2024-12-31-accounts - Swedenborg Society

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ANNUAL REPORT 2025

C H A R I T Y I N F O R M A T I O N

PRESIDENT Iain Sinclair

PATRON Homero Aridjis

TRUSTEES

Chair: Rufus Moore, MA Hon. Treasurer: Erica Wyncoll Colin Buttimer Revd Alan Cowley, MDiv Clare Cumberlidge Erika Heilman Dr Kristin King 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 Moore Kingston Smith LLP, 9 Appold Street, London, EC2A 2AP

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)

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 2024

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	12
TREMULATIONS	13
CONCERNING AN IDEA ABOUT PLACE	13
WORKS IN PREPARATION	14
EBOOKS	15
DISTRIBUTION	15
CAFÉ & BOOKSHOP	17
EVENTS
READINGS & SCREENINGS	19
TALKS & TOURS	19
PERFORMANCES & WORKSHOPS	21
COLLABORATIVE EVENTS	22
THE SWEDENBORG FILM FESTIVAL	23
MUSEUM
EXHIBITIONS	25
THE SWEDENBORG RESIDENCY	27
IN PLANNING	28
LIBRARY & ARCHIVE
ACCREDITATION	29
VISITORS	29
STORAGE	29
ACQUISITIONS	30
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
THE SWEDENBORG DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP	31
ACADEMIC / PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS	32

CONTENTS

THE BUILDING
UPGRADES	33
FIRE PREVENTION & SECURITY	33
ACCESS	33
MAINTENANCE	34
GREEN SPACES	34
GREEN HOUSEKEEPING	34
DIGITAL MEDIA
WEBSITE	35
SOCIAL MEDIA	35
YOUTUBE & LIVE STREAMING	36
SWEDENBORG RADIO	36
FINANCIAL REVIEW
RISKS & UNCERTAINTIES	37
INVESTMENT POLICY	38
RESERVES POLICY	38
DONATIONS & LEGACIES	38
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT
GOVERNANCE	41
AGM & 2024 COUNCIL ELECTION	41
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL DURING 2024	42
THE ADVISORY & REVISION BOARD	42
STAFF	42
VOLUNTEERS	42
HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY	42
COMPANY MATTERS	43
PUBLIC BENEFIT	43
STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL’S RESPONSIBILITIES	43
THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AUDITED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT	45
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES	50
BALANCE SHEET	51
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS	52
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	54
OBJECTS OF THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY	67
MISSION STATEMENT	67
SUBSCRIPTIONS	67
DONATIONS & LEGACIES	68
LIST OF COLLECTORS	68

CONTENTS

C H A I R P E R S O N ’ S S T A T E M E N T

The trustees are delighted to publish the Swedenborg Society’s 2024 Annual Report, which shows notable achievements across a broad range of activities and events. Once again we have seen overall visitor numbers increase—from 5,500 to 32,000—and the continued success of the coffee shop and Swedenborg House Gallery have transformed our public engagement programme. Members will also see that we have enjoyed increased institutional visibility via social media and reviews in mainstream media including the BBC’s Front Row and the Robert Elms Radio Show. In addition to this our ongoing organizational collaborations have expanded to include the Barbican, the London Review of Books, Whitechapel Gallery, University of the Highlands and Islands, the UK publisher CHEERIO, the German art publisher Walther Koenig, King's College, London, the University of Amsterdam, the Royal Academy of Art, Stockholm; and the Estate of Francis Bacon, and many more. Each allowing us to extend the name of Swedenborg and the work of the Society in unprecedented ways. In the spring we attended the London Book Fair and the Rosemary Chiles legacy has allowed us to continue with our planned building enhancements. Perhaps most satisfyingly book distribution has doubled.

We are delighted also to announce that the London writer, broadcaster, filmmaker and cultural commentator Iain Sinclair has accepted the Presidency for 2024-2025. Iain first began writing about Swedenborg as early as 1974 and has been a tireless advocate for Swedenborg House events and publishing. In addition to this, the poet, novelist, environmentalist and former Ambassador Homero Aridjis, has agreed to become the Society’s first ever Patron. Homero has been a member of the Society since 1969 and has spoken at numerous Swedenborg Society events.

On the board it has been a pleasure to witness and support the accomplishments of 2024. The performance indicators within this report are outstanding and provide a glimpse of all the hard work that our staff, volunteers, contractors and café partners have undertaken. This expansion in public engagement with Swedenborg House has been managed with such professionalism, warmth and good humour that one wouldn’t be aware of the change it represented and presume it was always thus. Special thanks to Stephen McNeilly for his leadership in helping all involved with Swedenborg House to achieve our charitable objective in bringing Emanuel Swedenborg to an ever widening audience.

Rufus Moore (Chair)

CHAIRPERSON’S STATEMENT 5

THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

O B J E C T I V E S & A C T I V I T I E S

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

Concerns related to the negative impact of COVID-19 have now receded and, as anticipated, income from room hire, book sales and the investment portfolio have returned to pre-pandemic levels. 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 the pandemic. The trustees will continue to monitor the situation and prepare for ongoing difficulties that might occur during 2025.

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES O B J E C T I V E S

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 an enthusiastic team of volunteers and in-kind giving to assist with the furtherance of its objectives. Much of this effort continues to be provided by volunteers who support our exhibitions and events programme plus members of the Society’s Advisory and Revision Board, who also play an important 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 also draws upon the key support of volunteers who also assist in welcoming visitors to Swedenborg House. Warm gratitude is extended to all those who have offered their time or expertise, free of charge, during 2024.

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 2024 further progress was made in several key areas. 2024 saw the first full year of operation of the new Arcana Coffee outlet in the bookshop, which has exceeded expectations in all areas, including the integration of staff, use of space and operations of new fixtures and fittings, including the re-purposed kitchen in the basement. A further three exhibitions were staged in the new ground floor gallery (with continuations of the exhibitions into the bookshop, staircases and Wynter Room), and these exhibitions were open for 41 weeks of the year. The combination of the new coffee shop and exhibition programme saw a 445% increase in visitors to Swedenborg House, benefiting book sales, mailing list subscriptions and general interest in and awareness of Swedenborg and the Society's main charitable aims. The coffee shop and gallery have also increased the accessibility of Swedenborg House and have made what was already a warm and welcoming building into a thriving hub of activity that nevertheless retains an opportunity for quiet contemplation and study. Work continued in developing the basement as an improved storage area for stock, equipment, and archival use. The attic space also underwent significant structural repair. The year also saw the continuation of the Society’s aim to establish academic and professional partnerships. Institutional partnerships in 2024 included: Birkbeck, University of London; Skansen, the open-air museum in Stockholm; the Longplayer Trust; Whitechapel Gallery; University of the Highlands

8 OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

and Islands; Tenement Press; Göteborgs Indiekör; CHEERIO; Walther Koenig publisher; the Royal Academy of Art, Stockholm; and the Estate of Francis Bacon. The Society attended the London Book Fair at Kensington Olympia in March leading to serious (and ongoing) discussions with distributors Turnaround Publisher Services, Unicorn Publishing and Central Books about representing some of the Swedenborg Society’s back catalogue and future publications. Steps are now being developed for phase two of the enhancement plan.

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:

	2024	2023
Number of visitors	32,000	5,600
Online engagement	30,658	20,383
Number of Members	584	588
Number of Friends	311	274
Social media followers	10,375	8693
Distribution	6280	3251
Contribution from property	£137,623	£126,976

Installation view Swedenborg’s Lusthus © The Quinn Fizzlers

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES 9

SHING

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 scholarly and other publications exploring his intellectual and cultural impact. Titles in preparation include new English translations of Swedenborg’s books; dual-language LatinEnglish editions of Swedenborg; study guides; introductory books; exhibition catalogues/guides; and academic monographs and studies. The Society’s publishing programme also has in preparation a new Collected Works of Swedenborg. The edition is intended to serve as the authoritative text of Swedenborg’s work in English and will encompass his entire published output and utilize new English translations alongside existing English translations modified for consistency of style alongside fresh critical apparatus and scholarly introductions. New Latin editions, intended to accompany the Collected Works, are also in preparation.

