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2026-03-31-accounts

th 6 West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Scouts 6th West Lothian Scout Group (Broxbum And Uphall) Annual Report & Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31" March 2026 OSCR Registered Charity SC011088 rfJ.05(r.or%

6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

The Trustees have pleasure in presenting their Annual Report along with the financial statements and independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31[st] March 2026.

Trustees Annual Report

Reference and Administration Details

The 6[th] West Lothian (Broxburn and Uphall) Scout Group may be contacted at 47 Church View, Winchburgh, EH52 6SZ. The Group’s premises address is The Scout Hall, Station Road, Broxburn, EH52 5QU.

The Scout Group is recognised as a charity by The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) which gave the Association's Scottish Charity Number as SC011088

Charity Trustees who manage the charity

Trustee Name Position Dates acted if not for whole year
Barry Gordon Chair
Sarah-Jane Mackie Treasurer
Emma Davies Trustee Member
Ross Milne Trustee Member
Anna Payne Trustee Member 31stMarch 2025 – 11thMarch 2026
Jennifer McCreight Trustee Member 11thMarch 2026 - present

Structure, governance and management

The Group’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, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association, with Scottish variations.

The Group is a trust established under its rules which are common to all Scouts. The Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.

The Group is managed by the Group Trustee Board, the members of which are the ‘Charity Trustees’ of the Scout Group 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 Trustee Board consists of the Chair, Treasurer and 3 Trustees and meets every 3 months. Members of the Trustee Board complete mandatory training relevant to the role.

This Group Trustee Board exists to make sure the charity is well-managed, risks are assessed and mitigated, buildings and equipment are in good working order, and everyone follows legal requirements and the organisation's policies and rules. Their support helps other volunteers run high-quality and safe programmes that gives young people skills for life.

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

The group has in place systems of internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance against material mismanagement or loss, these include 2 signatories for all payments and comprehensive insurance policies to ensure that insurable risks are covered.

Objectives and activities

The 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 Values of Scouting

As Scouts we are guided by these values:

The Scout Method

Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:

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

Achievements and Performance

Whilst last year was marked by change, this year some of the changes have settled whilst others have continued. Nontheless, this year has been marked by several achievements, both by individuals and for the group.

Firstly, we ran our first international trip in several years. Our Scouts Team Lead, Kris, led a team of 9 volunteers and 32 Scouts and a few explorers to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland, which he will tell you more about later. It’s fair to say that the trip was a resounding success with no injuries, no-one lost, permanently anyway, and no arrests! In fact, it was deemed so successful, that there will be another trip taking place in 2028. Watch this space.

Membership : Another achievement for Scouts is we have opened a second troop. With a bulging waiting list and keen movers from Cubs, having the single troop was proving a bottle neck for those wanting to join and the large size of the existing troop was becoming unwieldy, especially given our limitations on indoor

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

space. As a result, we finished the year with 96 members across the four sections, having peaked at 103 earlier in the year.

Our waiting list has reduced slightly from last year with 44 young people waiting for places. This has primarily been achieved through the opening of our second Scout troop which has taken some of the older children off the waiting list. However, our ability to take additional youngsters off the waiting list is hampered by a lack of volunteers.

Community Impact : During the year the Group has continued to deliver a Scout Program for the benefit of the young people in the Uphall, Broxburn and surrounding areas. We are particularly proud of our continued efforts around Community Impact.

Our activities have ranged from litterpicks along the Union Canal and Holmes Park, food bank collections, supporting the 2025 poppy appeal, singing Christmas carols for care home residents and community gardening projects.

Fundraising : Whilst we haven’t had as many fundraising activities this year, we’ve still done ok. We had a much larger team complete the Wee Wander Kiltwalk and were delighted that our team had representation from all four sections.

However, we now have a dedicated trustee focused on fundraising who many of you will recognize. Jen McCreight transferred from her role as team lead for Squirrels to our fundraising trustee. She has been busy building her knowledge of grants to support our longer-term refurbishment project and helping us to align ourselves to what we may need over the medium to longer term as well as planning for smaller scale fundraising events.

I’d like to make a special mention though to parent, Liam Riggins, who ran the West Highland Way to fundraise for the Group. The West Highland Way is a 95-mile route from Milngavie to Fort William, with a fair amount of ascent as you might imagine. It’s up for debate what is more incredible; the running of the route in 22 hours or the £1,160 Liam raised for the Group in doing so.

ANNUAL REPORT presented to AGM on 09[th] June 2026

Chair report – Barry Gordon

It is my pleasure, as Chair of the 6th West Lothian Scout Group, to present this year's report and reflect on another highly productive period of growth, achievement, and community engagement.

