THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOW

Registered charity 1162410 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Children's Bookshow Limited continues to provide children with education in the art of literature. The charity organises 'The National Tour of Writers and Illustrators of Children's Literature' which covers 15 theatre performances and 60 in-school workshops across the United Kingdom and continues to prove popular every financial year.

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

Latest income

£214k

Latest spending

£209k

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £4,823 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with incoming resources of £213,711 and resources expended of £208,888. The trustees report that unrestricted funds stood at £12,301, noting that they aim to maintain reserves as recommended by the Charity Commission. The independent examiner confirmed that no matters came to their attention giving cause to believe the accounts were materially incorrect.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £28,050 or less — below the median for charities its size (£60k)

“No member of staff was paid more than £28,050 for the year covered by these accounts.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: minimum level of reserves as recommended by the Charity Commission (held: £12k)

“The Trustees aim to maintain at least a minimum level of reserves as recommended by the Charity Commission” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Children's Bookshow (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).

Unwin Charitable Trust — “This year The Children's Bookshow will give over 7000 children participating in our programme a free, signed copy of the author's book to ta…” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Claire Boultonchair
Kate Arafa
Robina Pelham Burn · trustee of 1 other charity
SIAN WILLIAMS
Shoshannah Thompson
Sinead Salatchi Naidoo

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£214k	£209k
31/03/2024	£210k	£208k
31/03/2023	£172k	£187k
31/03/2022	£175k	£168k
31/03/2021	£146k	£152k

Common questions

Is THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOW financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £4,823 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with incoming resources of £213,711 and resources expended of £208,888. The trustees report that unrestricted funds stood at £12,301, noting that they aim to maintain reserves as recommended by the Charity Commission. The independent examiner confirmed that no matters came to their attention giving cause to believe the accounts were materially incorrect. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £28,050 or less band.

Who funds THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOW?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOW as a grant recipient include OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST	FY2023	£20k	Tour support
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST	FY2024	£20k
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST	FY2025	£15k
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Educational Support

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	13/10/2022	£68k	National Portfolio Organisations

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 JOHN THAW FOUNDATION	2	£9k
MAKERS OF PLAYING CARDS CHARITY	1	—
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION	1	£143k
TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2	1	£59k
THE WILLIAM WATES MEMORIAL TRUST	1	£55k
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON	1	£55k
WALCOT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION	1	£25k
CHARTERHOUSE-IN-SOUTHWARK	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THEATRE-RITES.

THEATRE-RITES income £278k
TALL STORIES THEATRE COMPANY LIMITED income £2.9m
BOX CLEVER THEATRE COMPANY income £447k
SEVEN STORIES, THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS income £1.6m
THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY income £902k
M6 THEATRE COMPANY LIMITED income £602k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOW	£214k	£28,050 or less	unclear	—	no doubt
THEATRE-RITES FY2025	£278k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TALL STORIES THEATRE COMPANY LIMITED FY2025	£2.9m	—	above	—	no doubt
BOX CLEVER THEATRE COMPANY FY2025	£447k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SEVEN STORIES, THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS FY2025	£1.6m	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY CHARITY FY2025	£902k	Under £60,000	above	—	no doubt

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