1st Hillhall Scout Group
Based at Hillhall Presbyterian Church 163 Hillhall Road Lisburn BT27 5JA
Annual Report
Year from 12th July 2024 to 11th July 2025
Charity number 103885
Charitable purpose
The purpose of 1st Hillhall Scout Group is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Charity’s constitution
The constitution of 1st Hillhall Scout Group is aligned to the constitution of the National Scout Association, of which itis a part. This provides a framework as to how the group is run including the aims, the programme, the structure of the Association and key policies such as child protection and safety amongst others. The constitution also states how the group is managed as well as how the Group Executive Committee is elected.
Activities during 2024/25
The group has four sections:
The Squirrel Drey is for children aged 4-6. During the 2024/25 year there were approximately 12 children in the drey. The Squirrels enjoyed a full programme of crafts, games and outdoor activities throughoutthe year.
The Beaver Colony is for children between the ages of 6-8. During 2024/25 there were approximately 28 Beavers in the colony. The Beavers met in the church hall at Hillhall Presbyterian Church and enjoyed a varied programme of games, crafts and scouting skills. The annual Beaver camp was again a highlight of the year.
The Cub Pack is for children between the ages of 8-107. During 2024/25 there were approximately 20 Cubs. The Cubs met at the youth hall at Hillhall Presbyterian
Church and continued to develop their scouting skills, including backwoods cooking, fire safety, camp furniture making and team challenges.
The Scout Troop is for young people between the ages of 10%—14. During 2024/25 there were approximately 15 Scouts at Hillhall. The Scouts met at the youth hall and attended outdoor activities and camps, including residential activities developing their skills in water-based activities, climbing and adventurous pursuits.
In total, approximately 75 young people were members of the group during the year 2024/25.
Public Benefit The benefit which flows from our purpose is that young people are empowered to make a positive contribution to society through being engaged and su pported in their personal development, including physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. The group operates on a Wednesday night and is open to all members of the public within the defined age limits. The group always endeavours to accommodate all of the children who wish to attend and, through the recruitmentof more leaders, all of the children were accommodated this year.
The children who attended further developed their skills in areas such as cookery, knot tying, camping and working as a team. These skills will help the members throughout their lives and will, hopefully, also help the members make a positive impact in their communities; preparing young people to be active citizens; embracing and contributing to social change. The success of the programme is shown by the number of children within the group.
Scouting operates within a framework of safety to enable young people to take part in adventurous activities safely. The group follows the best practice guidance provided by the National Scout Association to ensure this is the case. The Trustees are not aware of any private benefit received by anyone, even as an incidental benefit. In planning the programmes for the different sections for the year, consideration has been given to the guidance provided by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland to help ensure that the charity's purpose is met.
Governance 4st Hillhall Scout Group is governed by the rules of the Scout Association of which it is a part. The Scout Group incorporates the Squirrel Drey, Beaver Colony, Cub Pack and Scout Troop, all operating under the charity registration number 103885.
Trustees who served within this year are: Mr Jamie Toole (appointed 12 September 2018) Mrs Katherine Tolerton (appointed 12 September 201 8)
Mr Peter Knowles (appointed 12 September 2018) Mr Paul Wilkinson (appointed 12 September 2018) Mr Bryan McKinstry (appointed 12 September 2018)
Review of the Financial Year
During 2024/25, the accounts of 1st Hillhall Scout Group include the combined receipts and paymentsofthree bank accounts: the main Hillhall Scouts account, the Squirrel Drey account, and the Beaver Scout Colony account (which covers both Beavers and Cubs). During this year, the Beaver and Cub sections experienced difficulty accessing their bank account and, as a result, a number of expenses were paid in cash by leaders and docu mented through receipts. These cash transactions are included in the accounts.
Total combined income for the year was £10,768.50. The main sources of income were annual subscriptions and fees collected from parents and guardians across all sections (£7,868.50), an external grant received from the Education Authority (£1,800.00), and other income of £1 100.00 received into the scout account from a linked account.
