Registered number.. 07962217
Charity number. 1146276
Assi$tsd Reading for Children
UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Propared By:
Bames4Business Limited
Chartered Certified ACr￿untantS
12 Murdock Road
Bicester
Oxfordshirè
OX264PP

Assistsd Reading for Chlldren
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
TRUSTEES
Saira Ali {resigned 12 November 2024)
lan Hudspeth
Susan Hine {resigned 12 November 2024>
Honor Somerset (resigned 11 March 2025}
Margaret Stevens
Jane Williamson
Derek Thomhill {resigned 15 March 20251
Benjamin Morel-Allen
Curtis Leung (appointed 9 July 20241
REGISTERED OFFICE
Gobles Court
7 Market Square
Bicester
Oxfordshire
OX26 6AA
COMPANY NUMBER
07962217
CHARITY NUMBER
1146276
ACCOUNTANTS
Bames4Business Limited
Chartered Certified Accountants
12 Murdock Road
Bicester
Oxfordshire
OX26 4PP
page 1

As8isl8d Raadlng for Chlldren
ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
CONTENTS
Page
Reptht of the Trustees
Independenl Examine¢s Ststement
statement of Financial Activities
Balance Sheet
Notes to the Accounts
101015
Detsiled Stslement of Finanaal Activities
14
page 2

Asslsted Reading for Children
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
TRUSTEES. REPORT
The Irustees present their report and accounts for th& year ended 31 March 2025
STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS
FORM OF THE CHARITY
Assisted Reading for Children IARCh) is a charitable company limited by guarantee. The trustees are also the directors for the
purposes of company law and are appointed by the members at the AGM.
PRINCIPAL AIM
ARCh is an educational charity whose aim is to help primary school children achieve a confident level of If(erxy by imparting a love
of reading through regular. personalised, menloring support from trained volunteers.
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
About half of our income CC*mes from subscriptr'ons paid by schools for the services of our unpaid volUnt￿rs. The level of the
subscription is kept as low as possible. This source of income is linked diredy to the number of our volunteers in sthools, and
therefore relates in a relatively stable way to the overall level of activity of the charity. Followng a period during which, in recognition
of sthool budgetary pressures, the subsGription was not increased in line wth the costs of supporting thé volunteers, the trustee6
agreed a plan lo bring it back into line. It was raised this year. and we expect to raise it again in the following ￿ years. The
remaining intsjme comes from grants and donations. These are a more irregular source of income, but grants or donations from a
number of sources are repeatèd from year to year.
About 75V• of our exFenditure goes on staff costs, for the ￿ntral office staff and for the fieloknrkers vtho directly service our
volunteers.
RESERVES POLICY
As a charity ARCh is regulated by the Charities Commission vthich asks us to state our reserves tKJlicy. It is our aim to hold
unrestricted resetves 50 that we can be confident of our financial position and meet all obligatt.ons for at least 6-12 months. Some
specific funds from donations or grants are held in a Design*ed Fund, and used to support the objective requested by the donorls).
The balan￿ of our reserves are hdd as unrestricted general funds and can be spent on anything in furtheran￿ of the objectives of
the charity.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
In exercising their powers and duties the trustees have had regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Chaiity Commission.
in parti¢ular in relation lo the enhancement of education.
page 3

