LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST
Promoting and encouraging a love of reading.Providing free access to information.Inspiring people of all ages to learn, imagine, create, succeed.Guiding and supporting people to explore and connect to the wider world.Offering a welcoming space to meet, socialise, learn, read and enjoy new experiences.Supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals and local communities.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity generated a net deficit of £248,000 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in unrestricted reserves of £2,930,000. The trustees acknowledge that these reserves are in excess of their stated policy target range of £1.1m to £1.3m, but expect to deploy reserves to support a projected funding gap due to council cuts and increased employer costs. The charity remains debt-free with a strong cash position of £2.8m and has secured future funding commitments from Arts Council England and the National Lottery.
What the accounts disclose
“The remuneration of the Chief Executive was between £90,000 and £100,000” — page 31
“Two other employees earned between £60,000 and £70,000”
“We have calculated the appropriate free reserves range for our organisation is £1.1m to £1.3m.” — page 8
“Libraries Unlimited South West Limited has a subsidiary company (Libraries Unlimited Enterprises Limited). The subsidiary has never traded and therefore consolidated accounts have not been prepared on the basis that the subsidiary is wholly immaterial to the group.” — page 22
Year-over-year changes
- Top pay band moved from £80,001 - £90,000 (FY2024) to £90,001 - £100,000 (FY2025).
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (29/07/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (29/07/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (10/05/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (21/10/2022)
Trustees
- Alan Jeffrey Nash
- Alexander John Kittow
- Crystal Ja-Nae Carter
- Emma Louise Prudden
- Eve Courtney Butler
- James Anthony-Edwards
- Katie Villa
- Lynn Elspeth Morris
- Marie Bernadette Chadwick
- Morgen Witzel
- Pamela Joy Morrison
- Professor Marwa Tourky
- Steven Williams
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £9.4m | £9.7m |
| 31/03/2024 | £9.5m | £9.5m |
| 31/03/2023 | £8.5m | £9.0m |
| 31/03/2022 | £8.9m | £8.3m |
| 31/03/2021 | £9.5m | £7.2m |
Common questions
Is LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net deficit of £248,000 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in unrestricted reserves of £2,930,000. The trustees acknowledge that these reserves are in excess of their stated policy target range of £1.1m to £1.3m, but expect to deploy reserves to support a projected funding gap due to council cuts and increased employer costs. The charity remains debt-free with a strong cash position of £2.8m and has secured future funding commitments from Arts Council England and the National Lottery. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Westcotts (SW) LLP.
What does the highest-paid employee of LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £90,001 - £100,000 band, and 3 employees earned over £60,000.
Who funds LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST as a grant recipient include THE CLARE MILNE TRUST.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE CLARE MILNE TRUST | FY2025 | £7k |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 11/02/2026 | £176k | "Bideford - Retold" |
| Sport England | 17/12/2025 | £10k | All Together Active |
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 07/06/2023 | £29k | "#DYC Crediton Reminiscence Project" |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 08/09/2021 | £1k | Revamp of Totnes Library's Children's Library |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 07/05/2020 | £10k | Kingsbridge Library multi-use community room |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THEIRWORLD | 1 | £100k |
| THE FAIRFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £10k |
| CHASDEI MOISHE TRUST | 1 | £5k |
| JEWISH CHILD'S DAY | 1 | £5k |
| SUSANNA PEAKE CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £3k |
| THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATION | 1 | £3k |
| SSP FOUNDATION | 1 | £2k |
| THE WOODWARD CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £1k |
Charities like this
- Libraries Connected
- COMMUNITY MANAGED LIBRARIES NATIONAL PEER NETWORK
- THE LONDON READING CENTRE
- UPS AND DOWNS SOUTH WEST
- THE SOCIETY OF COLLEGE, NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
- GREATER LONDON, SOUTH WEST COUNTY SCOUT COUNCIL
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIBRARIES UNLIMITED SOUTH WEST | £9.4m | £90,001 - £100,000 | 3 | above | — | no doubt |
| Libraries Connected | £2.7m | — | — | within | — | no doubt |
| COMMUNITY MANAGED LIBRARIES NATIONAL PEER NETWORK | £118k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE LONDON READING CENTRE | £104k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| UPS AND DOWNS SOUTH WEST | £309k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| THE SOCIETY OF COLLEGE, NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | £732k | £90,001 - £100,000 | — | unclear | — | no doubt |