**Annual Report and Statement of Accounts** **1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025** **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **CONTENTS** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Trustees’ Annual Report ........................................................ 2 - 8
Independent Examiner’s Report ........................................... 9
Receipts & Payments account .............................................. 10
Statement of Balances ............................................................ 11
Notes to the financial statements ....................................... 12 - 14
**----- End of picture text -----**
Page 1 **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 JULY 2025** The Executive Committee have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements and the independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31 July 2025. ## **Reference and administrative information** Charity name: 18 th Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group Also known as: 18 th Paisley Scout Group Scottish Charity Number: SC030139 Registered office: 33 Mull Avenue, Glenburn, Paisley, PA2 8JA Website: https://18thpaisleycoats.org Facebook: facebook.com/CoatsFoxbarScoutGroup Bankers: TSB, 24 High Street, Paisley, PA1 2BS Unity Trust Bank, Four Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2JB Independent Examiner: Christopher Wilkie, 27 Victoria Gardens, Paisley, PA2 9PQ ## **Trustees** **Sandy Provan** Chairman **Gillian Corrigan** Treasurer **Susan Loughlin** Secretary **Stewart Leckie** Group Lead Volunteer **Katie-Ann Donaghy** Scout Parent Representative Page 2 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing document** The Scout Group is an unincorporated association which is constituted in terms of the Rules of The Scout Association, which is a charitable body incorporated by Royal Charter. The Group is a registered Scottish Charity – No SC030139. The Group’s registration number with the Scout Association is 08083. ## **Appointment of trustees** Trustees are recruited and appointed in accordance with the Policy, Organisation & Rules (“POR”) of the Scout Association. ## **Objectives & Activities** The charity is established for charitable purposes only and the charitable purposes are: - The advancement of education - The advancement of religion - The saving of lives - The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science The purpose of the Scout Group is to promote the development of 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. ## **Achievements & Performance** ## **Group Scout Leaders Report 2024– 2025** Another busy start to the new session. All sections were kept working towards awards & challenges. April saw members of the Group take part in a Group Sponsored walk from Lochwinnoch to Foxbar to help raise funds towards our Group Funds. Over £200 pounds was raised. Well done to all who took part. All three sections were involved in the fund-raising. Yet again several outings to Lapwing and hikes around the Gennifer Braes saw us end the session in June. Looking back on the past year the scout group has decreased in numbers (Scout section) since last January. Due to Work Commitments and moving away from the local area, We said fond farewell to three of our adult Section Volunteers. Rebecca Nicol and Hector and Cat Noden. We wish them well and thank them for their work in supporting the Group. During the course of the year we gained a new Adult Volunteer. Welcome to our new Trustee Secretary Susan Loughlin. Susan brings a wealth of experience & knowledge to the role and will aid us greatly in organising the business workings of the Group. Page 3 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** Our recruitment programme & contact with the local primary schools brought good dividends with new members joining us in August as we started back for the new session. This is helping to rebuild our Beaver and Cub sections which were badly hit due to the covid restrictions September saw the group involved in a litter pick at the Durrockstock park which made a big difference to the tidiness of the play areas. In all over 90 badges were awarded this year across the sections We are now working with the changes that are happening within scouting and the management of scout groups with the new variations in P.O.R and to charity law. While this will not have much of an impact to what our members see and do, It will have an impact on the way we governance ourselves and how we manage the way that the Group as a whole operates. This means taking a more formal approach to how we meet, manage and record the process of the Group in general, and putting the changes to our group constitution into effect. And for this it means we need to find more adults willing to volunteer to help in the Group. ## **Beaver Section Report 2024– 2025** We currently have 8 Beavers so are still running our nights with the Cubs, we currently have one Leader and a Young Leader volunteer within the section. Whilst Beavers only meet for one hour a week, we’ve packed a lot into our hour for the past year and had some other activities outside the hall. Some of our Beavers had a swim up to the Cubs and are now enjoying the extra time and doing Cub activities having joined the Pack. There was a lot of fun activities that we’ve done over the past year, including: leaf printing, learning to tie knots, a Halloween party with the cubs, wellie