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. Of Swedenborg Society titles, Ackroyd’s book grossed the highest value in sales in 2024 in the Society’s Bloomsbury bookshop, whilst Gary Lachman’s book continued to garner a large number of high ratings and reviews from customers and readers on websites such as Amazon and Goodreads, and is soon to be reprinted with stock of the first print run almost being sold out. More titles for this series are in planning.

S W E D E N B O R G R E V I E W

Issue 0.05 of the Swedenborg Review was printed in December 2024 and released to the public at a high-profile event (the Longplayer Conversation, with Fitzcarraldo Editions authors Kate Briggs and Daisy Hildyard), held at Swedenborg Hall on 12 December. Over 800 copies were mailed out to Members, Friends and contributors. Contributions to the issue included essays, fiction, poetry, photography, artwork, reviews and short-form articles by Homero Aridjis, David Chatton Barker, Daniel Birnbaum, William Blake, Anonymous Bosch, Colin Buttimer, Richard Carlile, Brian Catling, Avery Curran, Jacqui Davies, Live Drønen, Sibylle Erle, Betty Ferber, Xiaoxuan Han, Andrew Hindmarsh, Ramsey Janini, Nicholas Jeeves, Timothy J Jarvis, William Edward Kilburn, Kristin King, Hilma af Klint, Jarett Kobek, Mark Leckey, Siôn Marshall-Waters, Sam McLoughlin, Stephen McNeilly, Piet Mondrian, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Sally O’Reilly, Victor Rees, Anya Reeve, Paola Russo, Iain Sinclair, Adam Skipper, Ben Wickey and Sue Young. The staff for this issue of the Swedenborg Review

PUBLISHING 11

were Stephen McNeilly (Editor), supported by an editorial team of Anya Reeve, Adam Skipper and James Wilson; and publishing assistants Zelda Cahill-Patten and Nora O’Reilly.

D U A L L A N G U A G E E D I T I O N S

Work continued on John Elliott’s new English translation and newly edited Latin text of Prophets and Psalms . The texts have been typeset and are being thoroughly proofread and checked by John and consultant Robert Gill, with the aim of publication in 2025. 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. Talks have begun over what might be the next project in the dual language series, with due consideration being given to a neglected promise made in the 1975 dual language volume Small Theological Works and Letters to publish at a later date newly edited and translated editions of Swedenborg’s works Coronis , Invitatio ad Novam Ecclesiam and De Conjugio III .

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 , Divine Providence and Divine Love and Wisdom , the latter two titles being new translations by K C Ryder. All 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. The Society’s A&R Board will also serve as its advisory board. 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

Volumes 4 and 5 of Norman Ryder’s A Descriptive Bibliography of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) are still in preparation, and plans are continuing 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.

S W E D E N B O R G ’S L U S T H U S

This title was launched on 27 January 2024 at the opening of a companion

12 PUBLISHING

exhibition, curated by the book’s editor, Stephen McNeilly, at Swedenborg House: Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place . Serving as a template for a new series of titles looking to draw attention to Swedenborg’s impact on the visual arts, literature and history, the book also offered an opportunity to develop an integrated programme of activities including educational events, talks, YouTube content, merchandise and social media engagement at Swedenborg House. Including over 80 illustrations, many in colour, and many representing items from the Swedenborg archive/collection plus other photographs commissioned especially for the book, it also features contributions from an array of leading writers and artists including Chloe Aridjis, Anonymous Bosch, Arne Biornstad, Daniel Birnbaum, Hjalmar Gullberg, Deborah Levy, Stephen McNeilly, Iain Sinclair, Bridget Smith, Ben Wickey and Ken Worpole with extracted passages by Swedenborg. Described by the Cambridge Review of Books as a ‘poignant reflection upon the inter-connectedness of place and writing’, the book was reviewed on several online platforms and was the Society’s best-selling book via its online bookstore in 2024. It is also one of a series of the titles at the centre of discussion with prospective new distributors, such as Turnaround Publisher Services (see also ‘Enhancement Plan’ above).

T R E M U L A T I O N S

Published in conjunction with the 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 was designed to replicate the Swedenborg Society’s iconic Transactions series issued 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. In addition to an introduction by Daniel Birnbaum & Jacqui Davies it also includes 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. The book was formally launched at Swedenborg House at an event in conjunction with Tenement Press on 9 October 2024.

C O N C E R N I N G A N I D E A A B O U T P L A C E

An expanded version of a text that originally appeared in the Swedenborg’s Lusthus , Stephen McNeilly’s Concerning an idea about place: Swedenborg’s Summerhouse was printed in summer 2024 in a limited edition of 200 hand-numbered copies. The book was issued as a pocket-sized paperback at an affordable price of £5.95 with the express intention of appealing to visitors to the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus: Into the Garden (which ran from July to December 2024). The book was formally launched on 26 September 2024 at an event in Swedenborg Hall

PUBLISHING 13

that saw the author in conversation with Mark Riley, an artist and author who was also a contributor to the Swedenborg’s Lusthus exhibition. Concerning an idea about place has provided, in its design, a template for a pocket paperback series that will include titles from the Introducing Swedenborg and Swedenborg Archive series (see more below).

W O R K S I N P R E P A R A T I O N

Following the success of the Histories & Hauntings exhibition staged at Swedenborg House in October-December 2023, significant work was done in 2024 on producing an expanded book version of the texts that accompanied it. The new book is titled Gifts Returned by the River and has been compiled by Iain Sinclair, featuring contributions from Alice Albinia, Renchi Bicknell, Javier Calvo, Brian Catling, Jack Catling, Gareth Evans, Jürgen Ghebrezgiabiher, Jarett Kobek, Stephen McNeilly, Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, Louis Petit, Victor Rees, Anya Reeve, John Rogers, Adolfo Barberá del Rosal, Matthew Shaw, Iain Sinclair and Ben Wickey. It is scheduled for publication in May 2025.

Another new title that was being readied for the press is Hereafter , a book to accompany the exhibition of the same name that will be staged at Swedenborg House January-May 2025. The book will feature newly commissioned writing from Chloe Aridjis, Jennifer Higgie and Deborah Levy, alongside the works of Romantic and Symbolist poets who were directly influenced by Swedenborg, such as Charles Baudelaire, William Blake, Jorge Luis Borges, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Stéphane Mallarmé and Edgar Allan Poe, as well as others such as Ithell Colquhoun, John Donne, Derek Jarman, Wallace Stevens and Tristan Tzara. The book will also feature a new poem written by Andrew Durbin plus images of the artists’ works and objects from the Swedenborg House collection as part of

a visual essay designed by artist Simon Moretti.

A new series of paperback pocketbooks was inaugurated with the limitededition print run of Stephen McNeilly’s Concerning an idea about place: Swedenborg’s Summerhouse . Edited by Stephen McNeilly, the new editions will include titles from Swedenborg Archive and Introducing Swedenborg series plus newly commissioned works. Next to be printed is an expanded edition of Homero Aridjis’s An Angel Speaks , plus a new edition of Ken Worpole’s New Jerusalem: the Good City and the Good Society and Gary Lachman’s Introducing Swedenborg: Correspondences . A preview of the new edition of An Angel Speaks appeared in issue 0.05 of the Swedenborg Review , in the form one of the new poems, ‘SWEDENBORG’. Discussions are underway with the authors Brian Dillon and Devin Zuber for two new titles.

PUBLISHING

In addition to the Collected Works and the new Latin editions mentioned above, other new books in preparation include An Evening with Mr Benn in the Swedenborg Archive series; a book version of Chloe Aridjis’s hugely popular Stilled Shadows magic lantern show; and The Story of Swedenborg in 99 Objects and Swedenborg’s London , two publications similar in format to Swedenborg’s Lusthus , combining new writing and photography with archival sources and lavishly illustrated throughout. 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.

E B O O K S

The Society currently has 6 titles available in Kindle 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 ; and Iain Sinclair’s Blake’s London . Other works, such as back issues of the Swedenborg Review , are available for free digital download from the Swedenborg Society’s website or academia.com. 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 Worpole’s New Jerusalem: the Good City and the Good Society; Malcolm Peet’s Medicine, Mysticism and Mythology: Garth Wilkinson and NineteenthCentury 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 2024, 40 titles were distributed across the UK and abroad by Combined Book Services of Tonbridge, Kent (36 in 2023). Gillian Hawkins of Hawkins Publishing Services was the sales representative, and books were stocked by Waterstones, Tate Britain, London Review Bookshop and Books Etc., and online specialists such as Aphrohead, Fishpond World, Paperback Shop, Rarewaves and Super Bookdeals. Orders to CBS from other distributors, such as Gardners, saw books supplied indirectly to other independent bookshops. In the USA, the Swedenborg Foundation via their partner the Chicago Distribution Center, distributed 13 of Swedenborg Society’s titles. In addition to these specialist outlet’s, titles were also available on mainstream platforms such as Amazon, AbeBooks, Agendabookshop, AtlanticBooks, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, Foyles, Blackwell’s and WHSmiths.

