Scout groups are charities, and the Charity Commission expects trustees to agree a reserves policy and check the group against it. Most groups write the policy once, file it, and never look at it again. In Scoutworks you record the policy once, and the Trustee Dashboard tells you where you stand every time you open it.
Too little in reserve leaves the group exposed if income drops. Far too much means money from subs and donations is sitting in the bank instead of reaching young people — and trustees may need to explain why.
Where to find this
Open Finance → Accounting from the sidebar, switch to the Settings tab, and expand the Reserves policy section.
You'll need treasurer access (or to be a group admin) to set or change the policy.
Choosing a policy type
Pick the type that matches the policy your trustees agreed.
| Policy type | What you enter | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Months of running costs | A number of months (1 to 36) and a buffer (0% to 200%) | Most groups. The target moves with your spending, so it stays sensible as the group grows or shrinks. |
| A fixed amount | One amount, for example £15,000 | Groups whose trustees agreed a set sum. |
A new policy starts at 12 months of running costs plus a 50% buffer — a common choice for Scout groups. Change the numbers to match what your trustees agreed, then click Save policy.
For a months policy, your target is your monthly running costs × the number of months, plus the buffer. With 12 months and a 50% buffer, that works out at 18 months of spending.
Reading the reserves card
Once a policy is saved, the Reserves policy card appears on the Trustee Dashboard, on the Dashboard tab. Trustees and group admins can see it.
The card shows:
| Figure | What it means |
|---|---|
| Free reserves | Your bank balances, less any money held in restricted funds. This is the money the group is free to spend. |
| Policy target | How much your policy says you should keep. |
| Running costs a month | Your average monthly spending (months policies only). |
| The multiple | Free reserves divided by the target — for example, "You're at 2.9× your reserves policy". |
The coloured label tells you what the multiple means:
| Label | When it shows | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Below policy | Under 1× | Your reserves would not cover what your policy sets aside. Trustees should agree how to rebuild them. |
| Within policy | Between 1× and 2× | You have enough to get through a lean spell, without holding back money meant for young people. |
| Well above policy — consider deploying funds | Over 2× | Money in the bank is not reaching young people. Trustees should plan how to spend it, or explain why the group holds it. |
Restricted funds are left out of free reserves because that money is already promised to a purpose. See Bank reconciliation and restricted funds for how to set them up.
When the card has nothing to show yet
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Track your reserves | Accounting isn't set up, or there are no bank accounts yet. | Set up accounting and add your bank accounts. |
| Set a reserves policy | No policy has been saved. | Click Set reserves policy — it takes you straight to the settings section. |
| A note that there isn't a full month of spending yet | You chose a months policy, but there isn't enough spending on the books to work out running costs. | Nothing — the card fills in once there's a month of spending. |
Changing or removing the policy
To change the policy, click Change policy on the card, or go back to Finance → Accounting → Settings → Reserves policy. Edit the numbers and click Save policy.
To remove it, click Remove policy. Scoutworks asks you to confirm first, because the Trustee Dashboard stops checking your reserves until you set a policy again.
What's next
- Bank reconciliation and restricted funds — keep restricted money out of your free reserves.
- Getting started as a trustee — what trustees see and how to export a board pack.
- Accounting and bookkeeping — keep your books up to date so your running costs are accurate.
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What's next?
Related guidesBank Reconciliation and Restricted Funds
How to import bank statements into the Bank Inbox, reconcile transactions into the Ledger, handle cash you hold outside the bank, and manage restricted funds.
Read articleGetting Started as a Trustee
How trustees sign in to Scoutworks, find the Group Insights dashboard, and export a board pack for their next trustee meeting.
Read articleAccounting and Bookkeeping
The end-to-end finance workflow in Scoutworks: how money moves from your bank into the Ledger via the Bank Inbox, and what each step is for.
Read article