Listening Books
Analysis
Listening Books is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in July 1972, 54 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes and disability, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01056004). It says it provides services.
In the financial year ending March 2026, Listening Books reported income of £1.3m and spending of £983k, leaving 23% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £896k to £1.3m (+43%), an average of +9.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.
Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Listening Books sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Headway Essex (£1.3m), Teesside Ability Support Centre (£1.3m) and Fleetwood Town Community Trust (£1.3m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 93% and charitable activities 7.3%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £78k. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 2.9%. Reserves of £358k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 11 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 86%
- Legacies 6.1%
- Charitable activities 7.3%
- Trading 0.1%
- Investments 0.0%
In the charity's own words
To provide a postal and internet based audiobook service to: Any child or adult who suffers from an illness or disability which makes it hard to hold a book, turn its pages or read in the usual way; including people with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and people with visual impairments.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Headway Essex | Colchester | £1.3m |
| Teesside Ability Support Centre | Middlesbrough | £1.3m |
| Fleetwood Town Community Trust | Lancashire | £1.3m |
| The Not Forgotten Association (Nfa) | London | £1.3m |