Annual Review 2023-2024

This review gives you an insight into our work, and highlights some of our achievements, innovative projects and services during 2023-2024. 

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 2023-24
   
4. Expenditure & Funding
5. Funding and Income Sources
6. Governance
7. Accreditations
8. 2023-24 highlights

Introduction from the Chair and Chief Executive

Culture, Learning & Libraries (Midlands), trading as Inspire, has enjoyed its eighth 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. For the young person gaining a music qualification or passing their GSCE maths, the isolated person joining a Places of Welcome session and connecting with the community again, to the new business being supported or the adult learner gaining employment, the outcomes and the change Inspire makes can be immense.

Our libraries are the backbone of Inspire, with millions of visits and hundreds of events, exhibitions, and courses available each week. The value of reading and literacy is at the heart of the service, with reading for pleasure having benefits for literacy, mental health, wellbeing and opening worlds not limited by our mobility or imaginations. Our adult reading scheme has been a great success, supporting those who as adults have struggled to read and write to become proficient readers for the first time. This scheme is supported by our Inspire Community Makers volunteers and featured on national television. The Bookstart gifting programme is reaching nearly all babies and toddlers, the Summer Reading Challenge had a bumper year and the Letterbox programme aimed at looked after children continues to connect with young people looked after by the County Council.

On a national stage, Inspire has been successful in the delivery of the Arts Council funded National Portfolio 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 Chinese and British exhibition and events, and the Fantasy: Realms of Imagination programme looking at the Fantasy genre. 

The whole of Inspire has a strong commitment to excellent customer service, and the recent successful reaccreditation to the Customer Service Excellence standard, alongside Matrix reaccreditation provides external verification. Inflationary pressures have continued to provide significant challenges during the year. Good financial control and management of resources, plus support from Nottinghamshire County Council, have enabled a balanced outturn at the end of the financial year. Inspire has continued to expand, with increased funding from Arts Council England as part of the National Portfolio and successful delivery of the adult numeracy programme, Multiply, on behalf of the County Council, alongside other grant funded projects.

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.

John Cottee - Chair of the Board

Peter Gaw - Chief Executive Officer

During 2023/2024 Inspire saw income of £23,028,783 and expenditure of £23,045,682 giving a deficit in the year of £16,899. 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 £137,101. This is made up of a decrease in restricted funds of £21,744, an increase in restricted fixed asset funds of £27,475, and an increase in unrestricted funds of £131,370, £2,660 of which has been designated for the Education Library Service.

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: