2024-03-31-annual-report

Trustee Annual Report

	Trustee Annual Report
Name of Charity	2nd Banbridge Scout Group
	NIC103929 1st April 2023 31st March 2024
Charity Registration Number	NIC103929
Year Start Date	1st April 2023
Year End Date	31st March 2024
The Purpose of your Charity	All Scouts NI Charities are governed by the Royal Charter and Bye-laws. Purpose of Scouting: Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
The principal address of the Charity	Church Hall Church St Banbridge Co Down BT32 4AA
The names of all Charity Trustees	Mr Andrew Patterson (Chairman) Mr Jonathan Shannon (Treasurer) Mrs Catherine Kirkwood (Secretary) Mr Rodney Watson Mrs Freda Graham Mr Neil Magowan Mrs Karen Swanston Miss Tracey McCall Mrs Sarah Kerrigan Mrs Edith McClimonds
The financial year the report relates to	Year start date 1stApril 2023 Year end date 31stMarch 2024
A summary of the Charity’s main activities and achievements in the year	These are the main activities undertaken by this Charity to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit of its beneficiaries. All Sections of the Group have remained active: Squirrels (4-5), Beavers (6-8), Cubs (8-10), Scouts (10-14).

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Squirrel Scouts:

2nd Banbridge Squirrel Drey is very healthy with 19 Squirrels, 4 of whom are girls who all attend regularly. The drey has had another very busy year working on challenge and activity badges.

In September we began with our usual ‘getting to know me’ nights and made biscuit faces of ourselves; we talked about the squirrel animal as well as playing lots of new games.

In October, we had a visit from mini athletics who put the Squirrels through a very vigorous workout. Took part in lots of autumn activities such as finger painting autumn pictures, an autumnal scavenger hunt and we made animals from conkers. We also had a visit from the dentist who told us how to look after our teeth.

In November, we had a Lego building and international activities night. The Squirrels also learnt 1st Aid, facilitated by Mini 1st Aid programme.

In December, we brought in presents to support the Salvation Army Toy Appeal, had a Christmas craft and baking night and finished the year with a Christmas party and a visit from Santa himself.

The dark nights of January/February saw the Squirrels take part in a promise ceremony making them all official members, worked on the Go Wild badge by making bird feeders, animal masks and learning about different animals. We made pancakes, had a games night and made Mother's Day craft.

March saw us attend the St.Patrick’s Day Youth Service, celebrate World Book day by dressing up as our favourite book character, completing the exciting Experiments badge and finishing before Easter with an egg hunt outside and some crafts.

In April/May our emphasis was getting outdoors. We completed a bug hunt and scavenger hunt; went to Tesco park; put up tents, cooked sausages and smores as well as having an Olympic games night. We also completed the Let it Grow badge. We had a visit from Wee Critters who hosted a very interactive session bringing snakes, skunk, owl, spider, mouse, cockroach and lizard for the Squirrels to hold.

We finished for the year on Tuesday 4th June with our annual parents’ night and awards, where we presenedt the 6 Squirrels who are moving to Beavers with their Acorn badges.

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Beaver Scouts: This year, we had a smaller Colony than normal with 19 Beaver Scouts. We packed as much as we could into the programme, with lots of games and some of the following activities: Visit to Banbridge Rugby Club to train with the Mixed Ability Team as part of the Disability Awareness badge. Had a great night, rounded off with pizza. Cinema visit to IMS at Christmas with District Beavers & Squirrels to see “Wonka”; RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch; Torchlight treasure hunt around the church grounds; Easter Egg Hunt; Visit to ‘Pets at Home’ store at Sprucefield, as part of the ‘Animal Friend’ Activity badge. (They are also sponsors of the badge.) Visit to Scarva Park for a nature trail, followed by the play park; Town trail to practise the Green Cross Code; Beaver Olympics – with our Olympic torch parade. Made machines; Colony Rules; Held Log Chews; Healthy eating, talking about food types, and our thanks to Whites of Tandragee for their donations of tasty porridge pots; Games / crafts – Decorating biscuits & designing ping-pong bats at Xmas, bird feeders, snakes for St Patrick’s Day, baskets for Mothers’ Day; Learned how to tie different knots & how to roll scarves; Burns night, tossing the caber, listening to pipes and making flags; Chinese New Year – made flying dragons, tasted Chinese food; Prayer book / Good Turn books & Star Beaver. Yvonne Shannon came along to explain the importance of keeping our teeth and mouths healthy; John Mathers took the Beavers through some Money Skills; Archery GB – Marty, Lisa and Luke came along to teach us about Soft Archery (Luke Wheeler shoots for TeamGB and is aiming for the Olympics in 2028); Badgework : Emergency Aid Stage 1, with Emma & Alison;

