10th Fife (1st Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Charity No. SC031406
10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
The Trustee Board has pleasure in presenting its report together with the financial statements and the independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31 March 2025 .
Constitution & Purpose
The Scout Group 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. SC031406 .
The Purpose of The Scout Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential, 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.
Trustees
Reserve’s Policy
Unrestricted funds are held by the trustees to enable the organisation to cover any outstanding commitments (for a three month period) that may be incurred should the organisation find itself in the position of having insufficient resources to continue its operations. Reserves held are £29,731 .
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Reports
Trustee Board Chair’s Introduction
I'd like to begin with my usual thanks to the Trustee Board for their hard work over the last year, with particular mention for our Treasurer nd Group Lead Volunteer Thanks too to ho stepped down from the Board after many years as a Trustee. On the other hand, we were pleased to welcome o bolster our ranks and as our Minutes Secretary.
All of our uniformed volunteers from the Group Lead Volunteer to our Young Leaders devote considerable time to deliver Scouting to the young people of Cupar and we are extremely grateful to them.
Following the adoption of our new constitution last year the remit of the Trustee Board was limited to governance issues. We have been adapting to this while also ensuring that operational matters are also handled - we are not so well endowed with volunteers that fundraising, in particular, can be handled by others. We always need new volunteers, whether as Leaders, Trustees or in other roles - but even if you don't have a defined role we could use all the help you can offer with our fundraising efforts. While the AGM presents an excellent opportunity to get involved, feel free to get in touch with the Board at any time if you are interested in helping out.
One role that we do hope to fill at this AGM is that of Chair - I am stepping down after 6 years, though I intend to stay on as a Trustee. It has been a privilege to have held the role for the past 6 years and I look forward to working with our new Chair in the coming year.
Thanks again to all who make Scouting in Cupar possible.
Trustee Board Chair
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Group Lead Volunteer’s Report
Summary
Cupar Scout Group has completed another successful year - its 116[th] since being founded in 1909. The young people in our Beaver Colony, 2 Cub Packs, 2 Scout Troops and Explorer Unit have made friends, shared experiences, encountered challenges and adventures, and learned new skills. The range of some of our Challenge Badges gives an idea of the breadth of our scouting programme – Outdoor, Adventure, Skills, World, Creative, Expedition, Teamwork, and Leadership. At Explorer level there is further scope for involvement in the Young Leader scheme and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
There are also opportunities to gain international experience, and some of our Explorers will be abroad this summer – in Faroe Islands, and Germany.
The programmes are provided by the teams of Adult Volunteers in each of the sections, and I would like to thank them all for their time, enthusiasm and dedicated service.
Sections
All sections have provided full and varied programmes, with adventurous activities, badge work, and Nights Away opportunities – either indoors or under canvas.
New Squirrel Section
If all goes to plan, our Squirrel section will start after the summer holidays, meeting on Tuesday afternoons from 4 till 5pm. Founder volunteers ar
SQUIRRELS will cater for ages 4 to 6, and the initial intake will be 15
Waiting Lists
Demand for places is greatest in the younger sections – as we only have 1 Squirrel Drey and 1 Beaver Colony.
At present there are 9 Squirrel-aged children on our waiting list, and 18 of Beaver age. A second Beaver section is needed to satisfy this demand. Any Volunteers?
Any child of Cub or Scout age can usually be accommodated in one of the Cub or Scout sections.
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Annual Census (@ Jan 2025)
The Census figures for Cupar Scout Group were as follows:
| Beavers | 18 |
|---|---|
| TuesdayCubs | 18 |
| WednesdayCubs | 20 |
| MondayScouts | 20 |
| ThursdayScouts | 22 |
| Explorers | 33 |
| Total Young People | 131(down from 143 lastyear) |
| Volunteers(Section Teams) | 20 |
| Volunteers(GroupLeadershipTeam) | 5 |
| Volunteers(Trustees) | 6 |
| Total Adult Volunteers | 31 |
Adult Volunteers
Recruiting new adults is a constant challenge. Volunteers come and go, for all sorts of reasons.
