THE READER ORGANISATION

Registered charity 1126806 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC043054 (OSCR)

We aim to bring about a Reading Revolution making it possible for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy and engage with books on a deep and personal level. We aim to improve well-being and build communities through shared reading. Our work is driven by the heartfelt belief that literacy is not just the ability to read, but the state of being a reader.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£4.6m
Latest spending
£4.9m
Registered
2008
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £296,422 for the year ended 31 March 2025, an improvement on the previous year's deficit of £627,238. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted, undesignated reserves stood at £306,226, which the charity notes equates to three months of core running costs against a policy target of three to six months.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Trading income (42% of income)
“42% trading income, principally from our subsidiary, Calderstones Mansion House Community Interest Company” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three to six months (held: £306k)
“The charity’s reserves policy is to build up unrestricted reserves sufficient to enable the charity’s core running costs to be continued for a period of three months, but where possible six months, should regular funding becoming unobtainable.” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Xeinadin Audit Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Corporate structure

What the charity says about itself (2024-2025)

From its own voluntary annual review / impact report — the charity’s account of its work, distinct from the statutory accounts analysed above.

The report states '24,372 UK Shared Reading participants +17%'.
“24,372 UK Shared Reading participants +17%”
The report states '96% of Shared Reading group members said they had ‘conversations that matter’ in their groups this year.'
“96% of Shared Reading group members said they had ‘conversations that matter’ in their groups this year.”
The report states '100% of participants reported significant improvements in wellbeing' regarding the Reading Heroes programme.
“100% of participants reported significant improvements in wellbeing”
The report states '440,000+ visits to Calderstones' and notes this is an '11% increase on the year before'.
“440,000+ visits to Calderstones”

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Reader (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£4.6m
Total spending
£4.9m
Cost of raising funds
£1.8m
Reserves (reported)
£306k
Employees
175

Reported reserves equal ~0.8 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (41% 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: 39.2% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£4.6m£4.9m
31/03/2024£4.4m£5.0m
31/03/2023£4.2m£4.9m
31/03/2022£4.1m£4.2m
31/03/2021£3.6m£3.5m

Common questions

Is THE READER ORGANISATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £296,422 for the year ended 31 March 2025, an improvement on the previous year's deficit of £627,238. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted, undesignated reserves stood at £306,226, which the charity notes equates to three months of core running costs against a policy target of three to six months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Xeinadin Audit Limited.

Who funds THE READER ORGANISATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE READER ORGANISATION as a grant recipient include THE STEVE MORGAN FOUNDATION, THE RAYNE FOUNDATION, CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON, HIGHWAY ONE TRUST, THE AUSTIN AND HOPE PILKINGTON TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE STEVE MORGAN FOUNDATIONFY2022£120kMajor Grants
THE RAYNE FOUNDATIONFY2023£35kTowards reading aloud with care experienced children to improve confidence, wellbeing and develop a love of reading for pleasure.
THE RAYNE FOUNDATIONFY2025£20kReading with looked after children: scaling the programme
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTONFY2022£19kOlder People & Housing Programme
HIGHWAY ONE TRUSTFY2023£10k
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTONFY2023£6kOlder People & Housing
THE AUSTIN AND HOPE PILKINGTON TRUSTFY2025£5kGrant Round 4: £5,000
DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUNDFY2025£4k
THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUSTFY2025£4k
DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUNDFY2024£4kCommunity help
THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£1k
SKELTON BOUNTYFY2025£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Postcode Lottery13/02/2025£900kRegular Grant 2025
Postcode Lottery01/12/2023£900kRegular Grant 2024
Postcode Lottery16/02/2023£1.0mRegular Grant 2023
UK government13/10/2022£178kNational Portfolio Organisations
UK government13/10/2022£178kNational Portfolio Organisations
Postcode Lottery01/02/2022£900kRegular Grant 2022
UK government13/12/2021£178kNational Portfolio Organisations
The National Lottery Heritage Fund26/10/2021£243k"Making Meaning at Calderstones"
City Bridge Foundation17/03/2021£48kGrant to The Reader
UK government03/09/2020£5kVSCE CMC Fund
UK government08/07/2020£35kCoronavirus Community Support Fund
The Mercers' Company18/09/2019£56kGrant to The Reader Organisation
The National Lottery Community Fund18/02/2019£82kConnect at Calderstones
A B Charitable Trust03/07/2018£20kA grant to The Reader
UK government08/06/2017£178kNational Portfolio Organisations
City Bridge Foundation20/03/2017£88kGrant to The Reader
The National Lottery Community Fund25/01/2017£441kFeel Better with a Book
The National Lottery Heritage Fund18/03/2014£2.0m"The Reader at Calderstones"
A B Charitable Trust23/04/2013£8kGroup discussion of literature for wellbeing
The National Lottery Community Fund26/09/2012£236kMake Friends with a Book
The National Lottery Community Fund10/06/2011£10kThere is no project name available for this record
The National Lottery Community Fund13/04/2011£415kReader Volunteer Scheme
The National Lottery Community Fund25/11/2010£7kNational Get Into Reading Consultation Day

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 WORLDREADER.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE READER ORGANISATION£4.6m—0above—no doubt
WORLDREADER FY2025£100k—0unclear—no doubt
READ - THE READING AGENCY FY2025£2.8m——unclear—no doubt
READ FOR GOOD FY2025£1.5m——unclear—no doubt
SCHOOLREADERS FY2025£940kmore than £60,0001within—no doubt
CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD FY2025£1.8m£90,001 - £100,0003above—no doubt

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