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Money Skills badge; Health & fitness badge; International Activity badge; Work towards the 6 Challenge badges – Outdoors, Skills, World, Adventure, Teamwork, Personal Challenge. These don’t include all the badges completed by the Beavers at home. Since September, we’ve awarded over 60 Activity badges; 28 Staged Activity Badges and 20 Challenge Badges awarded. At our presentation night on 23 May, we awarded certificates to Most Promising Beaver, Best Behaved Beaver and Beaver of the Year. We also awarded 8 Chief Scout Bronze Awards. We have 9 Beavers moving to Cubs in September. Cub Scouts: Cubs have had a busy year working hard at challenge and activity badges. Pack meetings began with the Grand Howl and always had some games - favourites include dodgeball, unihoc, ‘north, south, east, west’ and ladders, to name a few. Early meeting nights involved lots of team building games, problem solving and getting to know each other. We had pack Forums to discuss what Cubs would like to do throughout the year. In October, we went on a nature walk/litter pick and then completed nature pictures. We had a visit from the dentist who told us how to look after our teeth. We also completed the Navigator Stage 1 badge. In November, we had a board games night, completed the Personal Safety badge, and did some baking. In December, we took part in the Salvation Army Toy Appeal, we had a night of Christmas craft and Christmas baking. To finish for Christmas, the Cubs decided on a movie night with pizza and party foods. In January, Cubs had a visit from ‘Stripe Socks’ which is a theatre and circus skills workshop. Cubs got to try out and learn a variety of skills and earned their Entertainer badge. We also worked on our Naturist badge making bird feeders. We also worked on the Global Issues badge. In February, we completed the Scientist badge by doing experiments, had a games night, and started work on the Fire Safety badge by having a fire safety scavenger hunt around the church hall.

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In March, the Cubs had a visit to Lurgan fire station to complete their Fire Safety badge and had an egg hunt and Easter craft.

We tried to concentrate on outside activities in April and May, however the weather was not always in our favour. We have worked on camp craft putting up tents, cooking, outdoor games, and had a bug hunt. We completed the Gardener and Athletics badges.

As I write this report, we are heading to Cub Camp in Lorne from 24-26 May. This is a joint camp with Moira Cubs. We have 14 Cubs attending with activities planned such as archery, Gladiator Challenge, Abseil, High All Aboard activity, orienteering, wide games, campfire activities. We hope that the weather is going to be good.

Cubs’ end of year parent’s night will be held on Monday 4th June, when we will be presenting awards and badges to the Cubs for all their hard work this year.

Scouts

Number in attendance was around 25 . Number of patrols was 5 The section met every Monday night from 8 – 9.30pm. We welcomed a new assistant scout leader Taylor Masterson. Activities

Scouts started by completing their Activity Badge and Team Building Tasks.

Map reading and navigation skills taught to Scouts.

Hike was organised for the tow path on several occasions but never went ahead due to low numbers. Fire lighting at skills at the Church Hall grounds with activity session enjoyed by all Scouts, with soup and smores for Scouts. knot work and learned about different fixings and lashings. Firelighting skills for all scouts with sausages cooked on an open fire.

A evening navigation session took place at Drumbanagher estate with Scouts participating in team activities and navigation. Hike took place in the Mournes from Leitrim lodge to Deers Medows via the Windy Gap. This tested navigation skills in the mountains. Orienteering session in the church hall grounds.

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		Walk in Lissummon railway tunnel in June 2023 with soup for Scouts. Fun Nights Golf driving range (November 2023) and Troop Forums (periodically through the year). Various team games outside after Easter 2023 including football rounders, tug of war and navigation skills in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church. Scouts participated in EA survey Overall, it was an enjoyable year, it was encouraging to see some of the scouts dig deep and achieve difficult tasks. Planning for some more activities in the months ahead.
A statement that the Trustees have had with regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement statutory guidance		“All Trustees named above are aware of the Commission’s Public Benefit Requirement and Statutory Guidance”. “There was no harm flowing from the Charities purposes and there was no private benefit”.
A review of the Charity’s financial position at the end of the year		Opening Balance £9275.92 Income £5837.50 Expenditure £5969.44 Closing Balance £9143.98
Details of any funds held by the Charity that was materially in deficit at the end of the year and steps taken by the Charity Trustees to eliminate the deficit		There are no funds held by the charity that are materially in deficit.
One or more of the Charity Trustees must sign and date this box.		24-09-24

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