T H E S W E D E N B O R G S O C I E T YTHE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2024REPORT 2024
THE TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTEENTH THE TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTEENTH REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2023 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2023
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## C H A R I T Y I N F O R M A T I O N
## PRESIDENT Homero Aridjis
## TRUSTEES
Chair: Rufus Moore, MA Hon. Treasurer: Erica Wyncoll Andrew Bentley, MA Revd Alan Cowley, MDiv Clare Cumberlidge Erika Heilman Dr Kristin King Alan Lewin Alexander Morley, MA Nigel Sutton
EMERITUS TRUSTEES John Cunningham, FCII David Lister, FRCS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Stephen McNeilly, MA
## BANKERS
HSBC Bank plc, 31 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HR
## INVESTMENT MANAGERS
Quilter Cheviot, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AB
## SOLICITORS
Gordons Partnership LLP, Edgeborough House, Upper Edgeborough Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2BJ
## AUDITORS
WMT CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS, 4 Beaconsfield Road, St Albans, AL1 3RD
## PROPERTY ADVISERS
Emmerson Barnett, Chartered Building Surveyors, Stanbrook Mead, Stanbrook, Thaxted, Essex, CM6 2NQ
The Swedenborg Society 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH Telephone: 020 7405 7986 Email: admin@swedenborg.org.uk Website: www.swedenborg.org.uk Charity number: 209172 Company number: 00209822 (England and Wales)
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## C O N T E N T S
CHARITY INFORMATION 2 CHAIRPERSON’S STATEMENT 5
THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
|OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES||
|---|---|
|PRIMARY OBJECTS|7|
|COVID-19|7|
|BOOK GRANTS|8|
|VOLUNTEERING & IN-KIND DONATIONS|8|
|ENHANCEMENT PLAN|8|
|PERFORMANCE INDICATORS|9|
|PUBLISHING||
|INTRODUCING SWEDENBORG SERIES|11|
|SWEDENBORG REVIEW|11|
|DUAL LANGUAGE EDITIONS|12|
|THE SWEDENBORG COLLECTED EDITION|12|
|STUDY GUIDES|12|
|SWEDENBORG’S LUSTHUS|13|
|TREMULATIONS|13|
|HISTORIES & HAUNTINGS|13|
|‘FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE’|14|
|WORKS IN PREPARATION|14|
|EBOOKS|14|
|DISTRIBUTION|15|
|CAFÉ & BOOKSHOP|17|
|EVENTS||
|READINGS & SCREENINGS|19|
|TALKS & TOURS|19|
|PERFORMANCES & WORKSHOPS|20|
|COLLABORATIVE EVENTS|21|
|THE SWEDENBORG FILM FESTIVAL|21|
|MUSEUM||
|EXHIBITIONS|23|
|IN PLANNING|25|
|THE SWEDENBORG RESIDENCY|25|
|LIBRARY & ARCHIVE||
|ACCREDITATION|27|
|VISITORS|27|
|STORAGE|27|
|ACQUISITIONS|28|
|EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES||
|THE SWEDENBORG DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP|29|
|ACADEMIC / PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS|30|
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CONTENTS
|THE BUILDING||
|---|---|
|UPGRADES|31|
|FIRE PREVENTION & SECURITY|31|
|ACCESS|31|
|MAINTENANCE|32|
|GREEN SPACES|32|
|GREEN HOUSEKEEPING|32|
|DIGITAL MEDIA||
|WEBSITE|33|
|SOCIAL MEDIA|33|
|YOUTUBE & LIVE STREAMING|34|
|SWEDENBORG RADIO|34|
|FINANCIAL REVIEW||
|RISKS & UNCERTAINTIES|35|
|INVESTMENT POLICY|36|
|RESERVES POLICY|36|
|DONATIONS & LEGACIES|36|
|GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT||
|GOVERNANCE|39|
|AGM & 2023 COUNCIL ELECTION|39|
|MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL DURING 2023|39|
|THE ADVISORY & REVISION BOARD|40|
|STAFF|40|
|VOLUNTEERS|40|
|HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY|40|
|COMPANY MATTERS|41|
|PUBLIC BENEFIT|41|
|STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL’S RESPONSIBILITIES|41|
THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
|INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT|43|
|---|---|
|STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES|48|
|BALANCE SHEET|49|
|STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS|50|
|NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS|52|
|OBJECTS OF THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY|65|
|MISSION STATEMENT|65|
|SUBSCRIPTIONS|65|
|DONATIONS & LEGACIES|66|
|LIST OF COLLECTORS|66|
CONTENTS
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## C H A I R P E R S O N ’ S S T A T E M E N T
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We are happy to report many new and exciting developments at Swedenborg House during 2023. Not only have we recorded our highest ever visitor numbers but we have also seen the introduction of several major new projects and ventures.
The first major development involved the opening of the café in the bookshop. This has been in planning for several years, but it has finally come to fruition. Working closely with our partners Arcana Coffee, the bookshop now provides a welcoming and comfortable space for our Friends and Members plus a community hub for new visitors. The longterm aim for the café is to support our ever-broadening events programme whilst offering refreshments to our tenants, room hirers and gallery visitors. We have already seen a vast upturn in book sales, and we are optimist of increasing visitor numbers year on year.
A second major development is the ground floor gallery. Now in its second year, it has already established an international programme of events and exhibitions. For 2023 this included the exhibition _Tremulations_ , which was curated by former director of the Moderna Museet, Daniel Birnbaum with film producer Jacqui Davies. In addition to this the gallery also staged the exhibition _Histories & Hauntings_ curated by the London writer Iain Sinclair, which featured work by Renchi Bicknell and Brian Catling. Connected to these two exhibitions we hosted a broad range of talks, activities, and workshops.
The Society also saw great advancements with institutional collaborations. Standout events involved the blockbuster summer exhibition at Tate Modern entitled _Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life_ , and _Swedish Ecstasy_ , the major survey exhibition staged at Bozar in Brussels. In both cases the Swedenborg Society provided items on loan. The Society also worked in partnership with numerous other organizations including the art publisher Buchhandlung Walther Koenig, The Blake Society and The Linnean Society. Much of this work centred around the ground floor gallery, which has already proven to be an invaluable platform for promoting and engaging with Swedenborg’s work and influence.
Next year we anticipate greater success via the café and the event programme. The _Swedenborg Review_ continues to gain momentum and events through-out the year are now reaching capacity. Great work continues with our academic scholarships and the overall range of activities and multi-layered approach—including children’s workshops, film festival, seminars, talks, book launches and exhibitions—continues to draw in a wider audience. Much of this is made possible by the generosity of the donations and legacies we receive that enable us to be more ambitious than we might otherwise have been.
On behalf of the board of Trustees I would like to thank everyone who has made the achievements of 2023 possible. In particular, the staff, interns, volunteers, café partners and contractors, all of whom, aside from their impressive professional output, make any visit or engagement with Swedenborg House a unique and pleasurable experience. I would also like to thank my fellow board members for the time commitment and expertise that they bring, albeit often at an awkward hour. Chief amongst them our commendable chair, Alan Lewin. Finally, I would like to thank Stephen McNeilly, our chief Executive, whose leadership helps us all to realize the shared endeavour of bringing the influence and relevance of Emanuel Swedenborg to an ever-widening audience.
_Rufus Moore_ (Chair)
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CHAIRPERSON’S STATEMENT
& A C T I V I T I E S O B J E C T I V E S & A C T I V I T I E S
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THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
## O B J E C T I V E S & A C T I V I T I E S
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## P R I M A R Y O B J E C T S
The Society exists to provide for the continuation of the public knowledge of the works of Emanuel Swedenborg and the appreciation of Swedenborg’s ideas and influence on later generations. The primary charitable objects of the Swedenborg Society are summarized as:
- _To print, publish, purchase, sell and distribute as grants the literary remains of Emanuel Swedenborg plus biographies and literature in agreement with his writings;_
- _To organize meetings, lectures, conferences and other functions as a means of directing attention to, and promoting interest in, the works of Swedenborg;_
- _To encourage study of the works of Swedenborg._
The Society undertakes a number of activities to further these objectives:
- _We grant books to public and university libraries;_
- _We organize events, lectures, seminars and exhibitions at Swedenborg House;_
- _We develop links with academic institutions to assist the research and study of Swedenborg’s writings and their impact on later philosophical thought;_
- _We operate a bookshop to make the writings of Swedenborg and later books based on his ideas available to the public;_
- _We house a library, archive and museum and a permanent collection of artefacts;_
- _We foster a community to all who share an interest in or a curiosity about the ideas and works of Swedenborg._
C O V I D - 1 9
In recent Annual Reports, the trustees included a ‘Post balance sheet event note’ outlining their concerns and the dangers then facing the Society in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In those Reports there was presented an account of the various safeguarding measures needed to make sure that the Society’s operations were able to adjust to these changing economic conditions. As anticipated, income from room hire, book sales and the investment portfolio are returning to pre-pandemic levels and the measures described in previous reports have allowed the Society to safely navigate this uncertain period. The trustees believe that, on balance, the Society has so far responded positively to the difficulties posed by
OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES O B J E C T I V E S
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the pandemic. The trustees will continue to monitor the situation and prepare for ongoing difficulties that are likely to occur during 2024.
## B O O K G R A N T S
The Society continues in its policy of giving publications as grants to libraries, universities and other public institutions in the UK and overseas. The Society is also a member of an umbrella body called Swedenborg Publishers International (SPI), which provides funding for translation and publishing projects around the world. The Society is keen to further its efforts in this sphere and is taking an active role in providing financial support for translating projects and research.
## V O L U N T E E R I N G & I N - K I N D D O N A T I O N S
The Society is fortunate to be able to draw on a vital team of volunteers and inkind giving to assist with the furtherance of its objectives. Much of this effort continues to be provided by members of the Society’s Advisory and Revision Board, who also play a crucial role in establishing a suitable forum for scholarly discussion and publishing strategy. In-kind giving here includes specialist work in translating, translation consultancy, editing, research, copy-editing and proofreading. Other in-kind giving includes design, artwork and photography. When open to the public, the Society’s bookshop draws upon the vital support of volunteers who also assist in welcoming visitors during events at Swedenborg House. Warm thanks are extended to all those who have offered their time or provided specialist expertise, free of charge, during 2023.
## E N H A N C E M E N T P L A N
In 2014, the Trustees announced broad plans for a range of enhancements to the Society’s activities and infrastructure. During 2023 significant progress was made in several key areas. The first was the completion of the café in the bookshop. After several trial days earlier in the year, and catering at various Swedenborg Society events, the Arcana Coffee shop was launched and running daily between Mondays-Fridays from December 2023. An immediate increase in visitors was noticed. Work was also completed on refurbishing and converting part of the basement into office space. Plans are underway to convert additional space in the basement for improved storage of stock, room hire equipment, and archival material. Work was also completed converting the ground floor office demise into a museum/exhibition space. Four exhibitions were staged in 2023, demonstrating the space’s adaptability to the needs of both external and in-house curatorial needs. Each exhibition required tailored lighting, decoration and display equipment. Two of the exhibitions also extended into rooms elsewhere at Swedenborg House (including Swedenborg Hall, the bookshop, the staircases and the Wynter Room), opening up the building to the public on a daily basis and in ways that accord with our ongoing plans to increase public engagement. The year also saw the continuation of the Society’s aim to establish formal or informal academic and professional partnerships. New institutional partnerships for 2023 included Tate
> 8 OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES
Modern, the Royal Drawing School, Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Buchhandlung Walther Koenig, The Blake Society, The Linnean Society, the Konstakademien in Stockholm, Open City, Anglia Ruskin University, Tower Hamlets Council, Acute Art and Bokförlaget Stolpe. Plans are underway to explore new book distributors for forthcoming and existing titles. Plans are underway for the Society to take part in the 2024 London Book Fair at Kensington Olympia.
P E R F O R M A N C E I N D I C A T O R S
The Council monitors the Society’s performance through a range of financial and non-financial performance indicators. The key ones are:
||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|Number of visitors|5600|5,206|
|Online engagement|20,383|7,020|
|Number of Members|588|599|
|Number of Friends|274|214|
|Social media followers|8693|6,187|
|Distribution|3251|4,257|
|Contribution from property|£126,976|£116,749|
Installation view _Tremulations_ © The Quinn Fizzlers
OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES 9
**P U B L I S H I N G** P U B L I S H I N G 10
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## P U B L I S H I N G
The Swedenborg Society continues its commitment to publish and translate Swedenborg’s works and to produce a diverse range of publications exploring his intellectual and cultural impact. Titles in preparation include new English translations of Swedenborg’s books; dual-language Latin-English editions of Swedenborg; scholarly study guides; introductory books; exhibition catalogues and art books; and academic studies. The Society’s publishing programme also features the Collected Works of Swedenborg—a new scholarly edition of Swedenborg’s work encompassing his entire published output, utilizing new English translations and some existing English translations modified for consistency of style alongside fresh critical apparatus and scholarly introductions.
