Trustee Support
Scouting works when our volunteers share experiences, best practise and good ideas.
This space is for Trustees to share and access local resources they have come across or produced themselves.
Use the resources herein and feedback on them so we can continue to develop them.
Don’t reinvent the wheel – lets just make it better!
If you want to submit a resource please speak to either your DC, the CC or ACC Communications.
Shropshire Scouts is not responsible for the contents of external sites.
Useful links
Annual Report
Below is a short hand reminder of how to produce your Annual Report. Please read the relevant “A Guide To” available from Executive Support above for full details.
Step 1:
UKHQ have set out the reporting requirements for Executive Committees in this document:
Read the document and agree as Trustees which requirements apply to you as a charity.
Step 2:
Prepare your accounts as per the requirement agreed in Step 1 using these templates:
Step 3:
Agree the accounts as Trustees and send them off for audit as per the requirements agreed at Step 1.
The requirements document [Step 1] has a statement of work at Appendix 3 so you can specify exactly what you need to your Scrutineer/Examiner.
The Scrutineer/Examiner should complete this report:
The Scrutineer/Examiner should have been approved by the Group Scout Council at the previous AGM. If the Group’s circumstances change significantly meaning you need to appoint an Examiner rather than a Scrutineer the Group Scout Council must be consulted mid-term; typically via an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Step 4:
Prepare your Trustees Annual Report using this template:
Step 5:
Present your report at your AGM.
Refer to our AGM section below for more support.
Step 6:
Submit your report.
Submit the relevant information to the Charity Commission
In accordance with Rule 3.48.h Groups must submit a copy of their Trustees Annual Report to the District Treasurer within 14 days of their AGM.
Ditto, Districts must submit a copy of their Trustees Annual Report to the County Treasurer within 14 days of their AGM in accordance with Rule 4.59.h.
To make it easy for you to may chose to submit your reports using the form below
Annual Report Form
Annual General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting is a mandatory meeting of the Group Scout Council, the electoral body of the Group (the parents mainly), to receive the Annual Report as prepared by the Group Executive Committee.
Consider it as the Group Executive Committee telling Council how they have used the Group’s resources (Volunteers, funds and assets), what they have achieved as a result (a high-quality programme delivered by amazing Leaders) and what their proposal is to develop the Group.
It is everyone involved the the Group having their opportunity to say that the Group is being run by fit and proper Trustees and the resources of the Group are being used properly.
In real terms, many Groups/Districts choose the AGM as an opportunity to recognise the achievements of the young people, reflect of key events and activities, recognise the effort of all our volunteers and look forward to the future.
This template AGM agenda describes the minimum requirements of an AGM with additional guiding notes. Add glitz, glamour and sparkle as required.
Recruiting to Committees
Top Tips for recruiting to committees:
- Make the Committee Visible.
Make sure the Chair is communicating with Parents and Members about what work the Committee has been doing. If suitable, have a Committee Member go and be available to the scrum of parents/carers/guardians at pick up time.
- Invite Scrutiny.
Executive Committees should welcome scrutiny and be held to account. It may be appropriate from time to time to canvas parents/carers/guardians or Members for opinion, just so people remember you exist. Those that provide feedback may be worth approaching for more support.
- Sell the benefit to Young People
Scout Executives are some of the most attainable democratic processes young people are exposed to. They can visibly see the process happening and directly correlate the impact to their personal experience. Be sure to sell this benefit to parents/carers/guardians or Members.
- Have a Vision.
Recruit with a purpose. If you are looking to fill a particular skill gap, or complete a particular project decide how that individual will be supported and how they will be successful in their role.