Asslsted Reading for Children
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
TRUSTEES, REPORT
OPERATIONS REPORT 2024-2025
Ovefview
We began thè year with around 200 active volunteer reading helpers in April 2024.
Working with s¢hs)ols and volunteers
We in¢xeased the financia1 contribution we ask schools to make towards the ARCh service to £480 per volunteer per year, to be
reviewed annually.
Demand for ARCh support continued to increase. The effeds of disrupted schooling and reduced soaal interactions on young
children caused by the Cavid pandemic continue to be fell as the babies and pre-schoolers from 2020 start school.
We wnducted our usual annual schools. survey to measure impact of ARCh support over the year, in association wth Resear
Oxford. We launthed a new format Impact Report, to ￿MpIernent our usual Annual Report.
Volunteer recruiknent and training
We continued to work towards our tsrget of a net gain of 90 new voluntws, ftjnded by Oxfordshire Community Foundation's Step
Change grant. Despite consid8rable success in re¢Tuitmènt. progress has been slower Ihan expected, partly as a result of high
turnover. A decision was made to extend the RecNitment Officerfs o)ntract for a further year, until January 2026.
We e£fyntinued to hold inteNiews and training for the majority of new vdunteers via Zoom, but also provided in-person training Options.
We 81so conducted face to face Recall and Refr8$her training in Safeguarding, and Phonics workshops.
By April 2025 there were 270 volunteers on our datsbase, 242 of thèm adive.
Other inibatives and G￿llaboration
Our SU￿sSful Company Volunteer scheme w7th Oxford University Press LX)ntinued into its 13th year, ￿th a visit to their offices for
hildren supported via Ihe scheme in July 2024.
It has proved hard to engage other organisations in our employer-supported volunteellng scheme. Disappointingly, a number of
companies who had pledged support via the Oxfordshire Indusive Economy Partnership did nct follow through.
We have Su￿ded in extending the diversty of our volunteer workforce, partiajlarly through new employee volunteers. and 6th fomi
and student volunteers.
Thanks to funding, we were able to buy an ex1ended range of books and games to reflect the diversity of the children we support.
Recognition and awards
page 4

Assisted Reading for Children
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
TRUSTEES, REPORT
ARCh was Highly Commended in OCVA'S Volunteer Organisation of the Year and one of the three finalists in th8 Cherwell Busin6SS
Awards Charity and Community ￿tegOry.
At the July 2024 meeting we welcomed guest speaker Caroline Derby from Oxford University Press who spoke about the Raise a
Reader project which, in conjunction wth the National Literaw Trust, has installed libraries into schools in deprived areas. We were
honoured thal Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire Robert Buckeldee presented awards marking the long seNice of a number of
volunteers.
In December 2024 everyone at our volurnteer meeting was entertained by three speakers - Korky Paul, Chip Colquhoun and Mario
Coelho. Our three speakers and some of our reading helpers kindly agreed to talk to about the impjrtance of reading and their ARCh
experien￿ on film, shared via social media.
At our Spring 2025 volunteer meeting on the theme of oraGy, our Recruitment Officer Emma Orton explained how oracy is now being
developed in schools, and presented practical ideas for voluntèers to ty in their sessions.
Presentations and media presence
On several occasions ARCh was featured on BBC Radio Oxford and Greatest Hits Radio, and in the local press.
Staffing
Wé welcomed three new Field Workers. Caroline Carpenter (Bicester & Thame} in June. Cathy Penny (Oxford) in De￿rnber and
Kathryn Sthmidt (West Oxfordshire} in February 2025.
SMALL COMPANY PROVISIONS
The report was prepared in accordan￿ with the special provisions wthin Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
This report was approved by the B08rd of Trust&s on 23 September 2025
Margaret stevens
Trustee
page S

Asslstsd Reading for Chlldren
INDEPENDE￿r EXAMINER'S STATEMEKr
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ASSISTED READING FOR CHILDREN
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025 .
RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER
The trustees (who are also the directors of the ￿rnpanY for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of t
accounts. The truslees consider that an audit is mt required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Chariknes
Act) and that an independent examination is needèd. l am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified MeM￿r of
Association of Chartered Certified A¢countsnts .
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subjecl to an audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is
my responsibilty to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of thè Charities Act.
follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5llbl of the Charities
AG( and
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
BASIS OF INDEPENDEMf EXAMINERS STATEMENT
My examination was carried out in accordance wth general DireL#ions given by the Charity Commission. An examination inGludes a
view of the accounting records k8Pt by the chanty and a comparison of the accounts presented wth tFK*se reC￿d$. It also includes
consideration of any unusual items or di￿10$UreS in the aco)unts, and seeking explanations from you as trustee5 con￿mIng any
such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audi( and consequently Th)
opinion is given as to whether the accK)unts present a 'lrue and fair vievl, and the report is limited lo those matters set out in the
statement below.
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Assistsd Reading for Chlldren
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS STATEMEFir
In ￿nnectIOn with my examination, no matter has come to my attention..
11) ￿1¢h gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect Ihe requirements..
- to keep accounting records in a¢cordance with section 386 ofthe Companies Act 2006: and
to prépare accounts which accord with the accountirHJ reGords. comply with the ac£ounting requirements of section 3% of the
Companies Ad 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice.. Accounting and Reporting by
Charities
have not been met., or
(2) to vthich, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a propèr understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Date: 23 September 2025
Kelvin Barnes FCCA
Bames4Business Limited
Chartered Certified Accountants
12 Murdoth Road
Bitsster
Oxfordshi
OX26 4PP
page 7

