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Accounting and reporting

If you’re a Trustee, here’s everything you need to know about accounting and reporting.

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As a Trustee, one of your core responsibilities is to make sure finances are well managed and resources are used in the best interests of Scouts.  

To help you, this webpage gives guidance on some of the key things you’ll need to know, including a number of templates or sample documents to help you create annual accounts and Trustees’ reports, and the necessary types of external review – a key Trustee responsibility when it comes to financial management.

At the bottom of this page, you’ll also find links to materials on other financial duties, such as setting and monitoring budgets. 

Looking after finances as a Trustee

For your charity, it’s likely you’ll need an independent audit or examination each year. As a Trustee, you’ll need to submit your key reports to the charity regulator. 

In some cases, there’ll be a financial expert in the Group, District or County, and/or the board may appoint a Trustee treasurer to look after or advise on financial management. Even if there’s someone in this role, the Board as a whole is still responsible for overseeing finances. 

Some Trustees have a background in finance, and this might seem a bit daunting if you don’t. But don’t worry, there are lots of great materials and learning to help you understand this part of your role. You can also talk with other trustee boards within the Scouts for advice and good practices. 

Receipts and Payments Accounts are created using a simple form of accounting. It summarises all the money a charity has received and paid via the bank and in cash during its financial year.

This example shows fairly typical income and expenses for Scouts organisations and you can easily adapt the format to suit your needs.

Download the sample for the Receipts and Payments Accounts Single Fund for Groups, Districts and Counties/Areas with income less than £100,000.

Download the sample for the Receipts and Payments Accounts Multi Fund for Groups, Districts and Counties/Areas, where the annual income is equal to or less than £249,999 in England, Wales, and Scotland, and equal to or less than £250,000 in Northern Ireland.

As well as keeping and identifying records throughout the year, each charity needs their process and results examined by an independent person. This check plays a part in maintaining public trust and confidence in charities.  

There are different types of external verification depending on the level of income and/or on where you are in the UK. Audits are necessary for charities of a certain size and income level. For smaller charities, there are more appropriate options available.  

If you already know whether you need an auditor, an examiner, or a scrutineer, we’ve included a few template reports to give you an idea of what kind or report to expect. 

If you need more information to find out what type of review you should have, please take a look at our Independent examination of accounts page, where you’ll find a factsheet called Accounting & Audit Requirements for Group Districts, Counties/Areas & Scottish Regions. 

Scrutineer's Report to the Trustees 

This template is for the independent scrutineer of annual accounts for Groups, Districts and Counties/Areas with a total annual income under £24,999 and only those in England and Wales. Download the template for the Scrutineer’s Report to the Trustees. 

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees 

In this document, we’ve included explanations and links to guidance on if/when you’ll need an independent examination, and what’s needed in England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. There are also templates for an independent examiner of annual accounts to use. Download the template for the Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees. 

The trustees of registered charities must prepare a Trustees’ Annual Report. In the Trustee’s Annual Report, there’ll be:

  • an overview of the charity’s activities through the year,
  • strategic and operational developments,
  • an outline of the governance structure, and
  • plans for the next year.

In short, it records the charity’s achievements and tells the part of the story that the numbers can’t.

There are a few standard and required headings that Trustees must report under. Below, we’ve included a template in two formats (Excel and PDF) for Group, District or County/Area Trustees.

In the template, there are sample reserves and investments policies. For more guidance on these policies, please carry on to the next section below.

Download the template for the Trustees’ Annual Report in Excel.

Download the template for the Trustees’ Annual Report in PDF.

If you’d like more in-depth guidance on accounts, audits (or other independent reviews) and reporting, please visit our Independent examination of accounts page, where you’ll find a factsheet called Accounting & Audit Requirements for Group Districts, Counties/Areas & Scottish Regions and links to the templates above.

Useful resources on other financial duties

If you’d like resources on to day-to-day financial management and board oversight, we highly recommend you check the guidance from the charity regulator, for example GOV.UK on Managing Charity Finances. 

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) also has great advice on Financial Management, Planning and Budgeting, Record-keeping and Accounting and Budgeting and Cash flows. 

Quick list of templates and sample document found on this page

If you already know which template and sample documents you're looking for, here's a list for easy access.