## I N T R O D U C I N G S W E D E N B O R G S E R I E S
Already published in this series are two titles: _Introducing Swedenborg_ , a short biography by Peter Ackroyd; and _Introducing Swedenborg: Correspondences_ , an overview of one of Swedenborg’s most enduring ideas, by Gary Lachman. The books are designed to bring Swedenborgian content to new readerships. Ackroyd’s book was the bestselling book in 2023 in the Society’s Bloomsbury bookshop, and Gary Lachman spoke on his book in connection with the highprofile exhibition, _Swedish Ecstasy_ , held at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. More titles are in planning.
## S W E D E N B O R G R E V I E W
Issue 0.04 of the _Swedenborg Review_ was printed in November 2022, with a companion launch event of live readings and screenings taking place on 15 February 2023. The _Review_ highlights the literary, historical and cultural importance of Swedenborg and the activities of the Swedenborg Society, and develops professional and cultural links with contemporary writers and reviewers through a range of essays, interviews and photographic features. Published in full colour in a compact newspaper format, it helps to give focus and place the Society’s publication and cultural events programme across a broad community of researchers, readers, Members, Friends and scholars. Issue 0.04 was guest edited, in part, by the curator, film producer and writer Gareth Evans. The event to launch issue 0.04 of the _Swedenborg Review_ in February 2023 saw readings in Swedenborg Hall by David Harsent, Gillian McIver, Michiko Oki, Sally O’Reilly, Nicholas Royle, Iain Sinclair and Stephen Watts; joined by a screening programme of short films and exclusive preview excerpts from: Chiara Ambrosio, Josh Appignanesi, Oliver Bancroft, Martin Cottis, Stanley Schtinter and Andrea Luka Zimmerman. The night also featured an exclusive installation in the bookshop from the artists and filmmakers the Brothers Quay. Work continued throughout the year on issue 0.05, which is due for publication
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PUBLISHING
in the summer of 2024. The editorial team of the _Swedenborg Review_ includes: Stephen McNeilly (General Editor); James Wilson (Content Editor); Jonathan Sellers (Art Editor); Avery Curran (Copy Editor); and Anya Reeve.
## D U A L L A N G U A G E E D I T I O N S
A new dual language Latin-English edition of _De Nova Hierosolyma et ejus Doctrina Coelesti_ / _New Jerusalem and Heaven’s Teaching for It_ was published in July 2023. The book is edited by John Elliott, with the English translation being by John Elliott and John Chadwick. John Elliott completed a new English translation and newly edited Latin text of _Prophets and Psalms_ , for the next volume in the dual language Latin-English series. John is working on a new introduction with the aim for publication in 2024. The dual language series highlights and continues the Society’s stated commitment to preserve and promote the Latin texts of Swedenborg as primary source material for ongoing research and study.
## T H E S W E D E N B O R G C O L L E C T E D E D I T I O N
The aim of the series is to publish, in unabridged form, an authoritative English edition of Swedenborg’s complete published works with full academic apparatus in line with university press standards. It is intended for this series to underpin new scholarly and institutional projects and also to serve as a primary resource for new doctoral research. This year saw work continue in preparing new editions of _Heaven and Hell_ , _The Last Judgment_ and _The Worlds in Space_ . K C Ryder, with consultant Robert Gill, completed the translation of Swedenborg’s _Divine Providence_ . The aim is to publish this work conjointly with K C Ryder’s previously completed translation of Swedenborg’s _Divine Love and Wisdom_ . Both texts are being looked over to achieve consistency of style for presentation in the Collected Works of Swedenborg edition. Stephen McNeilly is to serve as the Series Editor for the Collected Edition with the support of the in-house publishing team. Introductions to the works are to be commissioned from a broad range of academics and will be peer reviewed in line with broader academic standards. Accompanying and counterpointing the publication of English translations will be a new series of Latin editions.
## S T U D Y G U I D E S
Work continued on preparing volumes 4 and 5 of Norman Ryder’s _A Descriptive Bibliography of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772)_ for print publication. Plans are also being put in place for a digital and online version of the project that will enable records of new editions and translations of Swedenborg from around the world to continue to be logged going forwards. A new revised edition of the Society’s academic anthology, _Philosophy, Literature, Mysticism: an anthology of essays on the work and influence of Emanuel Swedenborg_ is almost complete and significant progress has been made on a follow-up volume focusing on art and social reform.
> 12 PUBLISHING
## S W E D E N B O R G ’S L U S T H U S
Featuring contributions from Chloe Aridjis, Anonymous Bosch, Arne Biornstad, Daniel Birnbaum, Hjalmar Gullberg, Stephen McNeilly, Iain Sinclair, Bridget Smith, Emanuel Swedenborg, Ben Wickey, Ken Worpole, along with an array of archival texts and images and a specially commissioned foreword by prizewinning author Deborah Levy, _Swedenborg’s Lusthus_ went to the printers in December 2023. The book will be launched on 27 January 2024 at the opening of a companion exhibition, curated by the book’s editor, Stephen McNeilly, at Swedenborg House: _Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place_ . It is planned for this new title to help spearhead contacts with new distributors. The book serves as a suitable ambassador for the Society’s archives and its new gallery, it also showcases both the scholarly and the creative expertise the Society possesses as a publisher.
## T R E M U L A T I O N S
Published in conjunction with the prestigious German art publisher Walther Koenig, Daniel Birnbaum & Jacqui Davies’s _Tremulations_ is the companion book to the exhibition of the same name staged at Swedenborg House across April to June 2023. It documents artworks by Mark Leckey, Hilma af Klint, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Tony Cokes, Marcel Duchamp, Yayoi Kusama, Grace Ndiritu, Meret Oppenheim, Peter Saville, Emanuel Swedenborg and Apichatpong Weerasethakul and showcases the new exhibition and museum programme at Swedenborg House. The _Tremulations_ publication has been beautifully designed to replicate the iconic Transactions series issued by the Swedenborg Society in the 1930s. It features 48 colour illustrations of the original exhibition and art works, including installation views, and stills from the cinematic and virtual reality artworks that featured. An introduction by Daniel Birnbaum & Jacqui Davies shed lights on the contexts and motivating ideas behind the exhibition, further elucidated throughout the book by carefully chosen quotations from Swedenborg’s ‘Nine Rules of Tremulations’ and extracts from writers including Samuel Beckett, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Marcel Duchamp, Briony Fer, Clarice Lispector, Edgar Allan Poe and Raymond Roussel. The book was printed at the end of 2023 and has already been stocked across a wide range of bookshops of galleries and museums around Europe. A formal launch is planned in 2024 at the Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm.
## H I S T O R I E S & H A U N T I N G S
To accompany the exhibition _Histories & Hauntings: Correspondences from the Whitechapel Gallery (1974) to Swedenborg House. Through image and action_ , a companion publication was produced conjointly by the Swedenborg Archive and Albion Village Press. Printed in a limited run of 200 hand-numbered copies, in 5 loose fascicle bound together with a wraparound, and only available to visitors as a supplementary item to the exhibition, the catalogue was edited by James Wilson and featured contributions from Iain Sinclair, Stephen McNeilly, Renchi
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Bicknell, Steve Dilworth, Claudia Barton, Carol Williams, Matthew Shaw, Brian Catling, Allen Fisher, Victor Rees, Gareth Evans, Anonymous Bosch and David Tolley. 120 copies of a standalone essay by Victor Rees to accompany the screening of Michael Whyte’s film _The Gourmet_ , on 16 October 2023, were also printed under the Swedenborg Archive / Albion Village Press imprint.
## ‘F O R A B E T T E R U N D E R S T A N D I N G O F L I F E’
A 24-page guide was printed to accompany the exhibition _‘For a better understanding of Life’: posters and promotional items from the Swedenborg Archive (1872-1996)._ The guide was prepared and written by the in-house curatorial team. Alex Murray and James Wilson produced commentaries on the items included in the exhibition and James Wilson provided an extended essay. Stephen McNeilly wrote an Afterword.
## W O R K S I N P R E P A R A T I O N
Following the completion of the book _Swedenborg’s Lusthus_ , at the end of 2023, other titles in this series are to include _The Story of Swedenborg in 99 Objects_ and _Swedenborg’s London_ . Edited by Stephen McNeilly, the aim of the series is to draw wider attention to the broader historical and cultural impact of Swedenborg’s influence. All titles in the series will look to combine photographic works and texts commissioned from internationally recognized authors, academics and artists, with research undertaken by our in-house editorial and archive team. All titles will also look to draw upon items held in national collections in the UK, Sweden, the US and elsewhere. New books in preparation for the bestselling Swedenborg Archive series include _An Evening with Mr Benn and David McKee_ ; a new expanded edition of _An Angel Speaks_ by Homero Aridjis; and a new edition of Ken Worpole’s _The New Jerusalem: the Good City and the Good Society_ . Explorations are underway to reissue this series in pocket paperback. A book version of Chloe Aridjis’s hugely popular _Stilled Shadows_ magic lantern show is underway; so too is a new and expanded version of the _Histories & Hauntings_ publication.
## E B O O K S
The Society has 10 titles in ebook format. These include _Introducing Swedenborg: Correspondences_ by Gary Lachman; Carl Robsahm’s _Memoirs of Swedenborg and other Documents_ ; P L Johnson’s _The Five Ages_ ; R W Emerson’s _Swedenborg: Introducing the Mystic_ ; Kristin King’s _Gardens of Heaven_ ; Iain Sinclair’s _Blake’s London_ ; Anders Hallengren’s _The Grand Theme & other Essays_ ; and three volumes of the journal: _In Search of the Absolute: Essays on Swedenborg and Literature_ ; _Between Method and Madness: Essays on Swedenborg and Literature_ ; and _The Arms of Morpheus: Essays on Swedenborg and Mysticism_ . Other titles planned for ebook conversion include William Rowlandson’s _Imaginal Landscapes: reflections on the mystical visions of Jorge Luis Borges and Emanuel Swedenborg;_ John S Haller, Jr’s _Distant Voices: Sketches of a Swedenborgian World View;_ Ken
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Worpole’s _The New Jerusalem: the Good City and the Good Society;_ Malcolm Peet’s _Medicine, Mysticism, Mythology: Garth Wilkinson, Swedenborg and Nineteenth-Century Esoteric Culture;_ and Iain Sinclair’s _Swimming to Heaven_ . Ebook formats are included in the Society’s publication strategy going forward, including its new translations of Swedenborg and the landmark Collected Works of Swedenborg edition.
## D I S T R I B U T I O N
In 2023, 34 titles were distributed across the UK and abroad by Combined Book Services of Tonbridge, Kent. Gillian Hawkins of Hawkins Publishing Services was the sales representative, and books were stocked by high-street chain Waterstones and Blackwells, as well as The Tate Museums’ bookshops, independent bookstores, such as London Review Bookshop, and online specialists such as Book Depository, Books etc., Paperback Shop, Rarewaves and Aphrohead. Orders to CBS from other distributors, such as Gardners, saw books supplied indirectly to other independent bookshops and online retailers (notably, Amazon). In the USA, the Swedenborg Foundation and their partner the Chicago Distribution Center, distributed 17 of the Swedenborg Society’s titles. Plans are underway to review the Society’s distribution within the broader framework of market trends, and attendance has been booked at the 2024 London Book Fair.
Cover designs for _Introducing Swedenborg_ by Peter Ackroyd
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B O O K S H O P B O O K S H O P & C A F É & C A F É
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## C A F É & B O O K S H O P
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## C A F É
Work was completed on installing a café within the bookshop. Named Arcana Coffee, the coffee shop was up and running in December 2023, having had several trial days earlier in the year, catering to Swedenborg Society events. Arcana Coffee is open daily Mondays-Fridays, 8.30 am – 3.30 pm, serving a range of high-quality teas, coffees, cold drinks and sweet and savoury cakes and pastries, for dine-in or takeaway. Plans are underway for the coffee shop to open at weekends in conjunction with exhibition openings and Swedenborg Society events. Catering packages will also be made available to hirers. It is anticipated that the coffee shop and a full programme of exhibitions open daily will see the number of visitors to Swedenborg House extending. The coffee shop will also provide increased hospitality for current visitors. All of this is aimed at developing increased book sales, foot traffic and awareness of the Swedenborg Society and Emanuel Swedenborg.
