Public Benefit Report
110th Belfast St Bernadettes Scout Group (NIC 103995)
Trustees’ Annual Report 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023
Address
The Scout Hall, St Bernard’s Primary School, Wynchurch Walk, BT6 0JS
Our purposes
The purpose of Scouting is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development as individuals and as responsible citizens, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Our beneficiaries
Our principal beneficiaries are children and young people, mainly, but not restricted to those who are resident in the Rosetta area of Belfast, but the benefit can extend to society more generally through the Scout Group’s positive contribution to our local community. The Scout Group has a current youth membership of approximately 75, spanning Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts and Explorer Scouts, supported by an adult volunteer leadership of 15.
Public benefit arising from activities
Each of our Sections have continued to meet on a weekly basis throughout the year and have engaged in an age-appropriate, varied and balanced programme to support the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual development of our young people. In addition to their own sectional programme, our Explorer Scouts are encouraged and empowered to make a positive contribution to society through their active participation as valued members of the leadership teams working with the younger sections of the scout group.
Our programme has included physical activities (for example athletics, martial arts and basketball workshops), health promotion (QUB healthy minds, healthy bodies workshop, fitness challenge), creative activities. All sections of the Group have actively participated in events and competitions organised at District,
County and Northern Ireland level. These have included football, unihoc, volleyball, swimming, canoeing, table quizzes and scout craft competitions. Such activities not only support the personal development of our members but have also provided opportunities for them to interact with young people from other parts of Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland. Across the sections, more than 400 Scout activity and challenge badges were earned by our
members in 2016, and a number of members in each section achieved the highest award, the Chief Scout’s Award for their respective section. Many of these badges have helped to equip our membership to enable them to play a positive part in their local community, appropriate to their age and stage of development, for example through completion of first aid, disability awareness, home and fire safety training with assistance from appropriately trained tutors.
Mitigation from harm
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. Risk assessments are carried out for all programmed activities. Adventurous activities are undertaken only under strict supervision by those with appropriate qualifications and authorisation. All of our adult volunteers have undergone ACCESSNI advanced vetting and complete mandatory induction, safe-guarding and first aid training.
Private benefit
The only private benefit from our 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.
Regard to the Commission’s Guidance
In setting our objectives and planning our activities during the year to March 2023 at all times the trustees have had due regard and careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
Financial position at 31st March 2023
During the current financial year income exceeded expenditure by £4,734.
How the charity is constituted and governed
The Scout Group is governed under the terms of the Royal Charter issued to, and the policies, organisation and rules pertaining to the Scout Association in the United Kingdom. Locally, the 110[th] Belfast St Bernadettes Scout Group is represented on and responsible to the Northern Ireland Scout Council which ratifies appointment of adult of leaders and oversees provision of leader training. Under the rules of the Scout Association, a properly constituted Group Executive Committee has been established, and meets formally at least twice per year, in addition to the Group’s Annual General Meeting.
The above report will be approved by the Group Executive Committee, ratified at the Annual General as soon as we are able to meet given the current Covid Situation.
Liam McSorley