## **PAGAN AID** 

# **Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements** 

_For the reporting period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025_ 

Registered Charity Number: 1158075 

_Prepared by the trustees in accordance with section 162 of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008._ 



## **Contents** 

1.  Reference and Administrative Details 

2.  Chair's Foreword 

3.  Structure, Governance and Management 

4.  Objectives and Activities 

5.  Achievements and Performance 

6.  Risk Management 

7.  Plans for Future Periods 

8.  Trustees' Responsibilities Statement 

9. Declaration 



## **1. Reference and Administrative Details** 

**Charity name and registration** 

**Charity name** Pagan Aid **Registered charity number** 1158075 

**Country of registration** England and Wales **Website** www.pagainaid.org **Email** webmaster@paganaid.org 

## **Trustees who served during the year** 

The trustees who held office during the reporting period (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025) and up to the date of approval of this report were: 

|**Name**|**Role**|
|---|---|
|Bob Monks|Chair|
|Rebecca North|Vice Chair|
|Suzy Dymond-White|Secretary|
|Pauline Pitchford|Treasurer|
|Helen Kerr|Membership|
|Alexia Costadina Katsaitis|Webmaster|
|Sif Brooks|Social Media|
|Paul Pearson|Trustee|



## **Patrons** 

Pagan Aid is supported by a number of patrons who endorse the work of the charity. Names of current patrons: Professor Ronald Hutton and Samantha Giles 

## **Key management personnel and operational leads** 

**Health and Safety Lead** Rebecca North 

**Complaints Lead** 

Bob Monks 



**Safeguarding Lead** Alexia Costadina Katsaitis **GDPR / Data Protection** Helen Kerr **Lead** 

**Professional advisers Bankers** The Co-operative Bank plc **Online payments** PayPal; Stripe (under reinstatement at year-end) 



## **2. Chair's Foreword** 

The twelve months from July 2024 to June 2025 have been a year of renewal for Pagan Aid. After a deliberate period of consolidation, often referred to by trustees as a period of 'hibernation', the charity has used the year to rebuild its foundations: refreshing its branding and website, putting in place a full suite of policies and procedures to meet Charity Commission expectations, and preparing the ground for a public relaunch at Beltane 2025. 

Trustees have met monthly throughout the period, with attendance kept under careful review and actions tracked through a single, living action log. The relaunch was marked by a successful presence at the Festival for Pagans and Witches in May 2025, where the charity raised significant funds, gained new mailing-list supporters and generated genuine momentum for our first new campaign in some time, Seeds for Bees. 

I am grateful to my fellow trustees for their commitment, to our patrons for their continued endorsement, and to all those supporters who have stayed with us through this quieter period and are now helping us to grow again. 

_On behalf of the trustees_ 



## **3. Structure, Governance and Management** 

## **Governing document and constitution** 

Pagan Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales. The charity is governed by its board of trustees. Its purposes and powers are set out in that governing document. 

## **Trustee recruitment, appointment and induction** 

Trustees are appointed in accordance with the charity's governing document. New trustees receive an induction covering Pagan Aid's objects, current campaigns, policies and procedures, and their legal duties as charity trustees. During the year all trustees were asked to submit a 200-300 word biography for publication on the website to support transparency about the people governing the charity. Detailed induction procedures: 

## **Organisation and decision-making** 

The trustees are responsible for the overall direction of the charity. Day-to-day decisions are taken at monthly online checkpoint meetings, supplemented by working groups for specific tasks An action log is maintained from meeting to meeting so that progress on every decision can be tracked transparently. 

Officers serving during the year: 

- Chair – Bob 

- Vice Chair – Bex 

- Secretary – Suzy 

- Treasurer – Pauline 

- Membership – Helen 

- Webmaster – Alexia 

- Social Media – Sif 

- Trustee – Paul 

## **Frequency and conduct of meetings** 

The trustees met monthly online throughout the reporting period. Meetings opened and closed with words of welcome and farewell shared by trustees in turn, in keeping with the ethos of the charity. Minutes were approved at the following meeting and outstanding actions reviewed. Meetings held within the reporting period included those of 4 November 2024, 2 December 2024, 24 February 2025, 24 March 2025, 14 April 2025, 12 May 2025 and 9 June 2025. 

