{"subTitle":"","backgroundImage":{"url":null,"caption":null,"type":null,"size":0,"width":0,"height":0,"altText":null},"backgroundColour":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThis guide covers returns for Districts across the movement, and there are some small differences between Nations, so the return for your District may not appear exactly as it looks in this guide. Some returns may not have the all the questions that are covered in this guide or they might look slightly different. If you are unsure, and cannot find the right answer on our website, please\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/contact-us/\u0022 title=\u0022Contact us\u0022\u003Econtact the Scout Support Centre\u003C/a\u003E for more help. Remember you can save your return and come back to it later.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"sections":[{"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, the annual census has used to collect information about the adult volunteers that support our young people but in a change to previous years this information will be taken directly from My Membership and added to each census return.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt a later date these fields will be populated with data taken from My Membership. Until then they will show as zero and cannot be edited. All adult volunteers should be encouranged to check that their personal and role information is up to date on My Membership so it is accurate when imported to census.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlease see our\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/frequently-asked-questions/\u0022 title=\u0022Frequently Asked Questions\u0022\u003ECensus FAQs\u003C/a\u003E for more information on the recording of adult volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/5l0pccn4/district-adults-2026.png","width":828,"height":471,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAn adult volunteer could hold a role in multiple Teams within a District and therefore appear more than once on the same return, however secondary roles are not included within a census return. The only exception to this are Ex Officio Trustee roles (held by Lead Volunteers and Youth Leads).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, a District Lead Volunteer will be recorded within the District Leadership team and they will also be recorded as a Trustee on the same return. However, a Group Lead Volunteer granted an ex officio role within the District Leadership Team will not have this secondary role recorded on census.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"prev":null,"next":{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance"},"allParts":[{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/","title":"Adult members"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/","title":"Completing the return"}],"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/","id":50271,"nodeName":"Adult members","title":"Adult members","type":"codexPart","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Adult members","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"searchDescription":"","subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDI3MSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/"},{"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EDistrict fees\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlease use these questions to record the Membership fee or levy charged by the District. Not the total membership fee but just the part charged by your District.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/0cxd50z5/district-fee-2026.png","width":824,"height":149,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EGift aid an\u003Cspan\u003Ed\u003C/span\u003E charity status\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIf your District claims gift aid, we also ask how much you have received. We have asked this question because we\u2019re trying to understand the different amounts of gift aid that is claimed on average in different economic areas \u2013 this is part of our \u2018extending reach\u2019 programme of work. If you\u2019re not sure what gift aid is or how to claim it, you can\u00A0\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.gov.uk/claim-gift-aid\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elearn more about claiming gift aid\u003C/a\u003E on the gov.uk website.\u00A0Please enter a value rounded to the nearest \u00A31.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIf your District is registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, or the Charity Commission in Northern Ireland, we ask you to provide your charity registration number. Please note that isn\u2019t the same as a gift aid or HMRC registration number. This information gives us an accurate picture of the number of Groups, Districts and Counties across the UK that are registered with regulatory bodies. If you aren\u2019t sure, you can use the charity regulator websites to search for registered charities in\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/showcharity/registerofcharities/RegisterHomePage.aspx\u0022\u003EEngland \u0026amp; Wales\u003C/a\u003E,\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.oscr.org.uk/\u0022\u003EScotland\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0and\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/start-up-a-charity/register-of-charities/\u0022\u003ENorthern Ireland\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/u5kch4gp/district-gift-aid-2026.png","width":829,"height":195,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EConstitution\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe also ask if the District has formally adopted a constitution at one of its AGMs. There\u2019s a standard constitution for Districts in \u003Ca href=\u0022/por/5c-constitutions-of-groups-districts-and-counties-except-in-scotland/5c2-constitution-for-a-district-except-in-scotland/#5c.1\u0022 title=\u00225c.2 Constitution for a District (except Scotland)\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#5c.1\u0022\u003EPOR rule 5c.2\u003C/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/por/5d-constitutions-for-scottish-groups-districts-regions/5d2-constitution-for-a-district-scotland/#5d.1\u0022 title=\u00225d.2 Constitution for a District (Scotland)\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#5d.1\u0022\u003E5d.2 for Groups in Scotland\u003C/a\u003E) which is used by many Groups, but this, or another constitution should be formally adopted. If you aren\u2019t sure if this has been done, we\u2019ve provided an option for \u2018not known\u2019. This will provide a clearer understanding of the various constitution models that are currently in place across UK Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you select \u0027Yes\u0027, you\u0027ll be asked a follow up question on the constitution that your District has adopted.