Annual General Meeting

Date: Wednesday, 15th November.

Time: 6.30pm.

Place: West Kirk Church Hall.

Minutes

6.30pm

Paul, Group Chair, welcomed parents/carers and members to the 'get-together-AGM'.

Details of previous AGMs can be found on the website.

Paul handed proceedings across to Jim, the Group Scout Leader/volunteer manager.

6.35pm

Beavers gave a rendition of the Beaver Song.

David provided details of the Beaver programme (report below).

Badges were awarded.

06.40pm

Cub Scouts signed the Cub Scout promise.

Badges were presented.

Cub Scout Leader report below.

06.45pm

A scout described their programme of activities.

Badges were awarded.

Scout Leader report below.

06.55pm

Explorers presented on their experiences at the World Jamboree in South Korea this year.

This was followed by a question and answer session.

Badges were awarded to Explorers.

Explorer Leader report below.

07.10

Duncan the Treasurer made a short presentation on the financial status of the Group.

Financial details published below.

07.15

The District Commissioner was invited to say a few words to the meeting.

07.20

Jim thanked parents/carers for their attendance and support.

He made an appeal for leadership and committee volunteers.

Meeting ended.

Group Scout Leader/Volunteer Manager Report

I'll keep this short and to the point.

A BIG thank you to all leaders, helpers, parents, carers and supporters who make the Group such a success.

Over the past year we have reached a point where all of our sections are running at capacity in terms of membership numbers - over 60 children and young people across all sections

There are more children and young people that want to join us, but we are limited by our need for more adult helpers. So, if you can help out - as a member of the committee that keeps the Group running, as a leader, or as a now-and-then helper, talk to a leader for more information.

All sections have delivered a fun programme of activities.

A BIG thank you also to the West Kirk and Community Garden, whose premises we use and without whom we would not be able to operate.

Jim

CATWELDERS Explorer Unit Report

We had 2 Explorers selected for World Scout Jamboree (Korea 2023), and 3 attended Blair Atholl Jamborette (2022).

Activities for the year have included:

• Lighting fires and cooking (quite a lot, and often at the same time)

• Escape Room

• Canoeing

• West Lancs County Camp

• WSJ Awareness Korean Night (food too)

• Activities and games with the Scouts

• A tour of the West Kirk

• Life Skills

• Hallowe'en Party

• Knife Making

• Remembrance Wreath Making

• Sustainable Development Goals

• Pioneering (large and small)

• Christmas Meal

• Spanish Trading Game

• Shelter Building

• Navigation

• Throwing Angels

• Brass Monkey Camp

• Ready Steady Cook! (more food)

• Expedition planning (food appeared again)

• A lightweight expedition in the Pentlands

• Night Hike

• Pancake Competition

• Brass Monkey Camp

• Competitive Fire Lighting

• Light Painting

• 36 nights away across our young people for our organised events, with Blair and WSJ training on top 

Scout Section Report

We have worked on chef, media, nights away, navigator and pioneers badges.

We have had a few joint events with Explorers, including Brass Monkey Camp and cooking competitions, helping to get the older scouts used to the Explorers for when they will me moving on.

Outdoor activities have included open fires with smores, cooking in different ways, den building, hammocks and learning to put tents up.

We had a visit from a scout Grandad  and he let the scouts play his bagpipes. He gave them lots of information and the evening  was good fun. It also contributed towards the media badge work.

We have had Halloween and Christmas parties.

And Debby visited, and decided to become a leader.

Lastly, we were awarded a grant of £800 towards scout camping experiences.

Cub Section Report

Cubs have enjoyed working on Fire Safety, First Aid, Pioneer, Navigator, Astronomy and Naturalist activity badges. We also enjoyed an evening taking photos with a drone for the Photography badge. 

The recent sleepover at Harburn Hall was great fun and the children were presented with Nights Away and Hikes Away stage 1 badges. 

Cubs have also been working on the Teamwork Challenge, with some of the older Cubs working towards their Personal Challenge badge. 

We have a full pack of 24 Cubs all attending regularly and currently have a waiting list. 

The section has a fantastic team of 4 leaders who are all committed to running a fun program.

Beaver Section Report

We have had a very successful year with a full membership. 

The Beavers have taken part in many great activities. 

They took part in a bowling fun day with other groups from the Region and won the West Lothian Beaver Scouts sports challenge in September.

18th West Lothian (West Calder) Scout Group

Scottish Charity No – SC047301

Annual Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Trustee’s Annual Report

For the year ended 31 March 2023

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name

18th West Lothian (West Calder) Scout Group

Charity No.

SC047301

Address

97 Parkhead Crescent, West Calder, West Lothian, EH55 8BE

Current Trustees

Paul Curran                     Chair

Vacant                             Secretary

Duncan Bain                       Treasurer

James Fanning                Group Scout Leader

Structure, Governance & Management

Constitution

The charity is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).  It was registered in its current legal form on 3 April 2017.  The charity was previously an unincorporated association but changed its legal form to a SCIO.  The assets of the unincorporated association were transferred to the SCIO on 3 April 2017.  The group is led by a group scout leader (voluntary manager) and managed by a group executive committee.  They are accountable to the members and supporters of the group through the group scout council.

Appointment of trustees

The group scout leader and the executive committee, normally meet once a quarter and are the charities trustees.  Membership of the executive committee is open to all however it is the role of the group scout leader to nominate the chairman and a scouter should not hold the appointment.

Trustees are elected at the annual general meeting which is held in September.

Objectives and Activities

Charitable purposes

The main purpose of the group is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

Activities

The group, comprising Beaver, Cub, and Scout sections, as well as district Explorer scouts (with whom there is a partnership agreement) meet weekly at the West Kirk of Calder church hall and, in the case of the Scout and Explorer sections, at West Calder and Polbeth Community Garden, where training and development is carried out.

Badge awards are part of the programme where members take part in voluntary service projects.  This can be wide and varied in content but forms a clear link in community benefit both to group membership and members of the West Calder and Polbeth communities.

From time to time the group will participate in wider scouting events, hold residential camps, as well as training and social activities.
Achievements and Performance

Following the lifting of covid restrictions the group has returned to operations as normal and therefor receipts from subscriptions are up on the previous year (21-22).

The general health of the group is good with each section currently operating at capacity.

Financial Review

Our main source of funding is through subscription fees or camp fees which are charged to parents/carers.  We have started to recover from the impacts of the pandemic suffered in the prior financial year.

Reserves policy

The trustees’ policy is to retain at least 12 months of normal running costs (minimum circa £5K) in order to meet commitments and to cover off any unexpected expenditure.  Reserves are currently £7,632.91 which the trustees believe is in an acceptable range but they will continue to monitor the position.

Plans for future period

In this first full period following the lifting of covid restrictions weekly term time meetings have been re-established; building upon the growing need for adventurous activities for young people.

Statement of Receipts and Payments for the year ending 31 March 2023

Statement of balances as at 31 March 2023

Notes to the accounts – for the year ended 31 March 2023

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 club. 

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

5                 Grants received

6                 Cost of charitable activities

7                 Governance costs

No costs for governance were incurred in the year.

8                 Transfer between funds

Nothing to report in this financial year.