PUBLISHING

I IEI:: -,,,1 'IliJJ BOOK, & CAFÉ

C A F É & B O O K S H O P

C A F É

2024 saw the first full year of operations for the new café, Arcana Coffee, which opened Monday-Friday daily 8.00 am – 4.00 pm, serving a range of high-quality coffees, teas, cold drinks and sweet and savoury cakes and pastries, for dine-in or takeaway. Arcana Coffee also provided catering packages on request to room hirers throughout the year. The coffee shop served more than 20,000 customers during the course of its first year and has already built up a large volume of regulars, including many of Swedenborg House’s tenants and neighbours, who have praised the friendly service, delicious cakes and the warm and inspiring atmosphere. 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 2024 it welcomed around 32,000 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 passers-by 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; the bookshop also, at times, hosts wall texts and

display items as part of exhibitions in the neighbouring Swedenborg House gallery. This was the first full year of the bookshop operating in tandem with the café and it proved to be an easy integration all round. 2024 also saw Adam Skipper appointed to the role of bookshop attendant. Having benefited from the increased foot traffic from coffee shop customers and exhibition visitors, the bookshop saw massive increases in items distributed.

EVENTS

E V E N T S

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 2024 residency and exhibition programme are contained in the MUSEUM section on pages 25-28.

R E A D I N G S & S C R E E N I N G S

— Antenna: Iain Sinclair & Stephen McNeilly in conversation at Swedenborg House.

At 5.00 pm on 7 February, as part of the programme for the exhibition, Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place , there was a livestreamed première on the Swedenborg Society’s YouTube channel of the film Antenna: Iain Sinclair & Stephen McNeilly in conversation at Swedenborg House . Filmed at Swedenborg House in the winter of 2022-23 by filmmaker Jacob Cartwright, and featuring artefacts from the Swedenborg Society’s archives as well as still photography from Anonymous Bosch, Antenna sees writer Iain Sinclair and Stephen McNeilly talk about the background to Iain’s involvement in the summerhouse projects, as well as some of his earlier publications, including Lud Heat, Radon Daughters, Blake’s London and Several Clouds Colliding . The pair discuss the importance of Swedenborg House, both as a cultural event space and as a hypothetical centre of Swedenborg’s spiritual/mystical London, and the discussion features plenty of interesting stories about literary figures, many of whom have been drawn to Swedenborg, including William Blake, John Clare, Brian Catling, Vernon Watkins, Alfred Tennyson, A S Byatt and W B Yeats.

— Pariah Genius: John Christie, Alan Moore and John Rogers with Iain Sinclair (Organized as part of the Pariah Genius exhibition programme)

23 May saw a screening of John Christie’s film about John Deakin, Salvage of a Soho Photographer (1991) and a specially filmed appearance of Alan Moore (by John Rogers), as part of a conversation between London authors Iain Sinclair and John Rogers. The event was fully booked.

T A L K S & T O U R S

— Open House

On Saturday 14 September 2024, the Swedenborg Society held an open day of Swedenborg House as part of the annual Open House festival—the nineteenth year in which the Society has participated in the festival, since its debut in 2003. The open day, attended by over 250 people, saw the building opened to the public, allowing visitors to explore the Hall, the library rooms, the bookshop, gallery, staircases, corridors, light well and vestibule. Volunteers staffed each of the spaces

EVENTS 19

open to the public, available to field any questions, and a free leaflet about the building and its history prepared by James Wilson was given to visitors. The documentary film, Heaven, Hell and Other Places was played on a loop in Swedenborg Hall and the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus was open free to all the festivalgoers. The Open House festival began to expand in 2021 from being an event that lasted one weekend to being an event that lasted more than week, spanning across two weekends. The expanded format has encouraged participating buildings and organizations to stage more activities. In 2024, the Society, in addition to its usual open day, put on (for groups of 20) a guided tour of Swedenborg House led by James Wilson on 16 September; a tour of the Swedenborg House gallery and its current exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus led by assistant curator Anya Reeve and archivist Alex Murray on 17 September; and a guided walk of Swedenborg’s London led by Stephen McNeilly and James Wilson on 18 September.

—Swedenborg’s Lusthus

(Organized in conjunction with the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus )

A series of talks and tours were arranged in conjunction with the exhibition. The first was a panel discussion, on Saturday 27 January, staged for the exhibition’s opening of the exhibition and the launch of the companion book. The event saw Chloe Aridjis, Daniel Birnbaum, Deborah Levy, Iain Sinclair, Bridget Smith and Ken Worpole (writers and artists who had contributed to either book, exhibition, or both) in conversation with the curator and editor Stephen McNeilly. This was followed up by a curator’s talk with Stephen McNeilly on Saturday 24 February; a guided tour of the exhibition with assistant curator Anya Reeve on 11 March; and an archival talk with Alex Murray and James Wilson on 20 March, focusing on two of the objects on display drawn from the Swedenborg Society’s archives. A third talk was arranged on the publication of Concerning an idea about place on 26 September. This included the author and curator Stephen McNeilly in conversation with artist and writer Mark Riley in Swedenborg Hall. All events were fully booked.

—Other tours and talks

As part of its broader educational remit, 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 the Swedenborg Society. Alex Murray and James Wilson gave groups from the London Appreciation Society guided tours of Swedenborg House on 7 February and 10 October and provided a screening of the documentary film Heaven, Hell and Other Places , followed by a chance for questions and discussion upon the subjects of Swedenborg, Swedenborg House and the Swedenborg Society. The visitors were also guided around the current Swedenborg’s Lusthus exhibitions. On 15 February Alex and James gave a tour of Swedenborg House and introductory talk about Swedenborg and the Swedenborg Society to a group of students from Florida State University. On 5 March former director of Tate Modern and independent curator, Mark Godfrey, brought a group of students from his New Curators course to Swedenborg House to meet Daniel Birnbaum (director of Acute Art and co-curator of the Tremulations exhibition)

EVENTS

and hear about Acute Art’s practices and how Daniel had been involved with Tremulations at Swedenborg House. On 8 March Stephen McNeilly and Anya Reeve led a tour of the exhibition and the archive to MA students in Collection and Archival Care from Birkbeck, University of London.

P E R F O R M A N C E S & W O R K S H O P S

—House of Dreams Workshop with artist Sally Kindberg

(Organized in conjunction with the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus )

Artist and author Sally Kindberg led two drawing workshops for children and adults alike, themed around Swedenborg’s summerhouse. These took place on the afternoons of 14 February (in the Wynter Room) and 30 October (in Swedenborg Hall) and were fully attended. 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, whilst a facsimile of Swedenborg’s famous Dream Diary was on display.

—Visions

(Organized in conjunction with the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus )

On 28 June Swedenborg Hall hosted a live performance by Göteborgs Indiekör (Gothenburg Indie Choir), accompanied by the Peckham Chamber Orchestra. Both the choir and orchestra are community-run initiatives and the performance saw a specially tailored set around the theme of visions. James Wilson introduced the evening highlighting Swedenborg’s interest in music; and choir member Carl Petersson Moberg introduced the songs, speaking about some of Swedenborg’s connections to Gothenburg along the way.

EVENTS

—Into the Sublime: The Eidophusikon Reimagined

As part of the Bloomsbury Festival, and the culmination of her Swedenborg Residency (see more on page 27), artist, historian and curator Gillian McIver staged 5 performances in the Wynter Room at Swedenborg House of a reconstruction and reimagination of Philip James de Loutherbourg’s Eidophusikon, a largeform model theatre that combined dramatic paintings, lights, gauze, coloured glass, and smoke to create scenic effects and a proto-cinematic experience. The performances took place on the evenings of 21, 23, 25 and 30 October and were accompanied by a variety of display materials, which were also available to view (along with the reconstructed Eidophusikon) during the daytime (outside of performance times) to visitors from the Bloomsbury Festival, with Gillian present to talk about the project.

