Ministry of Stories Trustees' Report and Financial Statements (year ended 31 March 2025)

Ministry of Stories is an east London charity that champions young people's voices through free creative writing and mentoring, run from behind Hoxton Street Monster Supplies. Its report covers the year to March 2025, when it worked with 1,376 children and young people.

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About

Hidden behind the doors of Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, Ministry of Stories runs weekly writing sessions where young people work with volunteer mentors to create stories, poems and more. Projects such as the audio and podcast series London Can't Make Up Its Mind, Spy School and Time to Write give young writers new ways to tell their stories, and Speak Up helps them find their voice through speech-writing. The charity also works in schools through the Writing Brighter Futures consortium in Tower Hamlets and the Hackney Writing Partnership, and young people's work is published and performed.

Key Metrics

Key Metric 1 Ministry of Stories worked with 1,376 children and young people in 2024/25.

Key Metric 2 It delivered 190 community sessions and 29 school programmes across 23 schools in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Islington, with 159 young people attending weekly sessions (78% attendance).

Key Metric 3 221 volunteers gave 3,078 hours, and total income was £474,374 against expenditure of £510,122 (GBP).

Key Outcomes

87% of young writers created work they felt proud of, 75% reported improved writing and 65% felt better about themselves; 92% felt safe at Ministry of Stories.
93% of parents noticed increased confidence in their child and 81% observed improved writing.
100% of teachers reported improved student writing and a positive impact on attainment, and 90% reported improved attitudes to writing; 91% of young writers came from the 30% most income-deprived postcodes.