Auchterarder & Aberuthven Connected (known as A&A Connected)
Scottish Charity Number: SC053586
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the period ended 31 March 2025
Auchterarder & Aberuthven Connected (known as A&A Connected) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) Charity Number: SC053586
| Contents | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administratve Informaton | 3 |
| Current Trustees & Independent Examiner | 3 |
| Structure, Governance and Management | 3 |
| Objectve and Actvites | 4 |
| Finance and Accounts | 4 |
| Chair’s Report | 5 |
| Financial Review | 7 |
| Reserves Policy | 7 |
| Plans for Future Period | 7 |
| Acknowledgements | 8 |
| Declaraton | 8 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees | 9 |
| Statement of Receipts and Payments | 10 |
| Statement of Balances | 10 |
| Liabilites | 10 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 11 |
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TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Trustees, on behalf of A&A Connected, have pleasure in presenting their Annual Report together with the Financial Statements for the period ended 31 March 2025. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Charity name Auchterarder and Aberuthven Connected SCIO (known as A&A Connected) SC053586 APAFC Pavilion, Public Park, Western Road, Auchterarder, PH3 IJH Charity no Address CURRENT TRUSTEES Position Chair Secretary Elerted" 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 22 August 2024 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Constitution The Charity is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a SCIO}. It was registered on 22 August 2024. Membershlp The Organisation is composed of: (al Members {composed of Ordinary Members)" and Ibl Charity Trustees (composed of Elected Charity Trustees and Co-opted Charity Trustees, following the first GM). The Members of the Organisation shall consist of those individuals who made the application for registration of the Organisation and such other individuals and groups as are admitted to membership under the relevant clauses in the Constitution. The Organisation shall have not fewer than twenty (20} Members at any time; and in the event that the number of Members falls below twenty (20), the Board mwi conduct only essential business other than taking steps to ensure the admission of sufficient Ordinary Members to achieve the minimum number. Organlsatlon Management The affairs, property and funds of the Organisation shall be directed and managed by a Board of Charity Trustees. Appointment of trustees The number of Charity Trustees shall be not less than three (31 and the total number of Charty Trustees shall not be more than twelve112).
From and after the first GM of the Organisation, the Board shall comprise the following individual persons (a majority of whom shall always be Elected Charity Trustees):
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(a) Up to twelve (12) - but not less than three (3) - individual persons elected as Charity Trustees by the Members in accordance with clause 61 (‘the Elected Charity Trustees’), who must themselves be Ordinary Members; and
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(b) Up to two (2) individual persons co-opted in accordance with clause 68, so as to ensure a spread of skills and experience within the board.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Definition of Community and Charitable purposes
The Organisation has been formed to benefit the Community of Auchterarder and Aberuthven, which is defined by the boundary of the Auchterarder & District Community Council area [as stipulated by Perth & Kinross Council].
The Organisation’s purpose is to advance citizenship and community development, focused on, but not limited to, the activities defined in the Auchterarder & Aberuthven Community Action Plan (CAP 2022), and in furtherance of:
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(a) Sustaining improved community opportunities for residents to have healthy lives and to feel connected within the local community;
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(b) Acting as co-ordinating body to carry out consultations and effectively respond to key issues in our local community;
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(c) Raising awareness of and provide opportunities to engage in local heritage, arts and culture;
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(d) Raising awareness of volunteering opportunities for local people and how they can get involved;
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(e) Actively providing a voice for the local community to share opinions about the local area;
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(f) Facilitating projects that contribute to a thriving local community, which may include infrastructure improvements.
FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS
The Board shall determine:
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(a) which banks or building societies the bank accounts of the Organisation shall be opened with;
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(b) how bank accounts shall be maintained and operated; and
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(c) how cheques and other negotiable instruments, and receipts for monies paid to the Organisation, shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed.
The Board shall cause accounting records to be kept for the Organisation in accordance with the requirements of the 2005 Act and other relevant legislation.
The Board must prepare annual accounts, complying with all relevant statutory requirements, and must ensure the accounts are examined or audited, as appropriate, by a qualified examiner or auditor.
Auchterarder and Aberuthven Connected (A&A Connected) became recognised as a charitable organisation on 22 August 2024 and this report covers activities up to and including the end of the first financial year on 31 March 2025.
However, from a financial perspective, this report covers the period between 07 March 2025, when a bank account in the name of Auchterarder & Aberuthven Connected was set up, and the end of the first financial year.
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Between 22 August 2024 and 07 March 2025, A&A Connected had been kindly supported by another local charity, Auchterarder Community Sports & Recreation (ACSR) (SCIO No SC048490), who facilitated banking transactions. When the A&A Connected bank account was opened, the sums discussed below in the Financial Review section were added to this account and the narrative explains the source and detail of the transactions.
Funds are used by A&A Connected to progress projects relating to our charitable purpose.
CHAIR’S REPORT
Welcome to the first Annual Report of A&A Connected .
