**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
**(Formerly Society of Chief Librarians)**
**(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
**Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements**
**for the year ending 31 March 2021**
Company Number: 07559747 Charity Number: 1176482
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
|**Content**|**Pages**|
|---|---|
|Reference and Administrative details|3|
|Report of the Board of Trustees|4-26|
|Independent Auditor’s Report|27-30|
|Statement of Financial Activities|31|
|Balance Sheet|32|
|Statement of Cash Flows|33|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|34-47|
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|The Board of Trustees|Carol Stump|President (Elected 4 December|
|---|---|---|
|||2018) Trustee (appointed 30 April|
|||2018)|
|(Trustees are also Company Directors)|Mark Freeman|Past-President and Trustee|
||MBE|(appointed as a Trustee 30 April|
|||2018)|
||Ayub Khan MBE|President-Elect (Elected 2nd|
|||December 2020) and Trustee|
|||(appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Martin Burton BEM|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Jane Ellison|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Julie Griffiths|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Ilona Kish|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Neil MacInnes OBE|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Vera Owen|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Elizabeth White|Trustee (appointed 30 April 2018)|
||Kathryn Harrison|Trustee (appointed 6 March|
|||2020) and Honorary Treasurer|
|||(appointed 06 April 2021)|
||Anthony Hopkins|Trustee (appointed 6 March|
||BEM|2020)|
||Emma Noyce|Trustee (appointed 1 December|
|||2020)|
|Company Secretary & Chief Executive|Isobel Hunter||
|Registered Office|Libraries Connected||
||3rdFloor, Islington Central Library||
||2 Fieldway Crescent||
||London N5 1PF||
|Auditors|HW Fisher LLP||
||Acre House||
||11 - 15 William|Road|
||London, NW1 3ER||
|Bankers|Royal Bank of Scotland||
||13-15 London Road||
||Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1PR||
|Company Number|07559747||
|Charity Number|1176482||
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**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
The Trustees present their annual report with audited financial statement for the year ended 31 March 2021. The comparative figures are those for the year ended 31 March 2020.
## **Public benefit, mission and values**
Libraries Connected is the membership organisation for the public library sector in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
Libraries Connected’s vision is an inclusive, modern, sustainable and high-quality public library service at the heart of every community in the UK. We believe modern public libraries should be the cornerstone of the community and should deliver a diverse spectrum of local needs around information, learning, literacy, employment and digital skills, health, culture and leisure.
As a sector support membership organisation, our mission is to work in the sector, for the sector to:
- **Represent** the public library sector nationally, regionally and locally and to communicate the value of libraries to decision makers and to a limited extent to the public
- **Connect** partners to local libraries, by brokering national partnerships with a wide range of partners around the delivery of services and for the attraction of funds, by working together and making optimal use of resources
- **Improve** the provision of local library services by developing and disseminating standards of best practice, provide training and development for library staff and facilitating a network of library leaders across the UK
- **Drive** innovation and new thinking around the important role of libraries in a modern society.
## **Objectives and activities**
The charity objectives are specifically restricted to the following:
1. To encourage and promote, for educational and recreational purposes the position of Librarian and the provision and use of Libraries
2. To advise on training and qualifications of Librarians, to establish courses and other forms of training in Librarianship and to award diplomas and other certificates of competence therein provided always that no diploma or certificate issued by the Association shall contain any statement expressing or implying that it is granted by or under the authority of the Board of Trade or any Government Department or Authority.
3. To provide and maintain libraries for the purpose of promoting the objects of the Association.
4. To print, publish and distribute books, magazines, periodicals and publication of all kinds with a view to promoting the objects of the Association.
5. To purchase or by any other means acquire, hire and take option over any property whatever, and any rights of privileges of any kind over or in respect of any property.
6. To improve, manage, construct, repair, develop, exchange, let on lease or otherwise, mortgage, charge, sell dispose of, turn to account, grant licensees, opinions, rights and privileges in respect of, or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property and rights of the Association.
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## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
7. To undertake and execute any trust which may lawfully be undertaken by the Association and may be conducive to its objects.
8. To borrow or raise money for the purposes of the Association on such terms and on such security as may be though fit and take and accept any gift of money, property and other assets whether subject to any special trust or not.
9. To invest the moneys of the Association not immediately required for its purpose or upon such investments securities or property as may be thought fit, but so that moneys subject or representing property subject to the jurisdiction of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales shall only be invested in such securities and with such sanction (if any) as may, for the time being, be prescribed by the law.
10. To make any donations in cash or assets or establish and support or aid in the establishment and support of any charitable association or institutions and to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable purposes in any way connected with the purposes of the Association or calculated to further its objects.
## **Plans and future activities**
During this challenging year, Libraries Connected stepped up to make sure that libraries received the information and support they needed to deliver their services to communities, during lockdown and beyond. Our initial business plan 2018-22 set out how we intended to develop our capacity to deliver as a sector support organisation against outcomes **.** However, these plans were amended as we worked with libraries to get through the pandemic and our members have repeatedly told us how invaluable our support as an organisation has been.
- Public library services are relevant, well-used services at the heart of communities providing strong benefit to communities and meeting local need.
Activities to include:
- ➢ Consult on and develop an accreditation scheme for English public libraries
- ➢ Place making. Develop two clear strands: High Street libraries and Rural libraries
- ➢ Special and rare collections
- ➢ Improving the e-lending access.
- Public library services are responsive and able to adapt to new opportunities and challenges, using sector-wide test and learn approaches, research and evidence to inform approaches to new service development and adaptation.
Activities to include:
- ➢ Regional support offer development and pilot
- ➢ Heads of Service and Innovators Networks
- ➢ Annual seminar and AGM
- ➢ UKVI visa project.
- The public library leadership and workforce has access to the skills and information they need to respond to changing contexts, deliver high quality service and develop and adapt new services as needed.
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
Activities to include:
- ➢ Develop Learning Pool as a resource for all members
- ➢ Deliver three peer learning events
- ➢ Deliver Future Funding and Leading Libraries programmes
- ➢ Support the Public Library Skills Strategy.
- The core offer of public libraries is understood by stakeholders, partners and funders, and this offer is seen as valuable and relevant to the outcomes they wish to achieve, leveraging new partnership opportunities and funding streams.
Activities to include:
- ➢ Pilot the Universal Library Offer KPI framework and deliver the programme
- ➢ Novels that Changed the World libraries campaign of events
- ➢ Develop a proactive news and social media presence.
- Libraries Connected is a strong, sustainable sector support organisation which also supports the wider sustainability of the sector.
Activities to include:
- ➢ Governance development with Board and Advisory Committee
- ➢ Organisational development to consolidate the larger staff team
- ➢ Secure further round of SSO funding
- ➢ Support libraries to consider submitting NPO bids
## **Advocacy and services**
Our members are at the heart of everything we do, and we regularly consult them about the development of our work through their presence on our Board, Advisory Committee, regional networks, Universal Library Offer networks and through various tailored consultation events and reference groups.
Libraries Connected is also committed to working in partnership with other agencies to deliver tangible benefits to library services. Libraries Connected could not have accomplished all that it has during this financial year without the efforts and expertise of our partners. We would like to thank them for all their support and look forward to our continued partnership.
- Arts Council England
- The Association of Senior Children’s and Educational Librarians
- BBC
- Booksellers Association
- Book Trust
- British Library
- Carnegie UK Trust
- Chief Culture and Leisure Officers’ Association
- CILIP
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
- Department for Digital Culture Media & Sport
- Empathy Lab
- Family Arts Campaign
- Local Government Association
- MALD (Museums, Archives and Libraries Division, Welsh Government)
- Network of Bridge Organisations
- Publishers’ Association
- The Reading Agency
- Share the Vision
- St Helens Arts in Libraries
- Wellcome Trust
## **Achievement and performance**
## **Charitable activities**
This year saw Libraries Connected adapt our offer and services to support our members through the Covid pandemic. At the start of the pandemic and the first national lockdown, we refocused our work plan to ensure delivery of our funded major projects and to deliver a COVID support programme which had four strands:
1. Guidance on COVID secure public library operations, by publishing the Library Service Recovery Toolkit, in line with government regulation and guidance
2. Fostering peer network support to share advice and good practice
3. Development of #LibrariesFromHome to support innovation in and marketing of library services during lockdown periods
4. Development of evidence and advocacy materials to support library service recovery.
Our ongoing work included:
- Delivering our core objectives with a particular focus on supporting the digital capacity of libraries, upskilling library staff through Learning Pool, hosting a series of online events for library staff and leaders, delivering online author events for libraries, strengthening our commitment to diversity through a series of online events and the successful delivery of our online AGM which focused on how libraries can evidence and communicate their impact and the release of a series of advocacy reports that demonstrated the value of libraries both during the pandemic and as communities begin to recover.
