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← Doorstep Library Network

2025-03-31-accounts

DOORSTEP LIBRARY Words take vou olaces Annual Review 2024-2025

Contents

CEO’s Report............................................................................................
3
About Us...................................................................................................
5
Reading With Doorstep Library..............................................................
6
Impact Results..........................................................................................
10
Family Feedback.......................................................................................
11
A Year In Volunteering.............................................................................
14
Volunteer Feedback.................................................................................
15
Annual Income..........................................................................................
16
Trustees’ Report & Accounts.................................................................
18

CEO’s Report

At Doorstep Library, our mission is to spark a lifelong love of reading and improve access to books for families with children under the age of 12. Through our unique homebased reading projects, we’ve seen firsthand how the simple act of sharing stories can empower children in countless ways—nurturing curiosity, confidence, and connection.

We know that low literacy has far-reaching consequences. Children in under-resourced communities are less likely to have books at home and often begin school already behind their more affluent peers in vocabulary and literacy skills. The gap in attainment is now wider than it has been in a decade. A child with a limited vocabulary at age five is six times less likely to meet expected English standards by age eleven—and more than twice as likely to face unemployment by age 34.

What sets our approach apart is our commitment to meeting families where they are—literally. Our volunteers are welcomed into homes, building trust and tailoring every reading session to each child’s interests and needs. By showing up week after week, we develop strong, supportive relationships that make a lasting impact.

Through this model, we are able to:

The literacy gap between the children we work with and their peers continues to grow, particularly in the most under-served areas of London, where access to books— and time for joy—is increasingly scarce.

This year we have strengthened our model through a process of review and refinement. We are now focusing on engaging with children and families for a more concentrated period of time of 12 months. Through sharing tools with children and their caregivers, we are ensuring that reading for pleasure can take place outside of and beyond our visits. We believe this will enable us to reach more of the families who need us and to share the joy of our work with a larger number of children without diluting the impact. We have also developed new projects in Kensington & Chelsea, a new borough for us. This past year we have been fortunate to work with a number of consultants and receive training on communicating our impact, advocating for the communities we work with, and developing corporate partnerships. We are looking forward to putting this learning into action over the next couple of years.

As we enter our 15th year, we are excited to explore the opportunities to reach more families through the involvement of more volunteers and the creation of a new Family Recruitment Officer role. We are determined to share our love of books and reading with as many children as possible and through investing in the recruitment and retention of our staff and volunteers we hope to meet our aims this year.

When we started Doorstep Library in 2010, with one project and four volunteers (of which I was one), we never envisaged that we would have the privilege and joy of reading with over 2,200 children across five London boroughs. This year we had the fortune to run into a young woman on one of our projects who told our volunteers that she had received Doorstep Library visits as a child and now, at the age of 21, she is the first person in her family to attend university, where she had obtained a 1st class degree. She told our volunteers that she puts this down to Doorstep Library, for sharing our love of reading with her, and giving her the opportunity to become a reader herself. I remember this young girl and am so excited for what the future may have in store for her, and for all the other Doorstep Library children like her.

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Katie Bareham, CEO
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3

"My daughter’s favourite part is reading with the volunteers. She enjoys it so much, even when she’s tired and knows they are coming she starts to perk up then gets excited."

- Doorstep Library Parent

4

About Us

What We Do

Doorstep Library is a community-focused literacy charity dedicated to bringing the magic of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children who need our support. We are intent on breaking the link between poverty and low literacy, using the power of stories to change children’s lives. To do this, we recruit and train volunteers to work directly with families in their homes – or on the doorstep – to create a foundation of reading for pleasure within the home which families can build upon when they graduate from our service. Our volunteers are led by paid staff – our amazing reading project leaders – who work from bases within the local community or online during term time several evenings a week, coordinating each project and supporting their volunteers as they read with their families.

From our beginnings in 2010, with one project and four volunteers, we now run 16 reading projects across five London boroughs, in person and online and have over 170 reading volunteers.

Our Vision

To see all children thriving in homes where a love of reading in embraced.

Our Mission

Supporting children living in under-resourced areas to become keen and confident readers; Supporting parents to take an active role in reading for pleasure with their children; Supporting families to connect to a wider range of cultural, social and support services.