Throughout the year, our Group has remained committed to delivering high-quality Scouting experiences that place young people at the centre of everything we do. Through a diverse programme of activities, learning opportunities, and community involvement, we continue to equip our members with the confidence, skills, and values that will support them throughout their lives. The principles of leadership, teamwork, resilience, citizenship, and personal development remain fundamental to our approach and are evident in the experiences we provide.

A significant factor in our continued success has been the exceptional leadership of our Group Lead Volunteer, Emma. Her commitment, enthusiasm, and strategic direction have ensured that the Group continues to evolve in a way that is inclusive, engaging, and responsive to the needs of both our young people and volunteers. Emma's ability to foster strong relationships across the Group has strengthened not only our Scouting provision but also the wider sense of community shared by members, families, and supporters.

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

I would also like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of our Treasurer, Sarah-Jane. Her careful financial stewardship has enabled the Group to maintain a strong and sustainable financial position whilst continuing to invest in equipment, facilities, and programme delivery. During the year, significant progress has been made in modernising our financial processes through the introduction of digital banking solutions, improving accessibility and efficiency for volunteers, parents, carers, and external partners alike. SarahJane's persistence in securing previously unclaimed Gift Aid has delivered a substantial benefit to the Group's finances and will support future development opportunities

As well as Emma and Sarah it is important for me to mention our newset member Lee Flannigan Brown who recently joined and comes with a wealth of experience ideal for this sector. Also, our existing board member Jennifer McCreight who has done an excellent job this year leading our fundraising efforts. Finally my thanks goes out to Ross Milne, also board member, who has been vital in assisting with many aspects of the hall upkeep and future planning for the building and facilities

The achievements of the Group would not be possible without the dedication of our Board of Trustees and volunteer team. Their expertise, governance oversight, and ongoing support ensure that the Group operates effectively and in accordance with its responsibilities. Much of this work takes place behind the scenes, yet it provides the foundation upon which all our activities are built. I am sincerely grateful for the considerable time, effort, and professional skills contributed by those who volunteer in support of our mission.

As we continue to grow, the need for additional volunteers remains as important as ever. Whether through governance roles, direct support to section meetings, fundraising, administration, maintenance, or the sharing of specialist skills and experience, there are many ways individuals can make a meaningful contribution to the future of Scouting within our community.

Our collective efforts continue to support a vision in which every young person in West Lothian has the opportunity to discover their potential through Scouting. The progress achieved this year provides a strong platform for the future, and I approach the year ahead with confidence, optimism, and pride in what we have accomplished together.

Alongside our programme developments, the Group has continued to explore options for the long-term improvement of our facilities. Significant work has been undertaken to assess the viability of both renovating our existing building and, where appropriate, considering replacement options that will better meet the needs of future generations of Scouts. This remains a key priority for the Board of Trustees, as we seek to provide a safe, modern, accessible, and sustainable environment that supports high-quality Scouting and wider community use. While this is a complex and long-term project, considerable progress has been made in evaluating opportunities and identifying potential funding to move forward. We remain committed to securing facilities that reflect the ambitions of our Group and the young people we serve.

Group Volunteer Lead – Emma Davies

Badgework : Over the past year, our young people have earned just shy of 1,500 badges, an increase of 1/3 from last year. Whilst this was helped by our international trip, that is not the sole reason. Much of this achievement has been due to the creativity of our volunteer leaders for designing and delivering a broad programme, allowing our young people to work on a variety of badges. Of those badges awarded, 28 were

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

Chief Scout awards. Again, this is a substantial increase from last year. Whilst our leaders can provide the opportunities, clearly this achievement relies on the youngster joining in and being willing to take themselves out of their comfort zone often to reach the level required for the Chief Scout Award. Congratulations to all the youngsters who achieved their Chief Scout Acorns for Squirrels, Bronze for Beavers, Silver for Cubs and Gold for Scouts.

Camps : Across the Group, we haven’t managed to complete as many camps as previous years with the weather getting in the way for some of it. The Cubs district camp last May was curtailed due to forecast wind levels making it unsafe, and a planned joint Beaver and Cub camp in early October had to be cancelled due to stormy weather. However, the Scouts still managed their usual camps including the annual Brass Monkey, twice this year, due to a rescheduling of Jan 25s in Apr, then the proper one in January this year. The Cubs enjoyed 2 camps at the Craigs in May 25 and a novel camp at Glasgow Science centre, making up for not getting spaces on this year’s Howling.