## B O O K S H O P
The Swedenborg House bookshop continues to play an important role in the activities of the Swedenborg Society. During 2023 it welcomed more than 5000 visitors. As front of house for the building it also provides a friendly welcome for customers, event attendees, researchers, hirers and contractors as well as our Friends and Members. With its easily recognizable and distinctive bow window onto Bloomsbury Way, its Victorian wooden cabinets and shelving (installed in 1925 from the Society’s old premises on Bloomsbury Street) and rotation of items from its museum and archive collection on prominent display, it also provides a focal point for passersby in London’s historic and literary Bloomsbury neighbourhood. Being surrounded by many of the capital city’s most distinguished cultural and academic institutions, galleries and museums, the bookshop is seen by and draws in many tourists and students who are new to London. The window, table and counter displays in the bookshop are regularly changed and new titles from other publishers stocked to showcase the incredibly diverse influence Swedenborg has had on literature and art. This year the bookshop welcomed the completion of a coffee shop element (for more see above) and also hosted wall texts and display items as part of several exhibitions. Work was commenced on refreshing the display of stock in the bookshop.
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## E V E N T S
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The events programme remains a key strategy for promoting the work of the Society and Swedenborg, as well as bringing in new people and existing Friends and Members. Where possible, events remain free to the public and seek to promote a variety of content and activities, including talks, conferences, reading groups, workshops, tours and the Swedenborg Film Festival. Details of the 2023 residency and exhibition programme are contained in the MUSEUM section on pages 23-26.
## R E A D I N G S & S C R E E N I N G S
— _An evening of live readings and film to celebrate the Swedenborg Review 0.04_ A companion event to celebrate issue 0.04 of the _Swedenborg Review_ , printed in December 2022, took place in a packed Swedenborg Hall on 15 February 2023. The night featured live readings and exclusive screenings from some of the issue’s contributors. There were readings from: David Harsent, Gillian McIver, Michiko Oki, Sally O’Reilly, Nicholas Royle, Iain Sinclair and Stephen Watts. This was followed by a second half screening programme of work from: Chiara Ambrosio, Josh Appignanesi, Oliver Bancroft, Martin Cottis, Stanley Schtinter and Andrea Luka Zimmerman. The Brothers Quay provided an exclusive installation piece in the form of a stereoscopic viewer featuring depictions from the forthcoming film _Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass_ .
## — _Cycle of Life: Dummy Jim’s First Decade_
The evening of 28 November 2023 saw a special screening of the film _Dummy Jim_ to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its release (and eight years since a memorable screening at Swedenborg House in 2015). The film is an adaptation of the memoir _I Cycled into the Arctic Circle_ by James Duthie, who became familiar with the work of Swedenborg on his travels. The film was introduced by director Matt Hulse, and followed by a conversation with Matt and the film’s editor Nick Currey, led by James Wilson. The spoken parts of the evening were live BSL interpreted by Jo Ross and there was an impressive display of costumes, props and memorabilia connected to the film set up in Swedenborg Hall.
## T A L K S & T O U R S
## — _Open House_
Swedenborg House took part in the new expanded annual Open House festival in September, with two especially themed talks. On 7 September there was a screening of John Rogers’s film _Walking the Visionary London of Emanuel Swedenborg_ followed by a panel discussion with the director and the film’s protagonists Stephen McNeilly and Iain Sinclair. On 13 September Stockholm city guide Peter Frisk gave an illustrated talk on ‘Swedenborg’s Stockholm’. Swedenborg House was due to participate also with an open day on Saturday 9 September and a guided tour on Monday 11 September, with around 200 visitors
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expected for the former, and the latter being fully booked. Unfortunately, due to emergency building repairs, these events couldn’t take place. The Society has built up a good relationship with Open House and Open City over the years and in 2023 this saw the Society host one of the Open House festival’s panel discussions, ‘Decolonising Wembley’ with key note speaker built-environment professional Nabil Al-Kinani, in Swedenborg Hall on 16 September.
## _—Open City_
On Thursday 18 May 2023, James Wilson conducted a guided tour of Swedenborg House for a group of 20 who had booked through Open City. The tour concluded with a screening of the documentary film, _Heaven, Hell and Other Places_ in Swedenborg Hall and a chance for the visitors to experience the virtual reality artworks and _Tremulations_ exhibition.
## _—Other tours and talks Tremulations_
The Society is always pleased to meet requests from educational bodies for guided tours of Swedenborg House and/or talks on Swedenborg and the work of Swedenborg House. During 2023 the Society received group visits from the Royal Drawing School (19 January) to see the exhibition _Concerning an idea about place_ ; Florida State University (8 February); Secret London (17 February and 3 May); Ben Jones Art Tours (several group visits across May and June to see the _Tremulations_ exhibition); and the staff of the Linnean Society (14 June). These tours and talks were conducted by James Wilson, Alex Murray and Stephen McNeilly. The visit of the Linnean Society was reciprocated, with the Swedenborg Society staff then being welcomed to the Linnean Society’s headquarters at Burlington House on 12 September.
## P E R F O R M A N C E S & W O R K S H O P S
## _—Marriage of Heaven & Hell_
Inner Eye Productions presented their adaptation of William Blake’s _Marriage of Heaven & Hell_ in Swedenborg Hall in three performances across 27-29 April 2023. The performance was ‘part read, part acted’ and directed by actor and playwright Paul McNeilly. The cast: Gareth Balai, Emily Cosaitis, Jerry Ezekiel, Paul McNeilly and Priscilla Olympio.
## _—House of Dreams Workshop with artist Sally Kindberg_
Artist and author Sally Kindberg’s drawing workshop, for children and adults alike, themed around Swedenborg’s summerhouse, took place in the afternoon of 25 October. Recordings of music played on Swedenborg’s organ were accompanied by some live triola playing by Sally, helping to inspire the participants as they filled their ‘House of Dreams’ with images before cutting them out and turning them into free-standing models.
## _—Stilled Shadows: A Magic Lantern Show with Chloe Aridjis_
Novelist Chloe Aridjis returned to Swedenborg House on 7 December 2023 to perform her enchanting magic lantern presentation. Drawing on magic lantern slides held in the Swedenborg Society’s historic archive, Chloe’s show weaves new
> 20 EVENTS
narratives and stories to long forgotten images and events. The show also featured lanternists Jeremy and Carolyn Brooker, and music by composer James Keay.
## _—Speak, Speak, I Listen: A Performance In Light And Shadow_
A new piece of theatre blending puppetry, shadow play, performance, and live music was written and performed by Chiara Ambrosio, Mikey Kirkpatrick, Iarla Prendergast Knight and Victor Rees on 21 December 2023.
## CO L L A B O R A T I V E E V E N T S
## _—Swedenborg Gardens Heritage Signs Unveiling_
In collaboration with Tower Hamlets Council, on Saturday 22 April, heritage signs in Swedenborg Gardens and Wellclose Square were unveiled by Councillor Iqbal Hossain and Stephen McNeilly in a ceremony featuring talks by Iain Sinclair, Stephen McNeilly and John Rogers.
## _—Auguries of Innocence: First Experiences with Letterpress_
On 22 May 2023, the Swedenborg Society, Ruskin Arts Publications, Anglia Ruskin University and the Blake Society presented an evening that saw the launch of a new book, published by Ruskin Arts Publications, _Auguries of Innocence: First Experiences with Letterpress_ . The evening featured talks by the book’s editor, Nicholas Jeeves, and contributors Sibylle Erle, Elizabeth Frazer and Stephen Pritchard. There was an exhibition in the Wynter Room of all of the 66 postcardsized letterpress prints of couplets from Blake’s ‘Auguries of Innocence’, made by students of the Cambridge School of Art between 2014-18, that together compose the complete poem, along with digital slide shows in both the Wynter Room and Swedenborg Hall showing images of works in progress and designs that didn’t make it into the finished book. Many of the students, whose prints were used in the book, were able to be in attendance. The exhibition of prints in the Wynter Room then remained open Mondays-Fridays until 23 June 2023.
## T H E S W E D E N B O R G F I L M F E S T I V A L
The 2023 Swedenborg Film Festival took place on Saturday 2 December at Swedenborg House, with a showcase of the shortlisted films available to view on the Swedenborg House Vimeo site from 2-10 December. The 2023 festival featured 18 new works by emerging and established filmmakers, selected from a public call for submissions. The festival was curated by Dave Griffiths and Sally O’Reilly, with filmmakers Andrea Luka Zimmerman and Ben Rivers as guest judges. Shortlisted filmmakers for 2023 were: Stephanie Barber, Neil Bartlett & Anthony Reynolds, Jordan Baseman, Anat Ben-David, Anna Brass, Mariana Castiñeiras, Iolo Edwards, Xiaoxuan Han, Matt Hulse, Siôn Marshall-Waters, Zara Joan Miller, Charlie Osborne, Billy Palumbo, Edwin Rostron, Niyaz Saghari, Annelore Schneider & Claude Piguet (collectif_fact), Paul Tarragó, Jennet Thomas. The winners of the Festival were Siôn Marshall-Waters with _Forest Coal Pit_ , Xiaoxuan Han with _Don’t forget to take medicines on time_ , Matt Hulse with _THE SCAN_ and Niyaz Saghari with _Ripple Effect_ . The winner of the public vote for best film was Billy Palumbo with _Billy Billy_ .
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MUSEUM
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## M U S E U M
Throughout 2023, the Swedenborg House Gallery established a new and pivotal focal point for the Society’s cultural and outreach programme and activated a new phase of public and press engagement with the Society’s activities and museum holdings. Over the year four exhibitions were staged, and the Society was involved in two further international survey exhibitions at the Bozar Centre for Fine Art, Brussels and the Tate Modern, London. A more detailed account of activities is given below.
## E X H I B I T I O N S
## _—Concerning an Idea About Place_
## 13 October 2022 - 28 February 2023
Forming the inaugural exhibition of the Society’s new museum programme, _Concerning an Idea About Place_ showcased a broad selection of rare items from the Swedenborg collection including works by William Blake, S T Coleridge, Jeremy Deller, Karl Holmqvist, Iain Sinclair, Bridget Smith, D T Suzuki, Emanuel Swedenborg, Kessler Voges, Vernon Watkins and J J G Wilkinson. Drawing on a now famous passage from Swedenborg’s _Arcana Caelestia_ , where he writes that ‘ideas of place and distance’ are not anything real but ‘states of thought and affection’ (§1376), the exhibition explored the impact of this idea on Romanticism, Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychogeography. Attracting over 1600 visitors the exhibition was curated by the Society’s Museum Director, Stephen McNeilly, and included educational field trips from the Royal College of Drawing, University College London, Chelsea School of Art and Goldsmiths University.
## _—Swedish Ecstasy, Bozar Centre for Fine Art, Brussels_
17 February - 21 May
Curated by Daniel Birnbaum, _Swedish Ecstasy_ was a large museum exhibition focusing on visionary and esoteric art, with a special emphasis on Swedenborg and his influence on Swedish art and culture. The exhibition included works by August Strindberg, Hilma af Klint, Carsten Höller, Christine Ödlund, Daniel Youssef, Cecilia Edefalk and Lars Olof Loeld. A dedicated vitrine also included archival items related to Swedenborg, including his drawing of a flying machine on loan from the Diocesan Library at Linköping, Sweden and a rare book on loan from Swedenborg House. The Society’s Museum Director was involved in curatorial discussions and contributed an essay on Swedenborg to the accompanying exhibition catalogue. The exhibition marked the first occasion in which Swedenborg’s works have featured in a national survey exhibition at a major European art venue with over 36,000 visitors.
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_—Forms of Life: Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian, Tate Modern, London & Kunstmuseum Den Haag_
20 April – 3 September (Tate): 7 October - 25 February 2024 (Kunstmuseum) A facsimile drawing from Swedenborg’s _Spiritual Diary_ was included in the summer blockbuster and headlining exhibition at Tate Modern in 2023, _Forms of Life: Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian_ (20 April-3 September). Curated by Tate Modern Director Frances Morris, Professor Briony Fer and Curator Nabila Abdel Nabi, the exhibition explored the underlying concepts of early abstract modernism. The exhibition attracted over 100,000 visitors and marked an important act of recognition from a major arts institution of Swedenborg’s importance within the history of art and ideas. The exhibition received national press coverage and extensive critical appraisal. The Society’s Museum Director and Archive team were included in the curatorial consultation process and the drawing by Swedenborg was drawn from the Swedenborg House Collection.