- Redesigning and continuing to deliver our major programmes to develop the sector’s capacity in income generation, diverse leadership, reader engagement, regional support and accreditation.
- Growing our relationship with our members, including through development of the Service Recovery groups that met to determine how libraries could continue to deliver and recover their services and the Heads of Service Network which rapidly became the key communication and support channel for our members, informing DCMS policy and guidance.
- Recruiting one new member Trustee and our current Treasurer also became our President Elect. Training was provided to the three new trustees, who attended an NCVO charity
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trustees’ induction course. We developed our governance processes, with a focus on project management and financial policies.
- Joining the Association of Chairs as a source of training and support for our President.
- Developing and deepening our partnerships, especially with DCMS and ACE through the creation and maintenance of the service recovery toolkit, ebooks funding and the new Universal Library Offer based lottery grants.
All this work in evidenced under our three main areas of activity:
1. Supporting our members through the Covid-19 pandemic and delivering a valued membership offer
2. Delivering our business plan as a Sector Support Organisation
3. Delivering key strategic programmes to support sector development
## **1 Supporting our members through the Covid-19 pandemic and delivering a valued membership offer**
## **Personnel**
This year we recruited two new staff funded by project grants. One employee earns more than £80,000 per year.
We changed the frequency of team meetings to once a week, to compensate for not being able to meet in person and are planning a team awayday in July 2021, once travel and meeting restrictions ease.
We closed the office from March to December and developed a safe working policy to allow a limited number of staff to work in the office. However, we remained a primarily home-based workforce for the whole year. In the summer we surveyed staff to review their wellbeing and to identify if we needed to offer more support.
We are grateful to our external contractors, as their support throughout the year has supported our successful operations as a dispersed organisation:
- HR advice: Populo HR
- IT support: Trouble Free IT
- Payroll: Willow Accountancy
- Legal advice: Sills & Betteridge LLP and Wrigleys Solicitors LLP.
## **Volunteers**
Libraries Connected is supported by many volunteers from across our membership. These include Trustees, members of our Advisory Board, regional chairs, Universal Library Offer leads, and steering or reference groups.
Together, they make invaluable contributions to support our governance, strategic planning, fundraising, advocacy and programme development and delivery. We are extremely grateful to them all for their enormous contribution.
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **Equal opportunities**
In July, in response to the murder of George Floyd and the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement, we rewrote our Equality and Diversity Strategy and action plan. During the late summer and early autumn, we developed a series of three Black Stories Matter webinars on Promoting Diverse Content, Talking about Race and Managing Collections. The discussions in the webinars have helped identify the specific equality and diversity issues for libraries and suggested the support Libraries Connected can develop for the sector.
## **Learning Pool**
We continue to offer our five e-learning courses via the Learning Pool platform and this year saw a surge in use when libraries were closed due to the pandemic. We also made available a course developed by Learning Pool about Coronavirus to help people stay safe and informed and launched a new course in November on Culture and Creativity in Libraries.
Our courses are available free of charge to people working in public libraries in England and this year we have widened access to include library staff in Wales and Northern Ireland. Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, 16,863 modules have been completed and the ‘Understanding your customers' needs’ module, has been the most popular with 2480 completions.
Minor updates have been made to the modules this year, but a larger review will take place in 2021. We also plan to recruit ‘course checkers’ from the Universal Library Offer groups to monitor and review the courses regularly. We are also looking at how we can improve the courses to make them more accessible to people with disabilities and impairments.
## **Annual seminar**
The 2020 seminar was due to take place in took place in June but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans were put in place to hold the event towards the end of September but it rapidly became apparent that meeting is person was not going to be possible so the decision was taken to move the event online and it took place as a virtual event on 2 December.
The virtual seminar brought together public library leaders to hear from a range of speakers discussing how libraries can evidence and communicate their impact to secure support and funding. Speakers included:
- Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State for Digital and Culture
- Nicola Gitsham, Head of Social Prescribing at NHS England
- Christian Lauersen, The Library Lab and Director of libraries and Citizen Services, Roskilde Municipality, Denmark
- Norma Wilburn, Managing Director at NWA Social and Market Research.
Ten companies sponsored the event and showcased their products in a series of ‘flash films’ that were shown throughout the day and they hosted breakout sessions during the lunch break.
Approximately 369 people attended the event from 60 different library services, Arts Council England, ASCEL and DCMS. Evaluation showed that around 50% of those responding to the
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survey had not previously attended a Libraries Connected Seminar. The majority of guests were Heads of Service, but all levels of staff were represented.
Comments showed that people had enjoyed hearing from a line-up of well-informed speakers and feeling connected to colleagues. A few also commented on how much they had appreciated the opportunity to attend as normally going to a Libraries Connected Seminar would not have been an option for them.
## **AGM**
We held our second AGM online on 15 March 2021 and 56 people attended.
At the meeting, President Carol Stump reflected on activities carried out by Libraries Connected during 2019, the annual report and accounts were adopted by the membership, auditors were appointed, and the Chief Executive Officer became the Company Secretary. A motion to hold a vote on establishing an annual increase in membership fees, in line with the retail price index was also passed.
## **Innovation Network**
Membership of the Innovation Network on Basecamp has increased from 577 on 1 April 2020 to 887 on 31 March 2021. This year there have been 261 messages on the network’s message board which have generated a further 952 posts. The messages that generated the most interest was about digital buddies and reopening libraries. The network continues to operate mainly online as the annual gathering was cancelled due to Covid-19.
A digital bootcamp which began as a discussion thread on the network did take place in November. The afternoon was run in partnership with Marion Tessier from Kingston Libraries and delivered by library services across the country. It offered people the opportunity to learn new techniques and skills, find out how other library services have delivered online activity and take away new ideas for their own services.
## **Heads of Service network**
The Head of Service Network has been incredibly valuable during the pandemic. In the network, Heads of Service have been able to connect and support one another through a very difficult period and use the message board to quickly share or ask for information. It has also kept us well informed about the challenges they were facing and helped us to adapt our support to meet the needs of the sector and to represent library services at a national level in discussions with DCMS and other partners.
In November, we asked members what the best thing about the network had been and some of are the things they highlighted were:
- Quick, responsive, supportive network of trusted allies
- Gaining knowledge and sharing problems
- Honesty and unwavering support
- Free and frank discussion
- The safe space to thrash out issues with peers
- Quick and reliable way to find and share info nationally
- The openness and honesty of everyone
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
- Advocacy for service delivery
- Chance to be involved in shaping policy.
Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 there were 386 messages posted on the network, which generated a further 4191 comments. The post that generated the most comments was about moving out of lockdown and back into the library.
Membership of the network remains restricted to Heads of Service, but after a vote, it was agreed that we could use our discretion to include additional members where the Head of Service responsibilities are split across roles, with a max of two people per library service. Out of the 176 library services in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies only 11 are not represented on the network.
## **Service recovery**
We developed a range of responses to help libraries to reopen safely. We recruited a Service Recovery Group of 10 Heads of Service as the key sounding board to inform our work in this area. Their focus initially was on preparing to reopen library doors again in June after the end of the first lockdown. The group helped identify ways to deliver library services in line with the basic controls of social distancing, mask wearing and hygiene, and considered meeting the needs of their staff, different types of library users and volunteers.
These priority areas formed the basis of our service recovery toolkit which gained status as ‘category 3’ government guidance and was published in June.
The toolkit was written and revised in liaison with the DCMS libraries team, with advice and legal review from experts at Public Health England, Health and Safety Executive, DCMS Covid Hub and their legal team. It was updated every time the government regulations changed, or when new advice and insights became available. It began as a UK wide document, but later was written in line with the regulations for England. The new working relationship with DCMS was invaluable in that it opened a new communications channel from Heads of Service into government, at a time when the situation was changing rapidly.
To support the toolkit we hosted a series of 12 webinars for library staff and partners between June and November. These covered topics such as supporting staff back into the library, hosting Covid secure events and activities and an international perspective on reopening libraries. These webinars were attended by over 2,600 library staff and partners. Highlights of this series include:
- Digital events in public libraries, where colleagues from three public library services shared their experiences of developing creative digital activity for their communities during lockdown. 420 people registered to attend this event in September.
- Children, wellbeing and libraries, an expert led discussion in partnership with The Reading Agency that focused on the impact of Covid on children’s wellbeing and how libraries could support their recovery. 375 people registered to attend this event in October.
- Libraries Digital Bootcamp, with Kingston Libraries to help library staff to learn new techniques and skills, find out how other library services have delivered online activity and gain new ideas to use in their own service. 479 people registered to attend this event in November.
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We worked in partnership with architects IF_DO and CILIP to create a free guide on how to organise library buildings to keep staff and the public safe while still ensuring that spaces remain welcoming environments for everyone to use
Information and insight sharing have been vital to helping library services to respond to the rapidly changing environment and restrictions. We established reopening surveys at critical points to share what was being offered in different areas, and a weekly activity survey (now monthly) to share levels of access across the sector. We also issued budget surveys in September and February to understand the picture for libraries in the year ahead.
Recognising the need for additional support in recovering income and generating new funds in the future, we added new workshops to our Future Funding programme, including:
- Income generation in society
- Mapping out an income strategy
- Partnerships
- Commissioning
- Levelling up Fund.
## **Libraries From Home**
We quickly realised that libraries would have to regroup to deliver their services online and remotely during lockdown. We promoted libraries’ existing digital services and helped them to develop new ones by creating two new areas of our website:
- Libraries from Home This web area focused on promoting libraries’ digital offer to the public. This included the standard offer of ebooks, audio books, films, music, etc. as well as newly created online events and activities. The site featured resources from partners such as Bookstart, CILIP, The Reading Agency, BBC Arts and The British Library. We gathered a group of 13 people working in libraries around the country to review and recommend the best online storytimes, rhymetimes and other activities aimed at children and to curate lists of online reading clubs, book podcasts as well as learning, reading, health and information resources. We also updated the page daily with high profile events from libraries around the country and curated a range of special features for key calendar points such as Libraries Week, Summer Reading Challenge, Black and LGBT History Months, and VE Day. Since publication, the Libraries from Home page has had 34,858 page views and was responsible for over 9% of the total traffic to the Libraries Connected website between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.
- Responding to Covid This web area focused on providing information and guidance to libraries during the pandemic to help them to deliver their services safely and to help them to gain the skills they needed to deliver services online. We contacted 20 children’s publishers to negotiate licencing rights to allow libraries to deliver story and rhymetimes online and kept these updated throughout lockdown. Our team of 13 library staff created a series of ‘how to’ resources on social media, Facebook Live and Groups, creating a YouTube channel, podcasts, as well as guidance for safeguarding online and running digital events for adults. We also published a list of online and distance learning resources for library
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staff. Since publication, the Responding to Covid-19 page has had 22,543 page views and was responsible for over 5% of the total traffic to the Libraries Connected website between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.
We also hosted a digital author tour of six libraries with Lesley Pearse, author of 28 global bestsellers, in September. The tour began in Bristol, then moved on to Shropshire, West Sussex, Vale of Glamorgan and Bury before ending in Manchester Libraries.
## **Advocacy**
In April we put in a bid to DCMS for £1,417,238 funding to increase public libraries’ supply of eBooks and eAudio during lockdown. We felt this investment would help sustain the publishing industry and support the mental health and wellbeing of millions of library members who depended on borrowing books from libraries during lockdown. While the bid was ultimately unsuccessful, preparing it created new relationships for us with the aggregators who supply ebooks to libraries and produced a wealth of data on ebook use and costs that informed our work throughout the year.
Through the Service Recovery Group, we identified five key areas where libraries can play a central role in meeting the needs of individuals and communities who may be struggling to overcome the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. These are:
- Economic recovery with help and training for job seekers and entrepreneurs
- Education support for children and SEND students who struggled to learn at home
- Isolation mitigation for vulnerable groups and to help people to reconnect locally
- Digital inclusion for residents who lack IT skills or have no access to the Internet
- Cultural partnership to help local artists and arts organisations to continue their work.
These areas were outlined with statistics and case studies in our advocacy report, Libraries: An essential part of local recovery that we published in July.
In the autumn, Libraries Connected surveyed public library services to try and increase their understand of how Covid-19 had impacted on library budgets and what the consequences may be in the future. We collected this data to inform internal planning and to provide evidence to support our discussions with partners and government. Over 100 library services responded to the survey which revealed that the strain of the pandemic on local authority budgets meant the three in five library services are now expecting a reduction in their local authority funding for 2021/22.
Our research report, Libraries in lockdown, published in October, showed how libraries and their staff kept communities connected and supported the most vulnerable during lockdown. It also revealed how library staff demonstrated their skills, empathy and flexibility during the crisis to respond to the rapidly evolving situation. During lockdown libraries grew their digital offer, engaged with people at risk of isolation and went the extra mile to support the local response to the pandemic. However, our evidence also showed that the leaders who were given the freedom to shape and adapt their services were better able to respond to meet the specific needs of their communities.
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In December, we pulled the findings from this report that mainly surveyed library staff, with user evidence from Carnegie UK and other data to produce Libraries in the pandemic, a summary of evidence about all libraries had achieved during lockdown.
## **2 Delivering our business plan as a Sector Support Organisation**
We delivered our agreed plan of work as a Sector Support Organisation, including:
## **Regional support model**
With funding from Arts Council England and the Libraries Taskforce, we commissioned Activist Group to work with five regional networks and three library services to pilot two of the five elements outlined in the earlier business case.
Throughout the year the Activist Group worked with the regional networks to help them build their capacity, work as peer networks and to deliver strategic collaborations. At the same time, three consultants were commissioned to work with the individual library services to deliver targeted support to tackle a specific challenge and test the Expert Bank concept.
The pandemic impacted on the pilot projects and plans had to be adapted and deadlines extended, however, all the pilots have now been seen through to completion. In addition to support for those involved in the pilots directly, a range of useful templates and toolkits were created which can be used by other regional networks and library services. We also ran a series of three free webinars, attended by 250 people, which provided information about the Expert Bank projects, how the library services had worked with their consultants, and how they intend to use the plans and toolkits they have developed.
Activist Group are currently evaluating the pilots and will be producing a report which will inform how we move forward with the next phase of support.
## **Building and deepening our Universal Offer partnerships**
In April 2020 we relaunched the Universal Offers renaming them Universal Library Offers. While there were challenges in delivering the plan, and some elements were postponed, the offers also actively responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic by moving to online delivery, building and consolidating partnerships, supporting workforce development and preparing for a post Covid world.
## **Key activities from the Universal Library Offers**
## **Reading**
- We contributed to World Book Night in April 2020. It was the first fully online national book event after lockdown so was a great opportunity to learn about delivering online events.
- We supported the Novels Programme as it moved to digital delivery
- We developed our partnership with National Poetry Day
- We started exploratory work on a bid with Opening the Book to develop a digital book recommendation platform and are in discussion with the British Library to establish a link with the Single Digital Presence.
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## **Health and Wellbeing**
- The pandemic has resulted in considerable wellbeing challenges for children. In response, ASCEL, the Health and Wellbeing Offer Group and Libraries Connected worked together to deliver a webinar focusing on children’s health and wellbeing with external speakers from NHS, Education and The Anna Freud Centre.
- Following the webinar we created a new children’s mental health resource pack for libraries
- We worked with The Reading Agency to support 102 library authorities across England involved in DCMS funded roll out of Reading Friends. All library authorities have received Reading Well book collections, with over 300,000 books being distributed.
- Sorrelle Clements from Coventry Libraries now represents Libraries Connected and the Universal Library Health and Wellbeing Offer on the National Academy for Social Prescribing.
- The group supported Public Health England campaigns by circulating information to public libraries to help inform local communities and worked with HEE to deliver Health Information Week.
## **Culture and Creativity**
- We worked with Creative Arts East and Learning Pool to create a new Culture and Creativity online learning module. We were proud to launch the module at a webinar in December.
- We have been building a partnership with the Bridge Network, via The Mighty Creatives and together we ran a webinar in the winter to explore potential for partnership and good practice between Local Cultural Education Partnerships and Libraries with Darren Henley CEO of Arts Council England
- We supported Get Creative at Home (The creativity sector’s response to the pandemic)
- We worked in partnership with St Helens Arts in Libraries to deliver a webinar which shared the results of their commissioned research into arts engagement and lockdown.
## **Information and Digital**
- The digital lead and library colleagues are supporting the DCMS Open Data project
- The group are supporting the British Library’s work on the Single Digital Presence
- We have supported libraries to shift to digital delivery and we shaped webinars on digital creativity and a digital bootcamp, engaging the skills of the library workforce
- We worked working with ACE’s Digital Cultural Network on a programme of webinars to build specific digital skills.
## **Children’s Promise**
- ASCEL’s conference went fully online in 2020 called ‘A Brave New World’ with a dazzling array of speakers including Geoff Barton General Secretary Association of School and College Leaders, Achievement for All, Fair Education Alliance and The Black Curriculum.
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The Funding model for the conference proved popular enabling more library staff to experience elements of the conference.
- ASCEL and the NSPCC worked together to create a series of online safety information posters, funded by Libraries Connected.
- ASCEL joined the Fair Education Alliance and the CYP Mental Health Coalition.
- During the summer, Authors Aloud worked with ASCEL to offer a series of virtual author visits to support the Summer Reading Challenge in Libraries.
- ASCEL members across the country worked online during the pandemic to keep children and families engaged with rhymetimes, storytimes and creative activities.
## **Visual and Print Impaired Peoples’ Promise**
- The Vision and Print Impaired People’s Promise’ relaunched
- We successfully promoted HiVIS2020 in June, formerly Make a noise in libraries fortnight
- • Share the Vision have agreed a three-year strategic partnership with The Ulverscroft Foundation to fund a programme of activity and resources, to help libraries be more accessible to visually impaired people. The core aims being:
- ➢ To increase library staff understanding of the needs of people who are blind or have a vision-impairment, and the challenges they face in accessing library services
- ➢ To improve awareness among blind and vision-impaired people about the range of library services on offer
- ➢ To support the development and accessibility of these services and increase their take-up.
## **Regional and national networks**
These member networks are at the heart of the work of Libraries Connected. They provide peer support, exchange of good practice and innovation as well as platforms for large scale strategic initiatives. Each network is different, as its work responds to local opportunities and challenges. Highlights this year include:
- North East. Five authorities have been involved in the BIPC North East roll out, Stockton will then be leading on the Tees Valley BIPC’s. A number of authorities have linked together to offer an apprenticeship programme with the training being delivered by Stockton Learning and Skills Team.
- North West. We are aiming to appoint a project manager to work on our Time To Read Network but also our strategy going forward for the next three years. We have finalised our strategic plan having worked with Activist Group over the last two years. The strategic plan will address workforce development, advocacy and look at commercialisation as well. We have worked together over the last year supporting each other throughout the pandemic and sharing good practice and issues that have occurred on a regular basis. We have continued to promote author events for library authorities mostly online and that has been uplifting for our audiences. The region also held a virtual workshop on how to use different platforms to host events like Facebook live for storytimes and other activities.
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- Yorkshire and Humber have finalised their approach to governance following participation in the Libraries Connected Regional Support Project. This has included the publication of an annual delivery plan and the development of a regional procurement policy. The latter has been used to inform the procurement of project management support for developing our emerging shared services agenda. More collaborative working across the region is a key theme for us with a focus in the first instance on maximising the benefit of a regional LMS framework. We delivered a successful virtual staff development day for the region in February on the theme of Libraries Reimagined and have also confirmed funding for regional projects to be delivered in 2021/22 (delayed for 12 months due to COVID). This year, in addition to the regular regional meetings, we have also initiated more informal meetings to improve communication and peer support.
- West Midlands. The group continues to meet virtually, four times a year and we have seen a big rise in use of online library services since the first lockdown with great appreciation reported for our home delivery services. The Library of Birmingham ran a ‘books by post’ pilot which proved popular but expensive. Current concerns are around attracting customers back to physical libraries once all restrictions are lifted, and members are considering a regional promotion campaign. Staff nervousness about fully reopening to the public, and the associated infection risks, remains a worry for some. We continue to be actively involved in the Libraries of Sanctuary movement. The group plans to explore the work of the Birmingham Race Equality Group, as their regional events present opportunities for libraries. Recent e-meeting guests have included artists involved in Coventry City of Culture 2021, and Cultural Programme producers for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. Our 2021 annual toolkit conference for frontline staff, in partnership with the West Midlands Readers’ Network, took the theme of Books and Reading Supporting Mental Health. This was very relevant, given the impact of the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing across the agerange and initial feedback indicates that it was a successful day.
- East Midlands continued to work together to progress its joint business plan and deliver a training and development programme for staff across the library sectors through Libraries and Information East Midlands (LIEM). During the pandemic we moved quickly online to share ideas and valued support during the various phases of lockdown and recovery. Regular informal catch ups in addition to our formal quarterly meetings have been well attended and a valued key support group. Several services agreed a combined approach to charges amnesty when coming out of the final lockdown. Membership of the group has changed with Michelle Parker from Derbyshire and Franne Wills from Leicestershire being welcomed into the group towards the end of the year. Alongside colleagues from the regional group of the association of directors of adult social care (ADAS) we are exploring joint working and the use of library assets to support people living well in the community. Looking to the future we have to replace our LIEM programme manager, scope re procurement of the shared LMS and consider the opportunities to bid for funding for regional projects and development. Our meetings will be blended from the autumn so there is no loss of the really productive use of video conferencing we have developed in the last year.
- East of England network have provided additional informal opportunities to meet online to discuss service recovery plans and concerns in a supportive environment. Adapting to the ongoing issues resulting from the pandemic has been the primary focus of the services
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across the region, individually and collectively. There have been a number of changes to Heads of Services during the year, some of whom have retired after long periods of service. The region has been adapting to this loss of collective experience while welcoming and supporting new leaders in the group. We are taking this opportunity to review the annual plan to ensure that it aligns with the regional priorities as service recovery progresses.
- London Libraries have continued to move ahead with many of its ambitions for a more collaborative library offer across the city during the pandemic. We have worked with Spread the Word to refine their City of Stories II funding bid and have submitted a proposal to ACE for a project that involves 32 boroughs and will deliver a mixture of online and targeted inperson writing workshops, having already secured match-funding for the project. Work has continued on the Regional Support Project with Activist Group and key stakeholders from homeless charities in London. Currently a plan is being produced for the next stage in the homeless offer project. A number of colleagues across London were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours in 2020 and in the New Year’s honours in 2021 for their services to libraries. Redbridge has continued to lead on Death Positive Libraries and in collaboration with Newcastle and Kirklees has produced a series of highly successful events. All library services delivered above and beyond during the pandemic, doing their most to ensure that Londoners continued to receive the best possible library service, while contributing to wider council agendas to support our most vulnerable residents.
- South West has spent the year working on service recovery from the pandemic. The group has met regularly throughout to virtually support each other, with regular input from colleagues in Arts Council England and Libraries Connected. At the same time, we have continued to lead on Read South West literature development with Literature Works. We delivered a very successful ‘Word online’ tour of the region, with funding support from SWRLS (South Western Library Services CIO). We have also sustained work with SWRLS across library sectors and, during the pandemic, members supported a SWRLS project to enable students to return their university library books via the public library network.
