The Bellman (SCIO) Trustees9 Annual Report August 2023- 2024 TWFfiFI I IAAPI rr) LIK Call for Retum of In¥erCarr￿ - The8ellman A FORUM will be formed and a strategy formulated by our commLnitv council- such are the actKJns wnerging Ircffi a public rneeting last night. where the overri¢Jing message was'change the deeision,. The rneeting... Charity contact infomiation The Bellman {SCIO) Scottish Chari Number. SC050368 ebsile.. Mvw.thebellman.co uk ## **Charity Trustees** ## **Objectives and activities** Launched in July 2019, the Bellman was established as a SCIO on the 10th August 2020 for the purpose of representing local news, interests and amenities of the community in Stonehaven and promoting community development in South Aberdeenshire by providing a free **digital news website** . The Bellman (www.thebellman.co.uk) provides information from a community perspective in the areas of: Town news, events and activities Sport, health, wellbeing & lifestyle Science, environmental protection and improvement Arts, culture, heritage and religion Public interest journalism, covering the activities of the Community Council, Local Authority and its elected members. The Bellman is a free to access site that also allows the community to comment on and submit items of news and general interest. It also provides a platform for local groups and associations to promote their activities and events, to encourage participation in events and community affairs and promotes a sense of community welfare and responsibility, enhancing social connections within the community. ## **Bellman Activity Overview** The Bellman website remains the only source of dedicated local news and community affairs in Stonehaven. In our first year of operation site statistics demonstrated that the readership of the Bellman was already reaching beyond the population of Stonehaven (circa 12,000) and while readership isn ’ t a specific target in itself, it is none the less encouraging that in our fourth year (as a SCIO) reader numbers continue to grow, reflecting the demand and interest for a local news service in the community. ## **Bellman Accounts - Nature & Purpose of Funds** The Bellman ’ s sole purpose, as described above, is to provide and maintain a local news and community service within Stonehaven. As in previous financial years the Bellman has been able to cover its annual operating costs through grant funding, supplemented by income from local interest advertising. During the financial year reported, the Bellman: Incurred no other expenses Was in receipt of income from a local business grant and advertising Did not support any other organisation via grant funding Paid no remuneration or expenses to any of the three SCIO Trustees (or anyone connected to a charity trustee) Recruited no staff paid or otherwise Bellman income in 2023 - 2024 together with the funds held n our bank account was sufficient to cover our annual operating costs for the year, and leave a surplus in our bank account to be carried forward of £ 316. ## **Structure, governance and management** Type of governing document The Bellman SCIO is governed under a single tier Constitution which sets out the organisation ’ s purpose, structure and describes how it will operate. Governance is discussed as a regular agenda item at Business meetings and there were no issues arising during the period of this annual report. Trustee recruitment and appointment The Bellman operates under the guidance and direction of three Trustees and no additional trustees were recruited during the period of this annual report. The recruitment process is at the discretion of the existing Trustees and should the organisation require additional skills or experience, any new recruitment would be discussed and agreed at a Business meeting. External organisations are not allowed to appoint charity trustees. **Achievements and performance** One of the primary aims of the Bellman has been to establish the site as the ‘ go to ’ trusted destination for local community news and interests. The site stats show another year of strong growth in unique site visits which are now in excess of 15,000 a month (up from 14,000 in 2022/3). The Bellman continues to report widely on local community news and interests in the areas of: Community news, events and activities Sport, health, wellbeing & lifestyle Science, environmental protection and improvement Arts, culture, heritage and religion Activities of the Community Council, Local Authority and elected members The Bellman has also encouraged community development by enabling residents to comment on and submit items of news and general interest. **Financial review** Statement of the charity ’ s policy on reserves As reported in the Use of Funds section, above, the Bellman did not generate any income from business activity during the financial year and annual operating costs were met through a mix of grants secured and advertising on the site.. At the end of the financial year, the Bellman recorded a loss of £ 211, which was offset by funds held in our bank account