Finance Score: 8

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 10

Liabilities <10%: +3
Strong growth: +2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +7

Overall GiG Score: 27

BOOKMARK READING CHARITY

We're helping children develop the reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond, by creating flexible volunteering at the heart of our communities.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
This charity has a robust balance sheet
There has been strong growth in spending since inception
There have been no income shortfalls in recent years
Fundraising costs are low relative to funds raised
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

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	£4,183	£3,498	£685	£405	£1,967	£1,836	6.3	41	2,186
31/08/22	£5,150	£5,076	£74	£344	£1,282	£1,155	2.7	36	1,766
31/08/21	£2,234	£1,684	£550	£261	£1,208	£1,015	7.2	27	1,167
31/08/20?	£2,036	£1,621	£415	£238	£658	£573	4.2	16	561
31/03/19	£744	£501	£243	£86	£243	£243	5.8	4	19

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 9.9%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 11.6%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 8%
Highest pay band: £110,000-£120,000
Liabilities/Assets: 8%
Liabilities/Income: 4%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 93%
Reserves/Spending: 6.3 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 6 months
Quick Ratio: 8.4

Asset Split ?

Established: 6 years

www.bookmarkreading.org

info@bookmarkreading.org

02039957960

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Education/Training

GiG Classification

Academic support

How it operates

Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Children/Young People

Who works here?

41 employees
2,186 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 Childhood Trust	£150,000
Garfield Weston Foundation	£100,000
City Bridge Trust	£24,277
The Leathersellers' Company Charitable Fund	£10,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
The Childhood Trust - C-59288
£25,000	28/06/2022	Children have fallen behind with their reading. Bookmark's volunteer reading programme can help but we need to recruit, vet and train more volunteers, and onboard more schools. You can change ....more Children have fallen behind with their reading. Bookmark's volunteer reading programme can help but we need to recruit, vet and train more volunteers, and onboard more schools. You can change children's stories, a £100,000 campaign will mean 459 new volunteers and 21 new schools in London.
The Childhood Trust - Give the gift of reading to children in London
£25,000	12/06/2022	Children in London are struggling to read. You can help us partner with six new primary schools in London and give the gift of reading to 1,680 children. If these children all held hands, they?d fit ....more Children in London are struggling to read. You can help us partner with six new primary schools in London and give the gift of reading to 1,680 children. If these children all held hands, they?d fit the length of London Bridge seven times over.
The Childhood Trust - Every child reading after lockdown
£25,000	22/06/2021	Children have been left behind by lockdown. Schools were closed for months. Children have fallen behind with their reading, and children in poverty have been hit the hardest. You can change that, by ....more Children have been left behind by lockdown. Schools were closed for months. Children have fallen behind with their reading, and children in poverty have been hit the hardest. You can change that, by helping children read again, through volunteer reading sessions with Bookmark.
The Leathersellers' Company Charitable Fund - Grant to Bookmark Reading Charity
£10,000	09/02/2021 12	Main Grant unrestricted core costs
Garfield Weston Foundation - Major Grants award
£100,000	29/01/2021	EVERY CHILD READING
The Childhood Trust - Every child in London reading
£25,000	08/12/2020	Each year, 8 children in every class will leave primary school unable to read well. This year, with children missing months of school, it will be worse. And these children often struggle in school, ....more Each year, 8 children in every class will leave primary school unable to read well. This year, with children missing months of school, it will be worse. And these children often struggle in school, and beyond. You can change that by helping children to read in 50 schools across London.
The Childhood Trust - Every child in London reading
£25,000	08/12/2020	Each year, 8 children in every class will leave primary school unable to read well. This year, with children missing months of school, it will be worse. And these children often struggle in school, ....more Each year, 8 children in every class will leave primary school unable to read well. This year, with children missing months of school, it will be worse. And these children often struggle in school, and beyond. You can change that by helping children to read in 50 schools across London.
The Childhood Trust - No child left behind by lockdown
£25,000	03/07/2020	While schools are closed, some parents and carers just won't be able to help their children with their reading. When a child can't read, they struggle at school and beyond. This lockdown could create ....more While schools are closed, some parents and carers just won't be able to help their children with their reading. When a child can't read, they struggle at school and beyond. This lockdown could create a reading gap that will last for a generation. But you can change that, with Bookmark.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Bookmark Reading Charity
£24,277	28/05/2020	A grant of £24,277 to fund the essential and urgent costs outlined in the appliciation, so that the organisation can carry on providing support to Londoners.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (5)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 27-72

CHLOE WRIGHT Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Civil Servant

HELEN JONES Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Chief Customer Officer

PHILIP NEAL Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Director

PAUL RICHARD FLETCHER Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Finance Director

SHARON JEAN PINDAR (Chair) Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Accountant

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 23/03/2018, number: 1177681
Registered at Companies House on 08/12/2017, number: 11104438

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
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

5 returns made; all on time

Main office

Third Floor
Charles House
5-11 Regent Street
St James's
London

Objectives

THE OBJECT OF THE CHARITY IS TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, IN PARTICULAR BY PROMOTING OR SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITERACY, AND (SAVE FOR PURPOSES INCIDENTAL AND ANCILLARY TO THAT OBJECT) NO OTHER PURPOSES.

Data Sources