Nonetheless, our Group have pulled together 28 fabulous events, in addition to the weekly activities at the hall. These include section only, group events and those with others from across West Lothian district, providing your young people with opportunities to learn from and build friendships with other young people, outside of their normal circle.

----- Start of picture text -----
April Theatre Trip Group
District Parade Group
Brass Monkey - ish Scouts
May May Camp Cubs
District Camp Cubs
June Expedition Scouts
Hike Beavers
Paddleboarding Beavers
July Kandersteg Trip Scouts
August Fordell Adventure day Cubs and Scouts
Broxburn Gala Day Group
September Hike Cubs
Kiltwalk Group
Skills camp Scouts
Teddy Bears picnic Squirrels
Rock climbing Squirrels
October Maid of the Forth Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs
Scramble adventure Squirrels
JOTI/JOTA Scouts
November Remembrance Parade Group
Science Centre camp Cubs
November camp Scouts
December Jambowlree Squirrels and Beavers
January Brass Monkey camp Scouts
February Snowsports Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs
March Jumble Sale fundraiser Group
Craigs Camp Beavers
Badgework camp Scouts
----- End of picture text -----

People: Amy is still leading our Squirrels team and was joined by a few new faces; Jody, Hannah, Claire and Laura joining our stalwart Chris. For Beavers, I stepped down from my dual role of Beaver leader and GLV and handed it to Bruce. By the end of the year, the Beaver team included John Brooks and Teo. Cubs has had the most change with a combination of movers across the group and new team members. Sarah-Lou

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

has led the team over the past year, with Ieva, and Ross pulling much of the weekend activities together, mostly from Aberdeen. They were joined by Tom who transferred from our Squirrels team. Our Scouts team has grown as demanded by the opening of the additional troop but Kris looks after both. He is joined by John Watson, transferring from Beavers and Ellie on Mondays and Sam, Callum and John Martin on Thursdays.

Whilst seeing our volunteers together, it might seem like a big team, we are required to have a certain number of trained adult volunteers per child and this ratio increases for the younger age groups. It’s 1:12 +1 for Scouts but 1:4 +1 for Squirrels.

We are now restricted by a lack of volunteers both within our sections and on our trustee board. This is evidenced by both our Squirrel and Cubs team having to reduce capacities due to a lack of volunteers and evening sessions having to be cancelled for our Cub pack in recent months. We want to do much more for your children but need support from you to deliver that.

I can’t stress enough how much we rely on volunteers to run our Group. We have no paid staff. Our district team, looking after the other 18 Scout Groups and 10 explorer units in West Lothian, have no paid staff. Everything your child joins in has been organized and run by our exceptional volunteers. All our volunteer teamwork, most full-time. Some don’t even work locally, and others have international elements to their jobs too, and we have shift workers on both our Trustee Board and leader teams. So we flex the activities to suit our volunteer’s capacity and skills. And we can flex to suit you as well, whether it’s joining our frontline leaders' teams or our behind-the-scenes Trustee team.

So if you think what we’re doing here is creating value for your children and for our community’s young people, please talk to us about volunteering as we have a lot to do and not enough people to do it all. There is much more we could achieve as a group and more opportunities we could provide, both your children and other children in our community, with more volunteers. And with several of our team becoming eligible for length of service awards this year, clearly volunteering with us is something that the grown-ups can enjoy and benefit from too. Otherwise, that wouldn’t happen.

However, I'll end my report by offering my deepest gratitude to all our volunteers, whether they be occasional helpers or our weekend warriors who help ensure we can offer your young people adventures away from the Scout Hall. But specifically, to our regular volunteers who donate their time to plan, resource, risk assess and deliver the weekly activities for our young people as well as evaluate them afterwards to ensure we are constantly learning and improving.

Group Treasurer – Sarah-Jane Mackie

I am pleased to report that the Group remains in a strong financial position at 31 March 2026. Total income for the year was £48,396 and expenditure was £41,635, resulting in a surplus of £6,761 and year-end funds of £31,158.

The Group continues to benefit from a diverse range of income sources, including membership fees, fundraising activities, donations, grants, Gift Aid and hall lettings. We are particularly grateful to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts throughout the year, with the Edinburgh Kiltwalk once again making a significant contribution.

During the year, funds were invested directly into delivering Scouting activities through badges, uniforms, equipment, training and programme activities across all sections, while also supporting the ongoing maintenance and operation of the Scout Hall.

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

Thank you to our volunteers, trustees, parents, carers and supporters for their continued commitment and generosity. Their efforts help ensure the Group remains financially secure and able to provide high-quality Scouting opportunities for our young people.

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

The Group's policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue the charitable activities of the group should income and fundraising activities fall short as well as to cover the timing differences between receipts and payments and to allow for any unexpected items of expenditure of the Scout Hall.

