SCHOOLREADERS

Registered charity 1159157 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To advance education in the UK by providing and assisting the provision of literacy support in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including the provision of volunteers to UK primary schools to listen to pupils read and encourage their reading skills.

Objects

TO ADVANCE EDUCATION IN THE UK BY PROVIDING AND ASSISTING THE PROVISION OF LITERACY SUPPORT IN SUCH WAYS AS THE CHARITY TRUSTEES THINK FIT, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF VOLUNTEERS TO UK PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO LISTEN TO PUPILS READ AND ENCOURAGE THEIR READING SKILLS.

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

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income

£940k

Latest spending

£1.2m

Registered

2014

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £228,018 for the year, primarily due to the expenditure of funds from a previous large grant. However, the trustees confirm that free reserves of £638,766 remain, which are equivalent to 7.0 months of budgeted operating costs, a level considered prudent and in line with the charity's policy target of 6 to 9 months. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

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

“1 employee had emoluments in excess of £60,000 (2024 - none).” — page 44

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“1 employee had emoluments in excess of £60,000 (2024 - none).” — page 44

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: between 6 and 9 months’ average budgeted core operating costs (reserves figure: £639k)

“The reserves target is to maintain free reserves at between 6 and 9 months’ average budgeted core operating costs.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Mercer & Hole 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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 31/08/2025

Volunteers: 3,610
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2024

Volunteers: 2,747

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2023

Volunteers: 2,270

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Schoolreaders (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).

Suffolk Community Foundation — “We are very grateful to our many trust and foundation supporters, both those named below and those who wish to remain anonymous. These inclu…” (source page)
J Reginald Corah Foundation — “"The JR Corah Foundation Fund are extremely pleased to be able to support Schoolreaders in delivering this valuable service to school childr…” (source page)
Fowler Smith and Jones Trust — ““We were happy to offer grants because your message is so strong and powerful….a win-win scenario for the children in the short term, societ…” (source page)
The Lady Hind Trust — “"It is only now that I can look back at my own school days with disappointment, disenchantment, frustration and indeed unhappiness, and real…” (source page)

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

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

Total income

£940k

Total spending

£1.2m

Cost of raising funds

£195k

Reserves (reported)

£639k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~6.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (93% 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: 20.7% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (28/10/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (31/01/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Jane Elizabeth Whitbreadchair · trustee of 4 other charities
Alice Veryan Garnett
Amrutha Shankara
John Keaveny Howe
Kate Gomes
Kirstin Rebecca Whitehead
Nicholas Patrick Froy · trustee of 1 other charity
Rory Buchanan LANDMAN · trustee of 1 other charity
Shannan Stevenson · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£940k	£1.2m
31/08/2024	£1.7m	£995k
31/08/2023	£747k	£738k
31/08/2022	£565k	£524k
31/08/2021	£545k	£365k

Common questions

Is SCHOOLREADERS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £228,018 for the year, primarily due to the expenditure of funds from a previous large grant. However, the trustees confirm that free reserves of £638,766 remain, which are equivalent to 7.0 months of budgeted operating costs, a level considered prudent and in line with the charity's policy target of 6 to 9 months. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Mercer & Hole LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of SCHOOLREADERS earn?

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

Who funds SCHOOLREADERS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SCHOOLREADERS as a grant recipient include CLARA E BURGESS CHARITY, THE DULVERTON TRUST, THE J J CHARITABLE TRUST, THE BAND TRUST, THE TOLKIEN TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CLARA E BURGESS CHARITY	FY2023	£204k
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2026	£120k	Core Costs
THE J J CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£120k	To support reading mentors for schools in areas of deprivation and post-pandemic educational deficit over three years.
THE BAND TRUST	FY2021	£100k	Children and Young People
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2022	£70k	Core Funding 2022-25
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2024	£55k
CHK Foundation	FY2023	£45k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2022	£45k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2023	£40k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2025	£33k
THE BAND TRUST	FY2022	£30k	Specific grantee
THE WIXAMTREE TRUST	FY2025	£25k	Grant paid (Related Party Transaction)
THE BUFFINI CHAO FOUNDATION	FY2025	£25k
THE BUFFINI CHAO FOUNDATION	FY2024	Unverified read£20k
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2025	£20k	Organisations for Care and Training of Young People
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2021	£20k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£20k
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£20k	Discretionary Grant
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2023	£15k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£15k
THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION	FY2025	£15k	The charity supports young people affected by crime, violence and social exclusion through the growing sport of calisthenics to develop the skills and confidenc
THE LINDER FOUNDATION	FY2026	£14k	General Charitable Causes
THE BUFFINI CHAO FOUNDATION	FY2023	£13k
THE BAND TRUST	FY2023	£12k	Children and Young People
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2022	£12k	Organisations for Care and Training of Young People
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£10k	Organisations for Care and Training of Young People
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£10k
THE BUFFINI CHAO FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k
THE BEATRICE LAING TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£10k
CHK Foundation	FY2023	£10k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£10k
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k	Discretionary Grants
THE LINDER FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k	General Charitable Causes
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£10k
The Keith Howard Foundation	FY2025	£10k	Social Mobility
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	Unverified read£10k
CHK Foundation	FY2022	£10k	Grants to charitable institutions
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£10k
THE LINDER FOUNDATION	FY2021	£10k	General Charitable Cause
THE JONES 1986 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k	Educational
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£7k
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND	FY2023	£7k	Reading support in London primary schools
CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£5k
THE MCCORQUODALE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£5k

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.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	05/10/2020	£20k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund

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
THE DILKES FAMILY FOUNDATION	2	£25k
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION	2	£12k
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST	2	£8k
The Barratt Redrow Foundation	1	£403k
THE EDWARD GOSTLING FOUNDATION	1	£285k
THE GENERATIONAL FOUNDATION	1	£175k
JOFFE CHARITABLE TRUST CIO	1	£151k
THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£148k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with READING EDUCATION TRUST.

READING EDUCATION TRUST income £1.1m
THE READER ORGANISATION income £4.6m
READ FOR GOOD income £1.5m
ASSISTED READING FOR CHILDREN income £199k
BOOKMARK READING CHARITY income £4.1m
WRITERS AND SCHOLARS EDUCATIONAL TRUST income £1.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SCHOOLREADERS	£940k	more than £60,000	1	within	—	no doubt
READING EDUCATION TRUST FY2025	£1.1m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE READER ORGANISATION FY2025	£4.6m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
READ FOR GOOD FY2025	£1.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ASSISTED READING FOR CHILDREN FY2025	£199k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
BOOKMARK READING CHARITY FY2025	£4.1m	—	—	above	—	no doubt

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