throwing, candle lighting and tent pitching. Over the year we have been working towards a variety of badges including the Scottish Beaver Thistle Award, Communicator, Disability Awareness, Health and Fitness, Teamwork Challenge and World Challenge. Looking forward to the rest of this term we aim to finish off a couple of the Challenge Badges as well as do a variety of activity badges starting with the Space Badge. We are also looking forward to getting the Beavers to another camp this side of summer. ## _Cat McGeechan_ ## **Cub Section Report 2024– 2025** The Cubs did a lot of work on badges during the year, they learned how to sow, how to eat healthy and how your body works. How to stay safe at home & how to iron and role their neckies. They worked through their personal challenge award & learned how to light fires as well as den building. We took part in the community clean up at Durockstock park, and made friends with the swans. In November we had a mini highland games night, tried their hand at playing the bagpipes and even tasted haggis (some of them tried). ## _Moira Leckie_ Page 4 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **Scout Section Report 2024– 2025** We are planning to focus our badge work on challenges that the scouts feel able to achieve. We also are planning to get back to patrol camping This year we said good bye to our older scouts who have moved on the district Explorer units in Paisley. Rebecca Nicol and Hector Noden (Adult Volunteers) left the section due to work commitments. I thank them for the work they put into running the programme and giving up their time to make things fun and adventurous for the scouts ## _David Gracie._ I would like to thank our adult leadership team for all that they do to ensure that our members have an active and enjoyable experience while members of our Scout Group. Just as important are our Adult Trustee Volunteers who ensure that the leadership team has the materials & equipment to carry out the programme the sections work in & where need be, a few extra hands to help out. We are always looking for adults to help us in our endeavours. If you can spare us a few hours of your time to help it will go a long way to making the experiences your kids have exciting and a fun learning experience. Who knows you may have fun yourselves. We are currently looking for some adult volunteers to help with our Beaver and Cub Sections as well as Parent rep’s for these sections on our Trustee board. If you think you can help please get in touch at : chair@18thpaisleycoats.org or talk directly with any of the section leaders. Any and all training needed is provided by the scout association online & at adventure days within the region. If working directly with our members, a PVG is required. ## _Stewart Leckie_ _Group Lead Volunteer._ ## **Chair Report 2024– 2025** Another year rolls round in 2024/25 and another year of adventure across the Group with a few of the usual challenges thrown in for good measure. My starting point as always is to those who give their time to support the group. To the parents, grandparents, guardians and helpers who see the benefit of Scouting for children and bring them along to join us. To the Leaders, Assistants and Young Leaders who prepare and deliver a great programme each year. To the Trustees Board who dedicate their efforts behind the scenes to keep the Group in order and in compliance with our POR and making sure the money comes in and the bills get paid. Thank you to one and all. Thank you also to the kids who join us year-on-year, participate, grow, learn, make new friends, find new skills. I hope you enjoy your time with us and look back one day on how it has helped shape the adults you become. Page 5 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** Our greatest challenge we face is to maintain the Group as a sustainable operation, to overcome this we need to address it with the following approach: ## 1) Financially Stable: The Group must be able to cover its costs, pay its bills and have enough working cash in the bank to run the programme. This means having regular income, keeping our costs low and seeking opportunities for additional funding through fundraising and grant support like we have done in previous years. ## 2) A Healthy Headcount: We need to grow the numbers across all sections such that we can operate a varied programme to suit all needs. We need kids to tell their friends about the great fun they have and we need the adults to want to come along and join to help us run different activities. ## 3) An Exciting Programme: Perhaps most importantly, we need to run a programme that engages the kids to learn and grow and have fun as part of our Group’s evolution. From my family’s experience there’s nothing better than watching them grow from nervous Beaver’s right through to Young Leaders Behind the scenes, what you all perhaps don’t see is the hardworking team of the Trustees Board and the effort they put in to keeping us going. Thanks go out to Gillian as Treasurer for sticking with us and the many challenges we face having to deal with the Bank, making sure our hall is booked and our bills are paid. Thanks to Katie-Ann as Parent Rep on the Trustees Board for supporting our planning and decision making and being the voice of the Parent’s Group. This year we also welcome a new member to the Trustees Board in Susan Loughlin who joins us as Secretary; a role that’s been vacant for a few years and a welcome