BORDERS STREET PASTORS
TRUSTEES REPORTS AND ACCOUNTS
For the year ended 31[st] March 2026
SCO46473
BORDERS STREET PASTORS
Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2026
Borders Street Pastors is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation Scottish Charity Number SC046473
Contact name and address
Duncan Cameron, 18 Larkspur Court, Galashiels TD1 2LZ
Trustees
The trustees who held office during the period from the start of the year reported on to the date of approval of this report were:
Arthur Hembling Chair Duncan Cameron Secretary Angela Thorpe Treasurer Keith Scott Maria Sprott Fiona Corbett
All of the trustees held office for the whole of that period. Fiona Corbett also serves on the board of Ascension Trust Scotland (ATS) as a Trustee Duncan Cameron is also the Coordinator for Borders Street Pastors
A number of trustees attended online training for Safeguarding in May 2026
Governance
Borders Street Pastors is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) that was incorporated on 13 April 2016. Our constitution specifies that trustees are elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting each year, and may also be co-opted.
Charitable purposes
Our charitable purposes as set out in our constitution are:
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To advance the Christian Faith in accordance with the Licence Agreement executed with Ascension Trust (Scotland) and the Core Values and Mission Statement appearing in the Schedule hereto in the Scottish Borders and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time to time to think fit, particularly but not exclusively by means of caring, listening and helping people on the streets and at various venues day and night.
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To advance health, including the prevention and relief of sickness and human suffering, through the provision of goods or services of any kind including through the provision of counselling and support in the Scottish Borders and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time to time to think fit, particularly but not exclusively by means of caring, listening and helping people, including those suffering from amongst other reasons excessive alcohol or substance use or misuse, on the streets and at various venues, day and night.
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To relieve those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage by the provision of goods or services of any kind including through the provision of counselling and support in the Scottish Borders and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time to time to think fit, particularly but not exclusively by means of caring, listening and helping people on the streets and at various venues, day and night.
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Activities
Borders Street Pastors was launched at Scottish Borders Council HQ in March 2016. After recruiting and training we had our Commissioning Service and first patrol in Galashiels in June 2016. This year will mark the tenth anniversary of Borders Street Pastors.
In January 2017, we launched a monthly patrol in Hawick, with a Commissioning Service in Trinity Church, Hawick. Since Covid, the nature and timings of our work continues to change. The night time economy continues to be quieter than pre Covid, and we have found that the need for Street Pastors is developing more into the day time and evenings.
In Galashiels, the Saturday night time patrols continue, although with some resources being used elsewhere in the Borders, the patrols are now normally twice a month. There is no doubt that these patrols are quieter, but the need is still there, with many useful conversations and Street Pastors also being an extra pair of eyes on the streets. With the closure of Trinity Church in Galashiels, which has been used as a Street Pastor base since 2016, Borders Street Pastors was offered the use of Hope Central as a new base for patrols, and this arrangement has proved to be working well.
Much of our equipment and uniforms were stored at St Johns Church in Langlee. With the closure of this building, we were offered the use of facilities at Galashiels Parish Church for storage, and again, this arrangement is working well.
In Hawick , the night time patrol has moved its base from The Well, to Hawick South, as The Well is to be sold. This means that both our daytime and night time Hawick patrols are now based at Hawick South, along with storage for Hawick’s equipment, which was also previously at The Well.
Our lunchtime patrols have continued to develop, and at present, we are out three times a month, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday. The increased frequency of patrols has meant that Street Pastors are becoming more familiar to students at Hawick High School (HHS) and interactions are more noticeable. We have had several meetings with HHS management regarding School Pastors, and this is now moving forward at pace. At the time of writing, a protocols policy has been agreed with HHS, and training for potential School Pastors has been organised for June. We are very grateful to all the team at ATS for their continued advice and support with this project. The Hawick Saturday night time patrol continues once a month, supporting folks who are out in the town centre. Whilst there are fewer young people in the Howegate area, there are still considerable numbers of people around, and we hope that with the contacts that we are making during the day, more people will be aware of Street Pastors if they are out at night.
At present, we have not continued with the trial Burnfoot patrols, as School Pastors appears to be the way forward, but this is being kept under review.
In Peebles, our evening patrols continue twice a month. The dates and timings of these patrols can vary according to the various events that occur in the town. Local knowledge is essential, and we are grateful to the team for their continuing input. The team continue to be based at Peebles Evangelical Church.
As well as the normal patrols, Borders Street Pastors were in attendance in Melrose and Earlston during the Rugby 7s. A team attended Hawick Common Riding festivities, and extra patrols were organised in Peebles and Galashiels for their respective Festivals. Street Pastors were invited to Ladies’ Day at Kelso Races, and this proved to be very successful, with an invitation to return in 2026.
