Annual Review 2024-2025

This review gives you an insight into our work, and highlights some of our achievements, innovative projects and services during 2024-2025. 

Our vision is to inspire people across Nottinghamshire to read, learn and enjoy culture. 

1. Inspire Annual Review Video
2. Introduction from the Chair and Chief Executive
   
3. Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
   
4. Expenditure & Funding
5. Funding and Income Sources
6. Governance
7. Accreditations
8. 2024-25 highlights

Introduction from the Chair and Chief Executive

Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands), trading as Inspire, has enjoyed its ninth year of operations as we continue in our aim of inspiring Nottinghamshire communities to read, learn and enjoy culture.

Our forward plan 2022 – 2026 has underpinned our focus and development as an organisation, with the four priorities of quality, dynamism, inclusivity and sustainability being at the heart of the way we operate and deliver services.

We continue to have excellent staff and volunteers who are professional, skilled, enthusiastic, creative and committed to making a difference to communities, learners and students. As an organisation, we are more and more focused on the impact we make. From the new volunteer helping out at a Places of Welcome group or a young reader completing the Summer Reading Challenge, to the young person passing their GCSE maths or the Archive user completing their family tree, Inspire makes a real difference.

Our libraries are the heart of Inspire, with millions of visits and over 300 events, exhibitions, and courses available each week. The value of reading and literacy is at the centre of our programming, with reading for pleasure having benefits for literacy, mental health, wellbeing and opening worlds not limited by our mobility or imaginations.

Our Inspire Community Makers volunteers continue to grow in number and impact in a range of projects and events. The Bookstart gifting programme is reaching nearly all babies and toddlers, the Summer Reading Challenge had a bumper year, and the Letterbox Club continues to connect with children and young people looked after by Nottinghamshire County Council.

Our learning services continue to support leaners to gain skills and qualifications to build new confidence, start business and gain employment. The three-year Multiply adult numeracy programme was successfully completed, giving thousands of people improved essential skills.

On a national stage, Inspire continues in the successful delivery of the Arts Council funded National Portfolio programme, and through the Living Knowledge Network, we are able to bring resources from the British Library, alongside resources from Nottinghamshire Archives, to audiences across Nottinghamshire. This year this included the Beyond the Bassline exhibition which highlighted and celebrated Black British music.

This year our annual report provides more information about what we have delivered and the outcomes. We do hope you are inspired to support and join us. In leading the board and the organisation, we are proud of the success and development of the Society.

Margot Madin - Chair of the Board

Peter Gaw - Chief Executive Officer

During 2024/2025 Inspire saw income of £24,092,190 and expenditure of £23,902,797 giving a surplus in the year of £189,393. These figures include an actuary adjustment, reported under the Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102), resulting in a surplus on the Local Government Pension Scheme funds. Recognition of this surplus under FRS 102 should only be made to the extent that an employer can expect to ensure the future economic benefit from it, either by paying a reduced rate of contributions or taking a refund. It is not anticipated that the next actuarial valuation will result in a reduction in contributions or a refund, so the full surplus has therefore been removed from the accounts, and the pension valuation is shown as a breakeven position at the year-end.

Removing the actuary adjustments gives a clearer indication of Inspire’s financial performance. This results in a surplus in the year of £262,393. This is made up of a decrease in restricted funds of £266,208, an increase in restricted fixed asset funds of £41,106, an increase in designated funds of £272,840 and an increase in unrestricted funds of £214,656.

Inspire – Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) is a community benefit society with charitable status. Inspire is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number 7139). 

The main board is made up of 12 Directors; four Community Directors (elected by our members), two County Council nominated, four co-opted, one Staff Director (elected by staff members) and the Chief Executive Officer. There are committees in the following areas: 

• Audit and Finance 
• Learning and Skills 
• Culture and Heritage 
• Staffing and Standards. 

Inspire continues to achieve recognition and accreditation from a number of external bodies covering many of our services: