The Book Trade Charity

Analysis

The Book Trade Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hertfordshire. It was registered in February 2009, 17 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06725178). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides other finance and provides human resources.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Book Trade Charity reported income of £935k and spending of £1.0m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £633k to £935k (+48%), an average of +10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 78%. Over the whole period it spent 111% 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 Book Trade Charity sits at the 89th percentile: it is larger than about 89% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Bollington Health & Leisure (£934k), The Community Heartbeat Trust (£935k) and Ealing Swimming Club Limited (£934k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 63%, donations and legacies 29%, trading 6.8% and investments 1.1%. Charitable activities took 92% of spending and raising funds 6.1%. Reserves of £366k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 4 people.