Finance Score: -5
Governance Score: 3
Support Score: 11
  • Multiple Deficits and declines: -5
  • No PartB
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Static board: -3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +8
Overall GiG Score: 9 ?

BAG BOOKS

To enhance the lives of children and adults with learning disabilities through the use of multi-sensory books
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • The charity has received backing from several prominent grant makers recently
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • The Board composition appears to be rather static

Financial issues to consider:

  • Income has been volatile and on several occasions in recent years less than spending
  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/12/23£258£319£-61n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/22£247£320£-73n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/21£278£271£6n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/20£404£275£130n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/19£338£365£-27n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/18£376£393£-16n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/17£391£390£1n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/16£362£386£-24n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/15£458£425£33n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/14£518£476£42£93£236£1172.970
31/12/13£502£465£38£97£194£118360
31/12/12£371£352£20n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/11£372£428£-56n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/10£435£452£-17n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/09£398£319£79n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/08£307£357£-50n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/07£263£293£-30n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/06£260£245£15n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/05£263£216£47n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/04£215£211£4n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 31 years

www.bagbooks.org

office@bagbooks.org

02076270444

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • Education/Training
GiG Classification
How it operates
  • Other charitable activities
Where it operates
  • Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden, Throughout England And Wales, United States,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Pears Foundation£65,000
The Foyle Foundation£20,000
City Bridge Trust£7,000
True Colours Trust£6,840
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
The Foyle Foundation - Learning (MGS)
£20,000 10/07/2023
towards core costs over the next twelve months
True Colours Trust - Towards the delivery of sensory stories in special schools
£6,840 23/11/2022
Towards the delivery of sensory stories in special schools
Pears Foundation - Grant to Bag Books
£30,000 21/03/2022
Core Funding
Pears Foundation - Grant to Bag Books
£35,000 29/06/2020
24
Core Funding
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Bag Books
£7,000 11/06/2020
£7,000 to fund the essential and urgent costs outlined in the application, in order to carry on providing support to Londoners.
Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland - Sensory Storytime
£3,895 10/09/2019
Sensory Storytime
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000 24/07/2019
Build-a-Book for children with Autism
National Lottery Community Fund - Lend a Story
£189,820 11/01/2019
36
This project will enhance the lives of children and adults with learning disabilities through the use of multi-sensory books, designed to engage and stimulate the key senses of sight, sound, touch and smell. This funding will help bring together ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Bag Books
£2,500 12/12/2018
12
towards one year's running costs of the 'Sensory Storytime' project for 10 multi-sensory storytelling days at special schools in East Sussex
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£5,000 23/10/2018
Unrestricted core funding for small charities
Robertson Trust - The "Sensory Storytime" sessions in Scottish Schools for children with additional support needs
£15,000 27/06/2018
The "Sensory Storytime" sessions in Scottish Schools for children with additional support needs
Pears Foundation - Grant to Bag Books
£30,000 31/05/2018
24
Core funding
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000 18/04/2018
Build-a-Book for adults
Pears Foundation - Grant to Bag Books
£30,000 17/05/2016
24
Core funding
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Bag Books
£30,000 12/02/2013
Towards the salary of the director of services to improve sustainability of the organisation through further diversification of income streams.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Bag Books
£52,600 05/12/2012
36
towards three years’ continuation funding of the salary of the Director of Services to manage services for people with severe and profound learning disabilities throughout the UK
National Lottery Community Fund - Tall Stories
£287,314 19/09/2012
36
This new project provides access to multi-sensory books and offers multi-sensory storytelling within day centres and care homes for adults with severe or profound learning disabilities throughout England, aiming to improve quality of life, motor and ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Bag Books
£23,500 31/07/2012
the salary of the Storytelling and Training Co-ordinator, trainer fee and travel costs, multi-sensory books, training pack, postage and project management
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Bag Books
£74,837 16/06/2009
36
Towards Core costs Towards the salary of the director of services and associated costs.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (5)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 36-61
  • CATHERINE PEARSON Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Early Years Sen Manager
  • JONATHAN PATRICK JAMES WALSH Appointed: 2006, Occupation: Solicitor
  • KARL MASSEY Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Investment Director, Pension Fund
  • NATASHA THEOBALD Appointed: 2010, Occupation: Charity Marketing
  • RACHEL ELIZABETH TYSON Appointed: 2012, Occupation: Accountant
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 24/09/1993, number: 1026432
  • Registered at Companies House on 19/08/1993, number: 02846227
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • 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
Filing Record
20 returns made; all on time
Main office

BAG BOOKS
1 STEWARTS COURT
218-220 STEWARTS ROAD
LONDON
SW8 4UB

Objectives

TO PROMOTE THE RECREATION AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND/OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN PARTICULAR THROUGH THE USE OF TACTILE BOOKS AND RELATED MATERIAL IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND FOR THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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