7 # Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum SCIO # Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation - $C045212 ## Report and Accounts for the year ending 31* July 2025 Wwww.oscr.org.uk Registered SCIO §(0045212 Reference and administrative information ## Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation 5C045212 |Principal address|9 Hillside Crescent|| |---|---|---| ||Selkirk|| ||TD? 4A¥|| |Website|www.sprf.org.uk|| |CharityTrustees|Felicity Burrows|(elected27" September2025)| ||RevJohn Carswell|(resigned30"May 2025)| ||Nicholas Cooke|(elected27"September2025)| ||ProfAdam Cumming|| ||Very Rev Dr Martin Fair|(resigned 11'" November2025)| ||Wendy Lloyd|| ||David Macdonald|| ||Fiona Mitchell|| ||Keith Reynolds|| |Officers|Interim Chair: Nicholas Cooke|| ||Secretary:
Felicity Burrows|| ||Treasurer: Keith Reynolds|| |Bankers|Co-operative Bank|| ||P.O. Box 101|| ||1 Balloon Street|| ||Manchester|| ||a|| ||M60 4EP|| |Independent Examiner|Elizabeth Wallace FCA|| ||16 Moray Park|| ||Moray Street|| ||Doune|| ||FK166DJ|| 2 Annual Report of the Trustees. ## Introduction The Trustees are pleased to present the Report and Accounts of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum 5CIO (SPRF) for the period 1° August 2024 to 31° July 2025. SPRF was constituted as a charity in 2014, having originally been established in May 2012 as a national network of organisations and individuals committed to the development of off-road pilgrimage travel across Scotland. The Forum provides a practical, coordinated approach to establishing dedicated pilgrim routes for walkers and, where possible, cyclists and horse riders. Local ownership of this process is a core principle of the Forum. We enable member-led local Steering Group to define and establish new routes, working with other local partners and providing information through a variety of media. SPRF is not a religious organization but we celebrate Scotland’s rich Christian pilgrimage heritage alongside the Scottish Government's National Cycling & Walking Network action plan and other polices to promote physical and mental wellbeing and develop more sustainable communities. The Report and Accounts present a summary of our financial and general activities during the accounting period above. ## Activities and achievements We record our thanks to our outgoing Chair, Very Rev Dr Martin Fair who was unable to preside over our 2025 AGM and subsequently decided to resign as Chair and Trustee following his relocation to Bermuda last autumn. Martin was a very effective leader of our meetings during his term of office, and we wish him well in his new Church of Scotland ministry. Since the end of this reporting year, the Board agreed to appoint Nick Cooke as Interim Chair for up to a year following his retirement as Secretary and election as Trustee at the 2025 AGM. Two very successful national meetings took place during the year. In October 2024, we held our Pilgrimage Gathering and Annual General Meeting at Ceres Church, Fife. This included a 4 mile walk along a scenic section of the Fife Pilgrim Way in ideal weather conditions and an indoor meeting with interesting talks and wide-ranging discussions. The following April, the spring meeting of the Forum was held at the Chanonry building next door to Dunkeld Cathedral Church. This was marked by some excellent presentations and discussions among members focused on plans to establish a new braid 6f the Three Saints Way to take pilgrims via Dunked and Scone, both places of major spiritual significance to Scotland's early mediaeval heritage. Both meetings were very well attended, and it was particularly pleasing that we could also offer virtual attendance online thanks to technical wi-fi support provided by our hosts’ volunteers. The Trustees were delighted to announce Nick Cooke as the winner of the 2025 John Henderson Award, in recognition of his close personal involvement over the previous 12 years as Secretary in the establishment of nine of the current eleven pilgrim routes recognized by SPRF. Nick received the Award trophy and cheque at the 2025 Pilgrimage Gathering, held at Prestonkirk, East Linton when he expressed his appreciation of receiving the Award established in memory of a close professional colleague and friend. A total of five out of 11 pilgrim routes currently recognized by SPRF have now become accredited Scottish Pilgrim Ways™, with three others expressing an intention to follow suit. During the year, SPRF Trustees approved the assessment of the Kentigern Way which was subsequently approved » as a Bronze standard route, to be marked by a public presentation of its accreditation certificate. We record our congratulations to Bill Jack and the other members of the Steering Group on this achievement. 