**SCOUTING IRELAND GROUP COUNCIL (CHARITY TRUSTEES) ANNUAL REPORT CHARITY COMMISSION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND**
**This form should be completed and submitted to CCNI as part of your annual return.**
**Please read the note at the end before completing.**
**Should you need further help contact you support officer or Scout foundation Northern Ireland.**
**Please read the notes at the end when filling in this form. When complete the form should be signed and scanned then uploaded up on to the CCNI website when completing your annual report.**
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1.Charity Name as listed on the Charity Register
7 [th] Antrim Whiteabbey Scout Group
Scouting Ireland
1 [st] September 2017 to 31 [st] August 2018
2. Financial year the report is for
3. CCNI Charity Registration Number
NIC106213
463 Shore Road, Whiteabbey,
4. The address from which the Charity Operates
Newtownabbey, BT370AE
(usually your Scout hall)
Current Trustees
5. The names of all our Trustees at the date of this
Kevin Connolly
report plus any who stepped down as a trustee during
Patrick Hughes
the year
Ciaran McAuley
Michael O’Hara
Trustees who stepped down
6. A summary description of the purposes of the charity
The aim of Scouting Ireland is to encourage the physical, intellectual, character, emotional, social
and spiritual development of young people so that they may achieve their full potential and as
responsible citizens, to improve society.
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_**The Charity’s purposes are:** The advancement of education The advancement of citizenship or community development_
***7. The name of any person, or body of persons, permitted by the trusts of the charity to appoint one or more new charity trustees and a description of the method used to make such appointments**
_**If there is any individual or organisation with the power to appoint charity trustees, such as another charity or a government department, provide their details, the relevant powers, and methods of appointment.**_
## **N/A**
***8. Include details of any funds held by the charity as a custodian trustee** _This is mandatory for charities preparing accruals accounts._
## **N/A**
## **9. Charity’s Main Activities and Achievements during the year.**
See Appendix A
## **10. How is the Group doing financially?**
Group income increased significantly in the year due to an increase in the number of children registered leading to an increase in subscription income and the income from parental contributions towards the group’s first off-shore camp in the Isle of Man. The increase in income has been more than offset by the respective costs of the Isle of Man camp, towards which the group contributed, and the first year off the group having to pay registration fees to Scouting Ireland Head Office.
The net surplus for the year was £762 leaving total reserves of £8,576 of which £2,441 is grant money from National Lottery to be invested in camping equipment for the group, leaving unrestricted reserves of £6,135.
## **11. How has the Group ensured members have not come to harm?**
_**All volunteers receive training in Safeguarding, Programme (youth work) skills and adventure skills. There is oversight of all activity by the Group Leader and the Group Council. Parents are regularly communicated with. All activities are carefully planned, and the appropriate equipment used.**_
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**12. How has your Group ensured that any private benefit to your volunteers has been incidental to the public benefit of your work?**
_**Volunteers gain additional transferrable skills, but this is incidental to the work that they do and are the skills that they require to undertake that work.**_
**13. A statement that the Trustees have had regard to the CCNIs guidance on Public Benefit.**
_**We the Trustees of 7[th] Antrim, Whiteabbey Scout Group, Scouting Ireland can confirm that in setting our objectives and planning for the year that we have considered 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.**_
**14. This report was approved by the Trustees (Group Council) on**
**Date: 28[th] November 2018**
**15. Signature of Trustees. (This should be signed by 2 Trustees approved by the Group Council)**
**Trustee 1: Patrick Hughes Date 28[th] November 2018**
**Trustee 2: Ciaran McAuley Date 28[th] November 2018**
## **NOTES**
**1. Enter the name of your Charity here as it is listed on the Charity Commission NI register. E.g. 29[th] Derry, Garvagh, Scouting Ireland**
**2. This would normally be the Scout Year i.e. 1[st] September to 31[st] August**
**3. Enter your Charity Commission NI Registration Number here. If you have forgotten it you can find it out online at http://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/charity-search/ or by contacting Scout Foundation NI.**
**4. Enter the address that you gave CCNI for your Group. This should be the address of where you meet.**
**5. List the names of Trustees (Group Council Members) that held the position of trustee at the date this report was approved by your Group Council. Also list separately any Trustees that stepped down during the year.**
**6. This section is pre-filled in for you using an answer previously agreed with CCNI.**
**7. N/A**
**8. N/A**
**9. In this section list the main activities carried out by your Group (Charity) in the last year. Items could include a summary of: The number/type of camps, hikes and outings; environmental projects; cross community work/projects; joint work/projects with other**
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**organisations, list efforts to recruit new members, adult and young people, etc. This work is carried out by how many volunteers in your Group.**
**List the achievements of the Group e.g. the number and type of badges awarded e.g. Special Interest or Adventure skills; the number of Chief Scout Awards; the number of An Gaisce or Duke of Edinburgh Awards; the number of Explorer Belts; any adult awards awarded during the year; have your or people in your Group won any awards as a result of the work the Group undertakes. Have you refurbished your Scout Hall or built a new one?**
**How have these activities helped young people? You could mention engagement, participation, team work and leadership skills, planning skills, a place to go, a sense of achievement and confidence, a sense of challenge, etc.?**
**Finally how do you ensure that you are open to all young people?**
**10. Tell CCNI how the Group is doing financially including all income and expenditure for the reporting year. This should be the same amounts as in your accounts. Tell them about any fundraising that you undertook or grants received. Also list any debts that the Group has and how the Trustees plan to get rid of them.**
**11. This section is pre-filled in for you using an answer previously agreed with CCNI.**
**12. This section is pre-filled in for you using an answer previously agreed with CCNI.**
**13. Enter the name of your Charity here as it is listed on the Charity Commission NI register and the date the report was approved by the Group Council.**
**14. Enter the date that this report was approved by the Group Council.**
**15. Two trustees must sign the form.**
**16. You can use another format for the report e.g. your own Groups annual report, but all questions listed here MUST be answered including those marked * that do not apply to SI Groups.**
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## **Appendix A**
The charity continues to deliver services in accordance with its charitable objectives and supports the development and education of young people between the ages of 6 and 25 in the Newtownabbey Area.
