The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
# **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
# **CHARITY NUMBER 268289**
**REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **CONTENTS**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Legal & Administrative Information|1|
|Report of the Trustees|2-4|
|Independent Examiners Report|5|
|Statement of Financial Activities|6|
|Balance Sheet|7|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|8-12|
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
|CHARITY NAME:|The Federation of Children’s Book Groups|
|---|---|
|CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER:|268289|
|TRUSTEES:|Patricia Adams Chair|
||Jane Etheridge Vice Chair|
||Anne Bradley National Secretary|
||Sarah Stuffins Treasurer|
||Rosemary Pike|
||Diane Gaunt|
||Annie Everall (resigned 15/4/2023)|
||Elizabeth Hall (resigned 15/4/2023)|
|PRINCIPAL ADDRESS:|Wakananai|
||Firs Road,|
||Mardy,|
||Abergavenny,|
||NP7 6NA|
|INDEPENDENT EXAMINER:|Dunstanette Kuti**FCCA**|
||Community Action Sutton,|
||Granfers Community Centre|
||73-79 Oakhill Road|
||Sutton|
||SM1 3AA|
|BANKERS:|Lloyds Bank plc|
1
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES For the year ending 31 December 2023**
The Board presents the report and financial statements for The Federation of Children’s Book Groups for the year ended 31 December 2023. The statements appear in the format required by the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities (revised December 2005). The report and statements also comply with Companies Act 2006.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The organisation is a charity and its governing instrument is a Constitution, originally adopted on 2 October 1976.
## **Objectives and Activities**
To educate children by encouraging them to read and appreciate books
In the interests of social welfare, to organise appropriate and enjoyable leisure time activities that broaden children’s experience of life and encourage children’s awareness of the world around them.
## **Public Benefit**
The activities that we carry out are described above. These activities are undertaken to meet our objectives and aims and to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
In setting and reviewing our objectives and aims, and in planning and carrying out our activities, we have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees**
The Board carries out regular reviews of its skill sets and endeavours to recruit as required in order to forward the work of the charity
## **Risk Management**
The organisation has mitigated its financial risk by adopting a reserves policy which is outlined below. Annual accounts and returns are filed with the Charity Commission. In-house financial mentoring is undertaken to ensure charity funds are being properly controlled and in accordance with its constitution objectives.
During the year the charity did not employ anyone and was managed and operated by the Trustees voluntarily.
2
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
**REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (continued) For the year ending 31 December 2023**
## **Organisation of the Charity**
Membership of the Federation is open to any persons or group of persons operating as children's book group.
The Federation consists of
- Children's book groups, individual members and professional members.
- The Regional Organisation as and when appropriate.
- The Executive Committee and Honorary Officers.
## **Achievements and performance**
An in person conference was held in April 2023 at Rugby School. The number of delegates had increased since 2022 and the conference was deemed to be a success. A venue has been booked for 2024
The Children’s Book Award ceremony was held at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. Following legal action supported by our insurers the Federation was repaid £5000 by the venue for the 2022 award ceremony which was cancelled due to industrial action. There is a significant amount of money in the deposit account which will be required to fund the Children’s Book Award until a new sponsor is found. The National Executive is investigating a number of possible sources of funding.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
The results for the year end and financial position of the Charity are shown in the annexed statements.
The charity’s net deficit is £294 (£134 surplus, 2022). This leaves final balances to carry forward of £78,939 of which £74,685 Unrestricted funds and £3,254 Restricted funds. (£78,233 Total funds, 2022). Since the Balance Sheet date no significant changes have taken place.
3
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
**REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (continued) For the year ending 31 December 2023**
## **RESERVES POLICY**
The Charity’s Trustees aim is to have cash reserves to keep a minimum of three months operating costs, building to a maximum of six months when funds allow, though the nature of the charity’s funding dictates that this will be a slow process. The Reserves Policy is reviewed annually by the Trustee Board.
## **TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES**
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the financial activities of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.
In preparing those Financial Statements the Trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS**
A resolution proposing Community Action Sutton be appointed as Independent Examiners of the charity will be put to the Annual General Meeting.
## **BY ORDER OF THE BOARD**
………………………………………… **Ms Patricia Adams (Chair)**
………………………………………… **Ms Sarah Stuffins (Treasurer)**
…………………………………………
## **Date**
4
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 set out on pages 6-12 which have been prepared under the accounting policies set out on page 8.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an Independent Examination is needed
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for Independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
- Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Charities Act;
- Follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charities Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act; and
- State whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent review**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair” view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe, that in any material respect, the requirements have not been met:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, and comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the statement of Recommended Practice; Accounting and Reporting by Charities; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name: Dunstanette Kuti FCCA MCSI
Position: Community Accountant Community Action Sutton Granfers Community Centre,
73-79 Oakhill Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 3AA
Date:
5
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**Note**
**Income:**
Charitable Activities
Voluntary Income
Investment Income
Total Income
2
**Expenditure:**
Charitable Activities
Governance costs
Total Expenditure
3
**Net Income / (Expenditure)**
4
Transfers between funds
Total Funds brought forward
**Total Funds carried forward**|Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
**Total**
**Funds**
**2023**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
25,253
-
25,253
27,230
17,765
-
17,765
6,320
258
-
258
15|
|---|---|
||43,277
-
43,277
33,565|
||42,606
-
42,606
32,581
965
-
965
850|
||43,571
-
43,571
33,431|
||(294)
-
(294)
134
-
-
-
-
74,979
3,254
78,233
78,099|
||74,685
3,254
77,939
78,233|
The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than those in the statement of financial activities. Therefore, no statement of total recognised gains and losses has been prepared. All the above amounts relate to continuing activities.