Volunteer Compliance And Learning
All Adult Volunteers are required to complete learning appropriate to their role, and to renew this when needed. This is an ongoing exercise to keep volunteers compliant with safety, safeguarding, and other relevant topics. At present all our Volunteers are up to date with their Learning.
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
The Scout Hall
Our Board of Trustees is continually looking to maintain the hall and equipment, and to improve the facilities and activities available to our young people. Running costs are high, and our Treasurer will comment on this in his report.
Conclusions And Thanks
Thanks are due to the Section Leaders and their teams, to the Young Leaders who contribute greatly to the running of our section meetings, and to the Trustee Board for supporting and enabling the provision of Scouting in Cupar. Thanks also to the many Parents who help with activities, fundraising and transport.
Finally I would like to thank every single volunteer for their support and the tremendous programmes they are providing for our young people. They are without doubt changing lives for the better and providing our young people with “Skills for Life”.
Lead Volunteer
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Treasurer’s Report
The last financial year has again been relatively stable for the group, although we continue to run at a deficit, reflecting high prices for energy, insurance and business rates. The return of the accounts from the section treasurers was completed in a timely manner, and the consolidated accounts were verified by our independent examiner,
Financial Context
Over the past three years, the group reserves have reduced by approximately £15,000 (~£5,000–£6,000 per year), due to increasing costs and lower revenue from fundraising and capitation fees (compared to historic values). In this last financial year our total income was £42,026 (including a large income for the Explorers’ trip to the Western Isles) and expenditure of £46,685 , resulting in a £4,660 deficit and a closing cash balance of £29,731 . This trend is not sustainable and, without intervention, could impact the group’s ability to operate in the future.
We received a healthy amount of grant funding for the Explorer section for their Western Isles Trip and have also benefitted from fundraising activities for both the group and some individual sections too. Our tie in with some community activities such as the Cupar Gala, Castlehill Primary Christmas Fair and the Rotary Santa’s Sleigh are some of our major fundraising activities. The capitation income for the group has slightly risen in this financial year, however, the costs payable to the district have also risen in this time too.
The hall was still liable to pay business rates of £1,220, and this will continue in the future. A lot of our other fixed costs associated with running the hall remain high, but in line with market rates. When contracts have come up for renewal, we have looked to get best value for money, while ensuring that we provide the services needed too.
To help with passive income streams, we have split the Group’s finances into separate pots of a Treasurer’s Account, an Instant Savings account, and a 90-Day Notice Deposit Account. Both of the savings accounts attract interest around 3%, and we have placed most of the cash reserve into these accounts. The accounts are on a deposit-basis, so are purely for savings, and not investments.
Planned Actions for Sustainability
The trustee board has discussed several measures to help mitigate the group losses, and will look at these further in 2025–26 to determine the best course of action to return us to a firm financial footing.
Section Levy.
Introduce a hall usage levy of £250–£300 per section , to be met through fundraising or fee adjustments.
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Membership (Capitation) Fee Increase.
Raise the termly subscription from £7 to £10 starting August/September 2025, generating additional support for group operations.
New Fundraising Initiative
Launch a 50/50 monthly lottery (£5 per ticket) to provide a sustainable income stream with minimal administrative burden, with proceeds supporting the group.
Additional savings are anticipated through renegotiated energy contracts and reduced insurance costs later this year.
Community Impact and Achievements
Despite financial pressures, the Group delivered high-quality Scouting throughout the year, representing a good investment on the money spent. Highlights included the Explorers’ Western Isles expedition, vibrant section programmes, and successful community events such as coffee mornings, the Santa Sleigh in conjunction with the Rotary Club, Castlehill Primary Christmas Fair, the Cupar Gala Tea Tent, and a Springo Bingo night. These activities strengthened local ties, offered our young people rewarding experiences, and showcased the commitment of our volunteers and families. We are deeply grateful to everyone who gave time, donations, and enthusiasm—your support keeps Scouting accessible and impactful in our community of Cupar.
