## **COUNTY ARMAGH SCOUT COUNCIL** 

**Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland – NIC104477 TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT for the year ended 31 March 2024** 

## **TRUSTEES and MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE at 31 MARCH 2023** 

Mr Sam Rusk (Chair) Mr Stewart Mc Williams Mr Winston Humphries (Treas) Miss Caroline Dawson Mr Leslie Irwin (Sec) Mr Leslie Babes Mr Rodney Watson Mr David Gregg Mrs Shelagh Calvert Miss Joy Minish. 

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. 

## **Governing Document:** 

The County's governing documents are those of the Scout Association. 

They consist of a Royal Charter, which in turn gives authority to the Bye Laws of the Association and The Policy, Organization and Rules of the Scout Association. 

## **Constitution:** 

The County is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts. 

## **Trustee selection Methods:** 

The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy Organization and Rules of the Scout Association. 

## **Additional governance issues** 

The County is managed by the Trustee Board, the members of which are the 'Charity Trustees' of the County which is an educational charity. As charity trustees they are responsible for complying with legislation applicable to charities. This includes the registration, keeping proper accounts and making returns to the Charity Commission as appropriate. The County Trustee Board exists to support the Scout County in meeting the responsibilities of the appointments and is responsible for: 

County public occasions; 

Assisting in the recruitment of leaders and other adult support; appointing any sub committees that may be required; 

Appointing County Administrators and Advisors other than those who are elected. 

## **Risk and Internal Control:** 

The County Executive ensures that all activities are undertaken in accordance with the Scout Association Policy, Organization and Rules. 



All leaders are members of the Scout Association and as such have a valid Access NI check and are covered by the Scout Association national accident insurance policy. Risk assessments are undertaken for all activities. 

## **Objectives:** 

The objectives of the County are as a unit of the Scout Association. 

The Aim of the Scout Association is to promote the development of the young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. 

The method of achieving the Aim of the Association is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, based on the Scout Promise and Law and guided by adult leadership. 

Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together 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. Make and live by their promise. 

The County meets the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria under both the advancement of education and the advancement of citizen or community development headings. 

## **County Armagh Scout Council - 2023 to 2024:** 

The County partners with the Northern Ireland Scout Council and the County provides adult and youth resources, both for training and programme, that can be most appropriately provided by bringing the members and resources together. The County programme supports the Northern Ireland programme. 

The County has maintained the challenge from the Scout Association to be "Youth Shaped" and to provide Scouting to more young people. Scouting in the County is becoming ever more representative of the communities in which it operates. 

|The 2024 census returns the following:|The 2024 census returns the following:|
|---|---|
|5 Squirrel Dreys|42|
|7 Beaver Colonies|81|
|8 Cub Packs|104|
|7 Scout Troops|96|
|3 Explorer Units|19|
|Total Young People|342|





We continue to keep on top of Access NI, constantly sending out the notices for access ni as they come in and to all the GSL for acting on them and keeping our young people in a safe environment. 

We are also constantly encouraging all our leaders to complete their Safeguarding and Safety modules, these are mandatory and need to be complete before our leaders can be involved with scouting activities with our young people. The County is now below the recommended level of 3% as requested by HQ for non compliance. 

## **Financial review:** 

The County is funded by the fees collected from each of the Groups which make up the County, fundraising and donations. 

The income has enabled the support of the ongoing leader training and the funding of the County Youth Activities. 

The County does not hold any long term investments and so all funds are held using mainstream banks. 

There are sufficient funds to ensure future advancement, strengthening and expansion of scouting in County Armagh. 

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above 

Signed on behalf of the Charity's trustees 

ISignature IName Rodney Watson 

IPosition County Lead Volunteer (Trustee) 

Date: 25/09/2024