Nairn Kayak Club SCIO
A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Reg No. SC053736
(Also known as the Nairn Kayak Club)
Accounts for the Period 01/01/25 – 31/12/25 (Receipts & Payments Basis)
Contents:
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Trustees’ Annual Report
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Financial Information
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External Scrutiny Report
Principal Address for OSCR Purposes: 18 Osprey Crescent, Nairn, IV12 5LH
(redacted for wider circulation)
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1. Trustees Annual Report
Context
The period of this report represents the first year of the Nairn Kayak Club as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated organisation (SC053736). Nairn Kayak Club SCIO was established on 28 October 2024 to replace the previous structure of charitable unincorporated association that was itself established in 2011 and became recognised as a charity in 2013 (SC 044118).
The original association was wound up following a members’ resolution at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 4 December 2024, with all assets and cash being transferred to the SCIO soon after.
2025 saw the Club with a healthy membership of 75, but was saddened by the passing of member Rebecca Ray, whose parents subsequently generously gifted the Club her kayaking equipment.
Trustees
The flux of this period of transition is reflected in a considerable turnover in Trustees. Nairn Kayak Club SCIO was established with six Trustees common to the old association, three of whom resigned at the first AGM in April, when five new trustees were elected the board to take it to the maximum of eight Trustees for the rest of the period. Trustees were provided with a New Trustee Briefing about the Club, including a copy of the constitution, and subsequently offered training on the roles and responsibilities of charity trustees.
The Club continues to have the full complement of Trustees as the four who resigned after the accounting period have been immediately succeeded either through election at the second AGM, or by appointment by the board.
The eight Trustees of the Nairn Kayak Club as at August 2026 are as follows:
| Rory Duton | - Chair | Graham Boyle | - Secretary ( from 06.04.26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandra Evenden | - Treasurer | Jane Gill |
(from 06.04.26) |
| Steve Mackinnon | - Vice Chair | Cory Jones |
(from 06.04.26) |
| Pete Crane (from |
24.04.25) | Jonathan Brodie | (from 16.06.26) |
Other Trustees serving during the 10mths since the establishment of the SCIO:
Hector Start (24.04.25 to 04.06.26) Josh Nimmins (24.04.25 to 06.04.26) Charlie Mapes (24.04.25 to 06.04.26) Harris Gillies (24.04.25 to 06.04.26) Jonathan Brodie (to 24.04.25) Michael Surmon (to 24.04.25) Kevin Ramsay (to 24.04.25)
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Charitable Actvity (Jan- December 2025)
With the support of its many member-volunteers, the Club delivered a wide range of activities in line with its stated purposes of advancing public participation in sport and providing recreation facilities or organising recreational activities:
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i. In January to March a series of weekly coached swimming pool sessions were delivered to 21 members to introduce new paddlers to the sport, and improve existing paddler skills.
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ii. Weekly led/coached surfski sessions were delivered throughout the year, with members each session, with the aim of improving technique and fitness in a wide range of sea conditions. Most sessions were in the sea off Nairn, but downwind runs were also held further along the coast and on Loch Ness.
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iii. Weekly evening supervised or led sea kayak paddles were delivered for members through the summer of 2025, with the primary aims of improving paddlers’ confidence and offering aspirant leaders the opportunity to lead. The level of leadership or coaching each week was dependent on the availability of suitably qualified members, with some sessions being undertaken by more experienced paddlers on a peer/ collaborative paddling basis.
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iv. A number of ad-hoc peer/ collaborative river paddles took place during the year.
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v. In collaboration with Paddle Scotland, the Club delivered two open-entry Challenge events that attracted paddlers from across the UK in a variety of paddle craft. The Spey Challenge had to be postponed from May to October due to low spring river levels, but the Moray Firth Challenge proceeded (49 participants) as planned in August.