Group Treasurer
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of 10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group (Charity No SC031406)
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st ] March 2025 which are set out on pages 10 to 13
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. The charity 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 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
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Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations,
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or
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To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Date: 30/12/2025 Address:
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10th Fife (1" Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25 Receipts Notes nre rict rict Membership Subscriptions Grants Donations 2,768 6.485 5.330 800 9,253 5.330 1.303 4.294 21,846 42,026 8,898 3,072 1,969 3,019 15,666 32,624 503 Fundraising Charitable Activity Total receipts for Year 4,294 21,846 29.411 516 12,615 Payments Membership SUbriptIOns Charitable Activity Total Payments for Year 6.485 6.130 12.615 6.485 40.201 46.685 5,976 32,738 38,714 71819 34.071 34,071 Surplusl{DefiGit) for Year Statement of Cash & Bank Balances Opening balance at 1"April 2024 SurplusllDeficit) for the year Closing balance at 31" March 2025 34.391 4,660 29.731 40,446 -6055 34.391 Group BankAccounts Sections B8nkAICs Cash in Hand 18.655 9,588 1,488 29.731 23,691 10,168 532 Total Monetary Assets at 31" March 2025 34,391 10
10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Notes to the Statement of Receipts and Payments
The notes below form an integral part of these statements.
1. Membership Subscriptions
The annual capitation fees that are paid to the District Scout Council are classed as ‘Restricted Funds' for the purpose of accounting to show that these funds are not part of the Cupar Scout Group funds.
2. Grants
| Grants | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fife Charities Trust Tesco Bags (Explorers) University of St Andrews Cupar Settlement Trust Allander Trust Cupar Common Good Fund Youth Action (explorer belt) |
Unrestricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Restricted 930 0 0 500 1600 1550 750 |
Total 2024–25 £ 930 0 0 500 1600 1550 750 5,330 |
Total 2023–24 |
|
| £ 0 342 2,730 0 0 0 0 3,072 |
|||||
| 0 | 5,330 |
3. Donations
| Donations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of Hall Use of Equipment Bruce Trust Other |
Unrestricted 473 0 0 30 |
Restricted 0 0 800 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 473 0 800 30 1,303 |
Total 2023–24 |
|
| £ 591 342 800 236 1,969 |
|||||
| 503 | 800 |
4.
Fundraising
| undraising | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beavers Book Challenge Thursday Scouts Bingo Night Thursday Scout Coffee Mornings Explorers Tesco Bucket Coll Explorers Cupar Fireworks Explorers Santa’s Sleigh Explorers Movie Night Explorers Misc Tombola at Corn Exchange Cupar Fireworks Donations Diabetes Coffee Morning Rotary Santa’s Sleigh (Group) Castlehill School Fair November Fundraiser Tea Tent at Cupar Gala Springo Bingo |
Unrestricted 0 0 1,144 669 180 276 160 438 0 0 0 291 401 126 439 170 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 0 0 1,144 669 180 276 160 438 0 0 0 291 401 126 439 170 4,294 |
Total 2023–24 |
Total | |
| £ 85 716 710 505 150 249 0 365 91 97 52 0 0 0 0 0 3,019 |
||||||
| 4,294 | 0 |
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
5. Other Income
| Other Income | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gift Aid claimed Sections contribution to hall Fife Council Rates Rebate Interest on savings accounts Misc Income PayPal Card Income Sections |
Unrestricted 0 0 889 28 64 131 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 0 0 889 28 64 131 1,111 |
Total 2023–24 |
Total | |
| £ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
||||||
| 1,111 | 0 |
6. Section Income
| Fundraising (*see note 4) Camp Fees Termly Income Donations Other Income |