Investment Policy

The Group does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments. The Group has therefore adopted a risk averse strategy for the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream banks or building societies.

Trustee Remuneration

The Trustees did not receive any remuneration during the year.

Group Accounts

The Group maintains a single undesignated general fund for all its financial transactions. The Group utilizes Online Scout Manager for bookkeeping and expense transactions made via OSM Expense Cards and GoCardless are reconciled into the main general fund account.

Group Assets

The Group owns a trailer, this was purchased in 2019 for £1,250.

Group Liabilities

The Group has no other material liabilities or obligations.

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

Independent Examiner Report

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the 6th West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall)

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2026 which are set out on pages 10 to 11.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the 2006 Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:  to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations

  2. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or

  3. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name: Stewart MacBride Address: 33 South Middleton, Uphall, EH52 5GA Date: 22[nd] June 2026

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

Statement of Receipts and Payments

Summary of Receipts and Payments 2025 – 2026

2025-2026 2024-2025
Income
Donation (note 1) £7,177.60 £5,404.00
Events - Group £0.00 £1,441.50
Events - Beavers £672.50 £655.50
Events - Cubs £1,425.00 £1,417.50
Events - Scouts £13,651.50 £23,306.00
Events - Squirrels £529.00 £16.00
Fundraising (note 2) £1,176.45 £7,267.84
Gift Aid £3,277.18 £5,922.22
Membership Fees £16,690.76 £14,239.05
Hall Let (note 3) £3,796.32 £5,930.32
Uniform Receipt £0.00 £25.65
Grand Total £48,396.31 £65,625.58
2025-2026 2024-2025
Expense
Activity Equipment £728.25 £119.00
Admin £178.93 £233.77
Badges £1,558.91 £1,020.74
Camping Equipment £132.87 £830.80
Events - Group £1,669.35 £1,572.24
Events - Beavers £672.06 £742.03
Events - Cubs £1,194.88 £1,840.13
Events - Scouts £19,668.64 £27,952.19
Events - Squirrels £523.22 £240.50
Insurance £2,746.20 £2,651.80
Meetings £36.99 £35.10
Meetings - Beavers £85.29 £90.38
Meetings – Cubs £165.20 £0.00
Meetings - Scouts £446.11 £63.29
Meetings - Squirrels £110.48 £44.82
Membership Costs £4,892.50 £4,801.50
Training £295.00 £160.00
Uniform £1,729.98 £283.20
Utilities £2,538.45 £2,674.16
Venue Maintenance £1,591.78 £5,876.28
Grand Total £41,634.83 £51,485.00

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

Account balances 2025-2026 2024-2025
Operational 6thWL SG £30,561.28 £24,396.31
Expense Account £596.51 £0.00
Summary 2025-2026 2024-2025
Account balance brought forward £24,396.31 £10,255.73
Total income £48,396.31 £65,625.58
Total expenditure £41,634.83 £51,485.00
Net income £6,761.48 £14,140.58
Account balance carried forward £31,157.79 £24,396.31

Notes to the accounts

Note 1 – Detail of Donations and Grants received

----- Start of picture text -----
Donations Sum of Amount
Scouts Scotland £ 347.00
↳ Expedition Challenge ↳ £300.00
↳ Training ↳ £47.00
Leslie Sell Charitable Trust – KISC 25 £1,000.00
Kilt Walk 2025 £4,205.30
L Riggans – West Highland Way £1,100.30
Corporate donations unrestricted £ 500.00
Oyegbile (parent donation) £ 25.00
Grand Total £7,177.60
----- End of picture text -----

Note 2 – Detail of Fundraising Activities

----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising Activities Sum of Amount
Easy Fundraising £ 186.90
Jumble Sale Mar 26 £ 291.50
Jumble Sale Mar 25 £ 530.57
District Tuck Shop £ 111.23
Quiz Night £ 56.25
Grand Total £ 1,176.45
----- End of picture text -----

Note 3 – Detail of Hall let income

----- Start of picture text -----
Hall Let income Sum of Amount
Fallon Academy £1,220.00
Destination Judo £1,306.32
Na Loachra £ 450.00
Other £ 820.00
Grand Total £3,796.32
----- End of picture text -----

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6[th] West Lothian Scout Group (Broxburn & Uphall) Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] March 2026

A roval pp

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 09[th] June 2026 and signed on behalf of all trustees by:

Barry Gordon Chair

Sarah-Jane Mackie Treasurer

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6" West Lothian ScoutGroup (Broxburn & Uphalll Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 3151 March 2026 13