In May 2025 the trustees agreed in principle to introduce an Annual Trustee Away Day, moving towards meeting in person at least once a year, with the charity contributing 50% towards pooled travel costs to make participation accessible. 

## **Policies and procedures** 

Bringing the charity's policy framework up to date was a major focus of the year. The following policies were drafted, reviewed by trustees, and prepared for publication on the website and submission to the Charity Commission ahead of the public relaunch: 



- Safeguarding policy 

- Health and Safety policy 

- Complaints and Disciplinary policy 

- Business Plan 

- Environmental policy 

- Equality and Inclusion policy 

- Data Protection / GDPR review of how membership details are stored 

Trustees agreed to keep the Equality and Inclusion policy under active review in light of recent legal developments, and to put each policy on a rolling review cycle, with a log of policy review dates shared at every meeting. 

## **Risk management** 

Trustees considered risks and issues as a standing agenda item under the Vice Chair's responsibility. Specific operational risks identified and addressed during the reporting period included: 

- GDPR and the storage of member data, with a review led by the Membership trustee. 

- Email and account hygiene, where outdated role-based names were corrected to reduce the risk of mis-delivery. 

- Bank signatory updates, ensuring authorised signatories reflected current trustees. 

- Charity Commission compliance, addressed through a refreshed policy suite and the appointment of dedicated Health and Safety and Complaints leads. 

- Reputational risk in relation to incoming partnership requests, managed by reviewing each request against the charity's objects and declining those that did not align (for example, a request from an Eastern European charity, and a request linked to a Yemeni campaign, both of which were declined for reasons recorded in the minutes). 

A formal risk register summarising principal risks and the controls in place is maintained by trustees. 



## **4. Objectives and Activities** 

## **Charitable objects** 

The charity's objects, as set out in its governing document, are to protect Mother Earth and promote sustainable living, grounding our work in the recognition that all life is interconnected. Through education, funding for grassroot initiatives, and fostering spiritual and ecological wisdom, we are committed to making a tangible, lasting impact on the environment. 

In broad terms, Pagan Aid exists to support charitable work that reflects pagan values of respect for, and protection of, the natural world. The trustees pursue these objects through education, campaigning and grant-making in support of partner organisations and projects that align with this ethos. 

## **Public benefit statement** 

The trustees confirm that they have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit when planning the charity's activities. The activities described in this report are undertaken to advance the charity's objects for the benefit of the public, with particular reference to environmental protection, education and the support of communities, including communities served by partner organisations such as the Prison Chaplaincy. 

## **Strategy and main activities** 

During the reporting period (July 2024 to June 2025) the trustees focused on the following main activities: 

- Online presence and communications: rebuilding the charity's website, refreshing branding, and preparing print materials (leaflets, posters, banner and QR codes) for use at events and in suitable businesses such as cafes, bookshops and pagan venues. 

- Membership and supporter engagement: preparing a new online membership form, reviewing GDPR-compliant storage of member data, and welcoming new supporters who joined via the Festival for Pagans and Witches. 

- Campaigning and grant-making: progressing the Seeds for Bees campaign in partnership with the Prison Chaplaincy and seed supplier Meadow Mania, and assessing other inbound partnership requests against the charity's objects. 

- Partnership development: producing a Partnership Paper to support consistent first contact with potential partner organisations. 

- Governance and compliance: refreshing policies, updating bank signatories, appointing Health and Safety and Complaints leads, and preparing for a public relaunch at Beltane 2025. 

## **Volunteers** 

Pagan Aid is run wholly by its volunteer trustees, supported by occasional volunteers and by enquiries from members of the public who have offered help via the website. The trustees are grateful for the time freely given by all who have supported the charity during the reporting period. 



## **5. Achievements and Performance** 

The trustees regard the year from July 2024 to June 2025 as a period of measurable progress against their stated priority of preparing the charity for an active relaunch. Highlights are set out below. 

