## **Annual Report 2025**
## **DORSET READING PARTNERS**
“This regular and extended reading session really supports the academic progress of the children, some of whom are not read with or to. The volunteers foster a love of books and reading in the children and give them the gift of becoming readers, which in turn fuels their confidence and self esteem.”
Class teacher, Lilliput Infant School
**Registered charity no. 1116404**
## Charity Details
## **Objectives**
- 1) To advance the education of children in Dorset, particularly by helping with their reading development,
- 2) To advance the education of volunteers, by the provision of advice and training.
## **Activities Undertaken for Public Benefit**
Dorset Reading Partners recruits, trains, supports and equips literacy volunteers who provide regular, sustained, one-to-one support to local children in order to help them with their reading development. Reading partners work in primary schools with children, aged between 4 - 11, identified by their teachers as requiring extra support or nurturing. Our focus is on increasing children’s motivation and confidence and improving their wellbeing, as well as developing their language and reading skills.
## **Trustees**
The board of trustees oversees the management of the Charity as well as providing support & guidance to staff, and meets four times a year.
Alison Debenham Heather Maddox Bryan Stubbs Heather Shore
## **Honorary Treasurer**
Jackie Taylor AAT
## **Staff**
Staff work part-time, during term-time only.
Charity Manager Juliet Ruddick Volunteer & Development Manager Bonnie Stevens Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Parry Volunteer Coordinator Sally Pegg
## **Office**
The Little Keep Barrack Road Dorchester DT1 1SQ
01305 458515
www.dorsetreadingpartners.org.uk
## Activities May 24 - April 25
During the year the Charity has:
- Recruited and trained 21 new volunteer reading partners
- Started working in four new schools
- Supported volunteers with regular contact, termly newsletters and annual school visits
- Held book exchanges and hosted volunteer coffee mornings in various venues
- Delivered ongoing training through a series of workshops, as well as tailored refresher training for our volunteers
- Issued 350 personalised end of year certificates to our supported pupils (July 2024)
- Collaborated with the charity Room To Reward to offer hotel breaks (at no cost to us) to volunteers achieving ten years of service
At the end of April 2025, the charity has 79 volunteer reading partners in 59 schools across Dorset, supporting around 330 children.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
I saw one of the very first children
I read with today. She is all grown
I am blown away by how
up and was on her way home from
incredible it has been. The
work. She said she though my
influence must have stuck children are always excited
to see me, and love the
because she loves her job and is . .
a Librarian! books, games and resources
that are provided.
Jackie, Portland
Sue, Wimborne
The interview process, the
training and introduction to the
school were full of support and
very professional. All my
volunteering experience with What
Dorset Reading Partners has
been amazing, rewarding and I Volunteers
have always been feeling
supported. Say
Katarzyna, Bournemouth
**----- End of picture text -----**
## Annual Accounts
## **DORSET READING PARTNERS Receipts and Payments to 30th April 2025**
|**Receipts**
Contributions from schools
Grants/Donations
Gift aid
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Insurance
Equipment/Furniture
Travel Expenses
Employee costs
Office/General costs
Premises costs
Telephone/Internet/Subscriptions
**Operational Costs**
Resources
Volunteer expenses
Meetings/Training/Events
**Total Payments**
Net of Receipts/(payments)|**30th April 2025**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
9245
0
21490
0
1250
0
31985
0
250
0
20
0
1513
0
23177
0
786
0
2823
0
1759
0
844
136
627
0
501
0
32300
136
-315
-136
14718
136
**14403**
**0**|**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
9245
21490
1250
31985
250
20
1513
23177
786
2823
1759
980
627
501
32436
-451
14854
**14403**|**30th**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
11332
14328
1319|**April 2024**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
0
600
0
600
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
889
0
0
889
-289
425
**136**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||26979
212
0
878
20084
417
1948
987
0
473
666||
||||25665||
||||1314||
||||||
|Cash funds last Year end|||13404||
|**Cash funds at the period end**|||**14718**||
Prepared by Jacqueline Taylor AAP 7 May 2025
## **Donations & Funding**
Thank you to The Valentine Trust, The Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Foundation, The Yapp
Charitable Trust, The Belacqua Trust, Marine Inspection Services, ADLib and our generous private donors for their support.
**JULY 2024**
## School Survey Results
**Quality & range of resources**
## **Teachers’ Comments**
“Children are always so enthusiastic to go with DRP and come back so happily talking about books and stories.”
“We have seen children who struggle with regulating behaviour and emotions really grow under the DRP volunteers. They look forward to their time with their volunteer and have built up such positive relationships with them.”
