THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY

Registered charity 1124257 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SPRINGBOARD FOR CHILDREN

The Children's Literacy Charity (formerly Springboard for Children) works within schools and communities, providing an onsite Literacy Lab for children with literacy difficulties. This creates a stable and dedicated environment where our specialist staff and trained volunteers can teach essential literacy skills that will enable them to fulfil their academic potential.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£902k

Latest spending

£872k

Registered

2008

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated total income of £901,566 against expenditure of £872,293, resulting in a net surplus for the year. Free reserves stood at £77,044, which the Trustees confirmed were sufficient to meet their stated policy of holding six months of expenditure.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: Under £60,000 — below the median for charities its size (£60k)

“No employee is paid more than £60,000 and employees receive no employee benefits other than their pay and pensions.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Trusts and Foundations (32% of income)

“Income from Trusts and Foundations accounted for 32%, with Corporate income also totalling 32%.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: six months of expenditure (held: £77k)

“The charity’s reserves policy is to hold six months of expenditure in reserves for the purpose of protecting the work of the charity in the short term should funding targets not be met or if the charity should need to cease/curtail its activities.” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations from trustees

“Donations from trustees totalled £1,800 (2024: £1,300). No trustee received any remuneration in the year in 2025 or 2024. No trustee was paid travel expenses in the year in 2025 (2024: £143). The trustees are covered under the general office insurance policy. There were no other transactions with related parties requiring disclosure in 2025 or 2024.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Begbies Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Children’s Literacy Charity (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Stellantis UK — “We would like to thank the following funders in particular for their significant support in helping us to deliver our life changing literacy…” (source page)
Walcot Foundation — “We are also extremely grateful for the current and recent support of the following organisations as well as the many generous donations made…” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income

£902k

Total spending

£872k

Cost of raising funds

£99k

Reserves (reported)

£500k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~6.9 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (71% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 11.0% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew Phillip Martin
Dr Jennifer Thomson
JEFFREY JACK DEFRIES
Muriel Tersago
Nicole Sasha Magoon
Steven Artist

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

Operates in: Manchester City · Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£902k	£872k
31/08/2024	£674k	£608k
31/08/2023	£628k	£538k
31/08/2022	£481k	£468k
31/08/2021	£432k	£372k

Common questions

Is THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated total income of £901,566 against expenditure of £872,293, resulting in a net surplus for the year. Free reserves stood at £77,044, which the Trustees confirmed were sufficient to meet their stated policy of holding six months of expenditure. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Begbies Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the Under £60,000 band.

Who funds THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY as a grant recipient include CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON, THE WILLIAM WATES MEMORIAL TRUST, WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION, TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2, WALCOT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON	FY2025	£55k	Young People & Education
THE WILLIAM WATES MEMORIAL TRUST	FY2024	£55k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION	FY2022	£50k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION	FY2021	£46k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION	FY2024	£40k
TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2	FY2026	£30k
TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2	FY2025	£29k
WALCOT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION	FY2024	£25k	Expert Literacy Lab Progamme in Lambeth
THE DILKES FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2026	£15k	For 12-months to support core costs. The Children’s Literacy Charity delivers expert tuition in primary and secondary schools in communities experiencing high l
CHARTERHOUSE-IN-SOUTHWARK	FY2024	£10k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION	FY2023	£7k
CHARTERHOUSE-IN-SOUTHWARK	FY2022	£5k
CHARTERHOUSE-IN-SOUTHWARK	FY2023	£5k
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' LIVERY CHARITY	FY2023	£3k	Other grants
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' LIVERY CHARITY	FY2024	£3k	Other grants
EMERTON-CHRISTIE CHARITY	FY2025	£3k
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' LIVERY CHARITY	FY2024	£3k	Other grants
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUND	FY2023	£2k
ST GILES-IN-THE-FIELDS AND WILLIAM SHELTON EDUCATIONAL CHARITY	FY2023	£2k	Project Grant
THE JOHN THAW FOUNDATION	FY2023	£1k
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' LIVERY CHARITY	FY2022	£1k	Other grants
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUND	FY2024	£1k
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUND	FY2022	£500
MAKERS OF PLAYING CARDS CHARITY	FY2025	—

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The Mercers' Company	25/06/2024	£300k	Grant to The Children's Literacy Charity
St Giles & St George	04/07/2023	£2k	Grant to The Children's Literacy Charity
St Giles & St George	05/07/2022	£10k	Grant to The Children's Literacy Charity
The National Lottery Community Fund	14/12/2018	£10k	Harlesden Community Literacy Lab

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND	3	£82k
The Keith Howard Foundation	3	£35k
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	3	£18k
The Goldsmiths' Foundation	2	£235k
The Portal Trust	2	£185k
THE DULVERTON TRUST	2	£180k
THE HARGREAVES FOUNDATION	2	£156k
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£140k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE CENTRE FOR LITERACY IN PRIMARY EDUCATION.

THE CENTRE FOR LITERACY IN PRIMARY EDUCATION income £1.0m
CHARCHAR LITERACY income £124k
CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD income £1.8m
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS income £123k
The Literacy Pirates Limited income £1.1m
UNITED KINGDOM & EUROPE WORLD LITERACY FOUNDATION income £180k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY	£902k	Under £60,000	0	above	—	no doubt
THE CENTRE FOR LITERACY IN PRIMARY EDUCATION FY2025	£1.0m	£60,000 - £69,999	1	below	—	no doubt
CHARCHAR LITERACY FY2025	£124k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD FY2025	£1.8m	£90,001 - £100,000	3	above	—	no doubt
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS FY2026	£123k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
The Literacy Pirates Limited FY2025	£1.1m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt

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