- South East formed a good support network in response to the pandemic and instead of quarterly meetings moved to monthly update meetings. These were very timely in looking at new ways of working, planning forward and, most importantly, mutual support in the face of the pandemic. The region is in the early stages of developing a bid to Arts Council England to support a platform to share some of the digital content from across the region in the coming year. The region also saw changes with our hugely effective chair Lindy Elliott stepping down as well as secretary, Helen Bowlt also leaving. James Pearson took up the role of Chair, Ed Jewell, Vice chair and Simon Smith became secretary. Moving ahead will begin to look at key topics such as libraries’ role supporting the move to net zero and income generation.
- SCL Cymru have been working with Artica Consulting of an external ICT Management Consultant firm to undertake a detailed study of the Library Management System that is shared by twenty of the local authorities in Wales. The study will produce recommendations for its future direction. Aligned with this is the focus that Welsh Government are placing on the digital journey for customers. The Welsh Local Government Association are supporting research into this area of digital development which correlates with the Artica work. Welsh
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public libraries have worked more closely than ever during the pandemic with library leads meeting together and with Welsh Government officials every fortnight to collaborate on challenges but also with an aim of capitalising on opportunities. This has been key in implementation of new services such as Click and Collect and a digital Summer Reading Challenge platform. The sector has been supported by Cultural Recovery funding which has been used locally but also for the collaborative Estyn Allan Project which has developed the skills and confidence of library staff in creating digital library activities and provided equipment to enhance digital events programming.
A review of the Welsh Public Library Standards will begin shortly with an aim of implementing a transformative Seventh Performance Framework. SCL Cymru have identified key priorities for public library services in Wales: The economy; Health and wellbeing; Information and digital; Reading and literacy; and Welsh language and culture. Current challenges include the evident need for UK-wide partners to ensure that the Welsh governance, strategic context and cultural dimension, are considered from the outset and that the English language is not treated preferentially to Welsh. Continued and active consideration of this will be essential to ensure that Welsh public libraries are able to fully capitalise on all opportunities to develop and promote services moving forward.
- Libraries NI, the public library service for Northern Ireland introduced new services, e newspapers, Book and Collect, BookBox, Print and Collect and moved its programming online which enabled customers to continue to access library resources during lockdowns. Funding through the Covid-19 Culture, Languages, Arts and Heritage support programming delivered 26 online Heritage at Home lectures, 118 Happiness Lab sessions, 21 OCN level 1 and 2 Storytelling courses and created 20 storytelling video recordings reflecting diversity and featuring local and international storytellers. A photographic archive was also created capturing Belfast and Derry during the pandemic and 10 films were recorded showcasing NI authors advocating libraries, books and reading and historical photographs from our collections were digitised.
Highlights of the year included the fifth annual Libraries NI and BBC BookWeek NI week which celebrated stories and storytelling with a specially commissioned TV programme ‘Read all About It’ and online activities including a virtual conversation with renowned crime writer Ann Cleeves. Good Relations Week 2020 celebrated people and communities tackling racism and promoting cultural diversity with the theme ‘Celebrating Our Journey, Embracing Our Future’ and online activities in libraries included craft videos, Makaton rhymes, creative writing and book recommendations around the theme for the week with activities hosted on library Facebook pages. The Armstrong Storytelling Trust, which funds our storytelling residency, recorded stories to celebrate diversity and these were broadcast via social media. Libraries NI Storyteller in Residence with new and emerging storytellers delivered 270 storytelling events with over 6500 participants.
## **Other trading activities**
Libraries Connected continued to lead a national network of library services in the delivery of contracts, delivering assisted digital support for central government services. Our aims are to position libraries to deliver valued support for local residents, and to generate additional income.
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## **Front End Services for visa applicants**
Libraries Connected continued to work with Sopra Steria, a Home Office contractor, to enable them to offer these services through the library network. The services include the capturing of biometrics and scanning of documents to support UK Visa applications. The challenges this year have been managing the closing and opening of these services as restrictions changed, including working with DCMS and library services to keep the service open during later periods of restriction, and meeting the backlog of cases that had arisen.
This has been a difficult year to balance the realities of delivering in a library setting with the needs of the Home Office and the contractor to increase capacity to meet the backlog of demand and it has meant that some library services are no longer delivering the service. For the libraries that do continue, feedback is still that it meets the needs of communities and brings new people into the library, along with much needed income to support the core library service. Despite the gaps in service through lockdowns and closures, the service brought £770,000 into the library sector and served 45,000 people this year.
## **3 Delivering key strategic programmes to support sector development**
As part of our ambition to help shape the environment in which libraries operate, we continued to deliver our four major development projects:
## • **Leading Libraries**
The Transforming Leadership: Leading Libraries Programme funded by Arts Council England was due to launch with 60 participants in May via a series of taught physical sessions. However working with our content deliverers, the Leadership Institute at The University of Birmingham, we were able to redesign the programme to be a fully online experience. While this has limited the group’s ability to network, they have adapted well to the online environment. As well as online taught sessions, they have been working in localised pods to share coaching sessions and in ‘quads’ to develop strategic challenges in local library services. We also recruited an external evaluator from Birmingham City University for the project. The taught element of the project will come to an end in July 2021 and the project will conclude with a conference in March 2022.
## • **BBC Novels that Shaped our World**
In January, with another lockdown announced, we extended the project from June 2021 to September 2021 to give the libraries with physical events more time to stage them. Twentythree libraries have completed their events, 12 are in progress and we have 19 more who will hold their events before the end of summer. Only one library has left the project.
Events have included:
- ➢ Sheffield Libraries working with their writer in residence, Nik Perring, to run writing workshops for both kids and adults based on A Christmas Carol
- ➢ Bristol Libraries partnering with creative development agency, Words of Colour, to deliver a series of online literary events on Politics, Power & Protest
- ➢ Slough Libraries which worked with local secondary schools to celebrate Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, through creative writing, animation and dance
- ➢ Warwickshire Libraries hosting Our Story, Your Story with storytellers Richard O’Neill and Kate Colman to get local people of all ages to come together to share their stories.
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By the end of the project, 54 library services will have taken part with over 200 events. Ten extra libraries were also awarded £1,000 funding to put on an event between January and March 2021 responding to one of the novels on the list, or one of its themes. We also hosted a digital author tour of Trafford, Bristol, Northumberland and Leeds library services with Natalie Haynes in November.
## • **Accreditation for libraries**
Our accreditation project, funded by Arts Council England, aims to clearly define what a highquality library service looks like. The work to develop and deliver an authoritative, sector-led scheme to help libraries in England to meet the needs of their local communities an accreditation scheme, has now completed its consultation phase.
The project is overseen by a project board that includes partners from CILIP, Arts Council England, National Archives and The British Library. It is also informed by a Reference Group of heads of service to bring practical experience of service delivery and data collection.
Early in the project, we hosted a public webinar which explored the question ’What does quality mean for a modern library service?’ and had over 100 attendees. Conversations have also been held with key stakeholders and an online survey of library staff carried out to help to refine the approach.
An interim report outlining the key findings from the consultation was published in November. The project has now moved into the design phase and we have a draft model for the accreditation scheme that we will refine and test over the summer. Our contractor for this work, Shared Intelligence, are liaising closely with Arts Council England to draw on their knowledge and experience of the museum accreditation process.
## • **Future Funding**
We are delivering a four-strand programme to support the development of income generation skills across the library sector. While this is funded by Arts Council England, we are making activities available across our membership, where possible.
The first strand is to develop and deliver a core commercial skills programme for those with budget responsibility within the library sector. This is being developed with a pathfinder group from a range of library services across England. Once they have finished their programme, it will be offered to the wider sector in September 2021.
The second is to develop networks and opportunities for sharing learning. The Income Generation Network launched in November which enables the sharing of practice and tools, as well as being a vetted network to share commercially sensitive information for new opportunities. The network has 120 budget holders and library service leaders. We also developed a webinar series covering the topics that most frequently arose which began in January.
The third is to share learning from regional and national projects and we have examples of regional collaborations and taking projects to national scale that we will be progressing in the next financial year.
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
Fourth is the delivery and securing of national services. We have continued and learned from the delivery of the UKVI service in libraries. We have explored a number of options for further services and will continue to do so.
## **Reserve policy**
Libraries Connected has established a reserve policy which appropriately reflects the risks to which the charity is exposed. In compliance with such policy, it will review both the sum it wishes to hold in reserves in the unrestricted budget and the basis for that figure. The reserve does not consider expenditure which is linked to restricted earnings which are covered by restricted funds.