A$$isted Readlng for Children
statement of Flnancial Activitie$
for tho yoar ended 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Unrestrieted Restrlcted
funds
funds
Totsl
Tot
Income
Income from generated funds
Donations and legacies
Income from Investments
Income from charitable activities
Totsl Income and endoymierts
Expenses
Costs of generaling funds
Expenditure on Charitablè adivities
Total Expenses
Net gains on investments
Net Income
102,739
4.577
91.603
198,919
102.739
76, 702
4.577
4,303
91.603 77, 175
198,919 758, 180
210,470
210,470
210,470 176, 766
21 OA70 776.766
111,551
111.551) (18,586)
Galnsl(losses) on revaluation of fixed assets
Net movement in funds:
Net income for the year
Totsl fvnds brought forward
Net funds Carried forward
(11.551)
162,0
150,539
(11,551) (18.586)
162.090 180.676
150,539 162.090
This ststement of finanual actimties includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditwe
derive from ccKJtinuing activities
page 8

Assisted Reading for Children
BALANCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2025
202S
2024
Notes
FIXED ASSErs
Tangible assets
2,319
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors (amounts falling due v￿thin one year)
Cash at bank and in hand
6,504
143,588
150,072
1.852
4,590
160,677
165,267
6,531
CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSEfs LESS CURRE￿ UABIUTIES
148,220
150.539
158,736
162,090
CAPITAL AND RESERVES
Unrestrfctod funds
General fund
Designated funds
70.383
80,156
150,539
119,064
43,026
162,090
For Ihe year ending 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption under sedion 477 of the Companies Act 20C6 relating to
small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 ofthe Companies Act 2006.
The directors a¢knO￿edge their responsibililies for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accL)unling records and
the preparation of accounts.
These aixounts have been prepared in ac￿[dan￿ with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies
regime.
Approved by the board of trustees on 23 September 2025 and slgned
on their behalf by
Margaret Stevens
TNstee
page 9

Assistsd Reading for Chlldren
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1. ACCOUfrmNG POUCIES
la. Basls Of Aceounting FRS
The finarKial statéments have been prepared in a￿Ordan￿ wth the Companies Act 2016 and Accounting and Reporting by
Charities: Statement of Recommended Practi￿ applicable to chariiies preparing their accounts in accordan￿ with the Financial
Reporting Standard applicab￿ in the UK FRS 102 (Chariiies SORP FRS 102 as amend8J for acwunting periods commencing from 1
January 2016).
Assisted Reading for Children meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are inrtially
recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless othewse slated in the relevant aC￿UntIng policy note{s).
1b. Incomlng Resources
AJI incoming reSoUr￿S a￿ Induded on the Statement of Financial Actiwt¢es ￿en the charity is lègalty entitled to the income, the
amount can be quantified with rèasonable accuracy, and any perfomance conditions attached to the itemlsl of income have b
met or fulty wthin the control of the tharitable Company.
1c. Re8ourees Expended
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been dassified under headings that aggregate all cost related to thè
category. IM)ere costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have beén allocated to actsvitses on a basis consistent
wth the use of resources.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a paymenl to a third party, it is probably that
set￿ement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
1d. Allo¢alion And Apportlonment Of Costs
AJI costs relate to the single activity of the charitable company and are recognised accordingly.
le. Fund Aecountlng
Unrestri¢ted funds can be used in accordance with thè charitable obj'ectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted fiJnds can only be used for particular restricted purp¢)ses within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified
by the donor or when fijnds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Designated funds are fvnds set aside by the trustees out of Un￿$trI￿ed general funds for specific ftjture purposes or projecls.
page 10

