{"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Scout Association (TSA) exists by authority of a Royal Charter granted by King George V in 1912 and supplemented by further charters granted by King George VI, and HM Queen Elizabeth II. These charters give authority to the byelaws of The Scout Association, which are approved by His Majesty\u2019s Privy Council. The Byelaws, in turn, authorise the making of rules for the regulation of The Scout Association\u2019s affairs. The rules are laid out in The Scout Association\u2019s Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis trustees\u2019 Annual Report and financial statements cover the activities directly controlled by The Scout Association, registered charity numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SCO38437 (Scotland). This includes its five wholly owned subsidiary companies: Scout Shops Limited, Scout Insurance Services Limited, Scout Services Limited, Scout Products Limited, and World Scout Shop Limited (see note 12 to the financial statements for further information on these companies).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe activities of the Scout Councils of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales together with Scout Counties, Areas, Regions (Scotland), Districts, and Groups are not reflected in this report and accounts. These bodies are autonomous charities, affiliated to The Scout Association, which together form the Scout movement across the United Kingdom.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EThe Board of Trustees\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the year, The Scout Association has complied with all relevant laws and regulations and has had due regard to the Charity Commission\u2019s guidance on public benefit.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Board of Trustees has continued to prioritise strong governance, transparency, and accountability across the organisation. This includes maintaining and regularly reviewing key policies and controls to ensure continued compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETrustees are committed to upholding high standards of integrity and ethical conduct in all aspects of the Association\u2019s work. This commitment underpins our approach to governance and supports the effective and responsible delivery of Scouting for the benefit of the communities we serve.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Board has 20 members:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E12 members nominated and elected by the Council of The Scout Association at the AGM: 9 elected members and 3 elected youth members.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E5 members appointed by the Council at the AGM on the recommendation of the Board: the Chair of the Board, the Treasurer, and up to 3 others.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E3 Ex-Officio Members: the Chief Executive, UK Chief Volunteer, and the UK Youth Lead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe give an induction for all new trustees. All trustees take part in training and development opportunities throughout the year.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2025\u201326, trustees took part in training and development sessions focused on one or more areas related to The Scout Association\u2019s business, including Safeguarding and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Board\u2019s responsibility includes policy making and overseeing risk management. It delegates the day-today management of The Scout Association to the Chief Executive and UK Chief Volunteer, who work with the UK Leadership Team, the UK Youth Lead and their team, and the Executive Leadership Team who manage our employed staff.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Board delegates certain functions to four committees that report to it (Finance, Audit and Risk, People and Culture, Safeguarding, and Safety). The Board appoints trustees to serve on these committees annually, with the committee chairs having a three-year term, subject to performance, and their continuation as a trustee. The Board met formally six times during 2025-26. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScouts trustees have a duty to report on our public benefit in this Annual Report. We\u2019ve assessed our aims, activities, and charitable objectives. These all contribute to the development of young people, allowing them to achieve their full potential as individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national, and international communities.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe believe Scouts meets the Charity Commission\u2019s \u2018public benefit\u2019 criteria for both the advancement of education, and the advancement of citizenship and community development. Scouts follows two key principles set by the commission with regard to public benefit:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. \u2018Identifiable benefit\u2019\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis benefit is directly linked to the purpose of Scouts \u2013 in the way we help young people in their personal development and empower them to make a positive contribution to society.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u2018Public benefit\u2019\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EScouts is a national movement. We\u2019re open to all young people aged 4-24 and adult volunteers willing to make the Scout Promise. We help young people step up, speak up, and dream big. Most importantly, we help them gain the skills to succeed in life.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EPolicies and rules\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt The Scout Association, we have a comprehensive set of policies and rules applicable to the movement. These policies and rules are regularly reviewed by senior volunteers, senior management, and staff employed across the UK.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re committed to giving young people and adult volunteers the best possible experience in Scouts. To help us achieve this, we follow several key policies, so we can make sure Scouts grows in a way that\u2019s safe, accessible, and free from discrimination.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur key policies include:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EEqual Opportunities Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EPrivacy and Data Protection Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EReligious Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESafeguarding Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESafety Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EVetting Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAnti-bullying and Harassment Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDuty of Candour Policy\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhistleblowing Policy\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EApproach to risk management\u0026nbsp;\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis year, The Scout Association has continued to strengthen and modernise its enterprise risk management (ERM) framework. We\u2019re evolving our approach to more closely reflect sector best practice and globally recognised standards, including ISO 31000, the COSO ERM framework, and the risk management principles set out in the UK Government\u2019s Orange Book.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work is improving the clarity, consistency, and transparency of our risk management processes and supporting stronger oversight. As our ERM framework matures, we are strengthening the way risk information flows from operational teams through to the Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees. This enhanced oversight helps ensure that strategic decision making is informed by a clear understanding of risk and opportunity, and that the most significant risks receive focused attention.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re also taking steps to develop a more robust and transparent approach to setting and reviewing risk appetite, aligned with the structure and principles of the Orange Book, and consistent with how other large UK charities articulate and govern their risk appetite. Collectively, these improvements will help embed a consistent, organisation-wide approach to risk, ensuring TSA remains resilient, effective, and able to deliver high quality Scouting safely and sustainably.