## — _Tremulations_
## 30 March - 30 June
Curated by Daniel Birnbaum and Jacqui Davies, _Tremulations_ (30 March-30 June) was a three-phase exhibition with accompanying events and virtual reality programme. The exhibition took as its starting point Swedenborg’s small scientific work entitled _On Tremulations_ and drew upon items drawn from the Swedenborg House Collection and Archive. These objects were supplemented with works of Yayoi Kusama and Meret Oppenheim and included the world première of Mark Leckey’s VR work, _The Bridge_ and the UK première of Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg’s _It Will End in Stars._ The exhibition also included the screening of films by Grace Ndiritu and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and a live Q&A with designer Peter Saville CBE and artist/filmmaker Tony Cokes. The amount of press attention and reportage received was unprecedented for the Society, and recommendations and reviews appeared in _AnOther Magazine_ , MUBI Notebook, _Kunstkritikk_ , e-flux Criticism, and _Das Magazin_ . The latter review was written by Hans Ulrich Obrist, renowned art curator and writer and Director of the Serpentine Galleries. Approximately 1800 visitors attended the exhibition, and multiple tie-in events were booked to capacity. A book resulted from the exhibition, produced by Koenig and distributed widely to arts institutions and galleries such as the Centre Pompidou and Whitechapel Gallery.
— _For a better understanding of life: posters and promotional items from the Swedenborg Archive (1872-1996)_
## 24 July - 30 September
Curated by the Society’s James Wilson and Alex Murray, with Stephen McNeilly, _For a better understanding of life_ brought together a selection of posters, signs, handbills, audio recordings, magic lantern slides, display material and adverts from the Swedenborg House Archive. The first in a phased series of exhibitions excavating treasures from the holdings of the Archive, the exhibition also incorporated a participatory aspect within the gallery for the first time. Designed by the artist Kessler Voges, attendees were able to use stencils, to draw and write on poster templates derived from archival posters, which resulted in meaningful
> 24 MUSEUM
creative engagement, particularly from families with children. An accompanying exhibition poster was available to purchase in the Bookshop.
## — _Histories & Hauntings_
## 13 October – 22 December
Coinciding with and included as part of the Bloomsbury Festival 2023, _Histories & Hauntings_ (13 October-22 December) was the final instalment in a planned trilogy of staged interventions by Brian Catling and Iain Sinclair at Swedenborg House. Curated by Iain Sinclair, it was also simultaneously a reprisal of an exhibition held half a century ago at the Whitechapel Art Gallery. The Swedenborg House Gallery accommodated an increased number of artworks, from sculptures to paintings, and the exhibition extended throughout the Bookshop and up to the Wynter Room—an increase in scale and required preparation handled well by staff. The exhibition and series of events, including a launch evening, talks and film screenings, were attended by over 1500 visitors. A small booklet was published to accompany the exhibition and further book is in planning. A video tour of the exhibition incorporating a conversation between Iain Sinclair and the Society’s Museum Director was uploaded by the filmmaker John Rogers to YouTube, where it has currently received over 10,000 views.
## I N P L A N N I N G
## — _Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place_
Conceived by the Society’s Museum Director, and upcoming for 2024, planning has begun for a coordinated exhibition, book publication, merchandise line, YouTube film and events programme for the launch of the book _Swedenborg’s Lusthus_ (projected publication date, January 2024). This project will incorporate an exhibition in the gallery space, showcasing new works of art by Daniel Birnbaum, John Christie, Mark Riley, Bridget Smith and Ben Wickey in addition to carefully selected books, photographs, postcards and objects from the Swedenborg House Collection and Archive. The gallery will additionally be home to two oil lamps purportedly owned by Swedenborg, and on loan from the Center for Swedenborgian Studies in the US. This exhibition will counterpose a rich showing of the museum’s holdings with contemporary artistic contributions and will present multiple opportunities for outreach and education. Improved lighting and fittings, plus acid-free mount boards and item display texts in the Gallery will raise the space to a new level of museum professionalism.
## T H E S W E D E N B O R G R E S I D E N C Y
The 2023-2024 holder of the Swedenborg Residency, Gillian McIver, began her Residency in October. McIver will be tracing the connections between Swedenborg and Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740-1812), who painted an important portrait of Swedenborg now held in the Swedenborg House Collection. The Residency commenced with an event entitled ‘Profane and Sacred City’, which was fully booked and at capacity. The event included a live performance of the Prologue of ‘The Apologia of Count Cagliostro’, a play in
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development by McIver and directed by Jagoda Kamov, and a presentation by McIver outlining her plans for the Residency. Robert Poulter then performed, using his mechanical theatre, the New Model Theatre’s play ‘Pandemonium’, which features ‘de Loutherbourg and Gainsborough in a double act’ and ‘tells of de Loutherbourg’s life and work within his own Eidophusikon and paintings’. To close the evening a short video piece by the artist Marwan Elgamal was shown with musical and spoken accompaniment by Femi Oriogun-Williams, who reinterpreted the music of Swedenborgian composer François-Hippolyte Barthélémon (1741-1808). An exclusive preview of McIver’s upcoming graphic novel about de Loutherbourg which prominently features Swedenborg, illustrated by Anna Chiarini, was supplied to attendees on the evening in booklet form. Planning is underway for the development of the project in 2024, which will see a reinterpretation of de Loutherbourg’s Eidophusikon with the participation of contemporary artists and musicians timed to coincide with the Bloomsbury Festival 2024. More broadly, McIver has already begun research and exploration in the Archive, arranging meetings with the Society’s Librarian and Archivist Alex Murray.
Still from _Roi_ © Neil Bartlett & Anthony Reynolds Shortlisted for the Swedenborg Film Festival
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## L I B R A R Y & A R C H I V E
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## A C C R E D I T A T I O N
The survey to generate data needed for accreditation and policy for the Swedenborg Society’s archival holdings is still ongoing. Policy, practice and monitoring surrounding climatic conditions in both the archives and gallery space has also been explored to improve overall care of collections. Once the data has been generated to move forward with the accreditation process, the next step will see a series of necessary reforms to the holdings take place to prepare for accreditation. These will include a reorganization of a number of sections, the creation of a new section of the library for rare books and some long overdue weeding of the collections. This will also open up much needed space on the shelves for a number of items currently in storage elsewhere in the building.
## V I S I T O R S
While not quite reaching the influx of researchers that was seen in 2022, visitors to the archive have continued at a regular pace throughout the year. As usual, the variety of specialist research being conducted has been wide ranging, including enquiries regarding André Breton’s interest in Swedenborg; research on the Swedish Swedenborgian economist and abolitionist C B Wadström in relation to Nigerian returnees from Sierra Leone; Helen Keller and ideas of proprioception/ sensory perception in Swedenborg’s works; and research regarding the eighteenthcentury occultist Abbé dom Pernety and a supposed Swedenborgian rite of Freemasonry. The Librarian and Archivist has also spent a significant amount of time working alongside the Society’s current Artist in Residence Gillian McIver, assisting with her research into the artist and set designer Philip James de Loutherbourg.
## S T O R A G E
Much work has been done throughout the course of 2023 towards addressing a large number of duplicate items that have accumulated as a result of acquisitions from New Church societies over the last few years and from the merging of the General Conference and Swedenborg Society library collections. These items are being organized, checked against the main collection and inventorized ready for donation in line with similar work that was performed on the duplicate periodicals which took place from 2022 into early 2023. This project is about halfway through, and it is looking hopeful it will be completed in 2024. The desired outcomes of this project are two-fold: 1) to find suitable donors for duplicate items and 2) to free up much-needed space for other donations that are currently in temporary storage elsewhere in the building. A new project has also recently been started to open up more storage space in the basement amongst a
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number of items which are already stored there. It is hoped this project will lead to the de-cluttering of the Gardiner Room which has become a bit of an overspill storage space during the last few years.
## A C Q U I S I T I O N S
The archive recently received a significant donation from Stewart Gardiner, a philatelist and art historian, in the form of several items relating to the Tulk family. These include early memoranda and finance sheets between Swedenborg Society founding member John Augustus Tulk, Sr and Robert Hindmarsh. Alongside these, a lock of his son Charles Augustus Tulk’s hair was also donated, another founding member of the Swedenborg Society. Stewart has also sent a number of letters written by John Augustus Tulk, Jr, Charles’s son. Alongside this, four final boxes from the Radcliffe New Church Archive have been donated by Chris Chambers, Melegna Bodenska kindly donated a copy of her Bulgarian translation of Swedenborg’s Memorabilia and Peter Fisk donated a postcard depicting Swedenborg’s summerhouse (which is currently on display in the exhibition). The Swedenborg Society also recently made two donations from its collection of duplicate material, one in the form of a number of periodicals to the New Church Academy in Bryn Athyn and the other, around 20 publications by the nineteenth-century Swedenborgian doctor, translator and social campaigner James John Garth Wilkinson to the College of Psychic Studies. The College itself has archival and library holdings relating to JJG Wilkinson’s brother William Wilkinson and as such this donation fits well alongside their current collections.
First edition bindings of Swedenborg’s _Arcana Caelestia_
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## E D U C A T I O N A L A C T I V I T I E S
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## T H E S W E D E N B O R G D O C T O R A L S C H O L A R S H I P
In 2018 the Society set up a Doctoral Scholarship fund to support outstanding candidates across a range of research studies within the Humanities and Social Sciences. The scholarship is a tuition-funded three-year postgraduate D. Phil./ Ph.D. for candidates in partnership with accredited universities throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and North America. Recipients of the Scholarship during 2023 were as follows:
## — _Bradley McKinnon_
Bradley McKinnon continued into the third year of his Ph.D. in History at the University of Aberdeen. The working title of Bradley’s thesis is ‘The Epiphanies of Helen Keller: Swedenborgianism, Socialism, and the Representations of Disability in Twentieth-Century America’ and he is examining how Keller’s religious identity as a reader of Swedenborg informed her socialist political activism, as well as her role as a champion for those with disabilities. Based on Keller’s recognition of Swedenborg’s Maximus Homo (‘Grand Man’ or ‘Universal Humanity’), he is also exploring Keller’s understanding of the social obligations of believers to the broader community or as she would put it—‘love made visible’.
## — _Dale Joseph Rose_
Dell Rose continued into the third year of his Ph.D. at the History of Hermetic Philosophy Centre, University of Amsterdam. Dell Rose is working on a project on Charles Augustus Tulk (1786-1849) and the role that Swedenborgianism played in the reforming societies of nineteenth-century Britain. Though Tulk is often only known as the artistic patron of William Blake, he was also one of the earliest advocates of ‘public science’. He was elected in 1822 to the Royal Society for his own scientific work, and his quest to show the spiritual nature of the material world based on Swedenborg’s revelations would be widely acclaimed during the period. In addition to his Ph.D. work, Dell is currently researching the medical theory and physicalism of Franz von Baader (1765-1841). Baader was one of the most important thinkers of nineteenth-century Germany and was instrumental in establishing academic interest in the theosophy of Jakob Boehme. Dell has had a lifelong interest in Christian theosophy, and millenarianism, and he currently has an article under review which deals with adaptation within the Southcottian movement.
## — _Alex Murray_
Alex Murray completed the first year of his part-time Ph.D. in History at King’s College London. The working title of Alex’s thesis is ‘Notions of Social Progress and Reform in English Swedenborgianism: _c_ . 1780-1830’. Alex’s research takes into account Swedenborg’s early followers and their engagement with and
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EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
influence on ideas of social progress and reform during the period in question. It explores, geographically, the two separate movements that started in both the north and south of England during the late eighteenth century and seeks to bring their activities into relief against the backdrop of the wider ‘Mystical Enlightenment’ that was taking place throughout Europe.
A C A D E M I C / P R O F E S S I O N A L P A R T N E R S H I P S
The Society continued its exciting association with Acute Art, Stolpe Bokförlaget and the Axel and Margaret Ax:Son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit, with the _Tremulations_ exhibition, curated by Daniel Birnbaum & Jacqui Davies, in April-June 2023. The exhibition also saw good relationships built up with Cabinet Gallery, Greene Naftali Gallery, Kate Macgarry Gallery, Parkett Art, Charles Asprey and Primitive Film. The exhibition has also led to a companion publication, published with prestigious art publisher Walther Koenig. A class visit of students from the Florida State University took place on 8 February. This
was arranged by Florida State University Faculty Member, Alan Walker, with Alex Murray and James Wilson speaking to the group about Swedenborg and the histories of Swedenborgianism and the Swedenborg Society. The Society also continued with its important partnership with the Bloomsbury Festival. This year featuring the exhibition, _Histories & Hauntings_ , an exhibition that featured a partnership with Albion Village Press, as co-publishers of the exhibition’s catalogue. The Society continued to develop its ties with the annual Open House festival and with the festival’s organizers, Open City, with guided tours of Swedenborg House featuring on the programme for Friends of Open City; and the Society playing host to one of the festival’s panel discussions. A fruitful partnership with the Blake Society saw the hosting of a book launch and exhibition, _Auguries of Innocence: First Experiences with Letterpress_ , with more collaborations between the two organizations planned for
2024. Field trips of students to the exhibition programme were also organized from the University of Roehampton, Chelsea School of Art, University College London, the Royal College of Drawing and the Royal College of Art.