Our Values

We are in the unique and privileged position of working directly in the family home, where we can support families to embrace and encourage reading for pleasure. Everything we do to deliver this is underpinned by a set of values which enables us to establish positive and impactful relationships with our families, our volunteers, our staff and be a force for change within our communities.

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Community Family
Respectful Open Minded Committed
Focused Centred & Fun
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5

Reading With Doorstep Library...

OPENS DOORS AND EMPOWERS LIVES

Words take you places. Here at Doorstep Library we believe that literacy is the foundation of every child’s future and we aim to fulfil every child’s right to read by giving families access to books and sharing stories in the home.

We want to help level the playing field for children living in under-resourced areas. Our unique programmes go directly into the home and support both the child and the family to discover books and choose reading as a way of life. By helping to equip them with a love of books and the skill of reading, Doorstep Library empowers each child by giving them the tools they need to learn, enjoy and understand more about their world.

Our impact is long lasting. Once literacy is embedded in a person’s life, it can never leave. It is the fundamental building block to further learning, development and achievement. It inspires imaginations. It triggers ideas. It can be a stepping-stone to new directions and greater opportunities in later life.

"Every Monday when my daughters hear the buzzer they get so excited. They know that two people from Doorstep will come, not only to read for them, but also to talk to them and share a smile, a moment. Marwa is 8 years old...her level now is so good that she is helping me with my own reading. Moreover, she gets very excited to be able to read with the volunteers of Doorstep. In addition, the volunteers know the subjects she is interested in and offer the right books for her, which makes her feel special."

- Doorstep Library Parent

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Reading With Doorstep Library...

BRINGS PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

Doorstep Library’s work may be rooted in reading for pleasure and literacy, but our influence goes well beyond the page.

The regularity of our reading sessions and the supportive and inclusive nature of the relationships that our volunteers work hard to build mean that visits are often focal points for the whole family, not just our young readers.

In many cases our volunteers are not only warmly welcomed into the family’s home, but also into their lives where they can lend a listening ear, offer support and have a friendly chat with parents and carers.

Because of this relationship, we are able to help families form bonds with the wider community through signposting to local services and community initiatives. Books and reading form the basis of this contract of trust and give us a valuable platform to help fill in social gaps and forge community bonds that might otherwise be lost.

"I just wanted to share how much our children appreciate the weekly online reading sessions. They’ve become something we really look forward to. The sessions are engaging, well paced, and the book choices are thoughtful and age-appropriate. The volunteers are warm and encouraging, and creates a welcoming atmosphere where the children feel included and heard even online. It’s also been lovely to see the same friendly faces each week, which helps build a sense of routine and connection. "

- Doorstep Library Parent

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Reading With Doorstep Library...

PROMOTES POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

At Doorstep Library we believe in children having fun. Children who read for pleasure in the home and families that share reading together, are proven to have better mental health and general wellbeing. We aim to bring families together – helping to increase shared family time and encourage parents and carers to continue to spend time with children even after they are reading independently.

Our volunteers source books featuring characters from a diverse range of backgrounds and situations. We know that reading books with identifiable characters helps to create empathy and foster aspiration. Children become more aware of the richness and vastness of the world which opens their eyes to other cultures, backgrounds and life experiences. We also know that reading gives children the opportunity to explore their emotions and vulnerability by observing a familiar feeling or situation from a distance and to learn to communicate who they are in ways that are meaningful to them.

We encourage parents to join our sessions and to continue to read with children after we’re gone because we know that sharing stories together improves child-parent bonds, which in turn enriches family life, leading to better literacy and enhanced life opportunities.

“They absolutely love the sessions and their confidence has grown so much. I can’t buy toys unless it’s Christmas or a birthday, and putting them in after-school clubs is out of the question. So knowing Doorstep is there is such a relief. I wouldn’t be able to cope without them.”

- Doorstep Library Parent

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“The volunteers are amazing people to give up their time for young people, particularly my little one! They’re so friendly and warm!”

- Doorstep Library Parent

9

Impact Results

This year we ran 15 Home and Online Reading Projects across 5 boroughs. Pe 394 452 Families benefitted Children benefitted from Doorstep Library visits from Doorstep Library visits 119 =e. New children 67 joined Doorstep Library New families joined Doorstep Library ad 527 Books 8,947 gifted Books shared during home visits 3,025 Reading sessions conducted — 95 1,659 eBooks shared Children graduated =z.