## **Relaunch and brand refresh** 

Through the year the trustees undertook a comprehensive rebuild of the charity's online presence. A new website was developed, with content, branding and navigation reviewed by all trustees and described in the March 2025 meeting as 'extremely favourable... matches the ethos of Pagan Aid, is attractive and easy to navigate'. By the end of the year the website included a calendar, a draft membership joining form, and links to the charity's published policies. 

Print materials, including a flier with QR code and a banner, were designed and ordered ready for distribution at events. Pagan Aid relaunched publicly at Beltane 2025. 

## **Festival for Pagans and Witches** 

Pagan Aid had a prominent presence at the Festival for Pagans and Witches in May 2025. The festival was well attended and described by trustees as a great success. It gave the charity an opportunity to raise awareness, talk about its work, and sign up new supporters to the mailing list. A significant donation was raised at the festival, recorded in the May meeting as a 'large contribution' to the charity's funds. 

Festival outcomes: amount raised at the Festival for Pagans and Witches: £6,000 

## **Seeds for Bees campaign** 

Following an approach from the Prison Pagan Chaplain, Helene Mobius, the trustees agreed to develop a new campaign to support bee-friendly planting in prisons. After discussion across several meetings, the trustees agreed an indicative supporting amount in the range of £600£800 and identified Meadow Mania as a suitable seed supplier. 

By June 2025 the trustees had agreed a way forward in which a letter would be drafted to send directly to prisons offering bee-friendly seeds, with seeds dispatched directly from the supplier. The Chaplain General's office had agreed to support the rollout across the prison estate. The trustees also identified contingency routes through special hospitals, youth custody settings and SEND schools, should the prison-based route not progress. 

## **Education campaigns and content** 

The Education Working Group developed proposals for online roundtables, seminars and a library of recorded talks to be hosted on the website. Topics under consideration during the year included links between mysticism and nature, spiritual and mental health and horticulture, and the relationship between food and spirituality. Trustees also pursued opportunities to publish articles in pagan media, including Greenmantle magazine, and celebrated a published article on the Pagan Federation site. 



## **Partnerships and inbound requests** 

A Partnership Paper was drafted to support consistent first contact with potential partner organisations. During the year the trustees considered several unsolicited approaches, including a request from an Eastern European charity and a request related to a Yemeni campaign. In each case the trustees reviewed the request against the charity's objects and available resources, and where the request did not align, declined courteously. The trustees also began a review of long-standing supporters listed on the website who contribute a percentage of their business income, to confirm whether they wished to renew their commitment. 

## **Governance achievements** 

- A complete refresh of the policy framework (Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Complaints and Disciplinary, Business Plan, Environmental, Equality and Inclusion, GDPR review). 

- Appointment of dedicated Health and Safety (Bex) and Complaints (Bob) leads, with the Pagan Federation acting as the escalation route for complaints involving the Chair. 

- Update of bank signatories with the Co-operative Bank, and re-issue of PayPal access details to current officers. 

- Decision to reinstate Stripe to make donations and membership payments easier, with a planned review around the Winter Solstice 2025. 

- Introduction of a single, transparent Action Log carried forward at each meeting. 

## **Key performance measures** 

Where quantitative information is available, this should be inserted in the table below. Where data is not yet available it is shown as [TO BE COMPLETED] and will be confirmed before submission to the Charity Commission. 

|**Measure**|**Jul 2024 - Jun 2025**|
|---|---|
|Number of trustee checkpoint meetings held|7 evidenced in minutes (Nov 2024, Dec|
||2024, Feb 2025, Mar 2025, Apr 2025, May|
||2025, Jun 2025)|
|Festival fundraising total (May 2025)|£6000|
|Total donations including Festival|£6542.40|
|Grants / campaign expenditure committed|£600 to AUK for a sensory tent|
||£673.24 for Seeds for Bees|
|Policies adopted / refreshed|7 (listed above)|





## **6. Risk Management** 

Risk management is a standing agenda item at trustee meetings. The principal risks identified by the trustees during the year, and the controls put in place, are summarised below. 

