The following payment policy applies to all camps and events run by 1st Berryfields Scout Group. The policy also applies to all members with regards to their subscription payments.
All payments to 1st Berryfields Scout Group are to be made via Online Scout Manager & GoCardless.
This policy can, at the approval of the trustees of the scout group only, be waived in exceptional circumstances.
Subscriptions
Charged monthly and requested on the 1st of each month. Subscriptions are due after either your child’s investiture or your child’s first four weeks in the group, whichever comes first. Subscriptions are paid during all twelve months of the year and are continuous when moving between sections (when changing sections, the payment schedule in OSM will be changed and we will ask you to reconfirm your payment method).
Events
Any event where money is charged for attendance is non refundable, and payable to 1st Berryfields Scout Group, regardless of any future decisions with regards to attendance. When signing up to an event on OSM, you are agreeing to pay the charges identified for the event, or accepting that they are yet to be confirmed but you will pay them once confirmed. No space is confirmed on an event until payment is received in full (or where the deposit payment is received for larger events). Where payment isn’t received by the deadline, your child’s place at an event can be withdrawn and offered to another child.
Any deposits not paid at the time of cancellation will still be due.
Where monies are owed and over 30 days overdue, the group reserves the right, where necessary, to withhold invitations to further activities for your child until outstanding payments are made.
Cancellation by you
Our events take a lot of time and energy to organise, as such when you sign up to an event on OSM you are committing to both paying any charges due as well as attending the event. Often our events have a waiting list for those that would like to attend but for which we do not have space, by non-payment and no-show at an event, you are costing the group money as well as prohibiting another person from attending.
Where cancellation is (in exceptional circumstances) necessary on your part, we will attempt to offer your space to another member. Only if this is achieved, will you receive a refund of monies paid less a 5% handling charge.
Cancellation by 1st Berryfields Scout Group
Where 1st Berryfields Scout Group has to cancel an event, every effort will be made to return all monies paid.
Cancellation by a 3rd party providing services to 1st Berryfields Scout Group
1st Berryfields will make all efforts to retrieve all monies paid, and return all unspent money to parents. This may mean that monies spent on insurance or non-refundable deposits cannot be returned.
Refund Method
Any money to be refunded will either be returned by either GoCardless Refund (Direct Debit) or be paid to you via BACS, 1st Berryfields Scout Group will may require you to complete our expenses payment form to provide us with details by which to refund any monies to you.
It is not possible to carry any money forward for any further charges owed by you, for example another event. All monies must be refunded and paid via the methods stated above.
Hardship
Money should never be a blocker to attending any 1st Berryfields Scout Group event, if you have issues or challenges in paying for an event please speak to us.
Non Payment
Non Payment of subscriptions, or event fees may result in your young person being asked to leave 1st Berryfields Scout Group. This would only ever be as a last resort, and never where we are aware of issues in making payments.
Money facts
- 1st Berryfields Scout Group is run entirely by volunteers, no one is paid by the group to run any of the sections, events or activities.
- All payments paid by parents via OSM cost 1st Berryfields Scout Group approximately 3.5% before we receive your money, this system makes the lives of our leaders and volunteers significantly easier, thus reducing admin time and is therefore why we use this system, we believe the cost of this outweighs the value of the time our volunteers would have to spend doing this.
- Changes to attendance often take up significant time changing plans, this costs our volunteers valuable time, we can’t put a price on that.
What does running 1st Berryfields Scout Group Cost?
You can checkout our Annual Accounts here, however to give you a flavour of what things cost, in 2022/23 we spent:
- £432.16 on Equipment Insurance
- £921.67 on Badges
- £1340.15 on Camping Equipment
- £4537.50 on Membership Fees
- and £4886.00 on Rent
| 1st Berryfields Scout Group – Payment Policy |
| Approved: 23/05/2023 |
| Last Reviewed: 23/05/2023 |