13 Aug 2026
Up until 2020 Links Archers was an unincorporated organisation, we had AGM’s committee meetings, a short Constitution, a treasurer and an annual treasurer’s report. We were a successful club.
Since the early 1990’s we felt that if the club could own its own shooting field it would ensure the continuation of the club as it would have a permanent shooting venue.
By 2017 we felt that we had saved enough funds to potentially purchase a field. To that end we realised that we would have to change the running of the club so that it was an incorporated organisation. This meant that the club and not individuals would own the field.
We looked in to various options. LTD company, Trust and a charity. We had numerous meetings and invited an advisor from SAA and a chartered accountant that worked with Charities. Both advised that becoming a SCIO would be the best option for the club.
Becoming a SCIO means that you become an incorporated organisation, in our case it meant that we could own land, which is why primarily we moved to becoming a charity. As an incorporated organisation the organisation is liable not the individuals.
Some members found it difficult to understand that an archery / sports club could be a charity, and considered it to be underhand and that we would be expected to jump through many hoops if that went ahead. This was not the case at all.
The day to day running remained the same as it ever was:
The specific Charitable purpose for archery is - The advancement of public participation in sport
Practicing archery on a regular basis, running beginners courses, helping archers improve, running ‘Come and Try’s’ having committee meetings (Now Trustees)
The addition is that we have to have our accounts checked and signed off by a ‘competent’ person, we also have to prepare a trustees report on the year up to submission of the combined ‘Trustees report and signed off’ accounts documents. You are given 9 months from your year end to do so. The trustees report will be published on the OSCR website which is available to anyone to read, it sort of becomes the official advertiser for the club.
You should ensure that your charity number and name are on all documents pertaining to the club.
As a charity you have to be open to all. Obviously if you have limited space / facilities you would have a waiting list. It means that you cannot limit the organisation to a standard. We do set a lower age limit of 11 year olds unaccompanied for safety concerns. Although Children younger than that may join if they are accompanied by a parent.
There also rules about paying funds to individuals. You can buy a gift for your competent person to do the accounts, you can pay for fuel and maintenance of a mower, but not your members time for doing the mowing.
If the club fold due to lack of members or for any other reasons, all funds / assets have to stay within the charitable sector. In the past a kayak club folded, OSCR got in touch with the Kayak club I am in, which is also a SCIO, and offered us the money.
The easiest way to start is take a copy of our constitution and change the name, you can change the number of trustees that we have, but I seem to remember the minimum is 3 trustees.
I believe a club that once they had borrowed our constitution, became a SCIO in around 3 Months.
OSCR is the Scottish Charity regulator https://www.oscr.org.uk/
They have a lot of information on all aspects of Scottish charities and are very helpful, if you have any issues.