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## T H E B U I L D I N G
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Situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, Swedenborg House is central to the work and mission of the Swedenborg Society. The Grade II-listed building is home to a large neoclassical lecture hall, library rooms, a bookshop, office space and storage for book stock. It also provides office space to tenants over four floors. 2023 has seen the following work and upgrades to the building.
## U P G R A D E S
In 2023 two major Building Enhancement Plan projects were carried out and brought to fruition: 1. Work to convert part of the basement—previously used for storage—into high-quality office space was completed, creating an attractive, practical and well-lit open plan office. 2. Work to reconfigure the bookshop to include a coffee shop was completed late in 2023. This involved the installation of a bespoke bar, the purchase and commissioning of catering equipment with relevant electric fittings, plumbing and waste facilities. Careful consideration was given to additional details, such as seating, decoration and the enhancement of the existing interior features, to ensure that the layout and ambience of the shared space is both welcoming and practical for visitors and staff. In addition to planned upgrades, significant reactive works took place in 2023. Following the collapse of a ceiling on the third floor in September, a major clearance and rebuilding project was required. A survey was commissioned and plans were provided by structural engineers. The office rebuild and decoration is scheduled for completion in early 2024. In line with our heritage and listed status, and in keeping with our mission to uncover and protect the original features of the building, all works and upgrades within Swedenborg House during 2023 were undertaken with great care and attention to detail, with a consistently high-quality finish throughout.
## F I R E P R E V E N T I O N & S E C U R I T Y
Pete Pinney MIFSM GIFireE continued to act as the Society’s Security Consultant and independent annual risk assessor. A site visit was conducted on 22 February 2023. The Society undertakes a number of Fire and Security measures including the installation of advanced detection systems and periodic manual checks. In 2023 the installation of a new ‘Redcare’ monitored fire alarm system was commissioned, which links the alarm system directly to the fire service through Wi-Fi and mobile signalling.
## A C C E S S
Swedenborg House provides assisted wheelchair access via ramps through the shop entrance and from the shop to the ground floor. This facilitates access to the shop and to events in the hall and gallery. An accessible toilet is in place on the ground floor.
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## M A I N T E N A N C E
Swedenborg House is a Grade II-listed Georgian building and requires continuous maintenance and care to its interior and exterior. To fulfil these responsibilities, the Society employs a Building Manager and a team of specialist contractors across a range of trades including plumbing, decorating and electrical works, as well as regular checks and upgrades to our fire alarm and security systems. This allows a swift response to any urgent maintenance needs across all areas of the building. In 2023 relevant team members undertook additional training in workplace health and safety and risk assessment.
## G R E E N S P A C E S
The Greening Plan was further developed throughout 2023, with additional improvements to the structure and finish of the decking in preparation for the roof garden. The planting scheme for the roof garden will be actioned once new security railings are in place. Work on improving the light well garden was completed, with the addition of two large—shade loving—Fatsia japonica plants. The light well garden now offers a well-established green space in the heart of the building.
## G R E E N H O U S E K E E P I N G
Following the Environmental Enhancement Policy, Swedenborg House continues to use environmentally friendly materials and solutions whenever possible and seeks continually to improve its environmental impact. Daily refuse is carefully sorted to maximize recycling and minimize landfill and coffee shop partners, Arcana Coffee, operate according to the same standards. Recyclable options are prioritized for purchase for office, housekeeping and maintenance use. In 2022 a working relationship with Envirowaste Management was consolidated, a company who have taken any building project waste that cannot be reused for sorting and recycling. All suitable domestic waste is sent for recycling and ‘triple life’ LED light bulbs are used in all light fixtures throughout the building. All staff travel to work using either public transport or bicycles.
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## D I G I T A L M E D I A
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## W E B S I T E
The Swedenborg Society’s website continued to serve as the core focal point for the Society’s online activities. During 2023 the website enjoyed over 125,000 page views. As well as providing information content related to Swedenborg and the Society, the website hosts the Society’s online bookshop; library and archive catalogue; room hire booking system; events calendar; membership applications; and donation platform.
## S O C I A L M E D I A
The Society’s social media platforms continue to be Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Scheduling and content creation for the Society’s social media strategy is managed by Rebekka Cartwright with oversight by Executive Director Stephen McNeilly. During 2023, our social media accounts gained an additional 1,373 Instagram followers, 432 Facebook followers and 174 Twitter followers. Social media strategy during 2023 included a consistent schedule of posts with varied content and themes, with initial event announcement posts being sponsored on Facebook and Instagram. Our popular ‘On This Day’ content continues to provide some of our top performing posts across all platforms. Rebekka Cartwright works closely with James Wilson and Alex Murray to produce compelling and informative narrative of Swedenborg and Swedenborgian-related content. Our sponsored posts featured ‘ _Hilma af Klint - The Temple_ Immersive Virtual Reality Event’; ‘Stilled Shadows: A Magic Lantern Show with Chloe Aridjis’; and our exhibitions ‘Tremulations’, ‘For a Better Understanding of Life’ and ‘Histories and Hauntings’ ‘#OnThisDay: Death of August Strindberg’ post was the most popular across Instagram gaining 1,938 impressions in May. ‘Mark Leckey’s first Virtual Reality work: The Bridge’ announcement post emerged as our most successful posting of the year on Facebook achieving a reach of 23,886 in April. ‘#OnThisDay: Death of WB Yeats’ post was the most popular across Twitter gaining 4,771 impressions in January. The exhibition ‘Tremulations’ and related events in April, May and June provided an excellent opportunity for consolidating our strong partnerships with Acute Art and Hilma Af Klint Official with cross-sharing of posts across all our social media platforms.
The ‘ _Hilma af Klint - The Temple_ Immersive Virtual Reality Event’ in October provided an excellent opportunity for forming strong partnerships with Acute Art, Bokförlaget Stolpe and Frieze with cross-sharing of posts across all our social media platforms. Bokförlaget Stolpe also published a promotional video of the event on their YouTube channel ‘ _Hilma af Klint - The Temple_ at Swedenborg House’ which received 25,024 views.
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## Y O U T U B E & L I V E S T R E A M I N G
The Society’s YouTube channel is a key component of our online presence and a valuable interface with the public. Our channel continues to grow in popularity gaining a further 527 subscribers throughout the year, bringing the total subscriber count to 1,220. _Heaven, Hell and Other Places,_ a documentary about Emanuel Swedenborg, performed exceptionally well all year with a total of 16,376 views on YouTube in 2023 an increase of 362% from 2022. In collaboration with the filmmaker John Rogers and the writer Iain Sinclair, Stephen McNeilly also participated in a filmed walk exploring Swedenborg’s London. By the close of 2023 this had received 30,000 views.
## S W E D E N B O R G R A D I O
The Society is working on an ambitious long-term plan to produce podcasts, round-table discussions, interviews, audio artworks, readings, audio books and musical events for ‘Swedenborg Radio’. More information regarding these plans will be forthcoming in the 2024 report.
Swedenborg’s Earbones. Photo © The Quinn Fizzlers.
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## F I N A N C I A L R E V I E W
_________________________________________________________________________________
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes and comply with the Society’s Governing Document. They have also been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities (SORP 2nd Edition, effective 1 January 2019). The financial and budgetary controls in place have allowed the Society to concentrate its efforts on its core activities of publishing and events, whilst ensuring the effective stewardship of the Society’s assets. The Society’s activities are funded primarily through income generated by its investment portfolio and property, with additional income generated through membership subscriptions and book sales. The Society is also extremely fortunate to benefit from generous donations from its members and associated organizations. Total incoming resources for the year amounted to £479,104 (2022: £467,072) and total resources expended for the year was £643,123 (2022: £538,724), resulting in a net deficit before investments and revaluations of £164,019 (2022: deficit of £71,652).
The Society’s investment portfolio continues to generate a substantial part of our income each year, and at the year end the valuation of the portfolio had increased by £459,146 (2022: decreased by £686,930). The Society has a very long investment horizon and changes in the portfolio value from year to year do not impact the Society’s operations. Swedenborg House was revalued at 31 December 2023, which resulted in a loss on revaluation of £2.9m. The net movement in funds for the year is -£2,604,873 (2022: -£758,582). Total funds at 31 December 2023 were £18,038,454 (2022: £20,643,327).
R I S K S & U N C E R T A I N T I E S
The Society is exposed to various risks in the pursuance of its charitable objectives. The Society’s activities are diverse, and the Council monitors the risks facing the Society periodically. The principal risks are:
## — _Loss and damage of the building_
Swedenborg House is critical to the Society’s success both as the location of its head office and as a key source of income through event hire and rent received. The Society has mitigated this risk through a comprehensive assessment of fire and health and safety issues at the building, and through holding appropriate insurance.
## — _Membership changes_
The Society is a membership organization and needs to attract new members in order to grow and for the membership to prosper. The Society considers that the introduction of a new Friend of Swedenborg House scheme is a positive way in which this risk is mitigated as it will introduce a new generation of visitors
35
FINANCIAL REVIEW
to engage with the activities and aims of the Society. The Society is increasing its presence on social media as a way of connecting with an audience that has historically not engaged with the Society.
## — _Credit risk_
The Society is exposed to credit risk in respect of its sales subject to credit arrangements. The largest elements of this relate to rental income from its tenants and income from customers who hire the Hall. The Society manages this risk by assessing the credit worthiness of prospective tenants before agreeing a new lease and by holding a deposit.
## — _Economic risk_
The majority of the Society’s income is derived from its investment portfolio and its property. By the end of 2023, and following the effects of COVID-19 on the economy, the Society’s investments dividend income has largely returned to pre-COVID levels.
## I N V E S T M E N T P O L I C Y
The trustees have delegated day-to-day management of the Society’s investment portfolio to Quilter Cheviot. The Society’s investments are the primary means of funding its activities and are held to produce a reasonable level of income whilst allowing the potential for capital growth.
## R E S E R V E S P O L I C Y
At 31 December 2023 total unrestricted funds amounted to £17,940,127 (2022: £20,487,585). The majority of these funds are represented by the Society’s premises, which houses the Society’s library, archiving and administrative facilities, and by its investment portfolio, which is held to provide income over the long-term. These could not be disposed of without seriously impairing the Society’s ability to continue its charitable activities over the long-term. The amount of free reserves—defined as unrestricted funds less fixed assets and investments—at 31 December 2023 was £595,380 (2021: £559,410). This level of free reserves represents 340 days of operating costs (2022: 370 days). The Council considers that this level of free reserves is prudent against the context of unpredictable economic conditions. Much of the Society’s work is long-term in character, with the work of translation, revision and publication taking place over a number of years. The council have designated a reserve of 70% of the Society’s investment portfolio as a Capital Investment Reserve to provide for continuity of these long-term operations. The balance of the Capital Investment Reserve at 31 December 2023 was £4,788,091 (2022: £4,564,751).
## D O N A T I O N S & L E G A C I E S
Donations and legacies are a vital source of income for the Society. During 2023 the Society received £11,132 in charitable donations and the following legacies:
> 36 FINANCIAL REVIEW
JM Lang £16,605
The Society did not engage in material fundraising from the public in the year to 31 December 2023.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
RESOURCES EXPENDED CHART
AWAITING NEW CHART
SOURCES OF UNRESTRICTED
INCOME CHART
AWAITING NEW CHART
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37
FINANCIAL REVIEW
G O V E R N A N C E , S T R U C T U R E &
38
## M A N A G E M E N T
_________________________________________________________________________________
## G O V E R N A N C E
The Society is a company limited by guarantee and a charity registered in England and Wales. It is governed by its newly drafted Articles of Association dated 2018. The Society is run by a board of trustees called the Council. The Council delegates the day-to-day running of the Society to its Executive Director and takes advice from a number of subcommittees. All paid-up members of the Society are eligible for election to the Council, which is the Society’s decision-making body, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Articles of Association. The Council has the power to fill casual vacancies by co-option. New members of the Council are given copies of the Memorandum and Articles of Association and are advised by the Chairperson and Executive Director of their duties as company directors and charity trustees. Council decisions are taken by majority vote. Members of the subcommittees are elected by the Council. New candidates for the Council, following an informal interview/meeting with the Chairperson and Council, are invited to attend a preliminary Council meeting and are given a copy of the Society’s Annual Report, the Minutes of three previous Council meetings and a copy of the Charity Commission’s _The Essential Trustee_ . The Trustee Handbook—which includes comprehensive guidelines for trustee inductions; trustee training; trustee decision making; trustee meeting protocols; and other such items as given as best practice from the Charity Commission— was last updated in 2021.
