TRUSTEES’ANNUAL REPORT for the year ending 31st MARCH 2023 Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC103714 http://www.cathedralscouts.com
CONTENTS
Page
1. Front Cover
2. Contents
3. Structure, Governance and Management
4. Trustees and Executive Committee
5. Leadership Team and Youth Shaped Scouting
6. Purpose and Public Benefit
9. Membership 10. Group Details
11. Trustees Declaration
12. Signed Financial Report
13. Appendix 1 - P.O.R. - Committees & Trustees
Structure, Governance and Management
The Scout Association was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1912. Its powers include the appointment of local bodies for the management of its affairs in any particular part of the United Kingdom; under these powers Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group is one of the groups registered to provide Scouting in the City of Lisburn. Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group is an autonomous Charity affiliated to The Scout Association and is recognised by the Inland Revenue as a Charity.
Group Executive, Leadership Team and Scout Council
The members of the groups Executive Committee are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland requires the Executive Committee to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period.
The Executive Committee typically meet at the beginning of every other month and review
-
Group membership including any requirement to recruit new members and new volunteers,
-
Group finances and predicted cash flow
-
Equipment needs
-
Fundraising
-
Safety
-
Other matters as appropriate
The Executive, as necessary, will organise sub committees to look at particular subjects and may co-opt non executive members onto these sub committees as required.
The Group Executive is not responsible for the scouting program; this responsibility falls to the leadership team, however certain members of that team are also members of the group executive committee to ensure there is efficient two way communication between the two bodies. Both bodies report to the group’s AGM where all members’ Parents,
Scout Patrol Leaders, Explorer Scouts and Adult Members have the right of attendance. This body is known as Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group Scout Council and it has the right to vote on approving or challenging Financial Accounts, electing certain members of the Executive Committee and amending decision that are not constrained by the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association.
The group follows the Policy, Organisation and Rules (P.O.R.) of the Scout Association. These are regularly updated and can be found at http://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/search?cat=480
Partners
Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group has a partnership agreement with three independent charities:
Lisburn Cathedral - for the use of their building and grounds Lisburn & District Scouts - to run and provide Explorer Scouting in a partnered Explorer Unit.
SafeGuarding
Because the majority of our members are under 18 years of age, safeguarding their wellbeing is a fundamental concern to all members of Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group and we have a robust system in place to ensure the welfare of our young people. This includes the referral of any incident to an outside independent reporting structure within The Scout Association. The Group Scout Leader is responsible for ensuring the internal structures follow both P.O.R. and guidelines given by the Department of Education.
Trustees and Executive Committee as of 31st March 2022
Chair Paul Millar Trustee (Group Scout Leader) Andrew Stacey Trustee (Treasure) Karen Brown Trustee (Secretary) Caroline Dobson Trustee (Explorer Scout Leader - Partnered Explore Unit) George Griffin Trustee (Scout Leader) Jill Maguire Trustee (Cub Scout Leader) Janice Spence Trustee (Beaver Scout Leader) Eugene Mohan Trustee (Parent Representitive) John McCann Trustee (Parent Representitive) Jane McClelland
The Trustees have studied the N.I. Charity Commission’s statutory guidance on the Public benefit requirement and consider that they have complied with it in full.
Other with rights of attendance at Executive Committee Meetings as non voting attendees. Members of the Scout Association
District Commissioner Mrs Audrey Morrow District Chair Mr Harold Baird Non Members of the Scout Association Rector Lisburn Cathedral Dean Sam Wright - or his nominee
The above 3 named are not Trustees of the group
Trustee Appointment
Trustees may be Ex-offica, Elected, Nominated or Co-Opted in accordance with P.O.R. This is covered by Rule 3.23biii which can be found in appendix 1.
It should be further noted that the position of Chair is the choice of the Group Scout Leader
The positions of Treasurer and Secretary are nominated and voted for annually by members of the Scout Council at the AGM.
Leadership Team
For all scouting matters, Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group (L.C.S.G.) follows the Policy Organisation and Rules (P.O.R.) of The Scout Association. It is led by a Group Scout Leader (GSL),
Each section is led by one or more section leaders who are assisted by Assistant Leaders, Section assistants and Young Leaders. There is a further team of skill providers who regularly work with most sections in their area of expertise.
Group
Group Scout Leader
Mr A. Stacey
Sections -
Beaver Scout Leader Mrs M. Simpson Beaver Scout Leader Mr E. Mohan Cub Scout Leader Mrs J Spence Scout Leader Mr G. Black Scout Leader Mrs J. Maguire Explorer Scout Leader Mr G. Griffin
Assistant Leaders - All Sections
Mrs K Lindsay, Mr J. Kennedy, Mrs L. Kennedy, Mr A Kennedy, Miss Kiara Kennedy, Ms Lyndsey McAuley, Mrs Rachel Skelton Mr R. Duncan, Mrs L. Murray, Mr M Stacey, Mr B Murphy, Mr Sam Duncan, Mr Callum Mohan, Mr A McKinley, Mr H. Johnston. Skills Instructors
Mr J Lyster, Mr D. Foreman Miss R Murray
Young Leaders -
The Group have Young Leaders placed with Beavers, Cubs and Scouts as part of the Leadership team
Youth Shaped Scouting
Young Leaders, with the aid of Cub Sixers and Scout Patrol Leaders, help to ensure that youth shaped scouting is at the heart of the scout program. They run sectional meetings that give feedback on subjects, activities and events that our young people wish to take part in. Young Leaders attend leadership planning meetings and are viewed as valued full members of the leadership team.
