## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** ||Period start date|Period start date|||**Period end date**|**Period end date**|| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**1**|**July**|**2023**||**30**|**June**|**2024**| |**From**||||**To**|||| ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name The Norfolk Reading Project Other names charity is known by TNRP Registered charity number (if any) 1176987** **Charity's principal address** College Barn, Cake Street, Old Buckenham, Attleborough Norfolk **Postcode NR17 1PS** ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Anne Thorley|Joint Founder and
Chair||| ||Alison Margaret
Gilmour|Secretary||| ||Sarah Jayne
Anthony|||| ||Sally Nicola
Watson|||| ||Lesley Patricia
Penniket|Treasurer||| ||Lorraine Hall|Vice Chair||| ||Elaine Julie
Simpson|||| ||Anne Williams|||| ||Margot Christine
Paterson|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| **TAR** March **2012** 1 **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Type of governing document - (eg. trust deed, constitution) How the charity is constituted **Constitution CIO** - (eg. trust, association, company) **Trustees appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened** Trustee selection methods **meeting of charity Trustees.** (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: **TNRP and networks:** additional information, where **TNRP is a member of Voluntary Norfolk which is a charitable support** relevant, about: **organisation specifically for community groups and charities in the** • policies and procedures **county.** adopted for the induction and **TNRP also benefits from guidance, funding and training** training of trustees; **opportunities offered by the Norfolk Community Foundation, who** • the charity’s organisational **offer support to voluntary groups and charities across Norfolk.** structure and any wider network with which the charity works; **Major risks and management of:** - relationship with any related **Succession planning regarding key roles, including those on the committee and trainers, present a risk for TNRP. There is regular** - parties; **communication with Reading Support Volunteers (RSVs) to see if** - • trustees’ consideration of **they would like more involvement.** major risks and the system and procedures to manage **The volume of administration falls on a very small number of the** them. **The volume of administration falls on a very small number of the committee. A Volunteer Portal has been developed which will soon greatly assist with communicating with both RSVs and schools and will enable real-time information on our charity.** **RSVs are trained and introduced to schools, subject to successful DBS checking. To keep these RSVs enthusiastic and relevant in our** **TAR** March **2012** 2 **aim to help improve literacy in schools, we undertake to hold regular workshops and coffee mornings to allow for continuing exchange of experiences and RSV knowledge. We also aim to regularly communicate with our RSVs via emails and our newsletter ‘In the Loop’.** ## **Section C Objectives and activities** **To advance the education of children in Norfolk by the provision of trained Reading Support Volunteers (RSVs) in schools.** **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** **Our charity was set up in response to increasing concern across Norfolk on illiteracy levels and its impact on communities. We recruit and train RSVs across a wide range of ages and walks of life. We arrange and fund DBS checks and place volunteers with local schools where there is an identified need. There is no cost to the volunteers or schools.** **We train the volunteers in phonics and they listen to children reading on a one-to-one basis. The focus on phonics is welcomed Summary of the main by teachers. Our volunteers work mainly with 4 – 7 year olds and activities undertaken for the increasingly also with 7 – 11 year olds, struggling with reading and public benefit in relation to literacy. these objects (include within this section the statutory Our charity offers inter-generational benefits with many of our declaration that trustees have volunteers being retired. We also train some senior school children had regard to the guidance in phonics, who undertake charity placements in schools. issued by the Charity Commission on public Our Trustees, who form our committee, are fully aware of the public benefit) benefit offered by our charity. Trustees are regularly forwarded Charity Commission news and guidance on matters.** **TAR** March **2012** 3 **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** **Contribution made by volunteers: TNRP Reading Support Volunteers (RSVs) directly benefit the children they are supporting, and indirectly the schools, teaching staff and parents.** You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: **Good literacy skills underpin all learning and success in later life. In Norfolk as many as 1 in 4 children leave Primary School unable to read and write adequately. Our aims and objectives are to improve upon these frightening statistics.** - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. ## Section D Achievements and performance **TAR** March **2012** 4 Section D Achievements and erformance p The Norfolk Reading Project continues to grow with more enthusiastic **Summary of the main** Reading Support Volunteers joining our team as we endeavour to **achievements of the charity** support an increasing number of children in schools across the county. **during the year** It is important to recognise that good literacy skills are the foundations of opportunity across society, and that without additional support many children are unable to achieve their potential. Over the years our schools have become even more stretched in terms of staff numbers and it has become very difficult to hear children read one-to-one on a regular basis. Without the support of our Reading Support Volunteers many children would fall further behind their peers. Schools have said to us, “Children’s reading skills improve greatly from reading with the volunteers. Lots of them don’t read at home so it means they have the opportunity to be heard reading.“ From feedback, individual teachers have said, “Opportunities to be heard in every sense, reading out loud to an interested invested adult. The children treasure this time.” And, “The children get 1:1 time sharing not only their phonics knowledge but discussing the books and growing in confidence it supports their love of books. Phonics and reading support impacts all areas of the curriculum.” Across the year July 2023 to June 30[th] 2024 we held eight full training sessions in Norwich - training 96 new Reading Support Volunteers for schools across the county. We have also continued our partnership with both East Norfolk Sixth Form College and Norwich School Sixth Form to encourage and train over 40 young adults to mentor primary age children in local primary schools. We have taken the decision to reduce the number of full training sessions that we offer throughout the year as it had become increasing difficult to place volunteers in schools during the last term of the school year. Increasingly stringent Safeguarding policies and protocols have also impacted on the timetable for starting volunteers in school following the training session and we have reviewed our processes accordingly to ensure that we comply with KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe In Education) All our volunteers must now register their Enhanced DBS check with the online update service in line with school requirements. With the reduced number of full training sessions we have been able to offer more workshop opportunities for our team of Reading Support Volunteers. We have been fortunate to secure three fantastic speakers for our volunteers over this year : Zoe Brown – Mancroft Learning , Dyslexia Specialist Nigel Lungenmuss-Ward – That Book Guy , Children’s motivational author Emma Kane – Speech Therapist All three events were very well attended and received positive feedback from our volunteers. These events provide opportunities to meet up with other volunteers and exchange experiences, offering support and advice on good practice. The Norfolk Reading Project has been chosen as the charity of the year for two local organisations: Norwich Businesswomen’s Network Order of Women’s Freemasons – Wroxham branch. We are hugely grateful for their financial support (to be received next year )and the additional local exposure their endorsement gives us. **TAR** March **2012** 5 Section D Achievements and erformance p TNRP have also been selected as a charity partner for the local Kumon centre in Norwich. We continued to work with The Norfolk Community Foundation to increase awareness around problems associated with low literacy levels and remain focused on recruiting further volunteers for some of the most disadvantaged areas in Norfolk including both Thetford and Gt Yarmouth. We are working together with local businesses to increase opportunities for Employer Supported Volunteers(ESV) in schools. This work has been supported by The National Literacy Trust. During the year we have also received generous grants and donations from a number of organisations and trusts including Chelsea Square Trust, Thetford Town Council and Aylsham Agricultural Show. We have also had additional monies from the Leona Levine estate. Small teams of trustees and volunteers have manned a stand at several local events during the year to promote our organisation and the work we do in schools to support children, for example at the Old Buckenham Airshow, the Aylsham Agricultural Show, the Kumon Awards Day and Thetford Council Marketplace . These events have successfully introduced TNRP to a wider audience and will hopefully generate further Reading Support Volunteers in the future. Having recognised the need to upgrade our IT systems we have taken the step this year of engaging the services of BigFork a local website specialist. We will have a new volunteer / schools portal as well as an updated management reporting system. This will enable us to have accurate information about both our volunteers and the schools so that we can operate more efficiently and effectively. The owner of the business, Colin Richardson, has been extremely generous in offering his personal work on the