The purpose of the unrestricted funds is to support all day to day activities necessary at Libraries Connected programmes, and development of prospects; due consideration has been given to these activities in the annual review of reserve policy.
In reviewing the potential costs that arise should a significant reduction in income be incurred, the Trustees have determined that unrestricted reserves should be maintained at approximately three months running costs. The Trustees manage Libraries connected finances so that an adequate level of reserves can be maintained in compliance with the reserve policy. Following a concerted effort to build up reserve funds, at 31 March 2021 this was £290,420. This amounts up to just over three months cover.
## **Principal funding sources**
Libraries Connected Trustees/directors record their thanks to all those individuals and organisations who have funded our work. Arts Council England which has provided £1,393,952 for project funding in 2020-21 and will provide £509,200 next year to fund our work as a Sector Support Organisation.
Our membership subscriptions continue to make an important contribution to our work nationally and regionally.
## **Investment activities**
Under the memorandum and articles of association, the charitable company has the power to make investment which the trustees see fit. Investments are made where required to further the aims and objectives and objects of the charity. The charity does not currently hold any investments other than cash on deposit with the Royal Bank of Scotland.
## **Financial review**
The organisation is substantially supported by Arts Council England.
In the reporting period £1,223,712 (2020: £841,052) was spent on charitable activities, while £1,152 (2020: £59,492) was spent on income generation resulting in £422,016 surplus (2020: £388,483). There was a surplus on regional funds of £108,619 (2020: £5,417 deficit).
At the end of 2020/21, the charity total reserves now stand at £1,267,029 of which £374,461 is for regional funds.
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **Related parties**
A register of interests has been established for Trustees and management staff to declare any interests including directorships/trusteeships of other organisations.
We work in partnership with a range of organisations, and our relationships are documented, as appropriate, by partnership agreements and Memoranda of Understanding.
## **Risk management**
The Board maintains a corporate risk register which is reviewed at every Board meeting. Projects have their own more detailed risk registers, which feed into the corporate risk register.
The risk register sets out the risks, their likelihood and impact and the mitigation measures. The risks relate to delivery of our business plan and major funded projects, as well as to our reputation, corporate partnerships and standing with our members.
The Board's Finance and Remuneration Sub-Committee has a role to review our financial risks in more detail, and the Board also established a commercial projects sub-committee to manage the risks associated with our commercial projects.
The major overwhelming risk this year was the impact of the global pandemic. We moved quickly to put risk management plans in place including:
- Confirming with our main funder, ACE, that our anticipated grant funding was secure over the next 12 months
- Focusing on delivery of our major projects to meet the expectations of the funders
- Supporting our members and the operational risks they faced through a comprehensive programme of support including working with them to produce the government endorsed, COVID secure operational guidance for libraries.
We also addressed our own internal risks by developing and formalising our project management and project governance processes, and reviewing our financial and procurement policies.
## **Going concern**
The trustees have considered going concern and have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Whilst the Covid-19 outbreak has caused some disruption to the operations of the charity, the charity has continued to generate a healthy level of income and overall net surplus during the year and to present date. The trustees are confident that they have sufficient reserves for the charity to continue if there was a prolonged downturn in activities and have continued support from the largest funder.
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **Fundraising activities**
This year, we secured £25,000 from Arts Council England for pilot project on targeted library marketing. This was match funded with an additional £10,000 from the participating library services.
We also received £301,000 from Arts Council England to provide grants totalling £2000 to each library service in England. The grant included £2,000 to cover the additional staff costs incurred in distributing the grants.
During the year, the Charity did not engage any professional fundraiser or commercial participator to carry out any fundraising activities; any such activity was performed internally by the charity’s own staff in the course of their duties.
During the year, no complaints about fundraising activity were received by the charity, or by a person acting on its behalf for the purposes of fundraising.
We do not raise funding directly from the public, so do not make any contact with the public or vulnerable people in relation to funding or supporting our work.
## **Structure, governance and management**
## **Constitution**
Libraries Connected is a registered charity (Charity number 1176482; Company number: 07559747) limited by guarantee in England and Wales. The Company was registered on 10 March 2011 and as a charity on 02 January 2018 and therefore is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Management of the company is vested in the trustees who are also directors of the company. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 3 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are to provide core services of information advice and support to all members in England and Wales.
In the event of charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per trustee of the charity.
## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The Trustees were appointed through a process of open recruitment run by the Libraries Connected executive. We have 13 trustees – seven are Libraries Connected members and four are nonmembers but bring additional strategic expertise to the Board. The chair of the Trustees is the President, and this role is elected by the membership.
Pay and remuneration of the Senior Management Team is decided using the industry norm as a guide.
## **Trustees’ Induction and training**
All new Trustees are provided with a comprehensive induction to Libraries Connected, which include the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the current strategic plan, staffing structure, annual budget and a copy of the latest audited financial statements. The trustee/directors received details
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of their obligations under both the charity and company law. Following their appointment, the three new trustees attended a trustees’ induction course run by NCVO.
We also joined the Association of Chairs as a source of advice and development for our President.
We were not able to hold a Board awayday this year due to the pandemic but are planning one for summer 2021 when we hope travel and meeting restrictions will be eased.
The trustees, who are also directors of Libraries Connected for company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual report and the financial statement in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law 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, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that Libraries Connected will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of Libraries Connected and enable them to ensure that the financial statement comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of Libraries Connected and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
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## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **Auditors**
HW Fisher were appointed as auditor to Libraries Connected during 2018 and were re-elected at the AGM.
## **Statement of disclosure to the auditors**
In so far as the trustees are aware: at the time of approving our trustees’ annual report:
- There is no relevant audit information of which the charity’s auditor is unaware; and
- The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of the information.
The report was approved by the Board of Trustees
## C. Stump
Trustee and President
Date
25 Apr 2022
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## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the members**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Libraries Connected for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash flows and related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 _The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland_ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2021, and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities or the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
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## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the members**
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
- The information given in the Trustees’ Report, which includes the Directors’ Report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- The Directors’ Report included within the Trustees’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Directors’ Report included within the Trustees’ Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the Trustees’ Report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
## **Responsibilities of Trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees’ Responsibilities section of the Trustees’ Report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purpose of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and a fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using
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the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to cease operations or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
As part of our planning process:
- We enquired of management the systems and controls the charity has in place, the areas of the financial statements that are most susceptible to the risk of irregularities and fraud, and whether there was any known, suspected or alleged fraud. The charity did not inform us of any known, suspected or alleged fraud.
- We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to the company. We determined that the following were most relevant: the Charity SORP, FRS 102, Charities Act 2011 and Companies Act 2006.
- We considered the incentives and opportunities that exist in the charity, including the extent of management bias, which present a potential for irregularities and fraud to be perpetuated, and tailored our risk assessment accordingly.
- Using our knowledge of the charity, together with the discussions held with the charity at the planning stage, we formed a conclusion on the risk of misstatement due to irregularities including fraud and tailored our procedures according to this risk assessment.
The key procedures we undertook to detect irregularities including fraud during the course of the audit included:
- Identifying and testing journal entries and the overall accounting records, in particular those that were significant and unusual.
- Reviewing the financial statement disclosures and determining whether accounting policies have been appropriately applied.
- Reviewing and challenging the assumptions and judgements used by management in their significant accounting estimates, in particular in relation to depreciation and impairment policies.
- Assessing the extent of compliance, or lack of, with the relevant laws and regulations.
- Testing key income lines, in particular cut-off, for evidence of management bias.
- Assessing the validity of the classification of income, expenditure, assets and liabilities between unrestricted, designated and restricted funds.
- Obtaining third-party confirmation of material bank balances.
- Documenting and verifying all significant related party balances and transactions.
- Reviewing documentation such as the charity board minutes, for discussions of irregularities including fraud.
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements even though we have properly
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## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the members**
planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities and fraud rests with the trustees of the charity.