addition to the Team. I get the impression that Susan brings a lot of skills, experience and enthusiasm to the role and I’m sure she’ll be a great addition to the team. As always, the Group does not function and exist without adult volunteers to fulfil many roles, whether front line uniformed or back office on the Trustees Board or just an extra pair of hands to help out from time to time; all support is most welcome and I’d strongly encourage everyone to join in and find new friends and new skills whilst supporting the growth of the Group. Thanks to the Graham Reid and the District Team at P&D headquarters for keeping us on track and supporting us when needed. Thanks to Chris Wilkie for being our Independent Examiner for our accounts and the guidance he’s offered us through that process. Thanks to the wider community, through the Foxbar & Brediland Community Council and the Gleniffer Partnership for their continued engagement, support and sponsorship throughout the year; the wider community outreach is a core pillar of our being and I’m delighted with both the support we receive and our ability to give back to our local community though our activities. I trust we can rely on our entire support network for the coming year and look forward to see the Group flourish. Page 6 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **Financial Review** Our headline accounts for the financial year 2024/25 show a period of stability compared to last year with our income for the year being £6,363 (2024: £6,471) and our outgoings being £6,887 (2024: £8,073); this equates to a small financial loss in the year of £524 (2024: £1,602). One of our challenges this year has been handling administration with our main bank account with the TSB and ensuring all our Group’s details are accurate and up to date. It is hoped that this is resolved soon, although we must also consider if it is more practical to consider another Bank who would be more effective to deal with. A deeper dive into our accounts is summarised as follows: We hold a restricted fund with Unity Trust bank which is held untouched this financial year and balance stands at £2,437. This is the remaining funds from our previous building project which has been closed. Advice will be sought in how best to handle this fund. There is a service fee for this account which is shown on our accounts for the year as £78. Our income for the year (£6,363) is split across Membership subscription fees (£3,232), Grant Receipts (£2,400), Fundraising (£473) and General Activities (£258). Outgoing for the year (£6,887) is split with our hall let costs for the Community Centre being our greatest outgoing (£2,937). Our capitation fee, the annual cost per Group Member, for the year was £1,253 and our insurance for the group was £823 plus bank charges of £78. Final overall cost is the running cost of the groups activities, etc. which was a total of £1,796 for the year. These costs include costs for running camps, badges, expenses for bowling trips and in-hall activities. This year we received Grant funding from the Gleniffer Local Partnership (£2,000) to support us with the costs of running the Community Centre let and the Peter Coats Trust (£400) which is a benevolent fund for associated groups of the Peter Coats Trustees. Both are thanked for their most welcome support to our running costs. Our unrestricted funds at the end of the financial year were £2,297 which shows we have working cash available to cover our bills and liabilities in case of emergencies or loss of income, we also have no significant overhead liabilities, therefore considered low financial risk ongoing. In summary, this is the third year we have made a loss, whilst modest it is a trend we must arrest. As a Group we must assess ways to become financially sustainable and seek all opportunities to do so. We thank everyone for their continued contribution to supporting our activities and fundraising efforts. Page 7 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **Reserves policy** The trustees believe that around three months of annual expenditure is an appropriate level of reserves in order to cover the timing differences between receipts and payments and to allow for any unexpected expenditure. The charity’s unrestricted reserves as at the year-end amounted to **£2,297** (2024: £2,821) which exceeded the required level and was acceptable to the trustees. This report was approved by the trustees on 27 April 2026 and signed on their behalf by **Sandy Provan** Chairman **Gillian Corrigan** Treasurer Page 8 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT** ## **PERIOD ENDED 31 JULY 2025** I report on the accounts of 18th Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group (SC030139) for the year ended 31 July 2025 which are set out on pages ten to fourteen. ## **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’s trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the 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 explanation 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, and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ## **Christopher Wilkie** Chartered Accountant 27 Victoria Gardens, Paisley, PA2 9PQ ## Date: 2 May 2026 Page 9 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group** ## **SC030139** ## **RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** **PERIOD ENDED 31 JULY 2025** |||Unrestricted|Designated|Restricted|2025 Total|2024 Total| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||£|£|£|£|£| |**RECEIPTS**|Note|||||| |Donations|4|3,232|-|-|3,232|5,090| |Grants|5|400|-|2,000|