to leave a balance at the end of the financial year of £ 316. . The ongoing expenditures and costs of operating the Bellman site are readily identified and stable and the trustees do not envisage any unanticipated expenditure or operating costs. The absence of any reserve funds is therefore unlikely to be be critical to the continued operation of the organisation. The business is now supplementing funding from local sources with advertising on the site. Should the Bellman generate a modest surplus at the end of any financial year, then these funds may be retained as a reserve to meet future contingencies, should they arise. With our key financial goal each year to cover our operating costs, it would not be our aim to create substantial reserves. Our reserve policy will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that it continues to be relevant for the needs of the business. Details of any deficit The Bellman was able to meet its annual operating costs through advertising, donations and grant funding. Donated facilities and services No facilities or services were donated during the period of the annual report. **Future plans** Plans for 2024/5 include: Maintain &/or grow the Bellman readership Encourage greater participation in the site form local sporting, social and cultural groups to share news of the events and activities Continue to expand our network of volunteer authors Secure funding to cover the Bellman ’ s operating costs The Belknan ISCK> SC050368 OSCR Receipts and Pa￿t3 accounts 1st Seciion A siatement oy receipis and payments All kn1¥￿b￿ Rwts1Tcml￿ & Al s￿ A2SMty Xat 412 A3SL* 472 AIpwr￿￿T￿￿th￿j lo UMI A4s&*￿ 911 211 119 Svryts/(d•krt")fiJry X1 211 119 The Bellman ISCIOI SC050368 Seetion 8 Statemènt of balances pend&r ern￿￿￿7 lo1￿ ¢￿[e rjetknd B1 Ca•h lunds 51T i) lag J16 B2knw•trn•m• B3Oth•r•••4t• 491 b4 B5CoTriing•M ro 2D25 The Bellman ISCIO) SC050368 Section C Notes to the Accounts Cl N*ure and purpose of funds (maybesta￿ L¥Tr ol aciivty Of propct supportea C2 Gr•Ms Auihority undv Which Pal d•t411s ¢4 •xp•ns C4b TrpJ5t•••xp•n5*. +J•talls Natur? gf relabonshi Natyrp pf transaction end C6Transac¢lon5 whh Iru51••5 The Bellm•n ISCIOI SC050368 Additional analysis111 Analysisof re¢eiFts arnl Pa￿￿ents 1 Oonalion5 Trt 2 ¢riiits Tat￿1*11 ￿ritid 412 T¢* 411 911 The Bellrnan ISCIOI SC050308 Additional analysis121 Unr¢*trkicd Uw¢str*i 2-¢nl¢r I￿￿4-c￿l¢r namrollund To R¢c¢w• Gl¥rts GIOSS ￿￿)fe¢*￿* Gross t•ce lJ rtom ass•1 & InYeslin￿l Proc￿$ rrcth sakrfftI¢d JSS¢IS ExPW9¢3toi Nnor31￿ a¢)w Gr￿5 Payments Gr￿lIn¢ I￿al ¥otnance CQJL¥ 41 thowmon Ix TAnsr*rs t•iiframllwioi Natur•and The Bellm•n ISCIOI SC050368 Additional analysis131 8 Breakdo*Tr clrestrictedfrJnd5 ert•tumt of T•r•lr•wpty 411 711 Transf•rstol I￿￿11￿¥]5 u*5/111ofi¢rtJ arKI APPENDIX 3 OSCR LX[sho￿rlty Independent examiner's report on the accounts R8port to the Darr tru8tseslmemb8vs of The Bellman (SCIO) R•gl$t•r•d charlty SCIJ60368 On th• accounts of th¢ ¢harity forthfr poriod P•iod stsrt datè Pariod end éate Mmth YeAr 01 31 Sot out on pagos Rè#w¢ttv• The chanty's trustees are responsible for the preparation ol tha accounts in aecordanee rnsponBlbllltl8s ol with the tsrms of the CtArrties and Trustee Invesknent (Scotlandl 2005 Act and the trwt••• and •xamln•r Charft*$ Accounts {Scotlandl Regulabjns 2006 las amended). The charty trustees consider It￿1 the audit requirernent of Regulaty.￿ 10{1) {d) of the Account$ Regulat￿nS does not ap￿y. 11 Is my responsibilty to examine the accounts as required under se¢bon 4411) {¢) of Ihe Ad and io $lale whetr*r ParV￿lar mattery have corne to my attentson. Ba811 rf Independent My exanmnaion is ￿rIed out in acxordarce wlh Rewktion 11 of the 20rA Accounts stat•mgnt Re9ulation$ examination ncbjdes a revièw Df the accounb'ng records kept by the ¢harity and a cOmpanS(￿ of the aco)unts presented with thL)se rec￿15. It also includes considerallcn of any unus￿1 rtems or dis¢losures m the accounts and seeks explan*ifm$ from the trustees con(xrnkng any suth rnattern. The wctedures undertaken (lo not prowde •ll the emdence that W￿ld be requyed in an a￿lItand. conwuently, I do 0Xpr￿ an oplii￿ on the viThv given ty the a￿unts. Ind•p•ndwt 0xamin0￿8 k) Ihe course of my ex•minath)n, no m•tter hDs come lo my attertknn lother lfian that #tat•m•nt diselosod ¢)n *tach•d pago1 1. wthieh gNes me ￿Sanab1& Ca￿ta be￿¥0 that in any matwial respect the I￿￿￿ements.. to keep a¢counb'ng records in wlrdance th secth)n 44111 la) of the 2005 Act and Regsjlaton 4 of the 20C6 Regulatons, and . to prepare accounts vthich accord Nvrth the accounting record5 compty with Regulabon 9 of 2006 A¢xoLrts RoguthtA)ns lo whictr. in nry opinon. ?Itenb'cn sh￿Id be dra￿￿ in othr to a Propar e reached. $19ng Narn RelèvaTrt prof•sslon qual1fl￿th)n{s) or b(Kl lrfany Addrns 2610512025 "P￿ ddeie thewoKa do m aFpty. IITh th) Wy. selolltlw maityswhth hw8 c¢￿$ lo yOuratt￿tth tha page. APPENDIX 3 Disclosure section Onty complete ifthe examiner ne￿15 to hwJhlKJht material problems. G5ve here brfof ￿taIlS of any ltsms that the oxaminor wi5h¥s to dls¢loso