The Reader, the UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity, based at the historic Mansion House in Calderstones Park, Liverpool, is set to amplify its impact thanks to a £159,000 social investment from our Livv and Flourish fund.
This investment – comprising a £144,000 loan and a £15,000 grant – will support the expansion of The Reader’s innovative Shared Reading programme and enable a range of improvements at its Calderstones home. These include enhancing visitor facilities, widening access to literature and culture and strengthening the charity’s long-term sustainability.
Planned upgrades include improved Wi-Fi connectivity, refreshed event areas and new cinema equipment to support the exciting launch of Liverpool’s largest open-air cinema. Further investment will enhance the on-site bookshop and outdoor spaces, enriching the overall visitor experience.
The grant will also contribute to the hiring of a new sales coordinator over the next two years, helping to grow The Reader’s reach and commercial resilience.
For more than 20 years, The Reader has championed the simple but powerful idea that reading aloud together can change lives. Today, it runs more than 440 free Shared Reading groups across the UK – including 118 in the Liverpool City Region – helping to reduce loneliness, improve mental health and wellbeing, and create spaces for meaningful social connections.
This new investment will help The Reader to reach more people, expand its impact, and do even more in the community.
Tom Wilde, our Director of Community Investment & Engagement commented: “Our investment in The Reader is about more than just funding – it’s about helping people connect, belong and thrive. By expanding access to Shared Reading groups, and supporting new cultural experiences like the open-air cinema, we’re proud to help create inclusive spaces where communities can come together, share stories and support one another.
“The Reader’s work aligns perfectly with our commitment to wellbeing, inclusion and opportunity. Through this partnership, we’re not only supporting mental health and social connection, but also backing a charity that creates real pathways to skills, volunteering and employment – all essential for building stronger, more resilient communities.”
Jemma Guerrier, Managing Director of The Reader, commented: “We are so pleased to have received this investment from Livv Housing Group. This partnership will enable us to welcome more people to the growing community at Calderstones through new activities and volunteering opportunities. For many charities like ours, the ability to increase earned income is more important now than ever before. This investment will support our financial resilience so that we can continue to read aloud with adults and children in communities in Liverpool and beyond.”
We launched our Livv and Flourish fund in 2024, offering £4.25million of blended finance to support social enterprises and charities across the Liverpool City Region through to 2027.
Part-funded by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment – the fund combines flexible loans and grants to provide the finance purpose-driven charities and social enterprises need to sustain or grow their impact.
Applications for investment from the Livv and Flourish fund are open. Offering a blend of grant and unsecured loan finance of up to £200,000 per application, recipients will receive tailored support throughout the process from our Livv Investment team to take their enterprise to the next level.