The notes on pages 8 to 12 form part of these accounts.
6
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**Note**
**FIXED ASSETS:**
Tangible Assets
**6**
**CURRENT ASSETS:**
Stock
Debtors & Prepayments
**7**
Cash at bank and in hand
**LIABILITIES:**
Creditors: Amounts falling due
within one year
**8**
Deferred income
**9**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS:**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**FUNDS**
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**
**10**|164
3,890
74,820|**2023**
**£**
6,900
71,039|164
7,583
64,436|**2022**
**£**
6,900
71,333|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||78,874||72,183||
||1,425
6,410||850
-||
||7,835||850||
||||||
|||77,939||78,233|
|||74,685
3,254||74,979
3,254|
|||77,939||78,233|
The financial statements were approved by the board on _________________ and signed on its behalf by:
The notes on pages 8 to 12 form part of these accounts.
7
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
The following accounting policies have been used consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the financial statements.
## **Basis of preparation of Accounts**
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2015), effective January 2015.
## **Fund Accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the charitable objectives of FCBG.
Restricted funds are made up of grants received for the specific projects including salary payments and may only be applied for this purpose. Any changes to the agreed budgets must be agreed with the funders considered before being actioned.
## **Incoming Resources**
All incoming resources are in included in the Statement of Financial Activities when FCBG has entitlement to in the income and there is a certainty of receipt and the amount is quantifiable. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts are included when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.
Interest receivable is included when receivable.
## **Resources Expended**
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred.
Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such actives and those costs of an indirect nature to support them.
Governance costs include those costs associated with organisational administration and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
8
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **2. INCOME**
|**Charitable Activities**
FCBG Conference
FCBG
Jean Russell
**Voluntary Income**
FCBG
Subscriptions
Donations and Sponsorship
CBA
CBA contributions
**Other income**
Bank interest received
Total Income|Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
**Total**
**Funds**
**2023**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
23,979
-
23,979
17,276
1,274
-
1,274
4,954
-
-
-
5,000|
|---|---|
||25,253
-
25,253
27,230|
||5,345
-
5,345
2,820
5,897
-
5,897
3,500
6,523
-
6,523
-|
||17,765
-
17,765
6,320|
||258
-
258
15|
||258
-
258
15|
|||
||43,277
-
43,277
33,565|
9
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **3. EXPENDITURE:**
|**Charitable Activities**
**FCBG**
Exec Travel
Secretarial
Newsletter
Pub and Merchandise
NSSM
CBA
NNFN
Insurance
Sundries
Storage
Meetings/Room Rental
CDL Hotel Ltd -dispute
**FCBG Conf**
2023 Delegate refunds
2023 Delegate refunds
2023 venue fees
Speaker fees
2023 expenses
PIA 2021 venue fees
**Governance costs**
Independent Examiner's fee
Trustees' expenses|Unrestricted
Restricted
**Total 2023**
**Total 2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
2,302
-
2,302
643
81
-
81
84
1,320
-
1,320
1,280
-
-
-
150
59
-
59
98
11,020
-
11,020
5,570
260
-
260
-
325
-
325
325
1,540
-
1,540
495
1,152
-
1,152
1,152
144
-
144
203
2,083
-
2,083
-
-
-
-
55
400
-
400
1,678
18,589
-
18,589
12,794
3,200
-
3,200
3,675
132
-
132
36
-
-
-
4,344|
|---|---|
||42,606
-
42,606
32,581|
||965
-
965
850
-
-
-
-|
||965
-
965
850|
|||
||43,571
-
43,571
33,431|
10
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **4. NET RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR**
|(a) This is stated after charging:
Independent Examiners Fee
(b) Donated goods in the year|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
965
850|
|---|---|
||**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Nil
Nil|
## **5. STAFF COSTS**
Trustee and Employee information
Trustees
No remuneration or expenses were paid to any trustee during the year (2022: nil).
The aggregate amount of reimbursed traveling expenses made to the four trustees was £ nil (2022: nil).
## **6. FIXED ASSETS**
|**Cost**
At 31 December 2023 and 2022
**Depreciation**
At 31 December 2023 and 2022
**Net Book Values**
At 31 December 2023 and 2022
**7. DEBTORS**
Prepayments|**Trophies**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
6,900
6,900
-
-
6,900
6,900
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
3,890
7,583
3,890
7,583|
|---|---|
11
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
Registered Charity number: 268289
## **THE FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUPS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **8. CREDITORS – amounts falling due within one year**
|Accrued expenses
Accrued Independent Examiners Fees
TOTAL|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
475
-
950
850|
|---|---|
||1,425
850|
## **9. DEFERRED INCOME**
|2024 Delegates
2024Publishers|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
5,405
-
1,005
-|
|---|---|
||6,410
-|
## **10. TOTAL FUNDS**
`
|**Restricted Funds**
National Year of Reading Fund
**Restricted Funds**
**Unrestricted Funds**
General Fund|**At 31**
**Decembe**
**r 2022**
**Income**
**Expenditur**
**e**
**Transfers**
**At 31**
**Decembe**
**r 2023**
£
£
£
£
£
3,254
-
-
-
3,254|
|---|---|
||3,254
-
-
-
3,254
74,979
43,277
(43,571)
-
74,685|
||78,233
43,277
(43,571)
-
77,939|
12