Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY

Registered charity 1128129 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The welfare charity of the book trade, providing financial support and accommodation for people who have worked in the UK book trade, in publishing, distribution or bookselling, for more than one year. Housing at Kings Langley, Herts, provides a range of subsidised accommodation in 36 dwellings; the average age of residents is about 64. Grant support, regular or one-off can be offered across UK.

Objects

TO RELIEVE PERSONS WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED, HARDSHIP OR SICKNESS AND TO RELIEVE THE DISTRESS CAUSED THEREBY THROUGH THE PROVISION OF WELFARE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE ACCOMMODATION FOR PERSONS WHO ARE, OR HAVE BEEN, EMPLOYED IN THE BOOK TRADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE BOOKBINDING INDUSTRY AND ANY INDUSTRY WHICH IS AKIN TO, OR ALLIED TO, OR ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOOKBINDING INDUSTRY) FOR ONE YEAR OR MORE AND THEIR DEPENDANTS; AND THE PROVISION OF WELFARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAY WISH TO PREPARE FOR ENTRY INTO THE BOOK TRADETO FACILITATE OR PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SO AS TO PROMOTE THE STUDY, KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF LITERATURE, PUBLISHING AND THE BOOK TRADE AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK WITHIN THE TRADE

Area of benefit: THE UNITED KINGDOM

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Three Rivers, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of:
Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).
Latest income
£935k
Latest spending
£1.0m
Registered
2009
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £103,562 for the year ended 31 December 2025, driven by total expenditure of £1,045,752 against total income of £934,701. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves stood at £366,370, which is below the stated policy target of approximately £503,000 due to significant capital investment in property redevelopment. The trustees have assessed the charity as a going concern with sufficient resources to meet liabilities as they fall due.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)
“One employee received remuneration of between £80,001 and £90,000 in 2025 (excluding employer contributions and national insurance contributions) (2024: One employee received remuneration of between £80,001 and £90,000).” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“One employee received remuneration of between £80,001 and £90,000 in 2025 (excluding employer contributions and national insurance contributions) (2024: One employee received remuneration of between £80,001 and £90,000).” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: Rental income (63% of income)
“Rental income amounting to £586,104 (2024: £522,453).” — page 22
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: Minimum required unrestricted reserves are approximately £503,000 (reserves figure: £366k)
“Minimum required unrestricted reserves are approximately £503,000. The charity will continue to review their reserves and reserves policy on an annual basis and work towards achieving the minimal target level of coverage.” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from organisations where trustees are involved and from trustees as individuals.
“During the year, £61,960 (2024: £67,497) was received as donations from various organisations in which some trustees are involved and in donations from trustees as individuals.” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Governance: Serious incident reported to Charity Commission.
“report to the Charity Commission serious incidents (2025: one); and” — page 6
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

  • Volunteers: 20
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

  • Volunteers: 20
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

  • Volunteers: 20
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Book Trade Charity (BTBS) (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).

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.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£935k
Total spending
£1.0m
Cost of raising funds
£65k
Reserves (reported)
£366k
Employees
4

Reported reserves equal ~4.2 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (63% 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: 7.0% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

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
31/12/2025£935k£1.0m
31/12/2024£911k£1.1m
31/12/2023£1.5m£1.2m
31/12/2022£838k£1.0m
31/12/2021£633k£1.0m

Common questions

Is THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £103,562 for the year ended 31 December 2025, driven by total expenditure of £1,045,752 against total income of £934,701. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves stood at £366,370, which is below the stated policy target of approximately £503,000 due to significant capital investment in property redevelopment. The trustees have assessed the charity as a going concern with sufficient resources to meet liabilities as they fall due. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY as a grant recipient include THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUST, OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£6.9mRelief of those in need
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUSTFY2024£56k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£38kRelief of those in need
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUSTFY2025£28k
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUSTFY2023£10kAnnual grant
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10kRelief of those in need
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023Unverified read£6kRelief of those in need
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022Unverified read£5kRelief of those in need
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUSTFY2022£3kSupport for disadvantaged groups

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST2£12k
THE INNHOLDERS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£74k
PARACLETOS1£60k
The William Brake Foundation1£43k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAINT ANDREW AND SAINT MARK, SURBITON1£15k
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND1£13k
SISTERS OF THE HOLY CROSS CIO1£10k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL, KINGSTON HILL1£7k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE LICENSED TRADE CHARITY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE BOOK TRADE CHARITY£935k£80,001 - £90,0001unclear—no doubt
THE LICENSED TRADE CHARITY FY2025£29.4m——unclear—no doubt
LAKELAND HOUSING TRUST FY2025£1.0m—0unclear—no doubt
ELDERLY ACCOMMODATION COUNSEL FY2025£169k——unclear—no doubt
SOCIAL CARE HOUSING TRUST FY2025£831k—0unclear—no doubt
BOOKS ALIVE FY2025£98k—0above—no doubt

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