Asslstsd Readlng for Children
1f. Depreclatlon
Depreciation has been provided at the following rates in order to write off the assets over their estimated useful lives.
Equipment
straight line 33Yty
lg. Pènsion Costs
The company operates a defined contribulion pension scheme. The pension charge represents the amounts payable by the company
to the fund in respect of the year.
2. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Equlpment
Tolal
Cost
At 1 April 2024
Additions
Al 31 March 2025
Depre¢lallon
At 1 April 2024
For the year
At 31 March 2025
Nol Book Amounts
40,986
301
40.986
301
41.287
41,287
37,632
37.632
1.336
38.968
At 31 March 2025
2,319
2.319
3.354
At 31 March 2024
3. DEBTORS
2025
2024
Amounts falling due wilhin one year.
Other debtors
6,504
6.504
4,590
4,590
page11

Assistsd Reading for Children
4. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2025
2024
Other creditors
6,531
6,531
1,852
S. UMITED BY GUARANTEE
The company is limited by guarantee and does not have a share capiial. Each member gives a guarantee to contribute a sum not
exceeding £1. to the company should it be wound up. At 31 March 2025 there were 5 members.
6. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Brought Incomlng Outgolng Transfern Caffiod
forward resources rèsources
fonY4rd
Generdl fijnd
Designated Fund - ARCh Development Fund
Designated Fund - Step Change
Designated Fund - ARCh Area-speafic Support Fund
119.C64
21,910
11,618
9,498
162,090
133,167
2,240
34,000
29.512
198,919
(181,848}
15,334)
117,388)
5,900)
{210,470)
70,383
18,816
28,230
33,110
150,539
Doslgnated Fund - ARCh Development Fund
Funds allocated for working on expanding our work wih the most disadvantaged children in the county.
Deslgnated Fund - Step Change
Funds re￿iVed to introduce and support the new post of Recruitment Officer.
De$ignated Fund - ARCh Area4petifie Support Fund
Grants and donalions designated for recruiting and training volunt88rs for specific geographical arèas are held in the Area-
Spèafic Support Fund until the volunteers have been Suc￿sS￿J11Y placed in schools. We aim to ensure that this is
achieved within kn years of receipt.
page 12

Asslstod Readlng for Children
7. COMMITMENTS AND GUARANTEES
At 31 March 2025 the charitable company was committed to making payments of £117,142 under non￿an￿lIable operating leases
for the remainder of the applicable lease terms12024 - £129,712) in respect of office rent and office equipment hira.
8. AVERAGE NUP•lBER OF EMPLOYEEES
The average number of employees during the acixjunting period was 12 {2024: 10).
9. TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS
No directors were reimbursed expenses during the aCC￿nting period12024: 1 director for £361.
page 13

Asslsted Reading for Children
Incoming Re$our¢8s
for the yoar ended 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Incomlng resources
Incomlng resources from generated funds
Voluntary Income
Corporate Donab"ons
Pnvate Donations
Grants
3.150
14.439
85,150
778
14.889
61.035
102,739
76, T02
102,739
76,702
Investment Ineom•
Interest recEived
4.577
4,303
4.571
4,303
4,577
4,303
Charltsble Actlvity
School Subscriptions
91.603
77,175
91.603
77,175
91,603
198,919
77,175
158,180
page 14

Assisted Readlng for Chlldren
Expenses
for the year endod 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Expenses
Costs of generdtlng funds
Charitable Acllvlties
Donations for school subscriptions
Advertising and M8rketing
Bad debts
Heat and light
Rent
Salaries
NIC employer (wages and salaries)
Pension contributions
Staff Expenses and Training
Volunteer Expenses and Training
Equipment lèasing and maintenance
Computer costs
Professional fees
Insurance
Event and Fundraising Expenses
stationery & Offi￿ supplies
Telephone
Bank charges
Other interest
Sundry expenses
Depreciation of equipment
11,234
506
4,400
1,097
2,762
15,172
146,830
4,613
3,180
5,001
2.817
718
4,315
15,026
117,728
2,329
2.348
4,569
1, 957
1,294
3,759
3,695
1,478
3,598
1.575
4,042
3,621
963
121
120
2,388
1,336
210,470
2,203
5,181
176, 766
210.470
176, 766
page 15