Finance Score: 1

Governance Score: 5

Support Score: 5

Multiple Deficits: -2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Mainly female board: -1

Grant maker support: +5

Overall GiG Score: 11

READ FOR GOOD

Mission:

To improve the education, life-chances and well-being of UK children and young people.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received backing from several prominent grant makers recently
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

The Board is predominantly female

Financial issues to consider:

On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

Comment by the Charity:
The only Government grant received is the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough). We hold reserves of around 8 months of forecast operating costs, as a prudent measure to enable Read for Good to continue its charitable delivery, even during a sudden or unexpected loss of income. For the period 2021-2022, we have designated a proportion of our reserves to specific planned projects. In recent years, we planned a deficit, using reserves to invest in our programme of work. We rely entirely on donations; each year we receive grants from around 80 Trusts and Foundations, as well as from schools running our sponsored Readathon, and individual gifts from the public.

Established: 15 years

www.readforgood.org

reading@readforgood.org

01453839005

Charity Commission for England and Wales

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Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/08/23		£1,104	£1,110	£-7	£51	£965	£900	9.7	11	10
31/08/22		£1,101	£904	£197	£77	£972	£778	10.3	11	8
31/08/21		£754	£639	£115	£37	£775	£775	14.5	10	10
31/08/20		£669	£812	£-143	£0	£659	£659	9.8	10	12
31/08/19		£865	£978	£-113	£0	£851	£851	10.4	10	8
31/08/18		£780	£868	£-87	£0	£930	£930	12.9	7	0
31/08/17		£1,148	£992	£156	£0	£1,013	£1,013	12.2	6	0
31/08/16		£812	£807	£6	£7	£845	£840	12.5	6	0
31/08/15		£1,014	£1,043	£-29	£28	£794	£763	8.8	6	0
31/08/14		£1,215	£1,003	£212	£24	£823	£796	9.5	4	0
31/08/13		£1,041	£877	£164	£5	£611	£597	8.2	3	0
31/08/12		£933	£746	£186	£1	£447	£447	7.2	1	0
31/08/11	*	£948	£866	£82	£16	£261	£261	3.6	1	0
31/08/10	*	£684	£505	£179	£16	£179	£179	4.2	1	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 4.6%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 4.6%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 14%
Liabilities/Income: 15%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 93%
Reserves/Spending: 9.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 10 months
Quick Ratio: 6.1

Asset Split ?

What it does

Our aim is the advancement of education of children and young people in the UK, by the promotion of reading for pleasure and associated literacy skills; and the advancement of citizenship, and the provision of relief to disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

Listed activities

Disability
Education/Training
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

How it operates

Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

11 employees
10 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

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

Major supporters in last 5 years

The Shears Foundation	£5,500
Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland	£4,800
Sussex Community Foundation	£3,000
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust	£1,250

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
The Shears Foundation - Read for Good
£5,500	12/10/2023	Bringing the magic of stories to children in the Great North Children's Hospital
Masonic Trust - MCF Matched Funding
£1,000	20/02/2023	Unrestricted matched funding in partnership with the local masonic province
Sussex Community Foundation - Grant to Read for Good Hospital 'Books and Storytelling' Project
£3,000	11/11/2022	Funding was provided towards core costs, staffing and supplies and in particular for their work at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton.
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Read for Good - 02/11/21
£1,250	08/12/2021	Read for Good's Hospital Programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital
Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland - Book and Storytelling Project (Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children)
£4,800	18/03/2020	Book and Storytelling Project (Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children)
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Read for Good
£45,414	27/06/2018 24	This project provides a mobile library and storytellers to read books to seriously ill children in hospital. It will improve well-being, reduce isolation and increase enjoyment.

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 27-68

AMANDA SHIELDS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Management And Governance Consultant

ANNE EVERALL Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Director

EMMA BESSENT Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Research Funding Manager

HELEN WEST Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired Teacher

KEVIN UNDERWOOD (Chair) Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: THE CLARE MILNE TRUST,

PAULA REGAN Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Managing Editor

RACHEL BOLTON Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Teacher

SIOBHAIN WHITTY Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Executive Coach, Other trusteeship: EDGE VILLAGE INSTITUTE,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 24/06/2009, number: 1130309
Registered at Companies House on 05/05/2009, number: 06895421

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

14 returns made; AR11: 24 days late, AR10: 26 days late,

Recent reorganisation events:

Asset transfer in from JR AND SA BROOKS CHARITABLE TRUST on 14/09/2020

Main office

Read for Good
Nailsworth Mills Estate
Avening Road
Nailsworth
Stroud
GL6 0BS

Objectives

THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UK, BY THE PROMOTION OF READING FOR PLEASURE AND ASSOCIATED LITERACY SKILLS; AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF CITIZENSHIP, AND THE PROVISION OF RELIEF TO DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UK.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, NATIONAL

Data Sources