10

Family Feedback

At Doorstep Library we evaluate the impact of our Reading Programmes by capturing both quantitative and qualitative data through a range of methods, measuring success in terms of reading ability, parental engagement and an interest in books.

In addition, each year we survey our parents/carers to find out how they think our service has impacted on their child/ren and on themselves.

Our 2024-2025 Family Survey Feedback

95%

of parents/carers said Doorstep Library has improved their child/ren’s reading ability.

100% online reading sessions, 93% home reading visits

94%

of parents/carers said their child reads more because of Doorstep Library visits.

91%

of parents/carers said reading has become an increasing part of family life.

94% online reading sessions 95% home reading visits

82% online reading sessions 95% home reading visits

11

“We are extremely grateful for the service we received. I am pleased that we had the same volunteer every week (Neil) because he got to know what the children liked to read and could see how much they improved.”

- Home Reading Parent

84% 83%

of parents/carers said their child/ren enthusiasm for learning has improved.

85% online reading sessions 84% home reading visits

of parents/carers said they read more often with their child/ren.

76% online reading sessions 86% home reading visits

“She loves Tuesday because that when the readers come. She loves the variety of books and the enthusiasm they bring."

- Home Reading Parent

12

"I love getting to know the children’s personalities and their reading likes and dislikes! I love having a giggle each week with them over books and stories and seeing their literacy skills grow.”

13

A Year In Volunteering

Our incredible community of dedicated volunteers is at the heart of Doorstep Library. Week after week, they give their time and energy to help empower families to experience the benefits of reading for pleasure. Their commitment is what enables us to reach more families in need and continue making a meaningful impact.

This year we saw growth in our volunteer community with:

In 2025, we grew our Volunteer Engagement team which increased our capacity to conduct more volunteer interviews, target volunteer recruitment through community mapping, and attend local events and fairs to raise awareness of our work. Our team represented Doorstep Library at volunteer recruitment events across the summer, including South West Fest, and university fairs at UCL in September.

We continued to build meaningful corporate partnerships with companies and organisations who share our vision. Highlights include volunteers from Aksia supporting our home reading projects, stand-in volunteers from Nosy Crow joining our sessions and continued collaboration with CBRE and BNP Paribas. We are hugely grateful for their support and look forward to developing our partnerships further in the coming year.

We’ve continued to develop relationships with local organisations across the five boroughs we work in, with a specific focus in Camden and Lambeth. This has led to establishing partnerships with St Vincent’s Community Centre and The British Library to promote volunteering and increase our profile in the local area.

We hosted our annual volunteer social event in June 2025 which celebrated our impact and brought together our community of volunteers, staff and trustees. We welcomed new volunteers and staff members to the team and honoured our long-term volunteers including our longest-standing volunteer Rachel, who has been sharing the joy of reading from the very first Doorstep Library sessions 15 years ago.

The value and impact of volunteering

Our volunteers do amazing work in our local communities, building vital relationships that change and enrich lives, visit by visit. The impact they have on families can be profound, but it is a shared experience that brings rich rewards to both.

14

Volunteer Feedback

95%

would recommend volunteering to a friend

86%

felt the sessions were very or extremely impactful on children

83% felt very or extremely supported by staff

78%

felt that families were very or extremely engaged

93%

felt that families value the sessions significantly or a lot

15

Annual Income

[total income for the 2024-2025 financial year.] £748,918

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Corporates
Gifts in Kind £22,513
Individuals £9,609
£41,367
Interest Earned
£9,023
Local Authorities
£46,576
Fundraisers
£51,928
Schools
£8,071
Other Organisations
£255
Trusts and Foundations
£559,575
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After a record year of success for income in 2023/24, we are operating in an increasingly challenging fundraising environment. Income fell by 17% to £749k (2024: £903k) due to a fall in funding from Trusts and Foundations and Corporate support and a significant gap in resource in the Fundraising Team for part of the financial year. We are committed to continuing to diversify our income streams year-on-year to lay strong foundations for the future.