## A G M & 2 0 2 3 C O U N C I L E L E C T I O N
The Society’s 213th Annual General Meeting was held at Swedenborg House and broadcast via Zoom on 24 July 2023. During the meeting Kristin King and Erica Wyncoll were re-elected as trustees. In addition to the usual business of the meeting, short presentations were given by the Treasurer Erica Wyncoll, the Chair, Rufus Moore, and the Executive Director Stephen McNeilly.
M E M B E R S O F T H E C O U N C I L D U R I N G 2 0 2 3
Chair: Alan Lewin; Hon. Treasurer: Erica Wyncoll; Andrew Bentley; Revd Alan Cowley, MDiv; Clare Cumberlidge; Erika Heilman; Dr Kristin King; Rufus Moore, MA; Alexander Morley, MA; Dr Bridget Smith (resigned on 12 September 2023); Nigel Sutton. Members of the Council are also directors of the company.
39
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT
## T H E A D V I S O R Y & R E V I S I O N B O A R D
David Lister, FRCS (Chairperson); James Wilson, BA (Secretary); Revd Göran Appelgren; Josephine Appelgren, MA; Revd John Elliott, BA, BD; Revd F C Elphick, MDiv; Revd Robert Gill; Alan Lewin; Stephen McNeilly, MA; Alex Murray, MA; Kenneth Ryder, MA.
## S T A F F
The Society continues to draw upon a small but dedicated team of staff who provide the specialist skills needed to operate as the leading world-centre for Swedenborg-related activities and studies. The day-to-day running of the Society is delegated to Stephen McNeilly who continued in his role as Executive Director and Museum Director; James Wilson continued in his role as an Editor and Secretary of the Advisory and Revision Board; Alex Murray continued in his post as Librarian and Archivist; Jacob Cartwright continued in his role as Building Manager; Denise Prentice continued in her role as Administrator and Office Manager; Anthony Finnigan continued in the role of Financial Controller; and Rebekka Cartwright continued in her role as Social Media Co-ordinator. Simran Hussain continued in her role as Publishing Assistant and Anya Reeve was appointed to the role of Gallery, Publishing and Events Assistant. Lolita Sobolyova continued in her part-time role as a Concierge. The pay structure at Swedenborg House is decided by the Council and follows recommendations of Ashworth Black, market review specialists, and is in line with charitable sector wages for the South-East and London area.
## V O L U N T E E R S
As mentioned elsewhere in this Report, volunteers provide a vital support for the continuation of our charitable activities and also an important framework for social networking and people investment. The volunteering programme in the bookshop in particular helps its participants to learn and develop communication, hospitality and information management skills, as well as being an entry point into bookselling. During 2023 our dedicated team of volunteers were: David Lister, Ross Melvin and Lolita Sobolyova. The work of all our volunteers is greatly appreciated and vital for the continued work of the Society.
## H E A L T H & S A F E T Y P O L I C Y
The general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 are such that it is incumbent upon the Council of the Society to exercise a duty of care to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of their employees at work by maintaining safe plant; safe systems of work; safe premises; ensuring safe access to and egress from the premises and maintaining a safe working environment without risks and with adequate facilities and arrangements for staff welfare; also ensuring adequate instruction, training and supervision. The Swedenborg Society is also bound by the Act to ensure the safety, while on its premises, of all
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT
40
persons, employees, contractors and visitors (either working or otherwise) using the facilities there. During 2022 Jacob Cartwright undertook an interim Health, Fire and Safety Risk Assessment of the premises. The Council have determined to review its Fire, Health and Safety policies annually. Jacob Cartwright, Stephen McNeilly and James Wilson were the designated first aiders and fire officers.
## C O M P A N Y M A T T E R S
This report represents a Directors’ Report as required by section 417 of the Companies Act 2006. In its preparation the Council has taken advantage of the exemption available to small companies under Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
## P U B L I C B E N E F I T
The Society periodically reviews its activities in relation to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. The Society’s charitable aims relate to the furtherance of education, culture and philosophy, and the Society seeks to ensure that its activities in this regard are accessible to all as far as possible. The vast majority of events held by the Society are free to attend, and the Society grants its books to libraries free of charge. The Council considers that through the Society’s programme of events, publishing, translating and publicity the Society is acting for the public benefit in the pursuance of its objects.
## S T A T E M E N T O F T H E C O U N C I L ’ S R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S
The members of the charity’s Council (whose members are also directors of the Swedenborg Society for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Council’s Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the Council to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Council is required to:
- _select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;_
- _observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;_
- _make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;_
- _state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed,_
- _subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and_
- _prepare the financial statements on an ongoing concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business._
41
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT
The Council is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. It is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Insofar as the Council is aware:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and
- the Council has taken all steps that it ought to have taken to make itself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.
The Council is responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
By Order of the Council
Rufus Moore (Chairperson)
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT
42
THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
## I N D E P E N D E N T A U D I T O R ’ S R E P O R T
_________________________________________________________________________________
## _Opinion_
We have audited the financial statements of The Swedenborg Society (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 December 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 _The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland_ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion, the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 December 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## _Basis for opinion_
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## _Conclusions relating to going concern_
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
43
## _Other information_
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## _Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006_
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report prepared for company law purposes, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## _Matters on which we are required to report by exception_
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and
- returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- the trustees’ were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
## _Responsibilities of trustees_
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied
> 44 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## _Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements_
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Discussions with and enquiries of management and those charged with governance were held with a view to identifying those laws and regulations that could be expected to have a material impact on the financial statements. During the engagement team briefing, the outcomes of these discussions and enquiries were shared with the team, as well as consideration as to where and how fraud may occur in the entity.
The following laws and regulations were identified as being of significance to the entity:
- Those laws and regulations considered to have a direct effect on the financial statements include UK financial reporting standards, Company Law, and Charity Law.
- Those laws and regulations for which non-compliance may be fundamental to the operating aspects of the charity and therefore may have a material effect on the financial statements include compliance with the charitable objectives, public benefit requirements, data protection regulations, safeguarding and health and safety legislation.,
Audit procedures undertaken in response to the potential risks relating to irregularities (which include fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations) comprised of: inquiries of management and the trustees as to whether the entity complies with such laws and regulations, enquiries with the same concerning any actual or potential litigation or claims; inspection of relevant legal correspondence; review of trustee meeting minutes; testing the appropriateness of journal entries and the performance
45
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
of analytical review to identify unexpected movements in account balances which may be indicative of fraud.
No instances of material non-compliance were identified. However, the likelihood of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is limited by the inherent difficulty in detecting irregularities, the effectiveness of the entity’s controls, and the nature, timing and extent of the audit procedures performed. Irregularities that result from fraud might be inherently more difficult to detect than irregularities that result from error. As explained above, there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements may not be detected, even though the audit has been planned and performed in accordance with ISAs (UK).
As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charitable company’s internal control.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
- Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charitable company to cease to continue as a going concern.
- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
## _Use of our report_
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
46
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Elizabeth Wicks Senior Statutory Auditor
For and on behalf of WMT Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 4 Beaconsfield Road St Albans Hertfordshire AL13RD
27 September 2024
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
47
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
____________________________________________________________________________________
|**Income**
1
Donations and
legacies
6
Charitable activities:
Book sales
Other trading
activities -
hire income
Investments
7
Other income -
insurance claim
receivable
**Total**
**Expenditure**
1
Raising funds:
Cost of generating
voluntary income
Fundraising trading
and other costs
8
Investment
management costs
9
Charitable activities
10
**Total**
Net gains/(losses)
on investments
Realized gains/
(losses) on
investments
Unrealized gains/
(losses) on
investment assets
14
**Net income/**
**(expenditure)**
**before transfers**
Transfers between
funds
Net incoming/(out-
going) resources
before other recog-
nized gains and losses
Gain/(Loss) on revalua-
tion of fxed assets
22
**Net movement**
**in funds**
Fund balances at
1 January 2023
**Fund balances at**
**31 December 2023**
**Notes**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds as**
**restated**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Endow-**
**ment**
**Funds**
**Total 2022**
**as restated**
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
50,519
-
-
50,519
82, 828
-
-
82, 828|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||22,215
-
21,965
-
360,538
-
23,313
-||-
22,215
11,986
-
-
-
21,965
22,393
-
-
554
361,092
349,311
-
554
-
23,313
-
-
-|||||11,986
22,293
349,865
-|
||**478,550**|**-**|**554**|**479,104**|**466,518**|**-**|**554**|**467,072**|
||17,429
44,140
28,847
552,668|-
-
-
-|-
-
39
-|17,429
44,140
28,886
552,668|12,666
41,453
36,650
447,914|-
-
-
-|-
-
41
-|12,666
41,453
36,691
447,914|
||**643,084**|**-**|**39**|**643,123**|**538,683**|**-**|**41**|**538,724**|
||13,502
445,701|-
-|-
(57)|13,502
445,644|(11,706)
(673,113)|-
-|-
(2,111)|(11,706)
(675,224)|
||459,203|-|(57)|459,146|(684,819)|-|(2,111)|(686,930)|
||294,669
515|-
-|458
(515)|295,127
-|(756,984)
513|-
-|(1,598)
(513)|(758,582)
-|
||295,184
(2,900,000)|-
-|(57)
-|295,127
(2,900,000)|(756,471)
-|-
-|(2,111)
-|(758,582)
-|
||**(2,604,816)**|**-**|**(57) **|**(2,604,873)**|**(756,471)**|**-**|**(2,111)**|**(758,582)**|
||20,544,943|88,000|10,384|20,643,327|21,301,414|88,000|12,495|21,401,909|
||||||||||
||**17,940,127**|**88,000**|**10,327**|**18,038,454**|**20,544,943**|**88,000**|**10,384**|**20,643,327**|
||||||||||
The notes numbered 1 to 24 form part of these financial statements
48 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
## BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023
_________________________________________________________________________________
|**Notes**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible assets
1, 12
Heritage assets
12
Investment property
13
Investments
14
**Current Assets**
Stocks
15
Debtors
16
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors**
Amounts falling due within one year
17
**Net Current Assets**
Creditors falling due after one year
18
**Net Assets**
**The funds of the charity**
Endowment funds
19
Unrestricted income funds
General fund
20
Capital investment reserve
21
Scholarship reserve
21
Freehold property revaluation
reserve
22
Heritage asset revaluation
reserve
22
Restricted funds
Scholarship fund
23
Heritage asset fund
23
**Total Funds**
24|**2023**
£
£
5,727,207
342,410
4,435,000
6,840,130
17,344,747
26,349
209,257
640,554
876,160
(168,286)
707,874
(14,167)
**18,038,454**
10,327
2,759,212
4,788,091
79,925
10,070,499
242,400
-
88,000
**18,038,454**|**2022**
**as restated**
£
£
7,351,333
342,410
5,708,000
6,549,643
19,951,386
26,789
727,436
107,093
861,318
(145,210)
716,108
(24,167)
**20,643,327**
10,384
2,747,293
4,584,751
-
12,970,499
242,400
-
88,000
**20,643,327**|**2022**
**as restated**
£
£
7,351,333
342,410
5,708,000
6,549,643
19,951,386
26,789
727,436
107,093
861,318
(145,210)
716,108
(24,167)
**20,643,327**
10,384
2,747,293
4,584,751
-
12,970,499
242,400
-
88,000
**20,643,327**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||19,951,386
716,108|
||876,160
(168,286)|||
|||||
||||(24,167)|
||||**20,643,327**|
||||10,384
2,747,293
4,584,751
-
12,970,499
242,400
-
88,000|
||||**20,643,327**|
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to the small companies regime.