This year was the 3[rd] full year since the groups establishment in 2015 and it continue to grow in size and strength.
The group has 3 very active sections meeting weekly as follows:
Beaver Scout Section Tuesdays from 18.45 to 20.00 Cub Scout Section Wednesdays from 19.00 to 20.30 Scout Section Thursdays from 19.00 to 20.30
## **Finance**
The Charity’s primary source of funds is monthly subscriptions from members, the rates of which remained unchanged for the third successive year. Other income sources included receipts for camps and special activities and fundraising activities. This included a voluntary bag pack in a local supermarket.
The group’s largest outgoing was the costs of camps.
The net surplus of the year was £762.
## **Group Activities**
The charity organised two group camps for the young people during the year. The first was a weekend to Crawfordsburn Scout Centre in February 2018 during which the young people got the opportunity to take part in a range of activities from archery to crate climbing.
In April 2018 the Scout and Cub sections attended a five-day camp on the Isle of Man, the first time the group left the island of Ireland. The group were hosted by the Adventure Centre near Ramsay and enjoyed a full programme of activities including a 110ft abseil, gorge walking and coasteering.
Group camps are recognised as an invaluable opportunity for cross-sectional working between the young people and the leaders, strengthening the group identity and providing opportunities for the older children to support the younger children.
## **Provincial Events**
Recognising the group’s membership of a wider scouting family, the group participated in some provincial events. The scouts competed in the Ready Steady Cook challenge in Crawfordsburn, whilst the cub section attended a provincial camp at Tollymore Forest Park.
## **Scout Section Report**
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This year the scout section continued to focus on providing opportunities for the scouts to push themselves beyond their comfort zone, helping build confidence and ability. In November 2017 the section held their first Challenge Camp at Ballyeamonn Barn in the Glens of Antrim. The trip involved a one-night stay over and climbing Trostan, the highest peak in Antrim. Whilst not a high climb, the conditions were difficult, but all the scouts rose to the challenge. Further challenges were confronted in the Isle of Man with many of the activities being first-time experiences for the Scouts.
Membership of the section increased significantly from 9 to 16 with the intake of young people moving from cub scouts and new members joining the group.
The section also delivered a community project, collecting food for the local foodbank.
The scout section is run by three leaders and supported by two floating leaders, one of which is the Group Leader.
## **Cub Section Report**
The cub section has 31 young boys and girls between 9-11 years of age with 5 adult leaders volunteering for weekly meetings and weekend events. During weekly nights we have a wide range of activities exploring nature and the great outdoors through hiking, orienteering, games, badge work and camping. We had a few overnight camps to Crawfordsburn, Isle of Man and Tollymore Forest. The camps challenge the children and enable them to experience activities they would not normally be involved in. These various scouting events provide an opportunity for the children to form new friendships and grow in self-confidence through learning new skills both individually and as part of a group.
Beavers Section Report
The Beavers section had 24 Beaver Scouts made up of boys and girls ranging from 6 to 8 years old. We had adult leaders.
Weekly meetings involved the Beavers challenging themselves to complete various adventure-based badges as well as being creative and learning to think and act for themselves.
Over the last year, Beavers have been involved in numerous events ranging from overnight camps in Crawfordsburn, community events like bag packs and litter picks in the local beauty spots.
## **Equality & Access for All**
7[th] Antrim Scout Group is open to all young people who meet the age criteria, subject to availability of a place and irrespective of gender, race, actual or perceived faith, sexual orientation or disability.
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