|**Risk area**|**Mitigation**|
|---|---|
|Charity Commission|Refreshed policy suite, appointment of H&S and Complaints|
|compliance|leads, planned submission of policies before relaunch.|
|Data protection (GDPR)|Membership Trustee leading review of how member data is|
||stored; charity assessed as believed-compliant subject to|
||final review.|
|Email / account integrity|Audit of role-based email accounts; clean-up of legacy|
||names; instructions circulated to trustees on account hygiene.|
|Banking and signatory risk|<br>Updating of Coop bank signatories – still outstanding. PayPal|
||access reissued to current Chair and Vice Chair.|
|Inappropriate partnership|Each external request reviewed against charity's objects;|
|requests|declined where not aligned (e.g. Eastern European charity|
||request, Yemeni-related request).|
|Reputational risk|Trustee biographies published on website; clear branding and|
||policy publication; transparent action log.|
|Trustee capacity /|Move to in-person Annual Trustee Away Day with charity|
|continuity|contributing 50% of pooled travel costs to encourage|
||participation.|





## **8. Plans for Future Periods** 

Looking ahead to the period beyond June 2025, the trustees' priorities are to: 

- Build on the Beltane 2025 relaunch to grow membership, mailing-list supporters and active engagement with the charity's work. 

- Deliver the Seeds for Bees campaign across the prison estate via the Chaplain General's office, with contingency routes through special hospitals, youth custody and SEND schools. 

- • Develop the planned online programme of roundtables, seminars and a library of talks on themes connecting nature, spirituality, mental health and food. 

- Reinstate Stripe to support easier online giving and review uptake at the Winter Solstice. 

- Hold the first Annual Trustee Away Day, supported by a 50% travel-cost contribution, to strengthen in-person collaboration. 

- Publish further articles in pagan media, including Greenmantle magazine and the Pagan Federation website, and develop a printed leaflet programme for distribution in suitable businesses. 

- Identify the next campaign nominations after Seeds for Bees, including the possible exploration of river-related conservation work inspired by current pagan-aligned cultural conversation. 

- Maintain a rolling review cycle of all charity policies, with particular ongoing attention to Equality and Inclusion in light of recent legal developments. 



## **9. Trustees' Responsibilities Statement** 

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: 

- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; 

- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and 

- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. 

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the charity's governing document. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 



## **10. Declaration** 

The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees' Annual Report above. 

Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees: 

|**Signature**|A.Katsaitis|
|---|---|
|**Full name**|Alexia Costadina Katsaitis|
|**Position**|Webmaster|
|**Date**|09.05.2026|
|**Signature**|P. Pitchford|
|**Full name**|Pauline Pitchford|
|**Position**|Treasurer|
|**Date**|13/5/26|



_This Trustees' Annual Report covers the reporting period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 and should be read alongside the charity's financial statements covering the same period and the independent examiner's / auditor's report. Where the charity's statutory financial year differs from this reporting period, the formal accounts retain that statutory basis._ 



Charity No: 1658075 

Jul 24-Jun 25 

PaganAid 

## **PaganAid Annual Finance Report** 

## **1 July 24 – 30 Jun 2025** 

## **Bank Balances** 

Coop Current Account Balance at 1 Jul 2024 PayPal Balance 1 Jul 2024 **TOTAL Balance 1 Jul 2024** 

£ 4,469.40 £    414.68 **£ 4,884.08** 

Coop Current Account Balance 30 June 2025 PayPal Balance at 30 June 2025 

£  8,997.35 £  1,354.61 

**TOTAL balance 30 Jun 2025** 

**Profit/Loss** 

**£ 10,351.96 £   5,467.88 (Profit)** 

## **Income and Expenditure** 

## **Income** 

Monthly Subscriptions Annual Subscriptions Donations **TOTAL** 

£      495.60 £        50.00 £   6,547.55 **£   7,093.15** 

## **Expenditure** 

Stripe Fees £        5.44 PayPal fees £      26.22 Mailbox £    180.00 Webhosting £      72.00 Expenses (Banner and Flyers)) £      68.37 Grants – AUK £     600.00 Seeds for Bees £     673.24 **TOTAL £  1,625.27** 

Prepared by Pauline Pitchford, Treasurer 2 September 2025