A further description of our responsibilities is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http//www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than he charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
## **Sailesh Mehta (Senior Statutory Auditor)**
## **For and on behalf of HW Fisher LLP**
Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditor
Acre House 11-15 William Road London NW1 3ER United Kingdom
## 25 April 2022
30
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
## **As 31 March 2021**
|**Notes**
**Income from:**
Charitable Activities
2
Other Trading Activities
3
Total Income
**Expenditure**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Services to improve the
public library sector
4
Total Expenditure
Net Income
Total funds brought
forward
Total funds carried
forward|**Unrestricted**
**2021**
**£**
1,270,832
252,928
1,523,760
1,152
1,106,312
1,107,464
416,296
745,386
1,161,682|**Restricted**
**2021**
**£**
123,120
-
123,120
-
117,400
117,400
5,720
99,627
105,347|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
**£**
1,393,952
252,928
1,646,880
1,152
1,223,712
1,224,864
422,016
845,013
1,267,029|**Total**
**Funds**
**2020**
**£**
1,058,688
230,339|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||1,289,027|
|||||59,492
841,052|
|||||900,544|
|||||388,483
456,530|
|||||845,013|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 34 to 47 form part of these financial statements.
31
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2021**
|**Notes**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible Assets
10
**Current Assets**
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: amounts falling due within**
**one year**
12
Net current assets
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Funds of the charity**
**Restricted funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
General funds
Regional funds|**2021**
**£**
**£**
7,671
904,086
885,451
1,789,537
(530,179)
1,259,358
1,267,029
105,347
787,221
374,461
1,267,029|**2021**
**£**
**£**
7,671
904,086
885,451
1,789,537
(530,179)
1,259,358
1,267,029
105,347
787,221
374,461
1,267,029|**2020**
**£**
**£**
9,271
593,401
817,340
1,410,741
(574,999)
835,742
845,013
99,627
479,545
265,841
845,013|**2020**
**£**
**£**
9,271
593,401
817,340
1,410,741
(574,999)
835,742
845,013
99,627
479,545
265,841
845,013|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,789,537
(530,179)||1,410,741
(574,999)||
||||||
|||1,267,029||845,013|
|||105,347
787,221
374,461||99,627
479,545
265,841|
|||1,267,029||845,013|
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 25 April 2022
Singed on behalf of the Board of Trustees
## **C. Stump**
Trustee and President
Company registration number 07559747 and Charity registration number 1176482.
The notes on pages 34 to 47 form part of these financial statements.
32
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**Notes**
**Cash flows from operating activities:**
**Net cash provided by operating**
**activities**
**17**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
**Net cash (used in) investing activities**
**Cash flows from financing activities:**
Interest received
Interest paid
**Net cash provided (used in) financing**
**activities**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in**
**the reporting period**
**Cash and cash equivalents at the**
**beginning of the reporting period**
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of**
**the reporting period**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
**£**
70,478
(2,227)
(2,227)
334
(474)
(140)
68,111
817,340
885,451|Total
Funds
2020
£
257,021|
|---|---|---|
|||(4,467)|
|||(4,467)|
|||1,122
(630)|
|||492|
|||253,046
564,294|
|||817,340|
33
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **(a) General information and basis of preparation**
Libraries Connected is a registered charity (Charity number 1176482) and a company (Company number: 07559747) limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales. In the event of the company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member. The address of the registered office is 3rd Floor, Islington Central Library, 2 Fieldway Crescent, London N5 1PF. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are to provide core services of information advice and support to all members in England and Wales.
The charity is a public benefit entity as defined by FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 from 1 January 2019, the Companies Act 2006 and the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the function currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
## **Going Concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Whilst the Covid-19 outbreak has caused some disruption to the operations of the charity, the charity has continued to generate a healthy level of income and overall net surplus during the year and to present date. The trustees are confident that they have sufficient reserves for the charity to continue if there was a prolonged downturn in activities. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **(b) Fund accounting**
The charity maintains various types of funds as follows.
34
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **Unrestricted funds**
Unrestricted funds represent income which is expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity.
## **Regional funds:**
Regional funds represent those funds held on behalf of regions.
## **Restricted funds**
Restricted income represent income that can be spent wholly and exclusively on the project in line with the funding contract.
## **(c) Incoming resources from other trading activities**
Incoming resources from other trading activities relates to membership subscriptions for services provided by the organisation. They are included in the year in which they are receivable, which is when the charity becomes entitled to the resource and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. These are valued at the estimated value to the charity of the services received.
## **(d) Incoming resources from charitable activities**
Incoming resources from charitable activities relates to performance related grants, mostly received from Arts Council England. Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, as it is probable that income will be received.
Deferred income represents amounts received for future periods and is released to incoming resources in the period in which it is earned. Investment income is included in the SOFA in the year in which it is receivable.
## **(e) Resources expended and basis of allocation of costs**
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred, inclusive of VAT which cannot be recovered. Grants payable are charged in the year they become payable. Grants are available to qualifying persons upon submission of a relevant and reasonable application. Consideration of such application is made on an individual basis at meetings of management who decide upon the most deserving recipients.
Other resources expended are allocated directly to the activity where the cost relates to the activity.
Support costs have been allocated between charitable activities, generating voluntary funds and governance costs. Costs that are not wholly attributable to an expenditure category have been apportioned to each activity on an estimate of staff time.
35
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **(f) Costs of raising funds**
Costs of raising funds comprise costs incurred in the pursuit of the charitable objects of the charity. Those costs, where not wholly attributable, are apportioned between the categories of charitable expenditure in addition to the direct costs.
## **(g) Costs of generating voluntary funds**
Costs of charitable activities comprise costs incurred in the pursuit of the charitable objects of the charity. Those costs, where not wholly attributable, are apportioned between the categories of charitable expenditure in addition to the direct costs.
## **(h) Charitable activities**
Costs of charitable activities comprise costs incurred in the pursuit of the charitable objects of the charity. Those costs, where not wholly attributable, are apportioned between the categories of charitable expenditure in addition to the direct costs.
## **(i) Governance costs**
Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity such as cost of board meetings, statutory compliance and costs linked to strategic management of the charity.
## **(j) Cash and Cash equivalent**
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and in hand and deposits held by the banks.
## **(k) Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.
Fixed assets costing more than £150 are capitalised and included on the balance sheet at cost.
Fixed assets are depreciated on a straight line basis so as to write off the cost, less anticipated residual value, over their anticipated useful lives, subject to annual review, as follows:
Fixtures & Fittings 33.3% Computer equipment 33.3%
## **(l) Financial instruments**
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and, cash and bank balances are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
Basic financial liabilities, which include creditors are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes financing transactions. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
36
**LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **(m) Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year**
Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.
## **(n) Pension cost**
The charity contributes to a stakeholder pension scheme by employees or contributes towards employee’s personal pension schemes. The cost of the contributions is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the cost is incurred.
## **(o) Gifts in kind**
Items gifted to the charity are included as incoming resources and as expenditure in the statement of financial activities or as an asset in the balance sheet. The fair value of such items is estimated by the Trustees based on market value.
## **(p) Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
In the view of the Trustees, applying the accounting policies, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statement, or assumptions made carry a significant risk of material adjustment in the next financial year.