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Together We Can Change A Child’s Story

Share The Love Online

Registered charity: 1158197

www.doorsteplibrary.org.uk

Michaelideswarner Jl Accountants and Business Advisors Our Ref.. Ln177/PMIJA Ms Sarah Gresty Doorstep Library Network X+Why Fivefields 8-10 Grosevenor Gardens London SWIW ODH 5 December 2025 Dear Sarah, Independent examinerfs report to the trustees of Doorstep Library Network We report on the accounts of the Trust for the year period 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 7 to 16 of the Trustees Annual Report and Accounts. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is our responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to our attention. Basis of independent examinerfs report Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees Con￿rning any such matter5. The procedure5 undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 102 Fulham Pala￿ Road London W6 9PL Tel." 020 8741 4202 Email.. info michaelpdeswamer.co.uk IA￿.. www.michaelbJesvramer.co.uk Full list of partners availab￿ upon request

Independent examinerfs stotement In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention-. 111 which gives us reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements.. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met; or 121 to which, in our opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Paul Michaelides ACA CTA For and on behalf of MICHAELIDES WARNER & CO

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

(Registered Charity No. 1158197)

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

31 March 2025

Registered Office:

X+why Fivefields, 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0DH

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

Reference and Administrative Information

Trustees:

The following Trustees held office during the year to 31 March 2025 and up to the date of the

report:‐

Ms S. Gresty, Chair, appointed July 2022

Mrs A. Musiol Poole, appointed July 2022

Mr P. Warwick, appointed July 2023

A. Ali, appointed January 2024

Ms E. Dawson, Chair, resigned April 2024

Ms F. Jordan, resigned July 2024

Mr A. Seres, Treasurer, resigned December 2024

D. Horti, appointed December 2024

Dr R. Barr, Treasurer, appointed December 2024

L. Chesover, appointed January 2025

Trustees are appointed for a term of three years with a maximum of three terms. There shall not be more

than ten Trustees.

Management:

Mrs K. Bareham (Director)

Registered Office and operational address:

X+why Fivefields, 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH

Charity number: 1158197

Independent Examiners:

Michaelides Warner & Co, 102 Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 9PL

Bankers:

Lloyds Bank Plc, 417 North End Road, Fulham, London SW6 1NS

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) ‐ Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2024).

Principal activities

Doorstep Library Network is a registered charity. Its principal activities comprise the advancement of education of young children in primarily low‐income families in deprived areas of the United Kingdom, through the provision of doorstep library services.

Governing document

The charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 8 August 2014 with charity number 1158197. On 1 October 2014, all the activities, assets and liabilities of The Doorstep Library Network (charity number 1137861) were transferred to Doorstep Library Network (charity number 1158197).

Our Objectives

The Charity’s objectives are:‐

Reserves

The General Reserve Fund of £221,663 (2024: £163,201) represents the unrestricted free reserves of the charity arising from past operating results. The Restricted Reserves of £250,375 (2024: £243,283) represent the unspent balances remaining from donations received that have been donated for specific purposes and are not available for other purposes.

The Trustees’ minimum expectation is for the Charity to hold general reserves equivalent to at least 3 months of expenditure, whilst in the medium term, the aspiration is to build the Charity's reserves to 6 months of expenditure. At 31 March 2025, general reserves held were equivalent to 3.4 months of expenditure which is a steady increase on reserves of 2.7 months of expenditure held at 31 March 2024.

The Trustees will continue to review the appropriateness of the reserves policy on at least an annual basis.

3

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

Financial Review

Income

Income fell by 17% to £749k (2024: £903k) due to a fall in income from both Trusts and Foundations and Corporates. The fall in income has resulted from a combination of having a record year for income in 2023/24, as well as the increasingly challenging fundraising environment which has been exacerbated by having a significant gap within our Fundraising team for part of the financial year.

Expenditure

There was no significant change on the previous year. Expenditure fell by 1% to £683k (2024: £693k)

Independent Examiner

A resolution will be tabled at the next Trustees’ meeting to reappoint Michaelides Warner & Co as the independent examiner.

Trustees responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. The laws applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Report) Regulations 2008, the provisions of the governing document and SORP (FRS 102). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

20/11/2025 Approved by the Trustees on and signed on their behalf by:‐.