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/tvhbxrmb/district-constitution-2026.png","width":833,"height":176,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComplaints\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThe complaints question relates to complaints raised formally under The Scouts\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/policy/scouts-complaints-policy/\u0022\u003Ecomplaints policy\u003C/a\u003E. It does not include low level concerns raised which may have been resolved informally.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWe are seeking this information as we are always looking to improve our policies and procedures including the complaints policy. This information will help us to build a picture of the volumes of formal complaints received as a movement overall. We plan to work closely with a representative sample of the movement to explore changes in how we deal with complaints.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWe also want to look at the advice and guidance available for all stakeholders including complainants and their representatives, managers and individuals subject to the complaints process. This data will also be helpful for the line management chain to get a better understanding of their respective areas in Scouting when it comes to concerns and complaints.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/i25j1jwp/district-complaints-2026.png","width":830,"height":110,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EWaiting lists\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019re asked to record the number of young people you have on waiting lists for each section. This means the number of young people who are currently (on 31 January 2025) the right age to join that section \u2013 don\u2019t record those who are too young to join. We collect information about how many young people are interested in Scouts so that it can be used locally to inform our growth and development plans. It can help identify where new sections and Groups may be needed. We changed this question in 2020 to recognise that in some areas the waiting list is managed by the District, and in other areas this is managed by Groups. If the District manages the waiting list of young people on behalf of the groups, please click yes, and you\u2019ll be presented with the fields to tell us how many young people are on your waiting list currently.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/kt4abtlp/waiting-lists-dist.jpg","width":918,"height":312,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EProperty\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EQuestions regarding property usage and ownership have been split between a \u0027Main Property\u0027 and \u0027Other Property\u0027.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIf your District owns, leases, rents or has use of land or a building you would describe as the main meeting place such as a District Headquarters, please click \u0027Yes\u0027 and let us know whether this is freehold, leasehold, is rented or is used at no cost.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIf you also own, lease, rent or have use of additional property or locations you will have the opportunity to let us know about this in the follow up question that appears after selecting \u0027Yes\u0027 above.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EYou will be able to select multiple options if more than one applies from this second list.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThis information will give us an accurate picture of the level of property ownership of Groups, Districts and Counties across the UK.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/vcimz0mr/district-property-2026.png","width":835,"height":326,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"prev":{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/","title":"Adult members"},"next":{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/","title":"Completing the return"},"allParts":[{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/","title":"Adult members"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/","title":"Completing the return"}],"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","id":50275,"nodeName":"Administration \u0026 Governance","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance","type":"codexPart","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Administration \u0026 Governance","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"searchDescription":"","subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDI3NSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/"},{"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EPerson completing the form\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlease enter your own details in these fields. This is so we can contact you if there are any queries or information that needs to be clarified. This personal information will be removed no later than twelve months after completion of the census.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/joxll4cq/district-completion-2026.png","width":840,"height":285,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ESaving your data\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u2019re ready, please mark the census complete, and click save changes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThank you!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/5162/save-data.jpg","width":638,"height":109,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"prev":{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance"},"next":null,"allParts":[{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/adult-members/","title":"Adult members"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/administration-governance/","title":"Administration \u0026 Governance"},{"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/","title":"Completing the return"}],"link":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/","id":50721,"nodeName":"Completing the return","title":"Completing the return","type":"codexPart","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Completing the return","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"searchDescription":"","subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDcyMSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/completing-the-return/"}],"id":50270,"nodeName":"District Return Guide","title":"District Return Guide","type":"codex","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"District Returns","headerSubTitle":"","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Sign in to Census","url":"https://census.scouts.org.uk/","newWindow":true}]},"searchDescription":"","subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDI3MCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/census/district-return-guide/"}