Libraries Connected
Registered charity 1176482 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SCL, SOCIETY OF CHIEF LIBRARIANS
The Objects of the Charity are to advance the education of the public by assisting in the establishment, maintenance, operation and development of libraries and library services in the United Kingdom (which are either public or from which the public may benefit) and to further such other charitable purposes consistent with the above as the Trustees, in their absolute discretion, shall determine.
Causes: Education/training · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The charity reported a net income of £40,031 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income of £2,714,195 and total expenditure of £2,674,165. The trustees state that unrestricted reserves of £751,465 are in line with their stated reserves policy target of £775k ±10%. The accounts confirm the charity is a going concern with adequate resources for the foreseeable future.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £775k ±10% (held: £751k)
“This comes to £775k ±10%, and our free reserves stand at £751k.” — page 19
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Mark Freeman is a Trustee for Share the Vision, which provides Libraries Connected with funding towards a project manager post for the Universal Library Offers.
“Mark Freeman is a Trustee for Share the Vision, which provides Libraries Connected with funding towards a project manager post for the Universal Library Offers.” — page 39
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£73k
Reported reserves equal ~3.4 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (76% 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: 2.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- Benjamin John Holdenchair
- Chris Alan Butcher
- Diana Jane Edmonds · trustee of 1 other charity
- James Raymond Pearson
- Kulvinder Kelly Saini Badwal
- Lisa Jayne Ollerhead
- Michael Edwin Lewis · trustee of 2 other charities
- Natalie Kate Highwood
- Paraic John McKenna
- Peter WiIlliam Gaw
- Russell Martin Allen
- Sarah Jane Garbacz
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Guernsey · Isle Of Man · Jersey · Northern Ireland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is Libraries Connected financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net income of £40,031 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income of £2,714,195 and total expenditure of £2,674,165. The trustees state that unrestricted reserves of £751,465 are in line with their stated reserves policy target of £775k ±10%. The accounts confirm the charity is a going concern with adequate resources for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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 COMMUNITY MANAGED LIBRARIES NATIONAL PEER NETWORK.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.