37
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**2**|**Incoming Resources**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**from**||||||
||**Charitable Activities**||||||
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Regional**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|**designated**|
**2021**|**2020**|
|||||**Funds**|||
||_For the year ended 31_|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||_March 2021_||||||
||Arts Council Grants|1,270,832|123,120|-|1,393,952|986,188|
||Grants|-|-|-|-|72,500|
|||1,270,832|123,120|-|1,393,952|1,058,688|
||_For the year ended 31_||||||
||_March 2020_||||||
||Arts Council Grants|863,068|123,120|-|986,188||
||Grants|72,500|-|-|72,500||
|||935,568|123,120|-|1,058,688||
38
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**3**|**Other Trading Activities**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Regional**|**Total**|
**Total**|
|||**Funds**|
**Funds**|**designated**|**2021**|
**2020**|
|||||**Funds**|||
||_For the year ended 31_|**£**|
**£**|**£**|**£**|
**£**|
||_March 2021_||||||
||Seminar|17,015|
-|-|17,015|
72,545|
||Investment Income|335|
-|-|335|
1,122|
||Regional network|-|
-|148,306|148,306|
61,990|
||Subscription|72,716|
-|-|72,716|
76,640|
||Innovation network|-|
-|-|-|
400|
||UK visa and immigration|14,556|-|-|14,556|17,642|
|||104,622|-|148,306|252,928|230,339|
||_For the year ended 31_|
|
|
|
||
||_March 2020_||||||
||Seminar|
72,545|
-|
-|
72,545||
||Investment income|1,122|-|-|1,122||
||Regional network|-|-|61,990|61,990||
||Subscription|76,640|-|-|76,640||
||Innovation network|400|-|-|400||
||UK visa and immigration|17,642|-|-|17,642||
|||
168,349|
-|
61,990|
230,339||
39
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**4**|**Resources expended on**
**charitable activities**
_For the year ended 31_
_March 2021_
Cost of charitable activities
Direct staff costs
Core objectives
Member services
Overheads
Support and governance
costs**(Note 6)**
Regional network
programme
Depreciation
_For the year ended 31_
_March 2020_
Cost of charitable activities
Direct staff costs
Core objectives
Member services
Overheads
Support and governance
costs**(Note 6)**
Regional network
programme
Depreciation|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
472,556
394,778
118,184
64,482
12,795
-
3,828
1,066,623
352,928
83,364
142,202
108,165
58,858
-
4,635
750,152|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
117,400
-
-
-
-
-
117,400
-
23,493
-
-
-
-
-
23,493|**Regional**
**designated**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
39,689
-
39,689
-
-
-
-
-
67,407
-
67,407|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
472,556
512,178
118,184
64,482
12,795
39,689
3,828
1,223,712
352,928
106,857
142,202
108,165
58,858
67,407
4,635
841,052|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
352,928
106,857
142,202
108,165
58,858
67,407
4,635
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||841,052|
||||||||
40
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**5**|**Charitable activities**|**Direct**|**Other**|**Support &**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**staff**|**direct**|**Governance**|**2021**|
||_For the year ended 31 March_|**costs**|**Costs**|**Costs**||
||_2021_|||**£**||
|||**£**|**£**||**£**|
||Cost of charitable activities|**472,556**|**694,844**|**12,795**|**1,180,195**|
||_For the year ended 31 March_|**Direct**|**Other**|**Support &**|**Total**|
||_2020_|**staff**|**direct**|**Governance**|**2020**|
|||**costs**|**costs**|**Costs**||
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||Cost of charitable activities|352,928|357,224|58,858|769,010|
## **6 Support and governance costs**
_For the year ended 31 March 2021_
|
General costs
Accountancy
Financial reporting (payroll)
Audit fees
Meeting cost
|**Support**
**costs**
**£**
3,540
835
345
-
-
4,720|**Governance**
**costs**
**£**
-
-
-
8,000
75
8,075|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
3,540
835
345
8,000
75|
|---|---|---|---|
||||12,795|
41
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
_For the year ended 31 March 2020_
|General costs
Accountancy
Financial reporting (payroll)
Audit fees
Meeting cost|**Support**
**costs**
**£**
6,740
(1,039)
2,485
-
-
8,186|**Governance**
**costs**
**£**
-
-
-
13,195
37,477
50,672|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
6,740
(1,039)
2,485
13,195
37,477|
|---|---|---|---|
||||58,858|
Support costs are allocated to activities based on an assessment of the time spent by staff on each activity.
## **7 Net incoming resources**
|**Net incoming resources**|||
|---|---|---|
|This is stated after charging
Auditor’s remuneration
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets|**2021**
**£**
8,000
3,828
11,828|**2020**
**£**
13,195
4,635|
|||17,830|
## **8 Staff Information**
## **a) Trustees**
No trustees received remuneration during the year 2021. Travel and meeting expenses were reimbursed in respect of 5 trustees totalling £1,586 (2020 in respect of 13 trustees: £22,998).
42
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **b) Staff Costs and numbers**
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Salaries and wages|409,283|307,231|
|Social Security costs|42,891|29,608|
|Pension costs|20,382|16,089|
||472,556|352,928|
The number of staff whose emoluments on a per annum fell within each of the following bands was:
|||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**Number**|**Number**|
|£80,000|to £89,999|1|1|
The total remuneration paid to the senior management team was £81,491 (2020: £82,265)
The average number of employees, analysed by function, was:
|Chief Executive
Communications Manager
Membership Manager
Finance Manager
Programme Director
Commercial Director
Project Manager
Administrative|**2021**
**2020**
**Number**
**Number**
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
3|
|---|---|
||13
10|
## **9 Taxation**
The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
43
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**10**
**Tangible fixed assets**
**Cost**
At 1st April 2020
Additions
At 31st March 2021
**Depreciation**
At 1st April 2020
Depreciation
At 31st March 2021
**Carrying amount**
**At 31st March 2021**
**At 31st March 2020**|**Computer**
**Equipment**
**£**
15,021
2,228
17,249
7,352
3,295
**10,647**
6,602
7,669|**Fixtures &**
**fittings**
**£**
3,604
-
3,604
2,002
533
**2,535**
1,069
1,602|**Total**
**£**
18,625
2,228|
|---|---|---|---|
||||20,853|
||||9,354
3,828|
||||**13,182**|
||||7,671
9,271|
## **11 Debtors**
|Trade debtors
Other debtors|**2021**
**£**
465,544
438,542
904,086|**2020**
**£**
249,844
343,557|
|---|---|---|
|||593,401|
44
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
## **12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
|Trade creditors
Accruals
Deferred income
Other creditors|**2021**
**£**
51,173
24,935
-
454,071
530,179|**2020**
**£**
42,658
26,495
54,234
451,612|
|---|---|---|
|||574,999|
Deferred income in the prior year was for invoices issued in financial year 2019-20 for a conference and seminar which was planned to take place in June 2020 (financial year 2020-21) and was cancelled due to coronavirus.
## **13 Commitments under operating leases**
There were no commitments under operating leases as at 31 March 2021 or 2020.
## **14 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Unrestricted funds
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors; amount falling within one year
Restricted funds
Creditors; amount falling within one year
**Net assets as at 31st March 2021**|**2021**
**£**
7,671
1,789,537
(530,179)
1,267,029
1,267,029|**2020**
**£**
9,271
1,410,741
(563,726)|
|---|---|---|
|||856,286
(11,273)|
|||845,013|
## **15 Related parties**
There were no related party transactions during the year (2020: none)
45
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
|**16**
**Movement in funds**
**Current year**
Unrestricted funds
Regional funds
General funds
Total Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
Transforming
leadership
Total Restricted
funds
Total funds|**Brought**
**Forward**
**£**
265,842
479,544
745,386
99,627
99627
845,013|**Incoming**
**Resources**
**£**
148,306
1,375,454
1,523,760
123,120
123,120
1,646,880|**Outgoing**
**resources**
**£**
39,687
1,067,777
1,107,464
117,400
117,400
1,224,864|**Transfers**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
374,461
787,221
1,161,682
105,347
105,347
1,267,029|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
265,842|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||479,544|
|||||||745,386|
|||||||99,627|
|||||||99,627|
|||||||845,013|
46
## **LIBRARIES CONNECTED**
## **(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021**
_For the year ended 31[st] March 2020_
||**Brought**|**Incoming**|**Outgoing**|**Transfers**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Forward**|**Resources**|**resources**||**2020**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Unrestricted funds||||||
|Regional funds|271,259|61,990|67,407|-|265,842|
|General funds|185,271|1,103,917|809,644|-|479,544|
|Total Unrestricted||||||
|funds|456,530|1,165,907|877,051|-|745,386|
|Restricted funds||||||
|Transforming||||||
|leadership|-|123,120|23,493|-|99,627|
|Total Restricted||||||
|funds|-|123,120|23,493|-|99,627|
|Total funds|456,530|1,289,027|900,544|-|845,013|
## **17 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities**
|Net movement in funds
Add back depreciation charge
Deduct interest income shown in investing activities
Add interest paid shown in investing activities
Decrease (increase) in debtors
(Decrease) increase in creditors
**Net cash used in operating activities**|**2021**
**£**
422.016
3,828
(335)
474
(310,685)
(44,820)
70,478|**2020**
**£**
388,483
4,635
(1,122)
630
(388,786)
253,181|
|---|---|---|
|||257,021|
47