Background
Our journey to this point began in September 2021 when a Steering Group was established, led by Denise Jackson MBE and supported by Auchterarder Community Sports and Recreation (ACSR) - comprising of 15 volunteer members, representing a cross section of the communities of Auchterarder and Aberuthven. The goal - to create a Community Action Plan - which involves community groups and organisations having community conversations leading to clear and detailed plans for how to improve services, the local environment and/or the local economy.
Between November 2021 and March 2022, residents of both communities contributed to a comprehensive consultation. Information was gathered from 751 community views surveys, 48 community group/organisation interviews and two well attended ‘community views’ open days.
In April 2022 everything was summarised in our Community Action Plan (CAP) 2022-2027, an important document which outlines the needs, aspirations, and priorities of Auchterarder and Aberuthven. During this time a Community Connector role was established - the employment of Ang Laurie in this position has been key to advancing the Plan and bringing it to a wider audience.
The feedback that informed the content of the CAP was collated into 6 themes – and associated priorities - that A&A Connected work to facilitate and advance, which define our purpose and which we report against. The six themes are:
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A Healthy and Connected Community
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Roads, Traffic & Transport
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Heritage, Arts and Culture
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Environment and a Greener Community
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Local Services and Housing Development
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Town Centre and Local Economy
The Steering Group continued to advance the CAP throughout 2023 into 2024 and, with ongoing support from ACSR Trustees and their Project Manager Tim Hart, maintained funding for the Community Connector role.
In August 2024, following extensive engagement with the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), we were formally constituted as a charity in our own right.
Achievements and Performance
Our first year as a charity has seen many positive milestones under our key priorities, working with a range of community groups, to facilitate action. Where this has not been possible, we have endeavoured to undertake the work ourselves, by coordinating action within our own volunteer base.
What follows is a summary of the main activities in relation to our charitable purpose within this timeframe.
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Sustaining improved community opportunities for residents to have healthy lives and to feel connected within the local community and raising awareness of volunteering opportunities for local people and how they can get involved.
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In October 2024 we secured funding to facilitate the Cosy Spaces 2024-2025 Winter programme, connecting 15 groups to provide a range of activities promoting social inclusion. These included sessions for young people, for older people, art sessions, sport sessions, “soup and a cuppa” programme that ran twice weekly over the October to April period. The Council’s Warm Welcome funding also allowed the Auchterarder Town Bus to operate on Wednesdays during the winter programme.
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Throughout the year Our Community Connector has created and distributed a monthly “What’s On” summary of community activities/meetings including a wide range of sessions supporting mental and physical health and wellbeing. The Regular newsletter / What’s On / Facebook and Website updates also highlight when, where and how people can participate in groups and volunteering sessions - all which contribute to our charitable purpose and fed into the delivery of the CAP. The Community Connector also actively promoted other community initiatives such as the Auchterarder Town Bus Service and the improved bus-rail integration at Gleneagles Station.
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February 2025 saw the inaugural “Connected Community Fayre” event which was organised by Ang Laurie. This event successfully linked residents with 40+ local groups, fostering new connections and encouraging community participation. It also provided a platform for a volunteer recognition award ceremony, organised by the Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) Community Learning & Development Team. The subsequent award ceremony and display of certificates by community groups highlights the positive impact on volunteer morale and recognition, and the partnership approach, that we are fostering between the CAP and PKC
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Between September 2024 and March 2025 our charity connected local community groups with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership to explore a range of volunteer projects around the subject of enhancing our community green spaces. This commenced with a Biodiversity mapping session in November and led to projects involving a range of local groups including, but not limited to, the local Scout and Rainbow groups, ACSR Green Spaces Group, Allotment Association, and local church groups. It also involved individual participation in tree planting sessions and the creation of a pollinator pathway, and two community orchard areas. As a result of this, the town has been awarded the accolade of being a ‘Biodiversity Town’ in recognition of the enthusiasm and hard work of the local volunteers.
Acting as co-ordinating body to carry out consultations and effectively respond to key issues in our local community and actively providing a voice for the local community to share opinions about the local area.
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Local Development Planning Consultations . As an organisation we have worked to share details of PKC Local Place Planning consultations and LDP3 - both to prompt individual responses and to highlight views gathered during the CAP consultation.
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Addressing the Proposed Closure of our Library. Starting in October 2024 we helped bring people together, to address the issue of the proposed Auchterarder Library closure. Being able to respond to this issue drove the development of a cohesive group which has ensured that the voice of our community was heard clearly, and the outcome was a further two years library provision. We continue to support the conversations between community and the Culture Perth & Kinross/Council partners involved in this, with the aim of securing a longerterm, sustainable, solution.
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Addressing concerns about local traffic and parking. A&A Connected has facilitated and produced an Auchterarder Parking Survey 2023/2024 Report, led by the Traffic and Public Transport Working Group, to help understand the problem and explore evidence-based solutions. The report was published in March 2025 and has subsequently been shared with Auchterarder & District Community Council, the three local Councillors and key officers
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within the Council. Recommendations include formal consideration of parking restrictions by the Council, the development of an all-embracing Parking Strategy (incl. road and pedestrian safety, further pedestrian crossings and more active travel options). Solving the issues around traffic and parking has the potential to create a broad benefit to our community.
Raising awareness of and provide opportunities to engage in local heritage, arts and culture.
