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Children's Book Project

Charity rating & review

98/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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98 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is Children's Book Project a good charity?

Children's Book Project scores 98/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£583k total income, 96% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

London · UK-wide · W12 9RN Reg 1183092 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Children's Book Project do?

Children's Book Project is a registered charity (no. 1183092) working in poverty relief across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 96% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 7 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈77% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

Summarised from public filings — Children's Book Project hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT scores 98 out of 100 (5 stars). 96% average program spend (Latest year, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is Children's Book Project?

Children's Book Project has a Clarity Score of 98 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1183092. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Poverty relief. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £583k, with 96% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 7 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

98/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

96%

latest year · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£583k

Latest year 2025

Reserves

7 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£58.6 raised per £1 fundraising (latest year) · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT scores higher than.

Income band (£500k–£1m)95thpercentile

Scores higher than 95% of 2,187 charities in its income band · 98/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

Poverty relief charities98thpercentile

Scores higher than 98% of 1,502 charities in this cause · 98/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

How reliable is Children's Book Project's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
Filing date
Profile reviewed

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

What is Children's Book Project's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three).

100% 6 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

93/100

Financial Health metrics for CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 7 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

60% 21% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

100% 96% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

100/100

Community Support metrics for CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

100% 3,853 volunteers / 12 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is Children's Book Project's Clarity Score?

98/100 total · Exceptional · 5 of 5 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
93/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
100/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight6 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

93/100

Reserves (months of cash)7 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets21% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio96% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio3,853 volunteers / 12 staff · 10/10 pts

How much does Children's Book Project raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £583k
Total expenditure £478k
Charitable activities £459k 96%
Fundraising £19k 4%
Governance & admin £12k 3%
96%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £478k spent

  • Charitable activities96%
  • Fundraising4%
  • Governance3%

What trust indicators does Children's Book Project have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    6 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    12 employees · 3,853 volunteers (321:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 1183092

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Lisa Harrington since 2022
  • Elizabeth Ann Norton since 2022
  • Remi Baker since 2024
  • Stacey Dobson since 2024
  • Ann-Janine Murtagh Chair · since 2025
  • Daniel Misra-Jones since 2025
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

How have Children's Book Project's finances changed over five years?

£0k £200k £400k £600k £800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £59k Spending 2021: £40k Cause spend 2021: £0k Income 2022: £82k Spending 2022: £70k Cause spend 2022: £0k Income 2023: £193k Spending 2023: £129k Cause spend 2023: £0k Income 2024: £363k Spending 2024: £251k Cause spend 2024: £0k Income 2025: £583k Spending 2025: £478k Cause spend 2025: £459k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts

What are the key facts about Children's Book Project?

Overall score
98/100 (5★)
Income
£583k
Cause spend
96% of expenditure
Reg number
1183092
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
7 months
Trustees
6
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where CHILDREN'S BOOK PROJECT sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar poverty relief charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share Children's Book Project's rating?

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How do you add Children's Book Project's rating to your site?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Children's Book Project's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Children's Book Project a good charity? +

Children's Book Project scores 98 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 96% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is Children's Book Project a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Children's Book Project is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1183092). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1183092. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Children's Book Project's charity number? +

Children's Book Project's charity number is 1183092. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is Children's Book Project's charity rating? +

Children's Book Project scores 98 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does Children's Book Project have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Children's Book Project. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Children's Book Project? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 96% of Children's Book Project's total spending went to charitable activities. That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are Children's Book Project's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 4% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 2% of total expenditure at Children's Book Project. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Children's Book Project's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register.

How much income does Children's Book Project receive? +

Children's Book Project reported £583k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Children's Book Project's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is Children's Book Project based? +

Children's Book Project is listed at London · UK-wide · W12 9RN and operates UK-wide, focused on poverty relief.

How does CharityCompare score Children's Book Project? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Children's Book Project's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? +

This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Children's Book Project's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.