3 Following the extensive upgrade carried out in 2024, the SPRF website continues to be a valuable online resource. To complement this, the Board has now approveda plan for increased regular use of our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to widen our online audience. The year saw a change of personnel in the Fife Pilgrim Pastorate for which the SPRF Secretary continued to provide administrative support to the Steering Group, which represents an ecumenical partnership of stakeholder churches. Following the resignation of Rev Duncan Weaver, the Steering Group appointed Rev Simon Hessett as Pilgrim Pastor who took up post in July and has continued to engage with a wide range of local congregations and individual pilgrims along the Fife Pilgrim Way. His close working relationship with the Fife Coast & Countryside Trust has helped to maintain the project's social media profile and the expansion of an increasingly popular ‘pilgrim passport’ scheme along the Fife Pilgrim Way. As the first ever Pilgrim Pastorate in the UK, this is now attracting attention from the St Cuthbert’s Way and other Scottish pilgrim routes and also among the Lutheran Churches across northern Europe. Three recurring issues have remained prominent during the year: the long-term sustainability of our volunteer Steering Groups; the acute lack of budget hostel accommodation for walkers on pilgrim routes; and the opportunity to re-purpose local church buildings that are no longer places of worship as part of the infrastructure of these routes. In addition, links with European pilgrim route networks, especially in Scandinavia and Ireland, have become increasingly important. The SPRF Board has recognized that these and other challenges and opportunities should be addressed strategically via a new 5 — year SPRF development funding strategy and narrative, including the proposed recruitment of professional personnel. We will take forward this key piece of work in the coming year with the help of a consultant working with the Trustees and Steering Groups. Our 85 Organization and Individual members remain the mainstay of the charity, both financially and in many other ways, and we greatly appreciate the very high level of subscription renewals this year, plus members’ strong attendances at national meetings and their willingness to share experience and knowledge with others. The overall number of members is steadily growing once again, with most Individuals now opting to use Gift Aid and some also allocating part of their subscription to a pilgrim route Steering Group of their choice. The charity's Trustees have given freely of their time and expertise, and we are indebted to them all for the knowledge they bring to our Board meeting discussions and their commitment to strengthening the role of SPRF. We pay particular tribute to John Carswell and Martin as retiring Trustees for their personal cofttribution to SPRF. | am delighted to confirm that Felicity Burrows agreed to take over as my successor in the role of Secretary and Trustee with effect from the 2025 AGM. She brings a strong personal interest in outdoor pilgrimage and relevant administrative experience while working previously in the Church of Scotland national office. ## Finance Membership subscriptions and donations increased as the main sources of unrestricted income, which is used predominantly to meet the cost of travel and other expenses incurred by the Officers and Trustees, Booking fees income and donations met the cost of the Pilgrimage Gathering at Ceres and the Bothwell Forum meeting. There was an Unrestricted funds surplus for the year of £685 and a Restricted funds deficit of £176. ## , Reserves Restricted reserves can only be spent on specific pilgrim route activities, as noted above. Unrestricted reserves cover any activity relevant to the general operation of the Forum. It is our 4 policy to maintain a reasonable level of unrestricted reserves to protect against potential downturns in the Forum’s income or unforeseen significant costs, so that the Forum can maintain its activities for a reasonable period. It is pleasing to note that total reserve funds at the year-end rose to £11,078. Investments SPRF holds no investments. ## Structure, governance and management SPRF is constituted as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with OSCR. Its management team comprises the Board of Charity Trustees working with the Secretary. Charity Trustees are elected by the members of the Forum at the Annual General Meeting and usually serve for aterm of 3 years, with the option of serving a second term before retirement. All Trustees are given an induction pack outlining their roles and responsibilities. The Secretary updates members of the Board on relevant changes in legislation and guidance on charities governance issued by