The Purpose of Scouting - What we Do
Scouting actively engages and supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Purpose and CCNI -area’s of fit
Scouting actively engages and supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. -
Scouting advances education, citizenship and community development, and operates in areas of crossborder / cross-community, cultural, sport/recreation and youth development - it has by design a direct impact on children (5 - 13 year olds) and youth (14 to 25 year olds).
Public Benefit - as registered with CCNI
-
The benefit which flows from our purpose is that young people are empowered to make a positive contribution to society through being engaged and supported in their personal development, including physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually.
-
This benefit is demonstrated through Scouting making a positive impact in our communities; preparing young people to be active citizens; embracing and contributing to social change; being as diverse as the communities in which we operates. These are evidenced by feedback from our beneficiaries and the wider community.
-
There is no harm arising from our purposes. Scouting operates within a framework of safety to enable young people to take part in adventurous activities safely.
-
Scouting’s beneficiaries are children and young people.
-
The only private benefit from this purpose is that Adult Volunteers are trained to deliver the programme, but this is incidental and necessary because it is needed to operate in today’s society working with young people.
Achieving our Purpose - Public Benefit.
Scouting develops young people in many different ways, it develops:-
leadership skills, independence, team work, confidence and skills for life as well as providing challenges, fun and excitement.
It’s fundamentals lie at the heart of everything we do and starts with the scout promise.
There are many variations to wording to suit different ages, the many different cultures and beliefs that exist in the United Kingdom and the Island of Ireland. Fundamentally they all say the same thing. That scouts have a duty to self, faith, country and others. The most common version of the promise for each section is at the beginning of the section report.
The Values of Scouting
As Scouts we are guided by these values:
Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal. Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others. Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live. Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Cooperation - We make a positive difference; we cooperate with others and make friends.
The Scout Method
Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and: enjoy what they are doing and have fun; take part in activities indoors and outdoors; learn by doing; share in spiritual reflection; take responsibility and make choices; undertake new and challenging activities; and make and live by their Promise.
Although LCSG is an independent charity, it is part of, and co- operates with, the wider scouting family and our local and national communities. Over the year, different sections have entered scout events and competitions organised by Lisburn and District Scouts, County Antrim Scouts and ScoutsNI, details of some of these can be found in the individual section reports.
Traditionally we have always attended the annual Remembrance Day parade and Service of Remembrance, organised by the Royal British Legion, along with other local uniformed youth organisations. This year was no exception and we had Scouts and Explorers from all sections of our community take part in the parade and service.
Our Explorer scouts volunteered with local charities for between 3 and 12 months.
Badges in Scouting are earned rather than given and all sections saw their members gain their Chief Scout’s Awards. These awards are not easily gained - in the younger sections, members must earn all their challenge badges as well as a number of activity badges, whilst in the older section, Explorer Scouts, they must complete everything that’s involved in gaining a Duke of Edinburgh award. plus complete a number of other scouting challenges to gain their Chief Scout Awards. The Scout Association is one of the UK’s biggest providers for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and our Explorer Section continue the long tradition within the group of entering members for all three levels. One member of Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group gained the top award in scouting by gaining their Queen’s Scout Award
Commitment to Training
Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group has always provided a programme aimed to build not only skills for life for its youth members and adult members, but also to boost their self confidence and self esteem by providing challenges and opportunities. This is often achieved by providing adventurous activities run by suitable qualified, skilled and experienced Leaders or external providers. Training included renewal of REC2 1[st] Aid qualifications for 10 Leaders and Skills providers as well as 3 leaders working toward NGB awards.
Internal Expertise
The group has a number of members with National Governing Body award holders. These
include personal and coaching qualifications
This includes 4 qualified climbing coaches who provide climbing experiences for all sections and Would usually run regular sessions for Explorers who have chosen climbing for their Duke of Edinburgh award skill or physical challenge.
A number of leaders are also involved in providing supervision and assessment to both group and nationally run Duke of Edinburgh and Queen’s Scout Expeditions.
