Trustee Annual Report and Financial Statement
For Year Ending 4 April 2023
Charity number 1200072
Registered address
58 Campion Place, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 3EH
Objectives and Activities
Kardec Group’s objectives are to advance the practice and application of Spiritism (also known as the Spiritist teachings, a Spiritualist Philosophy, as codified by Allan Kardec in the 1850s), by providing public study groups, meetings, and events about Spiritism and Spiritist ideals, and by such other charitable activities as the Trustees shall from time to time approve.
As a charitable organisation, Kardec Group runs the Spiritist Society of Windsor and Maidenhead, and the Spiritist Society of Bicester, as well as organising the SPIRITISMx seminars and other events and programmes, including fundraising activities.
Kardec Group works with and supports the British Union of Spiritist Societies, as well as other Spiritist groups in the UK and around the world.
Achievements and performance
Kardec Group gained CIO status in August 2022, having been a Charity of Unincorporated Association since 2019.
In mid-2022, The Spiritist Society of Windsor and Maidenhead returned to having faceto-face meetings in Maidenhead on Saturday mornings, with optional online participation as a hybrid scenario for those who preferred to attend online, and for those who were based in other regions or countries. Hybrid meetings were held every fortnight, and other weeks the meetings were online only. All necessary Covid-safe precautions were taken for face-to-face meetings, including ventilation, usage of face masks and distancing between attendees.
The Spiritist Society of Bicester continues to operate online only, on Wednesday evenings.
Both groups saw an increase in attendees during the year.
Kardec Group continued to maintain a library and bookshop of Spiritist literature and films. Kardec Group received second-hand books from the Oxford Spiritist Study Group as a donation.
Two fundraising campaigns were continued: the High Five campaign which supports Grupo Espirita Scheilla in Salvador, Brazil, as well as the Joanna de Angelis Translation Project.
Kardec Group continued with the creation and publication of the Insightfully Speaking podcast, as well as the SPIRITISMx seminar. The main theme of SPIRITISMx 2022 was “Views from the Beyond”, which was broadcast on 11[th] December 2022 via the Kardec Group YouTube and Facebook channels.
In February 2023, Kardec Group hosted three High Five fundraising events with Florencio Anton from Grupo Espirita Scheilla, who was in the UK to promote his work.
During the year, work continued with the Joanna de Angelis translation project, which is managed by Kardec Group trustees, using contract services of professional translators. The expectation is to finalise the first book in the first half of 2024.
Kardec Group also completed the new English translation of the book Green Light (Sinal Verde) and are in negotiations to publish the work.
Kardec Group has continued to maintain social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Financial Statement
Income
General donations to Kardec Group £821.26 Joanna de Angelis translation project £7112.88 High Five campaign £1916.06 High Five fundraising events £3432.43 Bookshop sales £148.42 Giftaid rebate £1337.22 Other income £166.00 GROSS INCOME £14934.27
Spend
Grants issued outside of the United Kingdom Grupo Espirita Scheilla (Brazil) £3377.11 Multi Irao (Brazil) £790.19 Total Grants £4167.30 Other and general expenses £3564.74 TOTAL SPEND £7732.04 Opening bank balance £2271.58 2022-2023 net balance £9473.81
Structure and governance
Kardec Group is a CIO registered in England and Wales. The CIO’s constitution forms Kardec Groups’ governing document and sets out the objects and governance arrangements.
Kardec Group’s trustees receive no renumeration for working on the CIO’s activities.
People who served as trustees of the charity in the year ended 4 April 2023 are:
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Adam Osborne (Chairperson, Treasurer), appointed 2019
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Valeria Osborne (Secretary) appointed 2019
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Ana Paula Villela, appointed 2019
To achieve its mission, Kardec Group is organised as a board of trustees and other suitable volunteers and third parties contracted by the CIO for the relevant work to be completed as per the objects of the constitution.
Future plans
Kardec Group plans to hold all weekly studies for the Spiritist Society of Windsor and Maidenhead as hybrid meetings, being in-person in Maidenhead as well as optional online participation.
Trustees from Kardec Group will represent the CIO and the Joanna de Angelis translation project at the First Joanna de Angelis International Congress, to be held in Assisi, Italy, in April 2023, and will also plan to visit Grupo Espirita Scheilla, which is supported by the High Five campaign, to see their work and activities, as well as visiting Mansao do Caminho, also in Salvador.
This report has been approved by the trustees of Kardec Group and is signed on their behalf by
Adam Osborne – Chairperson
Kardec Group
58 Campion Place, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 3EH
ogice@kardec.org.uk / www.kardec.org.uk