Unrestricted 0 10,766 9,329 0 641 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 0 10,766 9,329 0 641 20,736 |
Total 2023–24 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ 0 5,252 9,932 26 456 15,666 |
|||||
| 20,736 | 0 |
7. Premises
| Premises | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water & Rates Waste Light and Heat Insurance Repairs & Renewals Cleaning Equipment Internet |
Unrestricted 1,200 129 2,169 2,014 310 1,140 314 338 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 800 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 1,200 129 2,169 2,014 310 1,140 1,114 338 8,412 |
Total 2023–24 |
Total | |
| £ 1,488 125 2,169 2,161 4,487 1,140 1,656 515 13,741 |
||||||
| 7,612 | 800 |
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
8. Other Expenses
| Other Expenses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copying/Postage Uniforms Paypal transfer to sections Other Music License Fundraising expenses Online Scout Manager (OSM) |
Unrestricted 0 22 131 1,871 519 218 166 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 0 22 131 1,871 519 218 166 2,927 |
Total 2023–24 |
Total | |
| £ 0 76 0 320 722 372 0 1,566 |
||||||
| 2,927 | 0 |
9. Section Expenses
| Section Expenses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termly Camp Fees Hall use Misc Expenses Adjustment to opening balance |
Unrestricted 6,768 9,787 20 6,957 0 |
Restricted 0 5,330 0 0 0 |
Total 2024–25 £ 6,767 15,117 20 6,957 0 28,861 |
Total 2023–24 |
Total | |
| £ 9,614 7,101 0 717 0 17,432 |
||||||
| 23,532 | 5,530 |
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Section Reports
Beavers
We have had a successful year in terms of establishing a team to run the colony. Thank you to who have played a significant role throughout the year and have now moved up to cubs to help there.
We are fortunate to have replaced them with ho are undergoing training to join the team along with 5 other adults who have been PVG'd and will no doubt be a useful resource over the coming year. The future succession looks good.
We have run a varied programme including 1 camp at Balmullo along with numerous activity/staged and challenge badges. Many parents have helped with this.10 Beavers have gained their bronze chief scout badge. Well done for their perseverance! 269 badges have been awarded in total.
We are now looking after 18 Beavers split into 3 lodges. This seems to be an optimum number. We have 13 children on the waiting list.
A major challenge for next year is to investigate how to control bad behaviour as this is becoming a significant issue for the team and colony.
Leaders
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Cubs
Both Cub Packs have followed similar programmes over the past year, using the various Challenge Badge activities as a basis (the Skills Challenge, Adventure Challenge, Outdoor Challenge, Teamwork Challenge, etc).
Other Activity Badges gained have been:
Local Knowledge, Air Activities Stage 1, Naturalist, Home Safety, and Space Activities (with a visit to the Mills Observatory in Dundee)
In November both Packs attended the Cupar Youth Musical Theatre production of Alice in Wonderland.
Both Packs held a weekend camp in May this year at the Carmichael Centre, Balmullo, where one of the activities was the Backwoods Cooking Badge.
I would like to thank the fantastic Volunteers and Young Leaders at both Cub Packs:
Acting Team Leader, Cubs
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Monday Scouts
Since the last AGM Monday Scouts have been very quiet due to leaders work commitments. Unfortunately, we had no autumn camp.
We have been working on a variety of activity badges and challenge badge.
In March We had an expedition weekend in Dundee where we visited all the museums and stayed in the Scout Hall overnight where the Scouts cooked their hot food and watched movies.
June, we held our spring camp at Worminston, Crail and held a presentation night and presented 3 Scouts with their Gold Chief Scout Award
Going forward to the new term we have not planned anything yet, all plans will depend on the leaders’ availability.