Group Membership
As of Census 31st January 2022 the group consisted of the following
Youth Members
| Youth Members | |
|---|---|
| under 18 years old | Total |
| Beavers | 14 |
| Cubs | 25 |
| Scouts | 23 |
| Partnered Explorers | 25 |
| Total | 87 |
Young Leaders
A total of 3 young leaders volunteered with the Beaver, Cub and Scout Sections, Young Leaders are Explorer Scouts, who wish to take on a leadership role. All young leaders with L.C.S.G. take part in Leadership training.
| Leadershiptraining. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout Network - 18 to 25 Year Old | Male |
Female |
Total |
| Network (no other role) Note 1 | 1 | 1 |
2 |
| Network (with other role) Note 2 | 6 | 2 |
8 |
| NETWORK TOTAL | 7 | 3 |
10 |
Note 1 - because of scout census reporting - the 2 Scout network members with no other role were not included in census figures
Note 2 - The six Scout Network members with another role are included in the Adult Leader figures below
Adult Leaders
| Role | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GroupLeaders | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Beaver Leaders | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cub Leaders | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Scout Leaders | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Explorer Leaders | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Leaders regularly helping with multiple sections |
0 | 0 | 0 |
| Section Assistants | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Skills Instructors with no other role | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Inactive leaders 2022 -23 on books | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 12 | 27 |
Group Details Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group
Scout Groups registered with The Scout Association within Northern Ireland are often referred to under the umbrella name of ScoutsNI
Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group are based at the Church Halls of Lisburn Cathedral found at
24a Castle Street Lisburn BT27 4XD
All sections meet during normal school term times between September and June. They meet as follows
Beavers Monday 18:15 to 19:30 Cubs Tuesday 18:15 to 19:45 Scouts Tuesday 20:00 to 21:30 Explorers Wednesday 20:00 to 21:30 The Group also run a cross-sectional archery session. Archery Monday 19:45 to 21:15
Additionally to this camps and events take place throughout the calendar year as organised by the Leadership Team.
Important Registered Details
Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group was formed officially on 30th March 2009. It has the following identification registration numbers with bodies listed below
The Scout Association 10016944 Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC103714 Inland Revenue XR77549
The Group operate two current accounts with Ulster Bank Limited in order to manage it’s financial affairs.
Bank Accounts
| Bank Accounts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account 1 - Group Account | Account 2 - Activities Account | |||
| Account Name | Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group | Lisburn Cathedral Scout Activities | ||
| Sort Code | 98-09-60 | 98-09-60 | ||
| Account Number | 21566014 | 21567095 |
FINANCIAL REPORT Accounts Approval
The accounts were approved by the group’s Executive Committee on Monday 5th June 2023 and were ratified by Lisburn Cathedral Scout Group Scout Council at the Group Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 27th June 2023.
Independent Examination
The accounts were independently examined in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
Preparation of Report
The Report was prepared on behalf of the group for the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland by Andrew Stacey - Acting Group Scout Leader
Trustees Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved this Annual Report
Signed_____ Date__27[th ] June 2023__ Mrs Karen Brown - Group Treasurer
Signed_____ Date__27[th ] January 2023__ Mr Paul Millar - Group Chair
Appendix 1
Policy Organisation and Rules - The Scout Group - Chapter 3 Rule 3.23 The Constitution of the Scout Group
In the absence of an existing formally adopted Constitution to the contrary, the following represents an ideal Constitution and will apply where the circumstances and the support allow.
b. The Group Executive Committee
iii. The Group Executive Committee consists of: Ex-officio Members
-
The Group Chair;
-
The Group Secretary;
-
The Group Treasurer;
-
The Group Scout Leader;
-
The Assistant Group Scout Leader;
-
The Explorer Scout Leader (if stated in a Partnership Agreement, and subject to that Explorer Scout Leader expressly indicating to the AGM (in writing or orally at the meeting) that they are willing to perform such a function);
-
The Sponsoring Authority or its nominee;
-
All Section Leaders (i.e. individuals holding a Beaver Scout Leader, Cub Scout Leader or Scout Leader role) subject to that Section Leader expressly indicating to the AGM (in writing or orally at the meeting) that they are willing to perform such a function.
Elected Members
-
persons elected at the Group Annual General Meeting;
-
these should normally be four to six in number;
-
the actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the Group Scout Council.
Nominated Members
-
persons nominated by the Group Scout Leader;
-
the nominations must be approved at the Group Annual General Meeting; the number of
-
nominated members must not exceed the number of elected members.
Co-opted Members
-
persons co-opted annually by the Group Executive Committee
-
the number of co-opted members must not exceed the number of elected members.
-
Right of Attendance
-
the District Commissioner and the District Chair have the right of attendance at meetings of the Group Executive Committee.
iv. Additional Requirements for sub-Committees:
-
sub-Committees consist of members nominated by the Committee.
-
The Group Scout Leader and the Group Chair will be ex-officio members of any sub-
-
Committee of the Group Executive Committee.
-
Any fundraising committee must include at least two members of the Group Executive Committee. No Section Leader or Assistant Leader may serve on such a fundraising sub- Committee.
-
v. Additional Requirements for Charity Trustees:
-
All ex-officio, elected, nominated and co-opted members of the Group Executive Committee
-
are Charity Trustees of the Scout Group.
-
Only persons aged 18 and over may be full voting members of the Group Executive Committee because of their status as Charity Trustees (however the views of young people in the Group must be taken into consideration).
-
Certain people are disqualified from being Charity Trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts. (See rule 13.1)
-
Charity Trustees are responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation including the Data Protection Act
-
Some Groups may also need to register as a charity. (See Rule 13.3).