Subscriptions:
All members of the group are asked to contribute termly subscriptions payments. These cover the costs of running the group including Headquarters, County and District membership fees, meeting night activities and the general overheads of running the group such as venue hire.
Subs are by the end of the previous term to confirm your place for the following term as should be paid using Online Scout Manager [see below for further information on this system].
As a voluntary organisation with no external funding, we rely on prompt payments in order to manage our cashflow and continue to fund our fun filled programme.
Is payment is not received or alternative arrangment made prior to the advertised deadline it will be presumed you no longer wish to maintain your space in the Group.
Event Payments:
In addition to subscription payments there will be additional cost associated with camps, trips, events and specific equipment or resources. These costs will always be advertised in advanced as part of the sign up process for each event or opportunity.
The group commits significant funds to all events often a long period before an event. In order to limit the groups liability on these occasions the group is not able to offer refunds on event booking. All places booked are considered final and the confirmation of an event on OSM constitutes a commitment to the cost of the event. The only exception to this is where a place can be filled by another member in advanced of the event.
Gift Aid:
For those who pay UK tax, we ask you to complete a Gift Aid declaration in respect of subscription payments. By making this declaration when occasionally request by Online Scout Manager the group can get more value from your subscription payments and any donations you may choose to make.
For every £1 paid we can currently claim an additional 25 pence from the Inland Revenue.
Payment System:
To support the administration of our considerable membership and active programme, the group make use of “Online Scout Manager”, an online portal created by a volunteer Scout Leader and used by a significant number of Scout group around the world.
All payments for Subscriptions and Events will be requested via this online system. Members will be given login details
Please note that due the direct debit set up used, each time a member leaves a section all payments will be automatically cancelled. If a member moves to a new section or re-joins in the future, these will need to be set up again which will be promoted by system.
We are unfortunately unable to take payments by any other method.
Hardship Policy:
The Scout Association adopts a policy of “Scouting For All”. Where finance is identified as a barrier to Scouting we are able to offer support towards costs.
Those wishing to benefit from such assistance should in the first instance contact either the Group Scout Leader or the Group Secretary to discuss further. Such matters will always be dealt with in confidence on a case by case basis.
All costs are kept as minimal as possible and we are often able to subsidies these further through methods such as fundraising, grants and charitable discounts.
