Finance Score: 0

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 8

Strong growth: +2
Deficit latest year: -2
No PartB

Dynamic board: +3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 11

READING FORCE

We help improve communication within families experiencing the unique challenges of Forces life whether at home together or separated by tours of duty or postings, by encouraging shared reading and scrapbook/journaling. It is a fun and practical activity for all British Forces families living in the UK and overseas, reservists, veterans, and their close and extended families including grandparents

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
Income was significantly lower than spending in the latest year

Established: 9 years

www.readingforce.org.uk

info@readingforce.org.uk

07566 200 299

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

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
30/06/23	£219	£284	£-65	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1
30/06/22	£257	£223	£34	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1
30/06/21	£288	£151	£137	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1
30/06/20	£155	£128	£26	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1
30/06/19	£129	£123	£6	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
30/06/18	£103	£139	£-36	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/06/17	£82	£64	£18	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/06/16	£277	£206	£71	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Education/Training
Other Charitable Purposes

How it operates

Other charitable activities
Provides services

Where it operates

Akrotiri, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Dhekelia, Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Italy, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Other Defined Groups

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
1 volunteer

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

Ministry of Defence	£116,574
National Lottery Community Fund	£99,818
Garfield Weston Foundation	£25,000
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust	£21,400

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Reading Force in Northern Ireland
£99,818	27/10/2022	Reading Force is using a £99818 grant to improve the mental health and connections for military families and veterans across Northern Ireland. Over two years the project will help families separated ....more Reading Force is using a £99818 grant to improve the mental health and connections for military families and veterans across Northern Ireland. Over two years the project will help families separated through military deployment to share experiences through reading together and recording memories in a family scrapbook.
Ministry of Defence - Covenant Fund
£30,674	12/11/2021	For existing charitable projects to help charities to sustain activities and services that people from Armed Forces communities use and value.
Ministry of Defence - Covenant Fund
£9,500	15/10/2021	For local projects that reduce isolation and promote integration
Ministry of Defence - £10M Veterans' Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
£35,000	12/02/2021	The Positive Pathways programme funded projects that develop and run activities supporting the mental health and wellbeing of ex-Forces.
Ministry of Defence - Covenant Fund
£20,000	13/11/2020	For community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award - COVID19 response
£25,000	31/07/2020	Reading Force during COVID-19
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust - COVID IMPACT FUND
£21,400	25/06/2020	Funding allowed the group to meet extra demand during the Covid-19 pandemic for books and scrapbooks for Service families.
Ministry of Defence - Covid-19 Impact Fund
£21,400	15/06/2020	To maintain services and activities where organisations' finances had been impacted by Covid
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000	26/11/2018	Reading Force core funding
Ministry of Defence - ALB - Armed forces Covenant Fund Trust- Covenent Fund
£15,100	01/04/2018	Armed Forces Covenant Local Grants for local projects that support community integration or local delivery of services.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (9)

Current Trustees appointed

ALISON HILL Appointed: 2023

CAROLINE FLYNN-MACLEOD Appointed: 2023

LINDSEY TAYLOR (Chair) Appointed: 2014

LESLEY JANE TITCOMB Appointed: 2019, Other trusteeship: THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST ANDREW'S, MUCH HADHAM WITH ST THOMAS' PERRY GREEN IN THE DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS,

MARIAM KHOKAR Appointed: 2024

NICHOLAS WILLIAM NEVILLE JONES BA OXON Appointed: 2014

REV ALISON MARY BAVERSTOCK Appointed: 2014, Other trusteeship: THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF LONG DITTON,

SHAHID AZEEM Appointed: 2023, Other trusteeships: HIGH SHERIFF OF SURREY YOUTH AWARDS, SHOTS IN THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, RUSHMOOR MUSLIM ASSOCIATION,

THE RT HON THE LORD DAVID BLUNKETT Appointed: 2020, Other trusteeship: THE FOUNDATION FOR SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT,

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 12/01/2015, number: 1159890

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
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

Filing Record

8 returns made; all on time

Main office

10 Homersham Road
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 3PN

Objectives

THE FOLLOWING OBJECTS ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR ALL BRITISH ARMED FORCES FAMILIES AND CHILDREN LIVING IN THE UK AND OVERSEAS:-1) TO ADVANCE EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING FAMILIES TO READ TOGETHER FOR PLEASURE AND TALK ABOUT A BOOK BY PROVIDING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE AND MATERIALS TO SUPPORT SHARED READING ACTIVITIES; AND2) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT GOOD HEALTH BY USING READING AS A MEANS OF MITIGATING STRESS AND INCREASING COMMUNICATION AND GOOD FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS FOLLOWING SEPARATION DUE TO TRAINING, DEPLOYMENT, POSTINGS AND MOBILITY.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UK AND OVERSEAS

Data Sources