Census 2024

As the changes to the volunteer experience are due to start in early 2024, HQ are bringing our annual Census timeline forward. They hope that this gives you time to prioritise the Census before your attention shifts to adopting the volunteer experience changes.

Those Groups/Units who use OSM should ensure that all the records are up to date now in readiness for the extraction of numbers at the end of this term.

The updated timeline looks like this:

• Between 6th and 13th December – Census passwords sent out

If GSLs/ESLs/Line Managers have not received theirs by 13th December please immediately contact the DC or the DESC, as appropriate.

• 20th December – Census opens – you can submit your numbers from this day
• 14th January 2024 – Census approvals open
• 15th January 2024 – Deadline for submission of completed forms based upon your end of term numbers

Please ensure that your completed forms are submitted as soon as possible and no later than 15th January 2024.

Membership fee

The District Trustee Board has agreed that the District levy for 2024 will be £8.00.  The HQ levy is £38.00 and the County levy is £10.00.   Therefore, the total Membership fee for 2024 will be £56.00 (£54.00 in 2023) payable per member under the age of 18 (as declared in your completed submission).

You may, however, recall that the County reduced their levy by £4.00 per head late in the 2023 process and that the District “over-collected” by this amount.  It has, therefore, been agreed by the District Trustee Board that each Group and Unit will receive a reduction (effectively a refund) of £4.00 per head based on Census 2023 returns.   Groups and Units do not need to do anything to enable this as the District Treasurer already holds the information and will apply it as a credit to the invoices issued to each Group and Unit.

Invoices will be sent by e-mail during January and February 2024 based on the approved 2024 Census information received and the adjustment for the 2023 refund.   Please ensure that Compass holds the correct contact information for GSLs and Treasurers as this will be used to source email addresses for sending out the invoices.

Please pay the invoice as soon as possible and no later than Friday 8th March 2024, either by BACS or cheque (see below).  Please quote the invoice reference for BACS payments or write the invoice number on the back of the cheque.  A receipt will be issued if requested.

Please advise both the District Commissioner and District Treasurer in good time if you anticipate any difficulty in paying by the due date, so that we may work with you to agree how best to address this.

BACS payments should be made to:

Metro Bank
Account name: Barnet Borough District Scout Council
Sort Code: 23-05-80
Account number: 17119672

If you pay by cheque it should be made payable to “Barnet Borough District Scout Council” and sent to Steven Maton, District Treasurer.

Many thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Tracey Smith                                                                     Steve Maton

District Commissioner                                                    District Treasurer