Sarah Gresty

Chair Of Trustees

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

Chair’s Statement

For the year ended 31 March 2025

At Doorstep Library we believe in the importance of reading for pleasure and have had the privilege of reading with 452 individual children this year.

100% of the families/carers we have surveyed - where we have read at home - have said that Doorstep Library has improved their child(ren)'s reading ability. Even more importantly 95% have said that their child reads more because of our visits and that reading has also become an increasing part of family life.

During this year we have launched a new project in Kensington and Chelsea. We are grateful for the funding received to help support the costs and to our new volunteers who have made it possible to reach a new part of London.

We also continue to reach families across London - including outside of the areas where we operate in person - through our online reading sessions. These visits also have a significant impact with 85% of parents/ carers saying their child(ren)'s enthusiasm for learning has improved and 76% of parents/carers saying they read more often with their child(ren).

Due to the impact of our visits, we have started to graduate children after one year of reading with a family. We know that 83% of families read more often with their children after we visit, so by stepping back after a year our volunteers can reach more families and children to build their love of reading.

We have an incredible community of dedicated volunteers at Doorstep Library. We are grateful that they choose to spend their time visiting with families, selecting the right books for the children they visit to build the children’s love of reading. I would like to thank all our volunteers for the invaluable support and commitment.

Whilst 95% of volunteers would recommend volunteering to a friend, we continue to need to recruit more volunteers to reach more children. We have introduced more flexible hours, extra roles to support our work, and our volunteer recruitment team continue to look for ways to increase our recruitment.

Funding remains a challenge, we are extremely grateful to all our financial supporters, without whom we would not exist. Both to the longstanding charitable trusts and our new sponsors who share our vision for this work.

I am extremely proud of the Doorstep Library staff team, who work hard to support our families, and also continuously look for ways to improve the service we offer. I would also like to thank my fellow trustees who continue to be unfailingly generous with their time and experience.

We look to next year where in January 2026 we will begin the National Year of Reading to promote reading among children and young people. We look forward to continuing to play our part. It will also be our 15th year of operating as a charity, so a time to reflect on what we have achieved but also to look forward to the next 15 years where we look to reach many more children to support them to grow as we truly believe that words can take you places.

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Sarah Gresty Chair of Trustees

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Year ended 31 March 2025

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary income
Note 3
Incoming resources from charitable
activities
Other Income
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Costs of generating voluntary income
Note 4
Charitable Activities
Note 4
Governance costs
Note 4
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED
NET INCOMING RESOURCES
TOTAL FUNDS, Brought forward
Note 5
TOTAL FUNDS, Carried forward
Note 5		 31.03.2025
31.03.2024
Unrestricted
£
Restricted
£
TOTAL
£
TOTAL
£
257,068
482,828
739,896
901,840
257,068
482,828
739,896
901,840
9,022
‐
9,022
788
266,089
482,828
748,918
902,628
‐63,075
‐29,132
‐92,206
‐122,820
‐121,013
‐433,240
‐554,253
‐542,496
‐23,540
‐13,364
‐36,905
‐27,205
‐207,628
‐475,736
‐683,364
‐692,521
58,462
7,092
65,554
210,107
163,201
243,283
406,484
196,377
221,663
250,375
472,038
406,484

7

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

BALANCE SHEET

31.03.2025 31.03.2024
£ £
FIXED ASSETS
Office Equipment Note 8 14,522 12,379
Accumulated Depreciation ‐12,370 ‐9,757
2,152 2,622
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors Note 9 6,504 1,548
Cash at Bank and in Hand 496,451 431,589
502,955 433,137
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within 1 year Note 10 ‐33,070 ‐29,276
NET CURRENT ASSETS 469,885 403,861
NET ASSETS 472,037 406,483
FUNDS OF THE CHARITY
Restricted Funds 250,375 243,282
General Reserve Fund 221,662 163,201
TOTAL FUNDS 472,037 406,483

The notes on pages 10 to 14 form part of these financial statements.

