Trustees Annual Report- 2025
Charity Name
Aberdeen Spiritualist Centre &Healing Sanctuary Stephen House 71 Dee Street Aberdeen AB11 6EE
Charity No. SC007722
Current Trustees - 2025
Marie Cruden President Lynne Walker Vice President Iris Alsop Treasurer Kirstie Golightly Secretary
Constitution
This Charity is an unincorporated association and has been a registered Charity since February 1975. We are affiliated to the Spiritualists’ National Union (SNU).
Charitable purposes
To provide religious services and healing for anyone who wishes to attend and to run classes teaching about Spiritualism.
Activities
Sunday Services morning and evening Monday Evenings of mediumship as appropriate, Healing meditation circle on the 1[st] Mon. of each month. Tuesday Awareness classes Wednesday - Thursday Circles Friday Evenings of mediumship as appropriate Saturday Workshops or evenings of mediumship as appropriate
Appointment of Trustees
The committee is elected every year by members of the Church, there are 4 officers and up to 5 ordinary committee members. Anyone who is a Church member for one year is eligible for the committee, but officers must be a Church member for 3 years or have served for one year on committee during the
Reserves policy
We try to keep a bank balance of around £ 20,000 to make sure we can continue if attendances fall or in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. We are still able to access saving as required. Our premises are very large, and maintenance costs are always a concern.
previous 5 years. The management committee meets on the last Monday of each month.
Achievements and performance
Due to the use of social media & the website we have attracted many more students to our classes, which we hope will make for new members going forward. We have also had an increase in the amount of private readings. We continue to maintain our building to a high standard adhering to current safety regulations.
Financial Review
Last year despite a fall in the Sunday collections and a drop in the membership we made a profit of £ 1,600.74.
Collections at Church services raised £3,982.00.
Classes were especially well attended raising £6,344.00 which was an increase of almost £1,200.00 over last year.
The Charity tray raised £ 84.00 more last year, so £128 was given to each of our charities.
The 50/50 raffle again proved popular and once more several people very generously donated their winnings, this raised £861.00.
During the year several people gave generous donations to the Church totalling £681.00.
Our private readings this year raised £ 1,182.00, an increase of over £500.00. We increased the charge for readings to £28 but we have found that almost everyone gives £30.00.
The Easyfundraising App raised £80 this year.
The Gift Ad scheme realised £1,107 an increase of £127.00 over last year.
Expenditure this year increased by £4,380.
Unfortunately, the fixed contracts for our gas & electric ended last March and although we got the best available deals at the time this has led to an increase of £596.00.
There was an increase of £364.00 for our telephone costs, which is due to the costs for running our website.
Our main items of expenditure last year were because we fitted new lights in the tearoom upstairs at a cost of £183.00.
We bought nearly new carpet tiles for the hall from a charity shop as some of the old ones were rising up and causing a trip hazard, so the cost of buying & fitting was only £655.00.
It was discovered that when our boiler had been installed part of the wiring was incorrect and therefore had to be replaced at a cost of £579.00.
Also, it was required to renew our fuse box due to its age and as it did not have an RCD switch, this cost £492.00
Our biggest repair was to be repointing the roof in the centre which cost £2,425.00.
Plans for future period
To continue to provide excellent services and help to our local community and to further the cause of Spiritualism. To help people who are experiencing grief due to the loss of a loved one. To maintain the premises as necessary. We are also looking for a way to reinstate our healing sessions which are currently paused due to the lack of a healing group leader.