RLUK (RESEARCH LIBRARIES UK)

Registered charity 1026543 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CURL, RESEARCH LIBRARIES UK

RLUK's primary purpose is to increase the ability of research libraries to support the research community in the United Kingdom, and beyond.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£590k
Latest spending
£557k
Registered
1993
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £33,170 for the year ended 31 July 2025, reversing a deficit from the previous year. Per the trustees' report, total free reserves stood at £465,291, which is above the stated policy target of £300,000. The trustees and auditors confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 0.0% of fundraised income — below the 25th percentile for charities its size (median 4.9%)
There has been no staff time spent on raising funds in either the current or prior year. — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: £300,000 (held: £465k)
It was agreed that the total assets of RLUK (across all accounts and investments) should not fall below £300,000.
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Godfrey Wilson Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)

Total income
£590k
Total spending
£557k
Reserves (reported)
£465k
Employees
4

Reported reserves equal ~10.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/07/2025£590k£557k
31/07/2024£415k£460k
31/07/2023£770k£632k
31/07/2022£596k£586k
31/07/2021£531k£380k

Common questions

Is RLUK (RESEARCH LIBRARIES UK) financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £33,170 for the year ended 31 July 2025, reversing a deficit from the previous year. Per the trustees' report, total free reserves stood at £465,291, which is above the stated policy target of £300,000. The trustees and auditors confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Godfrey Wilson Limited.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government05/10/2022£20kInvestment funds
The National Lottery Heritage Fund16/04/1998£10k"CURL Database Project - Feasibility Study"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Libraries Connected.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
RLUK (RESEARCH LIBRARIES UK)£590k0unclear0.0%no doubt
Libraries Connected FY2023£2.7munclearno doubt
SUDC-UK FY2023£401k0unclearno doubt
GOFUNDME.ORG.UK FY2025£227k0aboveno doubt
CCCU UK FY2025£1.7m£120,001 - £130,0001withinno doubt
ARK UK PROGRAMMES FY2025£7.3munclearno doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.