20/11/2025

Approved by the Trustees on ....................................... and signed on their behalf by:

Sarah Gresty Chair

Robert Barr Treasurer

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Income
Depreciation Charges
(Increase)/Decrease in Debtors
Increase/(Decrease) in Creditors
Total Adjustments to reconcile Net Income to Net Cash
provided by operations:
Net cash provided by operating activities
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchase of Office Equipment
Net cash provided by investing activities
Net cash increase for period
Cash at beginning of period
Cash at end of period		 2025
2024
Total
Total
£
£
65,554
210,106
2,612
3,989
‐4,956
16,306
3,794
‐14,043
1,450
6,253
67,005
216,359
‐2,143
‐549
‐2,143
‐549
64,862
215,810
431,589
215,779
496,451
431,589

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements

1 Basis of preparation

1.1 Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) ‐ Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Doorstep Library Network meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.

1.2 Accounting period

The Financial Statements cover the period of 12 months from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The

prior accounting period was for the period of 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

1.3 Going Concern

The Board of Trustees has reviewed Doorstep Library’s financial position, taking into account the level of reserves and cash and considers there is a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue for the foreseeable future. For this reason, the Board continues to adopt the going‐concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.

2 Accounting policies

2.1 Incoming resources

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources and the resources have been received.

Grants and donations are included in the SoFA when received.

Tax reclaims on donations and gifts are included in the SoFA when received.

Gifts in kind are accounted for at a reasonable estimate of their value to charity and are included in the SoFA when received.

Volunteer help: The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but it is described in the Trustees’ annual report.

2.2 Expenditure and liabilities

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.

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DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

2.3 Depreciation

Depreciation is provided on a straight‐line basis over the economic life of the asset

3 Analysis of incoming resources

Analysis of incoming resources
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
£ £ £ £
Voluntary income
Autumn Stone Foundation 5,000 ‐ 5,000 10,000
Bernard Sunley Foundation ‐ ‐ ‐ 10,000
Brighter Futures/ Young Westminster ‐ ‐ ‐ 13,816
Calleva Foundation ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
City Bridge Foundation ‐ 69,398 69,398 27,120
City of Westminster Charitable Trust ‐ ‐ ‐ 20,000
Corporate donations via Aksia fundraising 14,090 ‐ 14,090 25,517
Derwent London ‐ 1,000 1,000 7,000
Dr Edwards and Bishop King’s Fulham ‐ 5,000 5,000 ‐
Charity
Earls Court Development Company		 ‐ 7,500 7,500 5,000
Gifts in Kind ‐ 9,609 9,609 ‐
Gosling Foundation ‐ ‐ ‐ 10,000
Groundwork UK ‐ 28,189 28,189 16,437
Grosvenor International ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Hammersmith United Charities ‐ 6,500 6,500 7,000
Individuals 66,126 27,170 93,296 71,731
John Coates Charitable Trust 10,000 ‐ 10,000 10,000
John Lyon's Charity ‐ 40,000 40,000 25,000
Julia and Hans Rausing Trust ‐ 60,000 60,000 120,000
Kensington Prep School 6,000 ‐ 6,000 ‐
LBHF 3rdSector Investment Fund ‐ 34,944 34,944 33,600
Lloyd’s of London ‐ ‐ ‐ 38,370
Other corporate donations 2,882 5,000 7,882 6,100

11

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

Other local schools, charities and
organisations
National Lottery
Other Trusts and Foundations £5k or less
Pantheon Charitable Trust
Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity
Posettes Foundation
Q Charitable Trust
Quintessentially
Scouloudi Foundation
Sobell Foundation
St James Place Charitable Foundation
The Blue Thread
The Britford Bridge Trust
The Childhood Trust
The David Cock Foundation
The Greg and Rosie Lock Foundation
The Mercer's Company
The Swire Charitable Trust
Vitol Foundation
The Worship Company of Horners
Walcot Foundation
Wellington Management Trust
Westminster Almshouses Foundation
Westminster Amalgamated Charity
Westminster City Council
Westminster Foundation
Other income - bank interest
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES		 3,953
1,916
5,869
14,551
‐
‐
‐
20,000
24,018
31,229
55,247
61,808
‐
‐
‐
10,000
‐
10,000
10,000
10,000
‐
‐
‐
50,000
‐
‐
‐
10,000
50,000
16,700
66,700
50,000
15,000
‐
15,000
15,000
‐
‐
‐
10,000
‐
‐
‐
10,000
‐
‐
‐
10.000
‐
10,000
10,000
‐
‐
12,341
12,341
8,482
‐
10,000
10,000
20,000
‐
‐
‐
10,000
‐
42,500
42,500
22,500
20,000
‐
20,000
‐
‐
‐
‐
12,208
‐
5,000
5,000
‐
‐
30,000
30,000
30,000
40,000
‐
40,000
40,000
‐
‐
‐
8,000
‐
‐
‐
10,000
‐
11,632
11,632
7,600
‐
7,200
7,200
5,000
257,068
482,828
739,896
901,840
9,022
9,022
788
266,089
482,828 748,918
902,628