Approved by the Council on 26 September 2024 and signed on its behalf by Rufus Moore Chair of the Council
The notes numbered 1 to 24 form part of these financial statements Charity Registration No: 209172
Company Registration No: 00209822
BALANCE SHEET 49
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
_________________________________________________________________________________
|**Cash used in operating activities**
**Net cash used in operating activities**
Cash fows from investing activities:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Purchase of fxed assets
Acquisition cost of investments
Disposal proceeds of investments
**Net cash provided by investing activities**
Cash infow/(outfow) from borrowings
**Net cash provided by fnancing activities**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
**Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January**
**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December**
**Reconciliation of net income to net cash fow from**
**operating activities:**
Net income/(expenditure) for the year
Depreciation charges and proft or loss on disposals
Realized and unrealized losses/(gains) on investments
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
(Increase)/decrease in stock
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided by /(used in) operating activities**
**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**
Cash in hand
**Total cash and cash equivalents**|**Total**
**2023**
£
**38,721**
361,092
(25,013)
(22,784)
191,445
**504,740**
(10,000)
**(10,000)**
533,461
107,093
**640,554**
295,127
22,137
(459,146)
(361,092)
440
518,179
23,076
**38,721**
640,554
**640,554**|**Total**
**2022**
**as**
**restated**
£|
|---|---|---|
|||**(460,497)**|
|||349,865
(41,494)
(238,213)
315,600|
|||**385,758**|
|||(10,000)|
|||**(10,000)**|
|||(84,739)
191,832|
|||**107,093**|
|||(758,582)
21,016
686,930
(349,865)
(6,384)
(72,335)
18,723|
|||**(460,497)**|
|||107,093|
|||**107,093**|
> 50 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
## NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
_________________________________________________________________________________
|**Reconciliation of net cash fow to movement**
**in net funds**
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash (outfow)/infow from (decrease)/increase in debt
Change in net funds for the year
Net funds at 1 January
Net funds at 31 December
**Analysis of changes in net funds**
At 1
January
2023
Cash
fows
Cash in hand and at bank
107,093
533,461
Debt due within 1 year
(10,000)
-
Debt due after 1 year
(24,167)
10,000
**Total**
**72,926**
**543,461**||**Total**
**2023**
£
533,461
10,000||**Total**
**2022**
**as**
**restated**
£
(84,739)
10,000|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||543,461||(74,739)|
|||72,926||147,665|
|||**616,387**||**72,926**|
|||Non-cash
changes
-
-
-||At 31
December
2023
640,554
(10,000)
(14,167)|
|||**-**||**616,387**|
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
51
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
## a) **Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (2nd edition effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102 March 2018) and the Companies Act 2006.
The Swedenborg Society meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## b) **Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
The trustees consider that the charity will be able to continue in operation for the foreseeable future and that on this basis the charity is a going concern.
## c) **Change in accounting policy**
As described more fully in m) below, the accounting treatment with respect to the valuation of stock has been changed to include the carrying value of stock at net realizable value rather than at a nominal value of £100. The trustees consider that this change of accounting policy will provide more relevant information about the valuation of stock in the financial statements. Where required, comparatives have been restated to be consistent with the new accounting policy. The effect of the restatement is to increase unrestricted net assets in 2022 by £26,689 and net incoming resources in 2022 by £6,384, and to increase brought forward unrestricted funds in the current year by £26,689.
## d) **Incoming resources**
Income is recognized when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Investment income, comprising income from rent, service charges, dividends and interest, is accounted for on a receivable basis.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalized and notification has been made by the executors to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
Income received in advance of room hire or provision of other specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.
Goods and services that are donated to the charity are included at their value to the charity where this can be reliably measured. Donations that meet the recognition criteria for heritage assets are recognized as an addition at a value determined by an external valuer as detailed in note 12. The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts.
NOTES
52
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## e) **Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be reliably measured by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## f) **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the Trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Endowment funds are historical donations given to the charity to be held as capital, where the Trustees have discretionary power to use the funds as income.
## g) **Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognized once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:
—costs of raising funds comprise a proportion of the property costs and their associated support costs. —expenditure on charitable activities includes property, shop and publication costs with associated support costs.
- —investment management costs comprise investment management fees and professional fees.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## h) **Allocation of support costs**
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity’s programmes and activities. These costs, with the exception of payroll costs, have been allocated between the cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on estimated floor space as follows:
Charitable activities 80.7%
Trading costs 19.3%
Payroll costs have been allocated based on the estimated time spent by support staff as follows:
Costs of generating voluntary income 25%
Charitable activities 75%
## i) **Fixed assets**
Individual fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalized at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic life on a straight line basis as follows:
## Fixtures, fittings and equipment 25% - straight line.
The freehold land and property is held at a valuation prepared by an independent valuer, as detailed in note 12. This valuation is considered by the Trustees on an annual basis to determine whether there has been any impairment in the value of the property. No depreciation is charged in relation to the property as the Trustees consider that any depreciation charge would be immaterial after taking into account the estimated residual value of the property.
## j) **Heritage assets**
The Society holds an extensive library and archive relating to the life and works of Emanuel Swedenborg,
NOTES 53
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
held primarily for the purposes of transferring knowledge and promoting culture. This collection is considered to be a heritage asset and is stated in the balance sheet at an attributed value based on a valuation performed by Bernard Quaritch Limited. The asset is not depreciated as it is considered to have an indefinite life. Material additions, through purchase or donation, to the library are capitalized at their fair value.
## k) **Investment property**
The proportion by floor area of the freehold property, Swedenborg House, that is rented out to tenants is classified as investment property. The investment property is held at a valuation, determined by an independent valuer, at open market value.
## l) **Investments**
Investments are held at market value.
## m) **Stock**
Stocks of books, printed sheets and papers are included in the accounts at the lower of cost or net realizable value. A provision is made for slow-moving or obsolete stock. This is a change to the previous accounting policy and comparatives have been restated to be consistent with the new accounting treatment.
## n) **Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognized at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## o) **Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## p) **Creditors and provisions**
Creditors and provisions are recognized where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognized at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## q) **Financial instruments**
The charity only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognized at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
## r) **Judgments in applying accounting policies and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date and the amounts reported for revenue and expenses during the year. The nature of estimation means the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates.
The key sources of estimation uncertainty that could have an impact on the financial statements relate to:
—the valuation of the freehold property, as included in fixed assets and investment property. Note 13 describes the factors considered in the valuation of the property and the allocation between freehold property and investment property.
—the valuation of the heritage assets. Note 12 gives details of the external valuation of the heritage assets.
NOTES
54
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
—the recognition and valuation of legacies that are notified to the Society but the final value is not yet known. Note 16 describes the method of valuation of legacies receivable, and amounts recognized through the Statement of Financial Activities for the year.
## **2. LEGAL STATUS OF THE SOCIETY**
The Swedenborg Society is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding-up is limited to £1.
## **3. CORPORATION TAX**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all of its income is charitable and is applied to its charitable objects.
## **4. NET SURPLUS OF THE PERIOD**
|**NET SURPLUS OF THE PERIOD**|**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|The net movement in funds for the period is stated after charging:|
**£**|**£**|
|Auditor’s remuneration|11,000|10,000|
## **5. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS**
||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|Staff costs:|**£**|**£**|
|Wages and salaries|260,383|214,410|
|Social security costs|18,639|14,065|
|Pension contributions|24,544|12,339|
||303,566|240,814|
The average number of employees during the period was 10 (2022: 9). The number of employees earning in excess of £60,000 is as follows:
|||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|
|£60,000|- £70,000|1|0|
No trustee was remunerated during the year. 4 trustees received reimbursement of travel expenses amounting to £4,827 during the year (2022: £3,789 to 4 members). Nothing was owed (2022: £nil) to a trustee at the year end.
The key management personnel of the Society comprise the Council and the Executive Director. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the Society were £85,549 (2022: £70,867).
There are no related party transactions in the year that require disclosure.
## **6. INCOME FROM DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**
|Donations
Subscriptions
Legacies
|**2023**
**£**
11,132
1,012
38,375
50,519|**2022**
**£**
13,745
2,083
67,000|
|---|---|---|
|||82,828|
The Society benefits greatly from the involvement and enthusiastic support of its volunteers, details of which are given in our _Annual Report_ . In accordance with FRS 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the economic benefit contribution of general volunteers is not recognized in the financial statements.
NOTES
55
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **7. INVESTMENT INCOME**
|Rental income
Service charges receivable
Interest and dividends receivable
**8. FUNDRAISING, TRADING AND OTHER COSTS**
Wages and salaries
Property costs
Administration
Depreciation
**9.**
**INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COSTS**
Portfolio management
Property professional fees
**10. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
Lectures and meetings
Education and outreach
Publishing and distribution:
Printing and binding
Books purchased for resale
Revision and translation
Property, shop and stock room expenses
Events
Library and catalogue expenses
Scholarship expenses
Governance costs
|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
160,729 155,015
36,290
29,013
164,073 165,837
361,092 349,865
**2023**
**2022**
**£ £**
10,529 9,650
26,505 23,850
2,833 3,897
4,272 4,056
44,140
41,453
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
25,696 25,859
3,190
10,832
28,886 36,691
**2023**
**2022**
**as**
**restated**
**£**
**£**
10,144
6,967
420
522
71,736 58,473
2,211
999
40,679
40,009
302,103 233,918
26,643 12,761
39,324
45,128
20,075
18,450
39,333 30,687
552,668 447,914|
|---|---|
As outlined in the accounting policies, relevant expenses are apportioned between charitable activities and other costs based on utilization of floor space.
The comparative for Property, shop and stock room expenses has been restated to reflect the new accounting policy for stock as described in note 1c.
Included in governance costs is £11,000 (2022: £10,000) in respect of audit fees.
Included in total expenditure is £82,981 (2022: £74,271) relating to the ongoing refurbishment of Swedenborg House.
NOTES
56
## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
|**11. SUPPORT COSTS**
Premises
Repairs and maintenance
Building works
Office operating costs
Support staff salaries
Office salaries
Audit fees
Accountancy services
Allocation of support costs:
Costs of generating voluntary income
Fundraising, trading and other costs
Expenditure on charitable activities
|**2023**
**£**
21,773
82,981
80,817
43,133
69,714
11,000
916
310,334
17,428
44,140
248,766
310,334|**2022**
**£**
16,708
74,271
86,699
37,106
50,066
10,000
814
275,664
12,517
41,453
221,694
275,664|
|---|---|---|
Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity’s programmes and activities.
Costs that cannot be allocated directly, with the exception of payroll, have been apportioned between charitable activities and fundraising costs based on estimated floor space as outlined in the accounting policies. Payroll costs relating to support staff have been apportioned equally between costs of generating voluntary income and expenditure on charitable activities.
## **12. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
|**TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost / valuation**
At 1 January 2023
Additions
Revaluation
Disposals
At 31 December 2023
**Depreciation**
At 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 December 2023
**Net book value**
At 31 December 2023
At 31 December 2022|**Freehold**
**Land and**
**Buildings**
**£**
7,292,000
-
(1,627,000)
-|**Fixtures,**
**Fittings and**
**Equipment**
**£**
159,482
25,013
-
-|**Total**
**£**
7,451,482
25,013
(1,627,000)
-|
||5,665,000|184,495|5,849,495|
||-
-
-|100,151
22,137
-|100,151
22,137
-|
||-|122,288|122,288|
||5,665,000|62,207|5,727,207|
|||||
||7,292,000|59,331|7,351,331|
All assets are held for the benefit of the charity.
The freehold property was revalued by Jake Toddington MRICS, an independent professional property valuer, on an open market basis as at 31 December 2023. The valuation was then allocated between freehold land and buildings and investment property on the basis of floor area.
NOTES
57
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **12. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS (CONTINUED)**
The comparable amount under the historical cost basis for land and buildings is immaterial due to the age of the asset and its small original cost.
## **TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS - HERITAGE ASSETS**
|**Cost**
At 1 January & 31 December 2023
**Net book value**
At 31 December 2023
At 31 December 2022
**Heritage assets additions**
Heritage assets donated
Heritage assets purchased
|**2023**
**£**
0
0
0|**2022**
**£**
0
0
0|**Heritage Assets**
**£**
342,410
342,410
342,410
**2021 2020**
**2 0 1 9**
**£**
**£**
**£**
0 0
0
0 0 0
0 0 0|**Heritage Assets**
**£**|**Heritage Assets**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||342,410|
||||||342,410|
||||||342,410|
||||||**2020**
**2 0 1 9**
**£**
**£**
0
0
0 0
0 0|
The heritage assets relate to the library and archives. They are included in the financial statements at a valuation based on insurance value. The historic cost was £100. The library was valued in 2015 by Bernard Quaritch Ltd, an independent antiquarian valuation expert who valued these assets at £242,500 for insurance purposes. The valuation is reviewed on a regular basis by the Society - the trustees consider that the current valuation is appropriate as at 31 December 2023. Additions are valued at purchase cost or, where the additions are donated, they are periodically valued by an independent valuer. The most recent valuation of additions was performed by Bernard Quaritch Ltd as at 31 December 2017. The library was established in 1824 and provides an important resource for those researching Swedenborg. It has five main sections: The Swedenborg Collection; the Archives; Collateral titles; Periodicals; and the General Conference Collection. The library is a research library and is open to the public. Further details are provided in the Report of the Council.
Full information is available on the Society’s website www.swedenborg.org.uk/library.
## **13. INVESTMENT PROPERTY**
|Valuation
At 1 January 2023
Revaluation
Transfer to freehold property
At 31 December 2022
|**2023 2022**
**£**
**£**
5,708,000 5,749,600
(1,273,000) -
-(41,600)
4,435,000 5,708,000|
|---|---|
The investment property was revalued by Jake Toddington MRICS, an independent professional property valuer, on an open market basis as at 31 December 2023. The valuation was then allocated between freehold land and buildings and investment property on the basis of floor area. The transfer to freehold property in the prior year is a result of the change in the proportion of floor area used for the charity’s own purposes.