2,400|400| |Fundraising|6|473|-|-|473|674| |Charitable Activities|7|258|-|-|258|307| |**Total Receipts**||**4,363**|**-**|**2,000**|**6,363**|**6,471**| |**PAYMENTS**||||||| |Charitable Activities|8|4,887|-|2,000|6,887|7,923| |Fundraising costs||-|-|-|-|-| |Governance Costs (IE Fee)||-|-|-|-|150| |**Total Payments**||**4,887**|**-**|**2,000**|**6,887**|**8,073**| |**Deficit before transfers**||**(524)**|**-**|**-**|**(524)**|**(1,602)**| |**Transfers**||**-**|**-**|-|-|-| |**Deficit after transfers**||**(524)**|**-**|**-**|**(524)**|**(1,602)**| Page 10 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** **STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 31 JULY 2025** ||Unrestricted|Unrestricted|Designated|Restricted|2025 Total|2024 Total| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||£|£|£|£|£| |**BANK AND CASH IN HAND**||||||| |Opening balances|2,821||-|2,437|5,258|6,860| |Deficit for the year|(524)||-|-|(524)|(1,602)| |**Closing balances**|**2,297**||**-**|**2,437**|**4,734**|**5,258**| |**OTHER ASSETS**||||||| |Equipment (insured value)|17,000||-|-|17,000|17,000| |Boat (estimated value)|3,000||-|-|3,000|3,000| |**Total Other Assets**|**20,000**||**-**|**-**|**20,000**|**20,000**| |**LIABILITIES**||||||| |None|-||-|-|-|-| |**Total Liabilities**|**-**||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**| The notes on pages 12-14 form an integral part of these accounts. Approved by the trustees on 27 April 2026 and signed on their behalf by **Sandy Provan** Chairman **Gillian Corrigan** Treasurer Page 11 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** **PERIOD ENDED 31 JULY 2025** ## **1. Basis of accounting** These accounts have been prepared on a Receipts & Payments basis in accordance with the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. ## **2. Transactions with trustees or connected persons** - No charity trustee or person connected with a charity trustee received any remuneration during the year (2024: Nil). No charity trustee received expenses during the year (2024: Nil). ## **3. Taxation** The charity is not liable to income tax or capital gains tax on its charitable activities. The charity is also not registered for VAT, and any expenditure includes any VAT charged. ## **4. Donations received** |**Donations received**|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||Unrestricted|Designated|Restricted 2025 Total||2024 Total| ||£|£|£|£|£| |Member subscriptions|3,232|-|-|3,232|3,951| |Other donations|-|-|-|-|1,139| |**Total Donations received**|**3,232**|**-**|**-**|**3,232**|**5,090**| |**Grants received**|||||| ||Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 Total||||2024 Total| ||£|£|£|£|£| |Gleniffer Local Partnership|
-|-|2,000|
2,000|-| |Peter Coats' Trust (SC007478)|400|-|-|400|400| |**Total Grants received**|**400**|**-**|**2,000**|
**2,400**|**400**| ## **5. Grants received** Page 12 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **6. Fundraising income** Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 Total 2024 Total ||£|£|£|£|£| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Sponsored activities|255|-|-|255|-| |Hoodies income|-|-|-|-|569| |Easy Fundraising|183|-|-|183|105| |Just Giving|35|-|-|35|-| |**Total Fundraising Income**|**473**|**-**|**-**|**473**|**674**| ## **7. Income from Charitable Activities** ||Unrestricted|Unrestricted|
Designated|
Designated|Restricted|Restricted|2025 Total|2024 Total| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||£||£||£|£|£| ||Camps|-||-||-|-|100| ||Activities|258||-||-|258|207| ||**Total Charitable**|||||||| ||**Activities Income**|**258**||**-**||**-**|**258**|**307**| ||**Charitable Activities Payments**|||||||| |||Unrestricted||Designated||Restricted|2025 Total|2024 Total| ||||£||£|
£|
£|
£| ||Premises rental||937||-|2,000|
2,937|4,356| ||Insurance||823||-|-|823|782| ||Badges, camps and activities|1,796|||-|-|1,796|1,452| ||Bank & finance charges||78||-|-|78|72| ||Capitation|1,253|||-|-|1,253|1,261| ||**Total Charitable Activities**|||||||| ||**Payments**|**4,887**|||**-**|**2,000**|**6,887**|**7,923**| ## **8. Charitable Activities Payments** Page 13 ## **18[th] Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group SC030139** ## **9. Restricted funds** Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. During this accounting year the charity held the following restricted funds. The Building Fund, which reflects the income and expenditure in relation to a project for a dedicated building for the charity and also funds received from the Gleniffer Local Partnership dedicated to paying for premises rental costs. ||31 Jul 24 Incoming|31 Jul 24 Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers|31 Jul 25| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||£|£|£|£|£| |Building Fund|2,437|-
|(-)|-|2,437| |Premises Rental|-|2,000
|(2,000)|-|-| |**Total Restricted Funds**|**2,437**|**2,000**
|**(2,000)**|**-**|**2,437**| ## **10. Unrestricted funds** Unrestricted funds comprise of income received for the objects of the charity without a specified purpose and are available as general funds. ||31 Jul 24|Incoming|Outgoing Transfers||31 Jul 25| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||£|
£|
£|£|£| |General Fund|2,821|6,363|(6,887)|-|2,297| |**Total Unrestricted Funds**|**2,821**|**6,363**|**(6,887)**|**-**|**2,297**| Page 14