—Imaginal Objects: An Archive Engagement Event with Diane Eagles

Two archive engagement events were staged in the Wynter Room on 22 and 29 November as part of ceramic artist Diane Eagles’s final project for the University of the Highlands and Islands MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology. Members of the public were invited to join Diane Eagles for a unique exploration of how our physical and emotional connections with objects can deepen our understanding of their meaning and value. Diane was assisted by the Society’s archivist Alex Murray.

CO L L A B O R A T I V E E V E N T S

—Ah! Sunflower! Linda Landers in conversation with Keri Davies

In collaboration with the Blake Society, the evening of 6 March saw artist and printmaker Linda Landers talk about her work and its connections to William Blake, in conversation with Vice-President of the Blake Society and an Honorary Visiting Fellow of Nottingham Trent University, the historian and scholar Keri Davies. The conversation was illustrated by a slide show of Linda’s work; and there were displays of Linda’s prints in the hall and Wynter Room. The event was filmed and streamed by the Blake Society and also available to attend online via Zoom.

—Tremulations x Terra Cosmica: Daniel Birnbaum, Jacqui Davies & Giovanbattista Tusa

Printed at the end of 2023, following the successful exhibition of the same name held earlier that year at Swedenborg House, the evening of 9 October saw the formal launch of the book Tremulations (Swedenborg Society & Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, 2023) by Daniel Birnbaum & Jacqui Davies, which is being stocked in high-profile gallery and museum bookshops around Europe. The event was staged in collaboration with Tenement Press, who launched Terra Cosmica / Traces of Georealism (Tenement Press, 2024) by philosopher Giovanbattista Tusa. The authors spoke about their books at a well-attended event.

—The Longplayer Conversation 2024: Kate Briggs and Daisy Hildyard In collaboration with the Longplayer Trust, the charity responsible for the upkeep

of the 1000-year-long Longplayer artwork at Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, 12 December saw Swedenborg Hall host the annual Longplayer Conversation, which in 2024 saw Fitzcarraldo Editions authors Kate Briggs and Daisy Hildyard talk about implications of duration and the long view in terms of both writing and living. The evening also celebrated the arrival of issue 0.05 of the Swedenborg Review, with several contributors to the issue present.

—Pariah Genius

(Organized as part of the Pariah Genius exhibition programme)

In collaboration with CHEERIO Publishing, a programme of conversations and screenings took place in Swedenborg Hall to support the exhibition at Swedenborg House, Pariah Genius: John Deakin, the Psychobiography of a Photographer (25 April – 24 May), and the launch of Iain Sinclair’s new book Pariah Genius: John Deakin and the Soho Court around Francis Bacon. A Psychobiographic Fiction (CHEERIO, 2024). The first sold-out event on Thursday 2 May saw Iain Sinclair in conversation with comedian, writer and director Stewart Lee. On Thursday 16 May, Iain was joined in conversation by artist Jock McFadyen (whose work appeared in the Pariah Genius exhibition), CHEERIO Director Harriet Vyner and writer and journalist Francisco Garcia. On 23 May, Iain was in conversation with filmmaker John Rogers, accompanied by screenings of a 1991 documentary about John Deakin by John Christie; and a specially recorded appearance (filmed by John Rogers) of comic book legend Alan Moore. There was incredible demand to attend these events and a copy of the new Pariah Genius book was sold as part of the ticket price.

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

Now an established event in the London film calendar, the 2024 Swedenborg Film Festival took place on Saturday 7 December at Zilkha Auditorium, Whitechapel Gallery, in an exciting new format that saw the Festival staged for the first time outside of Swedenborg House. It is intended for this new format to continue and enable the Swedenborg Film Festival to be staged at established film venues around the UK and beyond, with the next festival planned for the ICA in 2025. The guest judge for 2024 was award-winning author and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo, who selected Felipe Esparza’s To Cut a Tree on a Green Moon and Susanna Wallin’s Lizzy as the winning films. This year the festival received its highest volume of submissions to date, with over 1200 entries from 30 countries worldwide. The other shortlisted filmmakers included Alice Albinia, Rose Gibbs & Léonie Hampton (Islands Of Women Collective), Jacob Cartwright & Nick Jordan, Nik Liguori, Curtis Miller, Leeseul Oh, Katharine Round, Keith Sargent, Daisy Smith, Krista Leigh Steinke, and Josh Weissbach. The festival was directed by Stephen McNeilly and organized with in-house support from Zelda Cahill-Patten, Tess Carota, Rebekka Cartwright, Alex Murray, Nora O’Reilly, Anya Reeve and Adam Skipper.

exhibition Swedenborg's Lusthus: INTO THE GARDEN Lu51huS Iloowpl4 CHLOE ARIDJIS I DANIEL BIRNBAUM RENCHI BICKNELL I ANONYMOUS BOSCH PETER CAltrwRIGHT I JOHN CHRISTIE MARK RILEY I IAIN SINCLAIR I BRIDGEf SMITH EMANUELSWEDENBORG ITENEBRARIUS r BEN WICKEY I KEN WORPOLE I PLUS ITEMS FROM THE SWEDENBORG COLLEcnoN 11 July- 20 December 2024 Swed•nborg Hous• Gall•ry CURATOR: STEPHEN MCNEILLY MUSEUM

M U S E U M

Throughout 2024, the Swedenborg House Gallery continued in its expansion of the Society’s cultural and outreach programme and further developed public engagement with the Society’s activities and museum holdings. Over the year three major exhibitions were staged, and the Society was involved in international exhibitions at the Royal Academy, Stockholm, and No Name Gallery, Paris. A more detailed account of activities is given below. In addition to the Society’s regular media outlets, public notice of the Society’s exhibition programme is organized in collaboration with e-flux plus a range of other online and print platforms.

E X H I B I T I O N S

— Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place

29 January to 5 April and 11 July to 20 December

Curated by the Society’s Museum Director, Stephen McNeilly, Swedenborg’s Lusthus was staged in two iterations and included a co-ordinated programme of publications, merchandise, film, m usical p erformance, t alks, g allery g uides, educational workshops, house tours, seminars and screenings culminating in unprecedented opportunities for outreach and education (see event and publishing details elsewhere in this Report). Showcasing new works by Chloe Aridjis, Daniel Birnbaum, Anonymous Bosch, Peter Cartwright, John Christie, Mark Riley, Iain Sinclair, Bridget Smith, Ben Wickey, Ken Worpole plus carefully curated objects from the Swedenborg House Collection and Archive, the exhibition enjoyed the highest attendance to date of any Swedenborg Society project with over 12,000 visitors. The first iteration was launched on 27 January with a panel discussion including Booker Prize winner Deborah Levy, Iain Sinclair, Ken Worpole and other contributors to the book. The second iteration was launched with the publication of the small pocket book, Concerning an idea about Place . The gallery was also home to two oil lamps purportedly owned by Swedenborg, and on loan from the Center for Swedenborgian Studies in the US. Designed and co-ordinated by our in-house team, merchandise for the exhibition included a new series of specially designed postcards, posters and t-shirts. The exhibition also presented the Society with the opportunity to improve gallery lighting, fittings, display cabinets and framing standards, raising the space to a new level of museum professionalism. Numerous online and print reviews were published and over 100 positive reviews were expressed in a new visitor comments book.

“a beautiful exhibition, which has ignited a curiosity in the lusthus, and all its stories” – Paulina Smith, comments book

MUSEUM

— Pariah Genius: John Deakin, The Psychobiography of a Photographer 26 April - 24 May

Curated by the writer Iain Sinclair, Pariah Genius brought together a selection of original photos by the renowned London photographer John Deakin, once owned by the painter Francis Bacon and used as inspiration for some of the most iconic paintings of the 20th century. Curated from the perspective of a Swedenborgian afterlife, the exhibition was brought together by the writer Iain Sinclair and included works by Anonymous Bosch, Jock McFadyen and Susan Stenger, plus original archival material and research notebooks by Iain Sinclair. Staged in conjunction with the launch of Sinclair’s new book of the same name, and published by CHEERIO Publishing, the exhibition also included a series of high-profile evening events involving artist and filmmaker John Christie, writer Francisco Garcia, comedian and broadcaster Stewart Lee, painter Jock McFadyen, publisher and writer Harriet Vyner, writer Alan Moore and filmmaker John Rogers. All events were at capacity. The exhibition was organized in partnership with the Barbican, CHEERIO, The London Review of Books and the Estate of Francis Bacon, and received press coverage from Time Out, The Observer, The Evening Standard, The Times, The Literary Review, The Spectator, RA Magazine, Prospect Magazine, The Herald, Art Desk and The London Review Blog. Iain Sinclair also gave interviews on the Robert Elms show, BBC London and on BBC Front Row. Over 4000 visitors attended the exhibition during which the bookshop enjoyed its highest monthly sales in living memory.