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Our Community Connector regularly shares news and updates about events linked to the Local Picturehouse which has become a hub of cultural activity.
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Additionally, we have worked to support the initial investigation of a heritage trail within Auchterarder aligned with Rotary and played a role in identifying an unloved and vacant area now occupied by the Sandy Gunn Memorial.
Facilitating projects that contribute to a thriving local community, which may include infrastructure improvements.
- Kincardine Fields. Maintaining Kincardine fields as ‘green space’ was identified as a key priority within the CAP. A&A Connected have been a key driver keeping this on the communities radar - supporting the development of the Friends of Kincardine Fields Group, linking in with appropriate PKC community officers, sharing information around a November meeting to decide next steps, supporting the creation of a website information hub, and facilitating a group to come together to progress the idea of a Community Asset Transfer.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Revenue
Income of £4,461 as donations of unrestricted funds. £6,990 as a Grant from PKC, restricted to spending in the Warm Welcome project.
Unrestricted Funds:
£2,461 received as a donation from Auchterarder Community Sports and Recreation (ACSR). £2,000 was received as a donation from Auchtoberfest , a community run event.
Restricted Funds:
£6,990 received from a PKC fund for Warm Welcome provision over the winter period of 2024-2025.
Expenses
Payments were made relating to the Cosy Spaces project: Auchterarder Community Bus Group (£5,000), Men’s Shed (£440), Live Active for Hall Hire (£97), Creative Catalyst (£200) and a local volunteer, for receipts relating to the provision of refreshments for the Cosy Spaces project (£122) Total: £5,859
Surplus/Deficit for the year
We have a surplus of £5,592 for the financial year. This comprises £4,461 unrestricted, £1,131 restricted (Warm Welcome fund).
All cash is held in an instant access account with the Co-Operative Bank.
RESERVES POLICY
In the future, the Board - which maintains a prudent outlook - will look to build unrestricted reserves whenever financially feasible. This commitment would aim to help address the organisation's longterm resilience, enabling us to sustain programs and respond effectively to any unforeseen operational challenges.
PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIOD
We will continue to raise the profile of both A&A Connected and the CAP. Only by striving to improve awareness to increase volunteering and engagement opportunities can we continue to make an impact on the CAP priorities.
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Key to this will be maintaining funding for our Community Connector to enable information sharing opportunities and co-ordination of group action. To support this, we will undertake a refresh of our website and develop improved branding and messaging. This will help build on the work already achieved and springboard us towards producing, in close consultation with both Auchterarder and Aberuthven communities, Version 2 of the CAP (2027- 2032), for which we will hopefully start delivery from late Spring 2027. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A&A Connected wish to acknowledge the donations and grants received, which has enabled us to progress community-based initiatives. Additionally, we are very grateful for the on-going support from numerous groups and individuals from Auchterarder and Aberuthven in helping us deliver key actions from the Community Action Plan. ACSR, and particularly Tim Hart, have underpinned the administration of our finances for much of the year- thank you. Finally, we acknowledge the enthusiasm, proactive engagement and outputs of Ang Laurie, our Communty Connector. DECLARATION The Board of Trustees declare they have approved the Annual Report and Financial Statements. Signed on behalf of the Trustees: Signature(s)
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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) 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.
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, and
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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,
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Name:
Relevant professional qualifications or body (if any):
ACMA
Date 19 September 2025
Address: XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXXX XXXX, Linlithgow EH49 XXX
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STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Note Receipts Donations 4 Grants 5 Total Receipts Payments Charitable expenditure 6 Total Payments Surplus / (Deficit) for the year |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 4,461 4,461 0 6,990 6,990 0 |
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| 4,461 6,990 11,451 0 |
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| 0 (5,859) (5,859) 0 |
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| 0 (5,859) (5,859) 0 |
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| 4,461 1,131 5,592 0 |
STATEMENT OF BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2025
| Cash & bank balances at start of year Surplus / (deficit) for the year Cash & bank balances at end of year |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 0 0 0 0 4,461 1,131 5,592 0 |
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| 4,461 1,131 5,592 0 |
LIABILITIES
Liability of £289 to Sports Hub and £100 to Archway for Cosy Space projects from that restricted fund.
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1 Basis of accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended)
2 Nature and purpose of funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day-to-day running of the charity.
Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for specific purposes.
3 Related party transactions
No remuneration was paid to the trustees or any connected persons during the year
4 Donations
Donatons |
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| ACSR Auchtoberfest |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 2,461 0 2,461 0 2,000 0 2,000 0 |
| 4,461 0 4,461 0 |
5 Grants
| PKC Warm Welcome 2024-2025 Cost of charitable actvites Auchterarder Community Bus Group Men’s Shed Live Active Hall Hire Creative Catalyst Refreshment expenses for soup sessions |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 0 6,990 6,990 0 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 0 5,000 5,000 0 0 440 440 0 0 97 97 0 0 200 200 0 0 122 122 0 |
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| 0 5,859 5,859 0 |
- 6 Cost of charitable activities
7 Governance cost
These accounts have been reviewed by the independent examiner free of any charge.
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