NOTES
58
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **14. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS**
|
Market value at 1 January
Disposals at market value
Acquisitions at cost
Unrealized gains
Market value at 31 December
Historical cost at 31 December
|**2023**
**£**
6,549,643
(177,941)
22,784
6,394,486
445,644
6,840,130
4,000,137
|**2022**
**£**
7,313,962
(327,308)
238,213|
|---|---|---|
|||7,224,867
(675,224)|
|||
6,549,643|
|||4,121,011|
The following investments comprised more than 5% of the investment fund at valuation at 31 December 2022:
Findlay Park LLP American Fund £638,583 SPDR S&P500 ETF Trust £659,043
|Analysis of investments held
Fixed interest - UK
Fixed interest - Non UK
Equities - UK
Equities - Non UK
Absolute return funds
|**2023**
**£**
509,459
77,979
2,303,894
3,685,529
263,269
6,840,130
|**2022**
**£**
497,798
78,591
2,244,852
3,476,151
252,251|
|---|---|---|
|||6,549,643|
Fixed asset investments represent financial assets measured at fair value through income and expenditure.
## **15. STOCK**
|
Books for resale
|**2023 2022**
as restated
**£ £**
26,349 26,789|
|---|---|
The comparative has been restated by a prior year adjustment. Further details are included in note 1c of the financial statements.
## **16. DEBTORS**
|**DEBTORS**|||
|---|---|---|
|
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
|**2023**
**£**
60,731
24,013
124,513
209,257|**2022**
**£**
39,538
1,856
686,042|
|||727,436|
Included in prepayments and accrued income is an amount of £24,883 (2022: £34,469) due after more than one year.
Prepayments includes an amount relating to legacies notified to the Society but not yet received in full. The final value of a legacy is uncertain as it is contingent on the sale of assets and completion of the probate process by the executor. Based on information received from the executor, the trustees consider that legacies receivable are an asset with a carrying value of £40,000 (2022: £617,000). During the year, distributions totalling £598,770 (2022: £50,000) were received in respect of these legacies.
NOTES 59
## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **17. CREDITORS DUE IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR**
|**CREDITORS DUE IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR**|||
|---|---|---|
|
Bounce back loan
Trade creditors
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income
**Deferred income**
Deferred income as at 1 January
Released during the year
Deferred during the year
Deferred income as at 31 December
|**2023 2022**
**£ £**
10,000 10,000
16,865 9,475
62,627
62,208
78,794
63,527
168,286 145,210
**2023 2022**
**£ £**
2,255
1,300
(2,255) (1,300)
10,750 2,255
10,750 2,255|**2022**
**£**
10,000
9,475
62,208
63,527|
||
||
Deferred income comprises advance bookings for the hire of rooms at Swedenborg House.
## **18. CREDITORS DUE IN GREATER THAN 1 YEAR**
|**CREDITORS DUE IN GREATER THAN 1 YEAR**|||
|---|---|---|
|
Bounce back loan
The bounce back loan is repayable as follows:
Within one year
Between one and two years
Between two and fve years
|**2023**
**£**
14,167
**2023**
**£**
10,000
10,000
4,167
24,167|**2022**
**£**
24,167|
|||**2022**
**£**
10,000
10,000
14,167|
|||34,167|
The Bounce back loan is unsecured and has a fixed interest rate of 2.5% per year. Interest paid in the year was £648 (2022: £648).
The United Kingdom government has paid the interest cost for the first year as part of its Corona virus support measures. The loan is repayable in 60 equal instalments beginning in June 2021.
## **19. ENDOWMENTS**
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**1.1.23**|**incoming**|**and**|**31.12.23**|
|||**resources**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Endowment fund|10,384|515|(572)|10,327|
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
||**1.1.22**|**incoming**|**and**|**31.12.22**|
|||**resources**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Endowment fund|12,495|513|(2,624)|10,384|
The endowment fund comprises the Coulson Bequest Fund, the income from which is unrestricted.
NOTES
60
## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **20. GENERAL FUND**
|
Balance at 1 January (as restated)
Net incoming resources per SOFA
Resources expended charged to designated funds
Transfer from/(to) capital investment reserve
Transfer from/(to) scholarship reserve
Transfer from endowment fund
Balance at 31 December
|**2023**
**2022**
**as**
**restated**
**£**
**£**
2,747,293 2,968,741
294,669 (756,984)
20,075 -
(203,340) 535,023
(100,000) -
515 513
2,759,212 2,747,293|
|---|---|
## **21. DESIGNATED FUNDS**
|**DESIGNATED FUNDS**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
||**1.1.23**|**resources**|**and**|**31.12.23**|
|||**expended**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Capital investment reserve|4,584,751|-|203,340|4,788,091|
|Scholarship reserve|-|(20,075)|100,000|79,925|
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
||**1.1.22**|**resources**|**and**|**31.12.22**|
|||**expended**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Capital investment reserve|5,119,774|-|(535,023)|4,584,751|
|Scholarship reserve|-|-|-|-|
The capital investment reserve was designated by the trustees and is equivalent to 70% of the Society’s investment portfolio. Much of the charity’s work is long-term in character, including a commitment to maintain the library and archives, and therefore justifies this designated reserve to ensure the continuity of operations.
The scholarship reserve was set up by the trustees in 2017 to fund the provision of scholarships.
## **22. REVALUATION RESERVES**
|Freehold property revaluation reserve
As at 1 January 2023
Re-evaluation
Reserve at 31 December 2023
Analysis of reserve
Land and buildings
Investment property
Heritage asset revaluation reserve
At 1 January & 31 December 2023
|**2023**
**£**
12,970,499
(2,900,000)
10,070,499
5,650,154
4,420,345
10,070,499
**2023**
**£**
242,400|**2022**
**£**
12,970,499
-
12,970,499
7,235,554
5,734,945
12,970,499
**2022**
**£**
242,400|
|---|---|---|
||||
NOTES
61
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **22. REVALUATION RESERVES (CONTINUED)**
The heritage assets as a whole were revalued in 2015. Subsequent material additions are valued when they are received.
## **23. RESTRICTED FUNDS**
|**ESTRICTED FUNDS**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
||**1.1.23**|**incoming**|**and**|**31.12.23**|
|||**resources**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Heritage asset|88,000|-|-|88,000|
||**Balances**|**Net**|**Gains**|**Balances**|
||**1.1.22**|**incoming**|**and**|**31.12.22**|
|||**resources**|**transfers**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Heritage asset|88,000|-|-|88,000|
The heritage asset restricted fund represents an archive donated to the Society. The conditions of the donation are such that the heritage asset will revert to the donor in the event that the Society ceases to operate or otherwise opts to no longer hold the archive.
## **24. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2023**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
Tangible fxed assets
5,981,617
88,000
Investment property
4,435,000
-
Investments
6,829,803
-
Current assets
876,160
-
Current liabilities
(168,286)
-
Long-term liabilities
(14,167)
-
Total net assets
17,940,127
88,000
Unrealized gains/(losses) included in above:
On tangible fxed assets
10,312,899
-
On investment assets
(see note below)
2,839,482
-|**Endowment**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
-
-
10,327
-
-
-|**Total**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
6,069,617
4,435,000
6,840,130
876,160
(168,286)
(14,167)|
|---|---|---|
||10,327|18,038,454|
||-
511|10,312,899
2,839,993|
NOTES
62
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTINUED
_________________________________________________________________________________
## **Reconciliation of movements in unrealized gains on investment assets**
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**2023**|**2023**|**2023**|**2023**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Unrealized gains at|2,428,064|-|568|2,428,632|
|1 January 2023|||||
|Net gains/(losses) arising|||||
|on revaluations|424,920|-|(57)|424,863|
|(Gains)/losses realized|(13,502)|-|-|(13,502)|
|on disposals|||||
|Unrealized gains at|||||
|31 December 2023|2,839,482|-|511|2,839,993|
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|**Total**|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|
||**as restated**|||**as restated**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Tangible fxed assets|7,605,743|88,000|-|7,693,743|
|Investment property|5,708,000|-|-|5,708,000|
|Investments|6,539,259|-|10,384|6,549,643|
|Current assets|861,318|-|-|861,318|
|Current liabilities|(145,210)|-|-|(145,210)|
|Long-term liabilities|(24,167)|-|-|(24,167)|
|Total net assets|20,544,943|88,000|10,384|20,643,327|
|Unrealized gains/(losses) included|in above:||||
|On tangible fxed assets|13,212,899|-|-|13,212,899|
|On investment assets|||||
|(see note below)|2,428,064|-|568|2,428,632|
|**Reconciliation of movements in unrealized**||**gains on investment assets**|||
|Unrealized gains at|||||
|1 January 2022|3,282,788|-|2,679|3,285,467|
|Net gains/(losses) arising on|||||
|revaluations|(866,430)|-|(2,111)|(868,541)|
|(Gains)/losses realized on|||||
|disposals|11,706|-|-|11,706|
|Unrealized gains at|||||
|31 December 2022|2,428,064|-|568|2,428,632|
NOTES 63
64
## T H E O B J E C T S O F T H E S W E D E N B O R G S O C I E T Y
The primary charitable objects of the Swedenborg Society are as follows:
- _To provide for the continuation of the public knowledge of the works of Emanuel Swedenborg and the appreciation of Swedenborg’s ideas and influence on later generations._
- _To print, publish, purchase, sell and distribute as grants the literary remains of Emanuel Swedenborg, biographies of Swedenborg and literature in agreement with his writings._
- _To organize meetings, lectures, conferences and other events as a means of directing attention to, and promoting interest in, the works of Swedenborg._
- _To encourage study of the works of Swedenborg._
The Society undertakes a number of activities to further these objectives:
- _We grant books to public and university libraries._
- _We organize events, lectures, seminars and exhibitions at Swedenborg House._
- _We develop links with academic institutions to assist the research and study of Swedenborg’s writings and their impact on later philosophical thought._
- _We operate a bookshop to make the writings of Swedenborg and later books based on his ideas available to the public._
- _We care for a library, archive and permanent collection of artefacts._
- _We foster a community to all who share an interest or a curiosity in the ideas and works of Swedenborg._
For a full list of the Society’s OBJECTS and POWERS please visit our website where the Governing Document is available for download.
## M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T
The Swedenborg Society provides for the continuation of the public knowledge of the works of Emanuel Swedenborg, the appreciation of Swedenborg’s ideas and the influence of his works on later generations. We hold that Swedenborg’s work and legacy will always remain of importance and we support work that is evidence of its continued relevance. As an institution in the service of society, and open to the public, we give home to a permanent collection of artefacts, a library, a book room, an exhibition space and meeting rooms. The Society offers a community to all who share these interests and, within its means, assistance for those who seriously wish to further those interests in research or interpretation. The Society is a fully inclusive organization and is committed to maintaining an ethos in which every person feels welcomed, valued and respected regardless of their age, religious beliefs, ethnicity, political affiliations, sexual orientation or gender.
## S U B S C R I P T I O N S
The Swedenborg Society was established in 1810 (incorporated 1925) for the purpose of translating and publishing the works of Emanuel Swedenborg. Annual Membership
OBJECTS OF THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY
65
subscriptions £20 or upwards (£15 for those aged 65 or over, students and the unwaged). Life Membership, £200 (£150 for those aged 65 or over). For a married couple: one-anda-half times the individual subscription (applying to both annual and life membership). Application for membership must be in writing and approved by the Council. Subscriptions and donations may be sent to the Administrator or the Society’s Collectors.
## D O N A T I O N S & L E G A C I E S
Donations and legacies play a vital part in the Society’s ability to undertake its charitable activities. Would-be donors are reminded that there are tax advantages to the Society if donations are made under Gift Aid. As the Society is a registered charity, legacies are free of inheritance tax. Please contact our Administrator for more information.
## L I S T O F C O L L E C T O R S
UK: The Administrator, The Swedenborg Society, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH.
USA: Mr Christopher Bowyer, PO Box 487, Bryn Athyn, PA, 19009, USA. Australia: Mr Murray Heldon, 35 O’Brien’s Road, Hurstville, New South Wales 2220; Mr Ian Brock, 11 Chester Street, Lockleys, South Australia 5032; Mrs Val Hart, 28 Kincardine Close, Floreat Park, Western Australia 6014.
66 LIST OF COLLECTORS
## IMAGE CREDITS
Front and back Cover: Hilma af Klint Virtual Reality Event, Swedenborg Hall © The Quinn Fizzlers Photographs on pages 6, 18, 22, 38 and 64 © Mela Hilleard 2023. Photograph on page 10 © The Quinn Fizzlers
67
CREDITS
**The Swedenborg Society**
68