Why is there a Clash between the Tutors and the AFC

Also, everyone recognizes in the SNU statement how selfish it all is. To know that the Barbanell Centre is going to be closed and then not to communicate it immediately is an impudence and deceit towards the members and also the students and teachers as well as the staff. Some international students may have already booked flights for 2025 or employees may have more time to look for a new job. More ego is not possible.

Wasn't there a court case due at Chelmsford today?

It was clear to many, at the time the Barbanell Centre was purchased it would be unsustainable. The process was rushed and members not consulted as usual. I have to say they did try to make it work, adding accommodation in time and a good manager.

Different models of work were tried for tutors and improvements were made to the centre. It is the sad, but a correct decision to sell it in terms of business sense. I am sad for the loss of employment for those concerned.

However, I find it all unsavoury that this was kept from the members and not mentioned at the AGM or during the election period.

The SNU now needs to get its ducks in a row. Failing centres and churches being sold off, may be necessary and prudent. The AFC now needs to be given priority, if it is to maintain its previous viability. That means sorting things out with the tutors without delay. There is no more time for SNU pride, ego, hidden agendas or any undesirable attribute to prevent this important resolution.

So with the Barbanell centre going what happens to Stafford Church which had to leave their home to move into the centre to make it more viable isn't Julie Almond involved with Stafford?

That makes 5 churches who's future must be in doubt plus one teaching centre. All kept quiet at the AGM. My North American Indigenous Guide tells me to beware of white women and their forked tongues ( i have considerable respect for Soaring Bird of Winter my second main guide, who my avatar represents).

I guess when the 20 Tutors were banned from even entering the building, let alone run courses, its future was gone. Hardly enough to keep the AFC going, let alone have a place for old crocked mediums to rest their legs.

Hmm talking in tongues led me to look back at the glowing words about the Barbanell Centre in the Presidents June Blog, just before the AGM. Words about it being invaluable.

You remember the blog.
this from the SNU Facebook page


Hmm I wanted to get the exact wording but just like magic this appeared on my screen when I pressed the link.


Technical issues (although these are also on the SNU's home page if you click the link there) or fleet footed PR work.

It is not a good look I reckon soon some people will ring up and find they are no longer full members because they are not tything their income (Brian and Simon will be pleased they are following their lead as this is what they do in their Canadian Centre).  No need to pre-notify members of pending changes.

Mushroom members kept in the dark, for their next feed of? hmm news. This is not how you run a business let alone a Spiritualist Organisation.

I must look at the actual Financials and the Presidents address, from the AGM this year, compared to each other and also to the information on this blog.

I am sure a completely different story would be presented if you unravel the various strings and tease them out properly.

Well the June Blog is definitely gone on the way to the archives one suspects and that takes a while especially if the words on it may be problematic.

However we can now read the October blog which may oy may nor illuminate our knowledege. After all Walthamstow was on the point of closing, the 3 other churches were on sale and, surely, by her own words the decision about the Barbanell centre, made previously but left to be confirmed by the incoming President and NEC could now have been released.

Well here is the full blog https://www.snu.org.uk/news/presidents-blog-2024

Lest us pick some pertinent facts as newsworthy but not breaching copyright. Before I start I must say that this blog is not as beautifully polished as the pre-election ones. It is like a different person produced it and their are significant grammar and spelling errors.

I will also add the denouement to save you all from hanging on to be let down later. There is no mention of closures, personnel changes, apart from Julie Almond standing down to become almoner. Nothing about the AFC or the tutors dispute. In reality a list of niceties all issues avoided. A pat everyone on the back and feel good. No need to tell members what is actually going on.

To start the normal's
October 5th & 6th 2024
"Your National Executive Committee held its first meeting since the AGM at the Barbanell Centre. We began by reaffirming our mission that we put members and churches first and that we are moving our Union forward. (sic) as posted by the SNU."

(Yes you are right, despite what is said in this sentence, the AGM was not at the Barbanell Centre it was the NEC meeting held there. Great, they are about to close it so meet there, but never mention closures in the president's blog.)

Then let us look at issues related to property. A hint of it with the reference to two great Teaching Centres in mentioning Colin Loam's duties as VP:

"Colin Lomax, Vice-President 2
Colin joins the NEC, overseeing our Lyceum Union link. The Lyceum Union is the oldest branch of our Union and we are determined to support the Lyceum to be successful in the 21st century. Colin will also lead our Safeguarding work and ensure that the Science Working Party sustains its momentum.
   
The Union has two excellent teaching establishments and it is important that we constantly consider whether they are meeting today’s needs.
As such, Colin will review how they are working and ensure that the Arthur Findlay College is cared for and modernised."

(But the closure decision for the Barbanell Centre, had as Madam President stated, been decided previously and just needed ratification.0)

Churches get a brief mention here the section in bold is poignant because, if you include Stafford as, until a new building is confirmed will close soon.

"Training Hubs
Matthew Mold and Andy Foley are hard at work establishing training hubs in each District Council for committee support and training for volunteers at Church and District level. I was clear that the casual attitude to Church closure and every church that closes weakens us as a Union."

Then  last words:

"Our Promise
We, as your NEC continue to serve you and the churches"

(That is it on property also all that is said about the AFC and the Barbanell Centre.. The only bit on personnel is the following by the president:

"I want to say a personal goodbye to Minister Julia Almond, who has stepped down owing to personal reasons. Julia will be sadly missed at the NEC table and I have thanked her for her hard work. I am delighted that we have not lost Julia completely from serving our Union, as she has agreed to continue to serve as the SNU’s Almoner.