“I see lots of lovely books spread out on the table before the children arrive. It looks inviting.”
“It is a fantastic opportunity for the children to spend quality time reading and supports our teaching in a very positive way.”
“I wish to thank you as a charity for the time that you give to our school and children. It is so valuable. I hope we can continue our partnership with you for many years to come.”
“We love our DRPs and they brighten our week. We are so grateful for their time and care they put into their role.”
## The Year in Pictures 2024 - 2025
Initial Training to prepare volunteers for the reading partner role
Regular Book Exchanges to replenish resources
Completing The Open University Reading for Pleasure course
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Ongoing training
and workshops
**----- End of picture text -----**
Celebrating a decade of volunteering!
## DORSET READING PARTNERS Receipts and Payments to 30th April 2025
||||||||30th|April 2025|||||30th April 2024|30th April 2024|30th April 2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||Unrestricted||Restricted|.|||Total}|Unrestricted|Restricted||
|||||||Funds||Funds||||Funds|Funds|Funds||
|||||||£||£||||£|£||£|
|Receipts||||||||||||||||
|Contributions from schools||||||9245||0||||9245|11332||0|
|Grants/Donations||||||21490||0||||21490|14328||600|
|Gift aid||||||1250||0||||1250|1319||0|
|Total Receipts||||||31985||0||||31985|26979||600|
|Payments||||||||||||||||
|Insurance||||||250||0||||250|212||0)|
|Equipment/Furniture||||||20||0||||20|0||0|
|Travel Expenses||||||1513||0||||1513|878||0|
|Employee costs||||||23177||0||||23177|20084||0|
|Office/General costs||||||786||0:||||786|417||0|
|Premises costs||||||2823||O07||||2823|1948||0|
|Telephone/Internet/Subscriptions||||||1759||0||||1759|987||0|
|Operational Costs||||||||||||||||
|Resources|‘|||||844||136||||980|0||889|
|Volunteer expenses||||||627||0||||627|473||0|
|Meetings/Training/Events||||||501||0||||501|666||0|
|Total Payments||||||32300||136||||32436|25665||889|
|Net of Receipts/(payments)||||||-315||-136||||-451|1314||-289|
|Cash funds last year|end|||||14718||136||||14854|13404||425|
|Cash funds at the period|||end|||14403||07||||14403|14718||136|
|/
we
(die Or
«
-
—
‘||rf
6he
r||3|.
\
A
t_¢
\|if
x
_
the ac— Ao
\
lise||||‘ ||,|Ht
wx é
a
}
(YQ—\ Kepgg|||“\
~~|
|{||||||||||||||||
|/||||||||||||||||
|V/
f||||||||||||||||
## DORSET READING PARTNERS Receipts and Payments to 30th April 2025
||||||||30th|April 2025|||||30th April 2024|30th April 2024|30th April 2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||Unrestricted||Restricted|.|||Total}|Unrestricted|Restricted||
|||||||Funds||Funds||||Funds|Funds|Funds||
|||||||£||£||||£|£||£|
|Receipts||||||||||||||||
|Contributions from schools||||||9245||0||||9245|11332||0|
|Grants/Donations||||||21490||0||||21490|14328||600|
|Gift aid||||||1250||0||||1250|1319||0|
|Total Receipts||||||31985||0||||31985|26979||600|
|Payments||||||||||||||||
|Insurance||||||250||0||||250|212||0)|
|Equipment/Furniture||||||20||0||||20|0||0|
|Travel Expenses||||||1513||0||||1513|878||0|
|Employee costs||||||23177||0||||23177|20084||0|
|Office/General costs||||||786||0:||||786|417||0|
|Premises costs||||||2823||O07||||2823|1948||0|
|Telephone/Internet/Subscriptions||||||1759||0||||1759|987||0|
|Operational Costs||||||||||||||||
|Resources|‘|||||844||136||||980|0||889|
|Volunteer expenses||||||627||0||||627|473||0|
|Meetings/Training/Events||||||501||0||||501|666||0|
|Total Payments||||||32300||136||||32436|25665||889|
|Net of Receipts/(payments)||||||-315||-136||||-451|1314||-289|
|Cash funds last year|end|||||14718||136||||14854|13404||425|
|Cash funds at the period|||end|||14403||07||||14403|14718||136|
|/
we
(die Or
«
-
—
‘||rf
6he
r||3|.
\
A
t_¢
\|if
x
_
the ac— Ao
\
lise||||‘ ||,|Ht
wx é
a
}
(YQ—\ Kepgg|||“\
~~|
|{||||||||||||||||
|/||||||||||||||||
|V/
f||||||||||||||||