“a superb exhibition, penetrating and revealing” – David Osmond on Pariah Genius

Portrait of Lucian Freud by John Deakin © The Estate of Francis Bacon

MUSEUM

— Tremulations

Curated by the former Director of Moderna Museet Stockholm, Daniel Birnbaum and Film Producer Jacqui Davies, two further iterations of the Tremulations exhibition opened in 2024, the first in Stockholm at the Academy of Fine Arts, running 26 November 2024 - 12 February 2025 and the second in Paris at No Name Gallery, running 14 October 2024 – 15 January 2025. Discussions are underway for a third staging in Mexico in 2025, creating further exposure for the book, and Swedenborg’s work, which inspired it.

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 2023. As mentioned in the previous Report, McIver’s project involved 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 in 2023 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 development by McIver and directed by Jagoda Kamov, and involved the artists Robert Poulter, Marwan Elgamal and Femi Oriogun-Williams plus a preview of McIver’s upcoming graphic novel about de Loutherbourg and Swedenborg, illustrated by Anna Chiarini. The final series of presentations, entitled Into the Sublime: The Eidophusikon Reimagined, took place over five evenings between 21 - 30 October 2024, in the Society’s David Wynter Room and involved a series of performances based upon a reconstruction of de Loutherbourg’s Eidophusikon. Widely regarded as a crucial forerunner to cinema, the smallscale stage set reconstructed by McIver combined dramatic paintings, lights, gauze, coloured glass and smoke to create scenic effects in a five-scene performance. The performances also incorporated the work of a number of contemporary artists who took as their starting point Swedenborgian ideas about art and science, and the afterlife. The final series of performances were organized in partnership with the Bloomsbury Festival, and the evenings were fully booked.

T-shirt designed by Jacob Cartwright as part of the merchandise for the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus.

MUSEUM

I N P L A N N I N G

HEREAFTER —Simon Moretti

Preparations have already begun with the artist Simon Moretti regarding an exhibition to be entitled HEREAFTER. Inspired by Emanuel Swedenborg’s journeys into the afterlife and renowned works Heaven and Hell , Arcana Coelestia and The Principia , Moretti aims to bring together a selection of items from the Swedenborg collection plus works by the artists Eileen Agar, Paul Becker, William Blake, Ithell Colquhoun, Haris Epaminonda, Paul Heber-Percy, Donna Huddleston, Derek Jarman, Linder, Goshka Macuga, David Noonan, Ben Rivers, Daniel Silver, Michael E. Smith, Pelle Swedlund, Joëlle Tuerlinckx and George Frederic Watts. The exhibition will involve collaborating with a number of commercial and public galleries and discussions are also uderway to accompany the exhibition with a publication.

Dormatorium —The Quay Brothers

Discussions are also underway with the Polish Cultural Institute, London regarding the installation of film sets by the filmmakers The Quay Brothers as part of Kinoteka, the 23rd Polish Film Festival. Featuring hand-crafted puppets and scenery, and on display in London for the first time, the exhibition of film sets will aim to draw directly upon the literary traditions inspired by Swedenborg and the special atmospheric surroundings of Swedenborg Hall. This exhibition will be held in collaboration with several other cultural institutions including ICA, Barbican, IMAX and the Garden Cinema.

A selection of leather bindings from the Swedenborg Society library.

MUSEUM

L I B R A R Y & A R C H I V E

A C C R E D I T A T I O N

The survey currently being conducted on the Swedenborg Society archive slowed through 2024 due to the need to address ongoing space issues affecting both the library and archive collections (an issue that overlaps heavily with accreditation). Despite this, a number of other steps have been taken towards accreditation. Dataloggers for monitoring climatic conditions have now been installed in the Swedenborg Society and General Conference archives, as well as in the gallery. By the second quarter of 2025 these will have generated enough data to allow the Swedenborg Society to strategize more effectively on the care and upkeep of its collections. Alongside this, research towards the creation of both a collections development and acquisitions policy for the Swedenborg Society and General Conference archives has been undertaken and is awaiting further consultation before moving onto the next phase.

V I S I T O R S

Visitors to the Society’s library and archives roughly matched the number from last year. As always, such visitors give rich insight into the many diverse pathways that research on Swedenborg and his influence is taking. 2024 saw enquiries on subjects such as: the horticultural interests of early prominent Swedenborgian Henry Peckitt; John Flaxman and Swedenborgian influence in his artwork; the artist Richard Cosway’s link to the early Swedenborgian movement in London; James John Garth Wilkinson’s collection of spirit drawings; also, Wilkinson’s collection of spirit photography alongside a host of other research enquiries. The Librarian and Archivist also gave talks to groups of students from various universities on subjects relating to either Swedenborg and his influence or archival practice itself. On top of this, several artists visited to discuss research for potential future projects with the Swedenborg Society.

S T O R A G E

Space and storage issues, particularly in the area designated as overspill storage for the library and archive, continues to be a dominant ongoing issue. However, significant steps have been taken to address this problem over the last year. Efforts are ongoing to process the large backlog of items in overspill into the main library and archive collections. This has led to many unprocessed items being added to the catalogue and ultimately onto the shelves throughout 2024. While there is a considerable amount left to work through, the process is nonetheless very much underway. Further routes for donating the many duplicates generated from various large acquisitions over the last few years were also explored in 2024, with some promising leads opening up to the eventual disposal of these in 2025.

LIBRARY & ARCHIVE

A C Q U I S I T I O N S

A significant donation in 2024 came in the form of a bespoke composite duallanguage edition of Swedenborg’s Conjugial Love constructed, inscribed and annotated by Swedenborg Society founding member John Augustus Tulk. The unique binding inter-paginates the 1794 first English translation with the 1810 Latin edition. This was kindly donated to the Swedenborg Society by Robert Gill and was previously in the possession of the Paisley New Church Society. A ceremonial hammer used in the laying of the foundation stone of Woodlands Road New Church, Glasgow was also donated by Margaret Cowies. Donations of recent publications for the library were made by authors Gail Rodgers McCormick, John Haller, Paola Russo and Peter Fisk. Additional books were donated by Gwendolen Rowe. The trustees of the Swedenborg Society extend their warm thanks to all donors for their generosity towards the library and archive at Swedenborg House.

LIBRARY & ARCHIVE

E D U C A T I O N A L A C T I V I T I E S

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 to date are as follows:

— Vincent Roy-Di Piazza

Having completed his D.Phil. in the History of Science and Medicine & Economic and Social History, at Linacre College, University of Oxford, in 2022, Dr Vincent Roy-Di Piazza is now six months into a 4-year postdoctoral position within the ERC-Consolidator project De-centring eighteenth century political economy: rethinking growth, wealth, and welfare in the Swedish Empire at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Vincent is also an associate researcher at the Oxford Faculty of History, an elected Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a member of the international research group War Losses and Casualties. In 2024 Vincent wrote articles for Revue de Synthèse, Brill and Cambridge University Press.

— Bradley McKinnon

Bradley McKinnon completed his Ph.D. in History at the University of Aberdeen with his thesis ‘The Epiphanies of Helen Keller: Swedenborgianism, Socialism, and the Representation of Disability in Twentieth-Century America’ and is Associate Professor of History & Managing Editor of HCU Press at Heritage Christian University, in Florence, Alabama, where he has been employed since 2008. Bradley is currently in discussions with the University of Illinois Press regarding the publication of his thesis and he is also preparing an article on Helen Keller for the Society’s forthcoming anthology of essays.