Vice President
Given that the recent election was contended, the NEC has agreed that Colin Lomax should step into the position of Vice-President. Colin has served his district and churches diligently over the years and I am really pleased to welcome his expertise to the NEC."

(Blancmange for the members with vanilla essence, in reality there may be much people like the look of. But, is that what they will get? Given everything else that is going on and has been done you would have to question that.)

Let us go back to the churches and the issue of whether they are closing or not.

On her own personal Facebook page Minister Jackie Wright attacked the closures as fake news, interestingly this has not been taken up by the SNU's official site but that could be an oversight. She put up this post, which in fairness to her case I will repeat here




Saw it yesterday, read it in full today. It is a bit odd because it mentions neither Sheffield or Hounslow, which we know are being sold. So are these in fact Closing? Well in the next post I will comment upon Walthamstow's reply to it being Fake News.

It adds another one, Runcorn, which is very odd because I have never heard about this one.Here we goread the news about this. It appears they are now based at Grangeway Community Centre awaiting the finding of a suitable property. They are receiving phenomenal support from Sue Woods, Paul Jacobs and others, Certainly more than say Walthamstow. (or looking at facebook pages more than Darlington and Sheffield)


Stafford, well that is heartland for the NEC and SNU, but there is a problem, they were moved into the Barbanell Centre and there old premises have, presumably, been sold. Now if, and its a big if given the SNU found them suitable premises, rent free in the Barbanell centre, the monies received from that building were put in trust, then with 10 years growth, in what has to be a balanced, safe, trust investment, then the values of available properties will almost certainly be higher than the trust funds.

So that transition to maintain a vibrant community, will be hard, temporary rental premises which are likely to limit what they can put on and a hunt for a new place. The onus will be on their committee to succeed, i have just read a report of Scarborough SNU church who rented but could only achieve a Sunday Service a month so with the collapse of membership the money remains in trust not spent on a new building. However, technically that is not the SNU closing a church. Independent Spiritualist Churches have filled the void there

Now Walthamstow Challenge the statement that closure by the SNU is fake news. Now if you remember I put up some Facebook comments by the Lady who ran that page, Ann Cullimore. Now the following exchange has been posted elsewhere on Facebook (I am sure it has now spread widely).


Simply put The SNU closed the Church, it was repairable and could have gone on. Now the committee are trying to find somewhere else. So Walthamstow will be closed for a time, it may find somewhere, maybe rented premises (if it can afford them) for limited meetings, but probably by the time it does the congregation will have diminished. A reduction in attendance gives the SNU the necessary reason to not set up another Church. (as at Scarborough)

So yes the SNU closed the church; but it asked their committee to find alternate premises, so if it now fails it will not be because the SNU closed it. It will be because the committee could not keep it going. A classy switch.

I note none of the big fundraiser, like those at Runcorn, being put on for the other distressed churches, maybe they are coming.

The reality is, if the promise to maintain every church is real then closures and re locations should be broadcast by the SNU as a show of its intent to regenerate itself. Given her promise to the churches this should have been a powerful PR piece for the AGM but in an election that highlighted slick and skilled use of professional PR to promote Minister Wright, these things of substance were missing

Hiding them and not bringing this to the AGM sounds like secret squirrel business, attempts to hoard nuts (or pounds) against a future winter (or summer for those who get to feel the benefit of a bigger trust and larger incomes) famine

I also note that one of the key issues in the PR at the AGM is floating about. That Complaints Committee suitable for the purpose. Now we know she did not like the old one because it found in favour of the tutors so she cancelled it and fired the members.

It may appears she still has not, yet, fathomed out one that suits. However, the blog only speaks about her Complaints Committee but the AGM passes a motion to establish a new type of complaints committee, which the blog is silent about.

Surely the October Presidents Blog was a great time to reflect upon what this motion has done to her intentions in setting up the new complaints committee. An expression of how the new committee will be established and its structure to express the intent of the members in passing that motion. Or is it a slide away, to ignore it, as a new committee is set up.

Admin wrote:I have just read a report of Scarborough SNU church who rented but could only achieve a Sunday Service a month so with the collapse of membership the money remains in trust not spent on a new building. However, technically that is not the SNU closing a church. Independent Spiritualist Churches have filled the void there

Just need to set this record straight Jim as it was my own post you read on FB.
This all happened in Scarborough many years ago. I do not know where the money is now but I can only assume it is still held in trust. I was not part of the church at the time, nor since and I have no facts other than what I wrote. Nobody ever said to me that their membership collapsed though I know numbers were decreasing. It now has a healthy following I believe, judging by their own FB page many years on from when it happened. . Below is  a copy paste of 2 of my posts in the FB conversation you saw.

“It depends what the replacement premises turn out to be. Many years ago the Scarborough SNU church was sold and they set up a monthly divine service, the third Tuesday every month at 2pm, in a rented room at the local library. That is where it continues to be and it is still only once a month. Must be over 15 years ago since it was sold.
Still the original church president and wife running it. I would not call that the continuation of the church, though I take my hat off to them for keeping at it”

“was a very old listed building, very costly to do all repairs needed and being “listed” made alterations difficult. Plus, even when I was there, attendance was decreasing and no way could it pay for itself. I’m surprised they were allowed to keep it so long. I don’t know when or why the decision was made to go to the library, or whether it was just meant to be temporary”.

Thank you Janhar that story is similar to others I have heard. I am not going to say where I saw it.