OSCR. ## Trustees’ responsibilities The Trustees are responsible for managing and safeguarding the assets of the charity and are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records and ensuring that the accounts are prepared in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The Trustees regularly consider the risks faced by SPRF and ensure that appropriate risk management procedures are in place to mitigate those risks. ## Overview The Trustees thank all Forum members for their interest in, and commitment to, the development of pilgrim walking routes in Scotland and we look forward to this continuing in the year ahead. On behalf of the Trustees **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Nick Cooke FRSA :
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5 \ ## Independent Examiner's Reportto the Trustees of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum 5C10 I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31" July 2025, which are set out on page with accompanying notes on page Respective responsibilities of Trustee 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 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. itis 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 |s carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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 explanationsfrom the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required by an audit, and consequently | do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. Independent examiners statement In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention: - - i. which gives me reasonable cause to belleve that in any material respect the requirements: 4. to keep accounting records In accordance with Section 44(1}(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and - b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Account 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. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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; 6 ## SPRF Receipts and Payments for Year Ending 31st July 2025 **----- Start of picture text -----**
|||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |All amounts|in|£|Notes|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Funds|2024| |Receipts| |Membership|fees|3270|-|3270|3230| |Reimbursement|-|Secretarial|expenses|2392|-|2392|2303| |Forum|Meetings|745|-|745|815| |Donations|1063|140|1203|132| |Gift|Aid|Reclaimed|419|419| |Bank|Interest|71|-|71| |Membership|Routes|Allocation|130|130|50| |Total|Receipts|7960|270|8230|6570| |Payments| |Charitable|Activities|2|7155|446|7601|9139| |Governance|costs|5|120|-|120|120| |Total|Payments|7275|446|7721|=|=69259| |Surplus/Deficit|for year|685|-176|509|-2689| |Statement|of Balances|at|31st July|2025| |Cash|at|bank|and|in|hand| |Bank|Balance|1st Aug 2024|r|4945|5624|10569|13258| |Surplus/Deficit|for Year|685|-176|509|-2689| |Total|Cash|Funds|at|31st July 2025|5630|5448|11078|10569| |Represented|By| |Fund|Balances at 31st|July|2025|4|5630|5448|11078|10569| |Signed|on|behalf|of the Trustees:| **----- End of picture text -----**
Nick Cooke, Chair Keith Reynolds, Treasurer Date /2 pene 1 aG Notes to Accounts for Year Ending 31“ July 2025 ## 1. Accounting policies ## Basis of preparation The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payment basis. They consist of a summary of all monies received and paid during the financial year, along with a statement of balances. No adjustments have been made for any income due but not received, nor for any expenses incurred but not yet paid at the year-end. ## 2. Payments relating to charitable activities |Unrestricted|£|£| |---|---|---| |Forum Meetings expenses|606|| |Domain Expenses|116|| |Secretarial and administrative support|1,720|| |Reimbursed Secretarial expenses|2,392|| |Website Expenses|1.325|| |Leaflets|600|| |Scotland's Churches Trust|60|| |Confraternity of St James|60|| |Membership RoutesAllocation|130|| |Events Insurance|242|| |Sundries|_4|Fayte)| |Restricted||| |Kentigern Way|30|| |Whithorn Way|30|| |Forth to Farne|161|| |JohnHendersonAward|225|446| ## 3. Remuneration and expenses paid to Trustees None of the Trustees received any remuneration relating to their position as Trustees. ## 4. Restricted Funds The Restricted Funds cover all receipts of funds provided for specific purposes and all corresponding payments. The balances ofthe Restricted Funds at 31%[July] 2025 were: ||E|E| |---|---|---| |Fife Pilgrim Way|115|| |Three Saints Way|35|| |Whithorn Way|94|| |Forth to Farne Way|Lode|| |Kentigern Way|239|| |St Cuthberts Way|25|| |St Magnus Way|20|| |JohnHendersonAward|3,403|5,448| 5. Governance Costs Costs relate to Independent Financial Examiner fee for preparation of annual Accounts for the year ending 31° July 2024. )