— Dell J Rose

Dell Rose’s Ph.D. dissertation, at the History of Hermetic Philosophy Centre, University of Amsterdam is on ‘Charles Augustus Tulk and the role of Swedenborgianism in the reforming societies of nineteenth-century Britain’. 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 Böhme. Now in his final year Dell is currently drafting an article on Swedenborg and social reform movements for the Society’s forthcoming anthology of essays.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

— 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 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 association with Acute Art and Primitive Film and saw new relationships built with the Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm and the Swedish Academy’s Nobel Committee. Seminars were arranged with the Florida State University, Birkbeck University of London, the Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Drawing, and the Society continued with its important partnerships with the Bloomsbury Festival, Open City and the Open House festival. Via its scholarship programme the Society maintained links with the University of Aberdeen, King's College, London and the University of Amsterdam. The Society also worked in conjunction with the University of the Highland’s Contemporary Art and Archaeology course. The Society was visited by Trustees from the Panacea Trust and via its exhibition programme it collaborated with CHEERIO Publishing, the Estate of Francis Bacon, Barbican, Skansen and the Center for Swedenborgian Studies in California. The Society continued to work with the Blake Society hosting a hybrid inperson and live-streamed event.

Plaster mouldings on the ceiling of the Society’s neo-classical hall

32 EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

T H E B U I L D I N G

Central to the work and mission of the Swedenborg Society, and situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, Swedenborg House is a 5-storey Grade II-listed Georgian building and home to a neoclassical lecture hall, library, archive, bookshop, gallery, office space and storage area. It also provides office space to tenants over four floors. 2024 has seen the following work and upgrades.

U P G R A D E S

Following on from the two major Enhancement Plan projects that were carried out in 2023, and the completion of these scheduled works in early 2024, the remainder of the year offered us an opportunity to take stock and consider where further improvements could be made to the infrastructure and appearance of the building: The Gardiner Room, the main visitor room for researchers, has been fully redecorated and enhanced by the addition of spotlighting and period style reading lamps. The museum and gallery space has been brought up to the specifications of a purpose built space, and is gaining wide recognition for its versatility and ambiance. A new movable stage has been purchased for Swedenborg Hall, a feature that will allow us to further develop the potential of the space in hosting a diverse range of events. Work also commenced towards the end of 2024 on two important infrastructure projects:

The underpinning and back-filling of one of the large coal holes (historic coal storage bunkers) under Bloomsbury Way that was showing signs of structural failure.
Electrical upgrades to parts of the building where the existing wiring and conduit was identified as in need of replacement. This work is ongoing and will be complete in Spring 2025.

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 in March 2024 and a further visit is scheduled for 2025. The Society undertakes a number of Fire and Security measures including the installation of advanced detection systems, the Redcare Wi-Fi and mobile signalling monitored fire alarm system, and periodic manual checks. Following a break-in through the Gardiner Room exterior door in November 2024, we have increased security and fitted new deadlocks to the door.

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

THE BUILDING

shop and to events in the hall and gallery. An accessible toilet is in place on the ground floor.

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.

G R E E N S P A C E S

The light well garden is now well established and any further additions will be building on the existing design. Balcony boxes will be refreshed during April and May. With work now due to commence on safety features for the roof, we should be moving forwards with plans for the roof garden and will be working to identify an appropriate design, and choice of plants for the specific c onditions o f t hat exposed space.

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 a nd c offee s hop p artners, A rcana C offee, operate according to the same standards. Recyclable options are prioritized for purchase for office, housekeeping and maintenance use. Whenever possible renovation and building works make use of existing materials, be that the repurposing of fixtures and fittings, or the use of wood that would otherwise be scrapped. Any building waste material is picked up, sorted and processed for recycling by the company Envirowaste Management. 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.

34 THE BUILDING

D I G I T A L M E D I A

W E B S I T E

The Swedenborg Society’s website continues to act as the heart of the Society’s online activities. A valued host to the Society’s online bookshop; library and archive catalogue; room hire booking system; events calendar; membership applications; and donation platform, the site is also crucial in providing information and content related to Swedenborg and the Society.

S O C I A L M E D I A

The Society’s social media platforms continued as Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Information with regards to our new social media presence, Bluesky, will be forthcoming in the 2025 report. Scheduling and content creation for the Society’s social media strategy is managed by Rebekka Cartwright, with oversight by Executive Director Stephen McNeilly. During 2024, our social media accounts gained an additional 698 Instagram followers and 261 Facebook followers. Social media strategy during 2024 included a consistent schedule of posts with varied content and themes, in addition to 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 engaging and informative narratives of Swedenborg and Swedenborgian-related content. Our sponsored posts featured events such as ‘Pariah Genius: JOHN CHRISTIE, ALAN MOORE, JOHN ROGERS, IAIN SINCLAIR’; ‘Pariah Genius: STEWART LEE & IAIN SINCLAIR in Conversation’; and our exhibitions ‘Pariah Genius: John Deakin, The Psychobiography of a Photographer’ and ‘Swedenborg’s Lusthus: Into the Garden’. The Instagram post captioned ‘Having read Swedenborg, William Blake (1757-1827) attended the first conference of the New Jerusalem Church’ was the most successful, gaining 1,480 impressions in December. Our most successful Facebook post, captioned ‘#OnThisDay: Poet W B Yeats (1865-1939) is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature’, achieved a reach of 33,180 in December. The X post captioned ‘John Deakin (1912-1972), Portrait of Francis Bacon’ gained 1,368 impressions in May. The exhibition ‘Pariah Genius: John Deakin, The Psychobiography of a Photographer’ and related events in April and May provided an excellent opportunity to form strong partnerships with Cheerio Publishing and The John Deakin Archive, with cross-sharing of posts across all our social media platforms. For the period 15th March (date of first social media exhibition announcement) - 24th May we gained 671 new followers on Instagram and 106 new followers on Facebook.

DIGITAL MEDIA

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 an invaluable pillar of our online presence and a crucial interface with the public. Our channel continues to grow in popularity, gaining a further 437 subscribers throughout the year, and bringing the total subscriber count to 1,656. Heaven, Hell and Other Places , a documentary about Emanuel Swedenborg, performed exceptionally well all year, achieving a total of 13,432 views on YouTube in 2024 and 39K in total. As part of the programme for the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus: On Memory and Place , the Swedenborg Society presented ‘Antenna: Iain Sinclair & Stephen McNeilly in Conversation at Swedenborg House’. By the close of 2024 this had reached 1,028 views. The 2023 films Walking the visionary London of Emanuel Swedenborg and Histories & Hauntings, made in collaboration with the filmmaker J ohn R ogers, w ith the writer Iain Sinclair and Stephen McNeilly, reached 40K and 12K views respectively at end of 2024 an increase of 12K from 2023.

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’. Discussions are currently underway with Resonance FM regarding a collaborative venture.

Artwork by John Christie included in the exhibition Swedenborg’s Lusthus Photo © John Christie.

DIGITAL MEDIA

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 £496,646 (2023: £479,104) and total resources expended for the year was £708,939 (2023: £643,123) resulting in a net deficit before investments and revaluations of £212,293 (2023: deficit of £164,019).

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 £543,571 (2023: £459,146). 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. The net movement in funds for the year is £331,278 (2023: -£2,604,873). Total funds at 31 December 2024 were £18,369,732 (2023: £18,038,454)

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 to engage with the activities and aims of the Society. The Society is increasing

FINANCIAL REVIEW

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 2024, and following the effects of COVID-19 on the economy, the Society’s investments dividend income has now 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 2024 total unrestricted funds amounted to £18,271,889 (2023: £17,940,127). 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 2024 was £303,759 (2023: £595,380). This level of free reserves represents 156 days of operating costs (2023: 340 days). The Council considers that this level of free reserves is a reasonable buffer to absorb temporary reductions in income whilst allowing the Society’s work to continue. 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 2024 was £5,237,081 (2023: £4,788,091).

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 2024 the Society received £13,261 in charitable donations and the following legacies:

38 FINANCIAL REVIEW

Legacies £17,203

The Society did not engage in material fundraising from the public in the year to 31 December 2024.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

G O V E R N A N C E , S T R U C T U R E & 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 interview with the Chairperson and Executive Director, are given an induction pack which includes 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 2024.