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EStrategic risk landscape\u0026nbsp;\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETSA manages a range of strategic risks that could affect our ability to deliver safe, high quality, and inclusive Scouting. These risks relate to:\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ethe quality, relevance, and inclusivity of our youth programme;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ekeeping young people and adults safe;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Esustaining a diverse, capable, and supported volunteer base;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Emaintaining strong governance and compliance across a federated \u0026nbsp;movement;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Eachieving financial sustainability;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Eensuring secure, reliable, and effective digital systems and data; and\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ebuilding an adaptable and resilient organisation able to respond to change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese seven strategic risk areas form the foundation of our maturing ERM framework and support clearer oversight, prioritisation, and assurance across the organisation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ERisk appetite statement\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Scout Association is committed to enabling young people to develop skills for life through safe, highquality, and inclusive Scouting. To fulfil this purpose, we take a balanced approach to risk, recognising that delivering meaningful impact for young people requires us to be ambitious and forward thinking while maintaining rigorous safeguarding, safety, and operational standards.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETSA has a minimal appetite for risks that could compromise the safety, wellbeing, or trust of \u0026nbsp;young people, volunteers, or staff; risks that could lead to significant safeguarding failures; or risks that could materially harm our long-term reputation as a safe, values driven, youth organisation.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe have a cautious appetite for risks that enable strategic progress \u2013 such as investing in improved systems, strengthening volunteer experience, modernising ways of working, and enhancing organisational capability \u2013 but only where these risks are well understood, well managed, and aligned with our charitable objectives.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe have a more open appetite for opportunities that enable innovation, sustainable growth in membership, and improved programme delivery, where the potential benefits outweigh the associated risks and where controls remain proportionate.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWork is ongoing to qualify our risk appetite in a clear, considered, and structured way. Going forward, it will then be reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees, with tolerance levels set for each of our strategic risk areas. Where thresholds are breached, immediate action will be agreed to restore the risk to within acceptable limits. We recognise that risk in our activities can never be entirely eliminated, and we remain committed to learning from incidents and near misses through continuous improvement and our Duty of Candour.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"prev":{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/our-members/","title":"Our members"},"next":{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/governance-structure-and-board-membership/","title":"Governance structure and board membership"},"allParts":[{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/prepared-for-the-path-ahead/","title":"Prepared for the path ahead"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/focused-on-our-movement-supporting-volunteers/","title":"Focused on our movement, supporting volunteers"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/our-purpose-and-method/","title":"Our purpose and method"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/place-to-belong-our-strategy-to-2035/","title":"Place to Belong: Our Strategy to 2035"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/the-path-ahead-shaping-the-next-nine-years/","title":"The path ahead: Shaping the next nine years"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/a-growing-and-inclusive-movement/","title":"A growing and inclusive movement"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/more-young-people-gaining-skills-and-leading-change/","title":"More young people gaining skills and leading change"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/volunteers-who-feel-confident-supported-and-valued/","title":"Volunteers who feel confident, supported and valued"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/stronger-and-better-connected-communities/","title":"Stronger and better connected communities"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/a-safe-inclusive-and-sustainable-movement/","title":"A safe, inclusive and sustainable movement"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/the-impact-of-scouts-on-young-people/","title":"The impact of Scouts on young people"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/keeping-young-people-safe/","title":"Keeping young people safe"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/safeguarding/","title":"Safeguarding"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/fundraising/","title":"Fundraising"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/syd-kesseler-centre/","title":"Syd Kesseler Centre"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/financial-review/","title":"Financial review"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/trustees-responsibilities/","title":"Trustees\u0027 responsibilities"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/independent-auditor-s-report-to-the-trustees-of-the-scout-association/","title":"Independent Auditor\u2019s Report to the Trustees of The Scout Association"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/consolidated-statement-of-financial-activities/","title":"Consolidated statement of financial activities"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/balance-sheet/","title":"Balance sheet"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/statement-of-cash-flows/","title":"Statement of cash flows"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/notes-to-the-financial-statements/","title":"Notes to the financial statements"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/our-members/","title":"Our members"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/how-we-operate/","title":"How we operate"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/governance-structure-and-board-membership/","title":"Governance structure and board membership"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/our-advisors/","title":"Our advisors"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/our-thanks/","title":"Our thanks"},{"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/investors-in-people/","title":"Investors in People"}],"link":"/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/how-we-operate/","id":91127,"nodeName":"How we operate","title":"How we operate","type":"codexPart","image":{"url":"/media/10478/scouts-logo.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1db789232a4a190","caption":"Scouts Logo","type":"jpg","size":30784,"width":800,"height":450,"altText":"The Scouts logo"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"How we operate","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"searchDescription":"Find out how we operate as part of our annual report 2025-26.","subHeader":"Find out how we operate as part of our annual report 2025-26.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC85MTEyNyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/our-impacts-and-reports/scouts-annual-report-2025-26/how-we-operate/"}