project free of charge. We are very grateful for this contribution Town Close School in Norwich have continued to support TNRP by providing us with a fantastic training venue in the library of the school. We are able to offer a convenient central Norwich location for new volunteers with free parking for those travelling from other areas of the county. We would like to thank the school for their support and particularly those members of staff who facilitate this each session. We would like to thank everyone who has helped to ensure that we continue to grow and enable us to offer additional support for children with reading. Most importantly we would again like to thank all the wonderful volunteers who support these children. In the words of our volunteers, “ I have been stunned by the progress that some of the little ones have made; with a couple of boys it was as if someone had switched on the lights .“ and, “ I am so glad that I volunteered , it is the highlight of my week.” A couple of hours a week really does make a difference to all involved! Anne Thorley Chairperson and Co-founder The Norfolk Reading Project **TAR** March **2012** 6 ## **Section E Financial review** Restricted reserves are held until the appropriate purchases allocated to **Brief statement of the** that grant or award are made. Unrestricted reserves are available to **charity’s policy on reserves** cover other expenditure and investment regarding the charity. **Details of any funds materially in deficit** ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** - TNRP’s principal sources of funds are Awards, Grants, Donations and - You **may choose** to include Fundraising Events. In 2022 TNRP was very privileged to become a - additional information, where residuary beneficiary of an estate and more funds were received during - relevant about: the year. - • the charity’s principal sources of funds (including During this year restricted reserves were used to complete the terms of a any fundraising); restricted award. - • how expenditure has All our expenditure works towards achieving our key objectives of - supported the key objectives providing trained RSVs to advance the literacy of children in schools. - of the charity; During the year essential expenditure was undertaken on a project to set - • investment policy and up a Volunteer Portal to assist communication with volunteers and objectives including any schools and also the administration of the charity. The expectation is that ethical investment policy this software will be fully functional in 2025. adopted. Our current investment policy is to split our funds into easily accessible, but interest earning and higher interest earning fixed term accounts. An initial consultation was made with a financial advisor in the previous year and consideration will once again be given to placing some funds into equities and bonds. ## **Section F Other optional information** **This is an intergenerational project, with a high percentage of our RSVs being retired and using their time to benefit young children struggling to read.** **Lack of literacy skills has such a continuing knock-on effect in later life, excluding people not only from leaning and skills development but also from the job market and ultimately from supporting their own children with reading.** ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** **TAR** March **2012** 7 **Lesley Patricia Penniket** **Full name(s) Anne Thorley Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair Treasurer etc) Date** **TAR** March **2012** 8 ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** |**Report to the trustees**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**
**Responsibilities and**
**basis of report**|Charity Name
The Norfolk Reading Project|Charity Name
The Norfolk Reading Project|Charity Name
The Norfolk Reading Project| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||30 June 2024|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|1176987| ||||| ||1-2
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)||| ||I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30/06/2023.
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.||| **Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or - • the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or • the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. - _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ **Signed: Date:** 11/03/2025 **Name:** Nicholas Knight **Relevant professional** ICAEW **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** 27 Harwood Road, Norwich. NR1 2NG **Oct 2018** 1 **IER** ## **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . **Oct 2018** 2 **IER** CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANO AND WALES Norfolk RealFrw3 Proprt 1176987 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For perlod from Ol-J￿-2J To 3WuTr24 Section A Receipts and payments UnTrstrtcted funds Restricted funds Endowrnent funds Total funds Last year to ￿ near••t£ A1 Re¢dpt• Awards DL*iations Legacy Bank Inte￿st to the npare8t£ 1,523 70.000 1.442 tota ss income or AR) 45,iW7 75.523 etan (seè tsblel. mfe•¢ment •a rotyl receipts 44087 A3Pa ments OBS (*￿