A G M & 2 0 2 4 C O U N C I L E L E C T I O N

The Society’s 214th Annual General Meeting was held at Swedenborg House and broadcast via Zoom on 14 November 2024. During the meeting Alan Lewin and Andrew Bentley stood down as trustees. In addition to the usual business of the meeting, short presentations were given by the Chair, Rufus Moore, the Executive Director Stephen McNeilly and Adam Skipper

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 4

Chair: Rufus Moore, MA; Hon. Treasurer: Erica Wyncoll; Andrew Bentley (stood down on 14 November 2024); Colin Buttimer (appointed 20 August 2025); Revd Alan Cowley, MDiv; Clare Cumberlidge; Erika Heilman; Dr Kristin King; Alan Lewin (stood down on 14 November 2024); Alexander Morley, MA; Nigel Sutton. Members of the Council are also directors of the company.

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 programming of activities and 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; Rebekka Cartwright continued in her role as Social Media Co-ordinator; Anya Reeve continued in her role as Gallery, Publishing and Events Assistant; and Lolita Sobolyova continued in her part-time role as a Concierge and Bookshop Attendant. Adam Skipper was appointed to the role of Bookshop Attendant, and Gallery/Publishing assistant. The pay structure at Swedenborg House is decided by the Board of Trustees 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

Volunteers provide a vital support for the continuation of the Society’s charitable activities and an important framework for social networking and people investment. The volunteering programme in relation to exhibitions, events and the bookshop in particular helps its participants to learn more about our charitable aims and also to develop communication, hospitality and information management skills, as well as being an entry point into bookselling. During 2024 our dedicated team of volunteers were: Aeliya Bilgrami, Anadhika Bhasin, Audrey Tsou, Edie Gilmour, Eleftherios Fitsiolos, Esma Leymun, Isaac Lucia, Kiri Zullo, Lucy Irven, Nazly Abdelaziz Ahmed, Pedro Bacon, Pierre GudinWilliams, Sophia Miller, Nora O’Reilly and Tess Carota. 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

GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT

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 persons, employees, contractors and visitors (either working or otherwise) using the facilities there. 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 publishing, exhibitions, events, translating, research support, grant giving 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

GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT

prepare the financial statements on an ongoing concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

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)

25 September 2025

44 GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT

THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

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 2024 which comprise 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 FRS 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 2024 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 charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorized 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

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 there is 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

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where 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 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

46 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

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 of analytical review to identify unexpected movements in account balances which may be indicative of fraud.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

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 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 company’s members

48 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

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 any party other than the charitable company and charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Jonathan Aikens Senior Statutory Auditor for and on behalf of Moore Kingston Smith LLP, Statutory Auditor 9 Appold Street London EC2A 2AP

29 September 2025

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCOrpOrATINg ThE INCOME ANd ExpENdITurE ACCOuNT FOr ThE YEAr ENdEd 31 dECEMBEr 2024

Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endow- ment Funds Total 2023 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,479 - - 31,479 50, 519 - - 50, 519
27,154 - 40,404 - 397,055 - - -		- 27,154 22,215 - - - 40,404 21,965 - - 554 397,609 360,538 - 554 - - 23,313 - -					22,215 21,965 361,092 23,313
496,092	-	554	496,646	478,550	-	554	479,104
18,653 42,555 33,826 613,870	- - - -	- - 35 -	18,653 42,555 33,861 613,870	17,429 44,140 28,847 552,668	- - - -	- - 39 -	17,429 44,140 28,886 552,668
708,904	-	35	708,939	643,084	-	39	643,123
16,495 527,560	- -	- (484)	16,495 527,076	13,502 445,701	- -	- (57)	13,502 445,644
544,055	-	(484)	543,571	459,203	-	(57)	459,146
331,243 519	- -	35 (519)	331,278 -	294,669 515	- -	458 (515)	295,127 -
331,762 -	- -	(484) -	331,278 -	295,184 (2,900,000)	- -	(57) -	295,127 (2,900,000)
331,762	-	(484)	331,278	(2,604,816)	-	(57)	(2,604,873)
17,940,127	88,000	10,327	18,038,454	20,544,943	88,000	10,384	20,643,327

18,271,889	88,000	9,843	18,369,732	17,940,127	88,000	10,327	18,038,454

The notes numbered 1 to 24 form part of these financial statements

50 income and expenditure

BALANCE ShEET AS AT 31 dECEMBEr 2024

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	2024 £ £ 5,709,177 342,410 4,435,000 7,481,543 17,968,130 21,801 162,204 329,518 513,523 (107,754) 405,769 (4,167) 18,369,732 9,843 2,664,337 5,237,081 57,572 10,070,499 242,400 - 88,000 18,369,732	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	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
			17,344,747 707,874
	513,523 (107,754)

			(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

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to the small companies regime.

Approved by the Council on 25 September 2025 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

Statement oF caSH FLoWS For tHe Year ended 31 decemBer 2024

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 2024 £ (592,658) 397,609 (8,145) (259,459) 161,617 291,622 (10,000) (10,000) (311,036) 640,554 329,518 331,278 26,175 (543,571) (397,609) 4,548 47,053 (60,532) (592,658) 329,518 329,518	Total 2023 £
		38,721
		361,092 (25,013) (11,784) 191,445
		515,740
		(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

52 Statement oF caSH FLoWS

noteS to tHe Statement oF caSH FLoWS For tHe Year ended 31 decemBer 2024

_________ 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 2024 Cash fows Cash in hand and at bank 640,554 (311,036) Debt due within 1 year (10,000) - Debt due after 1 year (14,167) 10,000 Total 72,926 (301,036)	_	_____ Total 2024 £ (311,036) 10,000	__	____ Total 2023 £ 533,461 10,000
		(301,036)		543,461
		616,387		72,926
		315,351		616,387
		Non-cash changes - - -		At 31 December 2024 329,518 (10,000) (4,167)
		-		315,351

Statement oF caSH FLoWS

noteS to tHe FinanciaL StatementS For tHe Year ended 31 decemBer 2024

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) 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.

d) 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.

e) 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.

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f) 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.

g) 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%

h) 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.

i) Heritage assets

The Society holds an extensive library and archive relating to the life and works of Emanuel Swedenborg, 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.

j) 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.

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k) Investments

Investments are held at market value.

l) 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.

m) 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.

n) 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.

o) 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.

p) 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.

q) 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.

—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.

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4. NET sURplUs oF THE pERIoD

NET sURplUs oF THE pERIoD	2024	2023
The net movement in funds for the period is stated after charging:	£	£
Auditor’s remuneration	14,100	11,000

5. EmploYEE INFoRmATIoN AND RElATED pARTY TRANsACTIoNs

	2024	2023
Staff costs:	£	£
Wages and salaries	285,975	260,383
Social security costs	21,019	18,639
Pension contributions	25,740	24,544
	332,734	303,566

The average number of employees during the period was 10 (2023: 10). The number of employees earning in excess of £60,000 is as follows:

		2024	2023
£60,000	- £70,000	1	1

No Trustee was remunerated during the year. 2 Trustees received reimbursement of travel expenses amounting to £448 during the year (2023: £4,827 to 4 members). Nothing was owed (2023: £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 £86,060 (2023: £85,549).

There are no related party transactions in the year that require disclosure.

6. INComE FRom DoNATIoNs AND lEgACIEs

Donations Subscriptions Legacies	2024 £ 13,261 1,015 17,203 31,479	2023 £ 11,132 1,012 38,375
		50,519

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. .

7. INVEsTmENT INComE

INVEsTmENT INComE
Rental income Service charges receivable Interest and dividends receivable	2024 £ 175,480 40,940 181,189 397,609	2023 £ 160,729 36,290 164,073
		361,092

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8. FUNDRAIsINg, TRADINg AND oTHER CosTs

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	2024 £ 11,078 23,513 2,911 5,052 42,555 2024 £ 26,249 7,612 33,861 2024 £ 2,465 600 81,568 12,354 77,614 320,381 34,988 35,652 22,353 43,023 630,998	2023 £ 10,529 26,506 2,833 4,272 44,140
		2023 £ 25,696 3,190 28,886 2023 £ 10,144 420 71,736 2,211 40,679 302,103 26,643 39,324 20,075 39,333
		552,668

As outlined in the accounting policies, relevant expenses are apportioned between charitable activities and other costs based on utilization of floor space.

Included in governance costs is £14,100 (2023: £11,000) in respect of audit fees.

Included in total expenditure is £54,750 (2023: £82,981) relating to the ongoing refurbishment of Swedenborg House.

