The Reader Organisation

Analysis

The Reader Organisation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Liverpool. It was registered in November 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, the prevention or relief of poverty and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06607389). It says it provides services and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Reader Organisation reported income of £4.6m and spending of £4.9m, spending 106% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.6m to £4.6m (+26%), an average of +5.9% a year. Over the whole period it spent 107% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Reader Organisation sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Saint Margaret's Convent (SSM Chiswick) CIO (£4.6m), Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire (£4.6m) and Sarcoma UK (£4.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 41%, donations and legacies 30% and charitable activities 29%. Charitable activities took 63% of spending and raising funds 37%. Reserves of £306k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 175 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.