Membership Support, Administraton and Facilites
Nairn Kayak Club is affiliated to the sport’s governing body, Paddle Scotland, and a major effort was made during the year to ensure that all board members, coaches and actual/aspirant Leaders met the various requirements of its “Standards of Deployment” in terms of technical certificates, Paddle Scotland individual membership, safeguarding, disclosure, first aid and navigation training etc. Many Risk Assessments were also pulled together for the Club, and promoted with the membership.
The Club advanced Sea Kayak Leader (SKL) development significantly during the year, with the aim of having more qualified Sea Kayak Leaders in the future to take less confident/ experienced paddlers on sea paddles. Two weekend SKL training sessions with hired coaches were delivered as well as supplementary first aid, and rolling coaching at the Glenmore Pool. The Club offered 50% of the cost of these courses to the participants in return for volunteering for the Club, through its “Coaching Contract”, and Highlife Highland funding was also secured towards some of the costs.
The Club maintained its extensive fleet of paddle craft and its facilities, developing a detailed inventory of all its equipment. The Club gifted 9 junior Lightening flatwater kayaks/ associated kit, and 7 Wavehopper whitewater racing kayaks to other SCA- affiliated kayak Clubs in the Central Belt, as the Club had not used them at all since it had lost the use of the Geddes Fisheries fresh water Lochs, and had no plans to in the future.
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Heavy duty tarpaulins were purchased to cover the heavily rusted and leaky shipping container roofs in the yard, and the door to the small shed by the swimming pools was rebuilt following an attempted break-in. Plans were advanced to replace the old shipping containers and portacabin in the yard with two new containers and an enclosed timber area in between, but this was put on hold as discussions were opened with the Nairn Sailing Club regarding the Club’s use of its changing, showering, and toilet facilities.
Administration-wise, the board endeavoured to better utilise the Sportmember membership platform, and also introduced a shared Club Google Drive for trustees, and created Club email accounts for key office bearers.
2. Financial Information
Nairn Kayak Club SCIO was gifted the assets (boats and other equipment) and cash in the bank (£11,252) of the precursor unincorporated Nairn Kayak Club, and continued to lease the harbour yard from the Sailing Club. The accounts (Payments and Receipts basis) for the period 01 January to 31 December 2025 were approved by the board of Trustees in January 2026, and presented to the members for discussion at the Annual General Meeting held on 6 April 2026.
The Payments and Receipts Accounts appear below, along with some explanatory notes. The deficit of £1,191 compared to a surplus of £843 the previous year is largely down to the much greater emphasis on training during the year. This is something the members agreed with the Trustees at AGM as being very important for the Club if it is to be able to continue to deliver its charitable purposes in the face of increasing regulation from Paddle Scotland.
The Trustees are content that the closing bank balance of £10,061 offers scope, with grant assistance, for the planned replacement of the heavily corroded containers and dilapidated portacabin in the yard, whilst also covering the agreed policy of maintain reserves of at least £4,000.
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REC8PTSAND PAYIIENTSA¢¢LKIMTS P FOR THE YEAR FRallrISTo JIM2M 2024 240.CQ 210 224 1• 471 ISM7 2112 2170 J913. 1x67 74023 .t1•127 375 41.r•J 112)1 85 .11W V I(XiO.J8 11201A6 Futh I?.DI AYMEpirs ofpr I)4 IX7. DITE 179.n DATE
NOTES MembersNpsarn• numbewslorbothyea lal Feb- FirstAid C05twa5£1488- less Incorne £ll)80 . Corthibubon pa tythe Qubwds £408 Ibl Pknf.Sea WakLetwasE1740. les5 Income E5 -CMtribution paid tyCluba5£1240 Donolkno&GrMs w•c•tsedwuforSea Kayak Le•d•rtralnlni M•il•n•ous r•¢elpig £37 unknrynlepo$ltor E25 c$t0 Sharon Horrii ÉIOpald as bankalc È1230sul)$13ken in ermi tythe teM £0.01 le 10setupPJy t1164.70 retunaed tomemt*sfyJo10orror wern £310. hlrnolwws Equlw•rttpweh•Md rtJa85È147.99 Cords& FtxlnKS £31.TJ
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