Team Leader, Monday Scouts
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10th Fife (1" Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25 Thursdayscouts This yearwe have had a fairlysettied yearforour Leadership team, made up o y team has kept me going with a great support. Having as our troop treasurer has been a great addition. She has really stepped into the role with great enthusiasm. The Scouts have been growing in experience through our many adventurous activities. Wild Shore is very popular with our Scouts, but climbing also featured heavily. We finally visited Avertical World. after a delay. and also had a couple of shots at Crate Stacking in the halL. The favourite Lasertag was the pre-christmas activity. and the weather for our Night hike in February was suitably wet and misty. A real highlight was a visit to Cupar Fire Station in March where Scouts had a ball working with hoses to put out a 'fire' in an arranged activity. Badgework completed this year reinforced the Skills for life motto of the Scouting movement, featuring Emergency Aid, Climber, Fire Safety, Local Knowledge, Navigator and Chef activity badges. Our fundraising event in the October was another success: the Scouts love our coffee mornings, but we have taken a break from fundraising, probably with a view to running an event again in Autumn 2025. Despite the good size of the Leadership team. finding a weekend where we can find enough Leaders to staff a camp is tricky. Everyone's lives are busy and the circumstances varied. I attended the District Flag competition again with a patrol of 6 in May 2024. which was again veryclose! Our Scouts performed verywell. However, we didn't camp afterthat until August. which was the last camp for a few of our older Scouts before they headed off to Explorers. East Neuk Outdoors hosted us, and it was a great opportunity to have another water sports session. Our final nights away was not until the following March 2025. when we had a very well attended Sleepover in the hall, gettingthe bus to StAndrews and followinga challenging Detective trail around the town before going back to Cupar and having a chippyteal A Spring camp is to folLow at Douglaswood in May. We are aiming to increase the camping experiences for the next year, but advanced planning is not aLways possible. Any additional volunteer(s) would help us facilitate more camps. They offer such a great range of experiences for our Scouts, and gives them an opportunity to get to know each other in a less formal setting. It remains a great pleasure for me to run this troop. even if I don't recover as fast from camp weekends as l used to! As aLways, a team effort from everyone helps, and it is aLways a welcome challenge to try and shoehorn in all the activities requested by our Scoutsl Team Leader, Thursday Scouts 17
10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Explorers
Our highlights from the last year include:
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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions – we had two Bronze, one Silver and one Gold group as part of the District DofE provision. We’re very grateful to District for the DofE support.
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Cally Rally, October 2024 – a group of Cupar Explorers braved the cold of camping for a weekend at Moy, Inverness-shire and all said they had a fantastic time. The disco and ceilidh both proved to be highlights, before camp had to be closed early on the Sunday due to a storm.
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Wee Sleep Out, November 2024 – raised £1275 for Social Bite, by sleeping out in Cupar Bandstand. Thankfully this was the night before a different storm hit Cupar!
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Winter Hikes, 2024-25 – several of our Explorers summitted snowy Munros with other Explorers from the District. Thank you for organising this.
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District Camp, March 2025 – 12 of our Explorers had a great time at the Wormiston District Explorer Camp. Many thanks to for organising this.
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Young Leaders – 6 Explorers have completed their Module A this year, with several also attending the full weekend of training modules at . They continue to support many younger groups across the district and we thank them for giving up their time to do this, and the leaders supporting them.
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Community/Environmental support work of: stewarding with Cupar Firework Display, clearing invasive Himalayan Balsam, visit to Lunardi care home, tree planting at Schiehallion.
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Trips to: Go Ape, Cairnie Fruit Farm Maze, Pittenween Mini golf, Archery at Wormiston, Foxlake waterpark, Bouldering at Block 10, bowling and hikes in the local area, including TrailJam.
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This summer 8 of our Explorers are going to Germany to complete their Explorer Belt. Preparation and Fundraising events for this have included: a day trip to Glasgow, a movie night, a sponsored walk and a very successful Quiz night in the Scout Hall, which was well supported by the local community. The young people have also completed a first response first aid course in preparation for their trip.
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Faroes July 2025 – will be representing the Cupar Explorers as part of the Scout Scotland contingent this summer.
Our Explorers have been working hard on their top awards. both achieved their Gold Duke of Edinburgh and King’s Scout Awards. was also awarded a Young Leader Belt, as well as her 150 Nights Away badge. We have also awarded a number of Chief Scout’s Platinum and Diamond Awards, as well as DofE Bronzes and Silvers.
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10[th] Fife (1[st] Cupar) Scout Group Annual Report 2024-25
Our numbers are high but manageable with 33 Explorers on the books. Our projections suggest that the Unit size is stable, which is good news.
Many thanks to ho continues to lead the Cupar Explorers and was recently awarded her 10 year service award. Many thanks as well to
and to all those from Group and District who continue to help our Explorers.
Explorer Scout Team Member
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