With patrols becoming more complex in their nature and timings, the coordinator has been very grateful to Mo Forsyth, Graeme & Lesley Cowe, and Jackie Cooper for their assistance in organising patrols in Peebles and Hawick. Whilst the coordinator has ultimate responsibility, having patrols organised in good time has meant that rotas are sent out more timorously, which benefits everyone!
Training continues to be an important part of BSP activities. It was recognised that the coordinator was needing help to organise training, and Graeme and Lesley Cowe agreed to assist with this task. Topics this year have included Safeguarding, Knowing your Community, Good News (via Zoom), Listening Skills, Mentoring & Sociology, First Aid and Mental Health. We are especially grateful to Jacqueline Wilson from Peebles, who has run several of these courses. Three Borders Street Pastors attended Roles and Responsibilities training in Dumfries.
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Last December, three of our team represented Borders Street Pastors at the launch of Dumfries and Galloway Street Pastors at a Commissioning Service in Dumfries.
In January 2026, seven Street Pastors were Commissioned at Galashiels Baptist Church. We were delighted to welcome Chris Jewell (CEO of ATS) to the service and also representation from the newly formed Dumfries and Galloway Street Pastors.
Three Street Pastors from the Borders attended the Scottish conference in Stirling in October.
Our small team of Prayer Pastors continues to minister to the teams and their work is highly valued by all. This is sometimes done remotely using a mobile phone and the speaker, but is still very effective.
PVGs: Fiona Corbett continues to organise these for us. With the system having moved on line we are very grateful to Fiona for doing this task. Safeguarding continues to be a top priority.
The Trustees meet quarterly, but may meet more regularly should the need arise.
In total, Borders Street Pastors have conducted some 81 patrols over the past year.
Plans for the future
The development of School Pastors at Hawick High School continues to be an important focus for Borders Street Pastors. Plans are in place for this to be launched after the summer holidays.
Recruitment and training continue to be a priority, and we are keen to develop strategies to enhance both. With 2026 being the 10[th] anniversary of Borders Stret Pastors, we are exploring making a short video of our work. 2026 is also the football World Cup in the USA, and we are looking at how we may support communities during this time.
The enthusiasm of the team amazes us all! We believe that God continues to want His love taken out onto the streets of our towns through the Street Pastor movement and we give thanks for His love and support!
Financial review
Borders Street Pastors had income this year totalling £1674 (2024/25: £2007) and expenditure totalling £1390 (2024/25: £1758) .
Income normally comes from a variety of sources, including collecting cans at various premises and donations from various organisations and individuals.
We are extremely grateful to the individuals who have made generous donations.
Borders Street Pastors has reserves of £11648 at 31 March 2026 (2025: £11364). Although this amount appears large in relation to current expenditure levels, Borders Street Pastors is a developing charity that has not yet reached a steady level of activity that would enable it to set a policy on the level of reserves to be held. New developments, such as School Pastors, will require an investment in training and uniforms which will come at a cost. The trustees do not feel that income levels are secure. As training starts to move on line, there are may be charges for Street Pastors for some of this, which is going to result in a substantial increase in training costs. As we continue to recruit in Peebles and Hawick, and potentially other areas of the Borders, there are substantial costs for both uniforms and training. Therefore there could be issues in the longer term. The current level of reserves ensures Border Street Pastors can carry out its commitments, and provides a cushion for the next few years. The Co-ordinator continues to be an unpaid volunteer.
Borders Street Pastors is supported by many churches in the Borders and should the need arise, financial support could be sought from them, although it is fair to say that many churches are struggling financially at this time. Borders Street Pastors continues to be in receipt of practical help from churches with the use of premises. We acknowledge the continued willingness and assistance that Borders churches give, both past and for the future. This includes: Hawick Baptist Church for the use of ‘The Well’ for the Hawick Patrols from 2017 – 2026, Hawick South Church for the use of their premises for the day patrols, night patrols and for storage of equipment, and Burnfoot Parish Church for the use of their premises for the trial patrols in Burnfoot. In Galashiels we are grateful to Galashiels Parish for the use of their premises for the both training and storage, and also the use of the former Trinity Church as a base for patrols from 2016 – 2026. We would like to thank Hope Church in Galashiels for the use of their premises for patrols in the town, and Galashiels Baptist Church for the use of premises and support for our Commissioning Service in January.
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
We are also grateful to Melrose Parish Church for a base during the Melrose 7s, Earlston Parish Church for the use of the Church for the Earlston 7s and Selkirk Parish Church for the use of their premises for training and the AGM. We would like to thank Peebles Evangelical Church for allowing us to use their premises for patrols in the town and to store patrol equipment on the premises.
Ascension Trust
The Street Pastors concept, name and logo are owned by The Ascension Trust (registered in England & Wales as charity number 1127204 and company limited by guarantee number 06751712). We use them under licence. We pay our licence fees to their Scottish charity, The Ascension Trust (Scotland) (registered in Scotland as charity number SC041912 and company limited by guarantee SC371392), and these fees include access to insurance cover and other support. We also buy some goods and services from The Ascension Trust (Scotland), and from The Ascension Trust’s trading subsidiary, Ascension Commercial Ltd (registered in England & Wales as company number 07586400). These payments are disclosed in Note 3 on page 7.
