of ambassadors. They have one thing in common: to share far and wide how Scouts is helping young people gain skills for life.

Steve Royle , Actor, Comedian & Radio Presenter
Hayley Kay , Radio Presenter
Ged Mills , Radio Presenter
Gordon Marsden , Former Member of Parliament for Blackpool South
Special thanks to Jordan Wylie MBE for his increased support for all that we do.

SkillsForLife

Roll of honour

Congratulations to all who have been honoured with awards. It’s a privilege to present awards to our volunteers. Our congratulations to all recognised in the St. George’s Day awards for their contribution, dedication and loyalty to Scouting in Blackpool.