Total combined expenditure for the year was £7,664.96. The largest single expenditure was capitation fees paid to the Scout Association via Lisburn District (£3,225.00), covering liability insurance and national membership costs. Camp and outdoor activity costs amounted to £2,41 2.00. Hall rental costs were £915.00. Leader expense reimbursements totalled £610.00, and costs relating to uniforms, badges, equipment and general expenses were £502.96.
The group achieved a combined su rplus of £3,103.54 for the year. The group’s combined funds at the end of the year stood at £7,918.50 across all three accounts plus cash in hand. The Trustees feel these funds are sufficient[to][ support][the][ Scout] Group and enable it to operate in the forthcoming year.
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Signed
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ee
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Jamie Toole 1st Hillnall Group Scout Trustee
Contact address:
4st Hillhall Scout Group clo Hillhall Presbyterian Church 163 Hillhall Road Lisburn B127 5JA
Date: __—=_—12/04/2026
independent Report
Independent examiner's report to the charity Trustees of 1st Hillhall Scout Group
| report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ending 11th July 2025, which are set out on the following pages.
Respective responsibilities of Charity trustees and examiner.
As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charity’s Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
It is my responsibility to:
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» Examine the accounts under section 65 of the Charities Act.
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¢ Follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given the Commission under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act.
¢ State whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner's report.
| have examined your charity accounts as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and my examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act.
My examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with these records. It also included consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanation from you as charity trustees concerning any such matters.
My role is to state whether any material matters have come to my attention giving me cause to believe:
- That the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 63 of the Charities Act. « That the accounts do not comply with those accounting records. * That the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act. * That there is further information needed for a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Independent examiner's statement.
| have completed my examination and have no concerns in respect of matters (1) to (4) listed above, in connection with following the directions of the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland, | have found no matters that require drawing to your attention. ee
William Lyness
Certified Bookkeeper
18 Fortfield Dromore
BT25 1DD
4st Hillhall Scout Group
Combined Accounts 12/7/24 — 11/7/25
m=... . |. Annual Subscriptions & Section Fees 7,868.50 External Grants (Education Authority) Other Income 1,100.00 [rr Capitation Fees (Scout Association via Lisburn District) [8,225.00] Camp & Outdoor Activity Costs fs 2,412.00 Hall Rental 88.00 Leader & Volunteer Expense Reimbursements 610.00 Uniforms, Badges, Equipment & General f«802.96| Prior Year Squirrel Cheque (see note) 242.63 | Combined Funds at 12/7/24 «087.59 Combined Funds at11/7/25 00 7,918.50
Balance Sheet at 11 July 2025
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|Hillhall Scouts — Ulster Bank (a/c ending 082)|P88|2.34|||
|Squirrel Drey — Ulster Bank|(a/c ending 904)|Po|1,145.72,|
|Beaver & Cub|Colony — Ulster Bank|(a/c ending|187)|6,219.44|
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There are no restricted funds.
Note: These accounts consolidate three separate bank accounts operated by 1st Hillhall Scout Group and reflect the full financial activity of the charity for the year. Opening balances: Hillhall Scouts £2,479.34; Squirrel Drey £960.35; Beaver & Cub Colony £1,617.90 (combined opening £5,057.59, matching the 2023/24 closing balance). Expenditure includes £242.63 in respect of a Squirrel Drey cheque paid to a section leader which cleared the bank during the 2023/24 year but was not included in the prior year accounts due to a missing bank statement page. This payment has been included in the current year’s accounts.
The Beaver & Cub Colony closing balance of £6,21 9.44 is estimated from the subsequent statement period (August 2025) as the final page of the in-period statement was not available. During 2024/25, the Beaver and Cub sections experienced difficulty accessing their bank account; as a result, several expenses were paid in cash by leaders and documented through receipts. These cash payments are reflected in the expenditure figures above. The Cub section operated a separate cash float, with £1 00 remaining at year end.
~ Signed
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eo
eo eee
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Jamie Toole Group Scout Leader
C/O Hillhall Presbyterian Church 163 Hillhall Road Lisburn BT27 5JA Date: 21/04/26