Risk management
Borders Street Pastors has public liability insurance organised by Ascension Trust (Scotland). Street Pastors undergo safety training as part of the Roles and Responsibilities course. PVG checks are done via Ascension Trust (Scotland) for each Street Pastor. Each patrol has a minimum of three people and there should be at least one male and one female within that patrol. However, during daytime patrols, two members are allowed.
When there is an exceptional event, e.g. Common Ridings and Christmas, consideration is given to the number of Street Pastors on the patrol and, if possible, to increase the numbers.
Each patrol has is able to contact the emergency services or the coordinator by mobile phone.
The trustees have appointed a number of Team Leaders. Each patrol is led by one of the Team Leaders. The Team Leader will organise the patrol according to the abilities of the team members, e.g., if there should be more breaks etc. If a member of a patrol becomes unwell, the patrol will cease (as has happened on occasion). Team Leaders have a note of emergency contact numbers for team members, and this is currently being reviewed.
A report from every patrol is submitted to the coordinator. This enables any potential issues to be highlighted and addressed.
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Receipts and Payment Account
| Note Receipts Donations Galashiels Parish Guild Kelso Races Soulspan Channelkirk/Lauder Churches Barrie Benevolent Individual (Peebles) Other donations from organisations and individuals Fundraising: collecting cans Total receipts Payments Charitable activities Total payments Surplus/(Deficit) for year |
2025-26 Unrestricted Funds £ 2025-26 Total £ 50 50 200 200 50 50 304 304 85 85 500 500 110 110 375 375 |
2024-25 Total £ 1660 347 |
|---|---|---|
| 1674 1674 1390 1390 |
2007 1758 |
|
| 1390 1390 284 284 |
1758 249 |
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473
Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Statement of Balances
| Bank and cash balances Note 2025-26 Unrestricted Funds 2025-26 Total £ £ Balance at start of year 11364 11364 Surplus/(Deficit) for year 284 284 Balance at end of year 6 11648 11648 Assets Note Cost Value 31/03/26 Fixed assets £ £ IT equipment 2 350 0 Liabilities Note 31/03/26 Total £ Ascension Trust licence fees 4 142 |
2024-25 Total £ 11116 248 11364 Value 31/03/25 £ 0 31/03/25 Total £ 93 |
|---|---|
Approved by the trustees on 6[th] May, 2026 and signed on their behalf
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Notes to the accounts
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Funds. Unrestricted funds are funds that may be used at the discretion of the trustees for any of the charitable purposes of Borders Street Pastors. Restricted funds are funds that are subject to restrictions on their use imposed by donors.
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Fixed assets and equipment. Borders Street Pastors owns donated IT equipment that is classified as fixed assets and valued using annual depreciation on a straight line basis so as to reduce the value to zero over four years. It also owns other equipment for use in its work. However none of that equipment is of sufficient size and value to be classified as fixed assets.
3. Payments for charitable activities
| Note Ascension Trust 4 Licence fees Uniforms and other equipment Books/postage Total payments to Ascension Trust Other payments First aid equipment and supplies Other equipment and supplies Food and drink Postage, stationery, etc. Publicity Travel expenses Training Total other payments Total payments for charitable activities |
2025-26 Unrestricted Funds 2025-26 Total £ £ 800 800 182 182 |
2024-25 Total £ 800 540 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 982 982 22 22 187 187 39 39 90 90 70 70 408 408 |
1346 16 145 130 71 16 34 412 |
|
| 1390 1390 |
1758 |
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Borders Street Pastors SC046473 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
Notes
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Ascension Trust. Payments in Note 3 under the heading Ascension Trust comprise payments to The Ascension Trust, The Ascension Trust (Scotland) and Ascension Commercial Ltd described in the Trustees' Report on page 3. Payments due but not yet made at the end of the year are shown as liabilities on page 6.
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Trustees and connected parties. During the year, trustees were reimbursed out-ofpocket expenses totalling £520.
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Bank and cash balances. All funds are held in bank account. There is no cash in hand.
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Independent examiner’s report on the accounts
Report to the
trustees/members of Borders Street Pastors
| Report to the trustees/members of |
Borders Str | eet Pastors | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered charity number | SC046473 | ||||||
| On the accounts of the | Period start date | Period end date | |||||
| charity for the period | Day | Month | Year | Day | Month | Year | |
| 01 | 04 | 2025 | to | 31 | 03 | 2026 | |
| Set out on pages | 9 | (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) |
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Respective responsibilities of The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with trustees and examiner the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). 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.
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Basis of independent My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts
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examiner’s statement 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.
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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
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date: 09-05-26 Name: Richard Collins Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):**
Address:
5 Strae Brigs St Boswells Roxburghshire TD6 0DH