11. sUppoRT CosTs Premises Repairs and maintenance Building works Office operating costs Support staff salaries Office salaries Audit fees Accountancy services	2024 £ 21,227 54,750 98,456 46,057 74,353 14,100 958 309,901	2023 £ 21,773 82,981 80,817 43,133 69,714 11,000 916
		310,334

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11. sUppoRT CosTs (CoNTINUED) Allocation of support costs: Costs of generating voluntary income Fundraising, trading and other costs Expenditure on charitable activities	2024 18,588 42,555 248,758 309,901	2023 17,428 44,140 248,766
		310,334

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 acounting 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

Freehold land and Buildings £ 5,665,000 - - -	Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment £ 184,495 8,145 - (2,338)	Total £ 5,849,495 8,145 0 (2,338)
5,665,000	190,302	5,855,302
- - -	122,288 26,175 (2,338)	122,288 26,175 (2,338)
-	146,125	146,125
5,665,000	44,177	5,709,177

5,665,000	62,207	5,727,207

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.

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.

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12. TANgIBlE FIXED AssETs (CoNTINUED)

TANgIBlE FIXED AssETs - HERITAgE AssETs

Cost At 1 January & 31 December 2024 Net book value At 31 December 2023 At 31 December 2024 Heritage assets additions Heritage assets donated Heritage assets purchased	2024 £ 0 0 0	2023 £ 0 0 0	Heritage Assets £ 342,410 342,410 342,410 2022 2021 2 0 2 0 £ £ £ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	Heritage Assets £	Heritage Assets £
					342,410
					342,410
					342,410
					2021 2 0 2 0 £ £ 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 2024. 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 2024 Revaluation At 31 December 2024	2024 £ 4,435,000 - 4,435,000	2023 £ 5,708,000 (1,273,000)
		4,435,000

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.

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14. FIXED AssET INVEsTmENTs

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	2024 £ 6,840,130 (145,122) 259,459 6,954,467 527,076 7,481,543 4,119,325	2023 £ 6,549,643 (177,941) 22,784
		6,394,486 445,644 6,840,130
		4,000,137

The following investments comprised more than 5% of the investment fund at valuation at 31 December 2024:

Findlay Park LLP American Fund £720,428 SPDR S&P500 ETF Trust £866,553 Analysis of investments held Fixed interest - UK Fixed interest - Non UK Equities - UK Equities - Non UK Absolute return funds	2024 £ 541,876 73,398 2,263,907 4,332,161 270,201 7,481,543	2023 £ 509,459 77,979 2,303,894 3,685,529 263,269
		6,840,130

Fixed asset investments represent financial assets measured at fair value through income and expenditure.

15. sToCk

Books for resale 16. DEBToRs Trade debtors Other debtors Prepayments and accrued income	2024 £ 21,801 2024 £ 44,719 - 117,485 162,204	2023 £ 26,349 2023 £ 60,731 24,013 124,513	2023 £ 26,349
		209,257

Included in prepayments and accrued income is an amount of £8,000 (2023: £24,883) 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 (2023: £40,000). During the year, distributions totalling £nil (2023: £598,770) were received in respect of these legacies.

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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	2024 2023 £ £ 10,000 10,000 10,171 16,865 57,601 62,627 29,982 78,794 107,754 168,286 2024 2023 £ £ 10,750 2,255 (10,750) (2,255) 15,320 10,750 15,320 10,750
		2023 £ 2,255 (2,255) 10,750
		10,750

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	2024 £ 4,167 2024 £ 10,000 4,167 - 14,167	2023 £ 14,167
		2023 £ 10,000 10,000 4,167
		24,167

The Bounce back loan is unsecured and has a fixed interest rate of 2.5% per year. Interest paid in the year was £648 (2023: £648). The United Kingdom government has paid the interest cost for the first year as part of its Coronavirus support measures. The loan is repayable in 60 equal instalments beginning in June 2021.

19. ENDoWmENTs

	Balances	Net	gains	Balances
	1.1.24	incoming	and	31.12.24
		resources	transfers
	£	£	£	£
Endowment fund	10,327	519	(1,003)	9,843
	Balances	Net	gains	Balances
	1.1.23	incoming	and	31.12.23
		resources	transfers
	£	£	£	£
Endowment fund	10,384	515	(572)	10,327

The endowment fund comprises the Coulson Bequest Fund, the income from which is unrestricted.

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20. gENERAl FUND

Balance at 1 January 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	2024 £ 2,759,212 331,242 22,353 (448,989) - 519 2,664,337	2023 £ 2,747,293 294,669 20,075 (203,340) (100,000) 515
		2,759,212

21. DEsIgNATED FUNDs

	Balances	Net	gains	Balances
	1.1.24	resources	and	31.12.24
		expended	transfers
	£	£	£	£
Capital investment reserve	4,788,091	-	448,989	5,237,080
Scholarship reserve	79,925	(22,353)	-	57,572
	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

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 2024 Revaluation Reserve at 31 December 2024 Analysis of reserve Land and buildings Investment property Heritage asset revaluation reserve At 1 January & 31 December 2024	2024 £ 10,070,499 - 10,070,499 5,650,154 4,420,345 10,070,499 2024 £ 242,400	2023 £ 12,970,499 (2,900,000)	2023 £ 12,970,499 (2,900,000)
		10,070,499
		5,650,154 4,420,345
		12,970,499
			2023 £ 242,400

The heritage assets as a whole were revalued in 2015. Subsequent material additions are valued when they are received.

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23. REsTRICTED FUNDs

EsTRICTED FUNDs
	Balances	Net	gains	Balances
	1.1.24	incoming	and	31.12.24
		resources	transfers
	£	£	£	£
Heritage asset	88,000	-	-	88,000
	Balances	Net	gains	Balances
	1.1.23	incoming	and	31.12.23
		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 2024 Restricted Funds 2024 Endowment Funds 2024 Total Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ Tangible fxed assets 5,963,587 88,000 - 6,051,587 Investment property 4,435,000 - - 4,435,000 Investments 7,471,700 - 9,843 7,481,543 Current assets 513,523 - - 513,523 Current liabilities (107,754) - - (107,754) Long-term liabilities (4,167) - - (4,167) Total net assets 18,271,889 88,000 9,843 18,369,732 Unrealized gains/(losses) included in above: On tangible fxed assets 10,312,899 - - 10,312,899 On investment assets (see note below) 3,362,192 - 26 3,362,218 Reconciliation of movements in unrealized gains on investment assets Unrealized gains at 1 January 2024 2,839,482 - 511 2,839,993 Net gains/(losses) arising on revaluations 539,204 - (484) 538,720 (Gains)/losses realized on disposals (16,495) - - (16,495) Unrealized gains at 31 December 2024 3,362,192 - 26 3,362,218	Endowment Funds 2024 £ - - 9,843 - - -	Total Funds 2024 £ 6,051,587 4,435,000 7,481,543 513,523 (107,754) (4,167)
	9,843	18,369,732
	- 26	10,312,899 3,362,218

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	Unrestricted	Restricted	Endowment	Total
	Funds	Funds	Funds	Funds
	2023	2023	2023	2023
	£	£	£	£
Tangible fxed assets	5,981,617	88,000	-	6,069,617
Investment property	4,435,000	-	-	4,435,000
Investments	6,829,803	-	10,327	6,840,130
Current assets	876,160	-	-	876,160
Current liabilities	(168,286)	-	-	(168,286)
Long-term liabilities	(14,167)	-	-	(14,167)
Total net assets	17,940,127	88,000	10,327	18,038,454
Unrealized gains/(losses) included	in above:
On tangible fxed assets	10,312,899	-	-	10,312,899
On investment assets
(see note below)	2,839,482	-	511	2,839,993
Reconciliation of movements in unrealized		gains on investment assets
Unrealized gains at
1 January 2023	2,428,064	-	568	2,428,632
Net gains/(losses) arising on
revaluations	424,920	-	(57)	424,863
(Gains)/losses realized on
dispoals	(13,502)	-	-	(13,502)
Unrealized gains at
31 December 2023	2,839,482	-	511	2,839,993

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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

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.

68 LIST OF COLLECTORS

IMAGE CREDITS

Front and back Cover: Swedenborg’s Summerhouse © Stephen McNeilly Photographs on pages 6 © Mela Hilleard 2024. Photographs on pages 9, 16, 24, 66 © The Quinn Fizzlers, 2024 Photograph on page 10 © Stephen McNeilly 2024.

CREDITS

The Swedenborg Society