12

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

4 Analysis of resources expended

Generating voluntary income

Salary costs
Administration costs
Charitable activities
Salary costs
Administration costs
Project costs
Governance costs
Salary costs
Administration costs
5 Movement In Funds		 Unrestricted
£
Restricted
£
42,880
20,256
20,195
8,876		 2025
2024
Total
£
Total
£
63,135
98,030
29,071
24,790
63,075
29,132		 92,206
122,820
106,069
327,160
14,944
49,293
0
56,786		 433,229
448,059
64,237
51,501
56,786
42,936
121,013
433,240		 554,253
542,496
21,441
9,795
2,099
3,569		 31,237
23,902
5,668
3,303
23,540
13,364		 36,905
27,205
Main Restricted
Hammersmith and Fulham
Lambeth
Westminster
Camden
Online
Kensington and Chelsea
Volunteering
Total Restricted Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Total Funds		 Opening
Balance
Income
Expenditure
Transfers
Closing
Balance
14,811
89,260
‐77,453
‐
26,617
17,639
112,627
‐85,334
‐
44,932
20,676
78,289
‐53,937
‐
45,028
80,886
44,758
‐79,659
‐
45,984
3,477
58,666
‐42,874
‐
19,269
3,521
38,229
‐23,179
‐
18,571
88,189
60,000
‐98,217
‐
49,972
14,083
1,000
‐15,083
‐
0
243,282
482,828
‐475,736
‐
250,374
163,201
266,089
‐207,628
‐
221,662
406,484
748,918
‐683,364
‐
472,038

Restricted funds are, in most cases, restricted to one of the five London boroughs that we work in or to the Online program and funds are held for each of these. The ‘Main Restricted Fund’ is made up of smaller funds that are not restricted to either a specific borough or to the Online program but have other restrictions in place.

13

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

6 Details of certain items of expenditure
6.1 Trustee expenses
Number of Trustees who were paid expenses
Total amount paid
6.2 Fees for examination of the accounts
Independent examiner’s fees for reporting on the financial statements
7 Paid employees
7.1 Staff costs
Gross salaries
Employer’s National Insurance costs
Pension costs
Redundancy Costs
Total staff costs
7.2 Average number of full‐time equivalent employees
in the accounting period
Generating funds
Charitable activities
Governance
Total		 2025
2024
£
£
‐
‐
‐
‐
£
£
1,056
1,008
2025
2024
£
£
462,055
485,650
38,009
40,275
27,538
29,522
‐
14,540
527,602
569,987
2025
2024
Number
Number
1
2
11
12
1
1
13
15

14

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

8 Tangible Fixed Assets

Cost
At 1 April 2024
Additions
At 31 March 2025
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the Year
At 31 March 2025
Net Book Value
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
9
Debtors and prepayments
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Total		 2025
£
‐
6,504		 Office
Equipment
£
12,379
2,143
14,522
14,522
9,757
2,613
12,370
2,152
6,062
2024
£
‐
1,548
6,504 1,548

15

DOORSTEP LIBRARY NETWORK

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year ended 31 March 2025

Notes to the financial statements (cont)

10 Creditors and accruals

Creditors and accruals
Other creditors
Accruals
Other Taxes
Deferred income
Total		 2025
2024
£
£
7,433
1,691
4,104
6,269
11,838
13,685
9,695
7,632
33,070
29,277

11 Transactions with related parties

There were no transactions with related parties in the year ended 31 March 2025, nor in the period ended 31 March 2024.

16