1. Reports<br /> for <br />Annual General Meeting<br />19th November 2010<br />National Leader<br />Simon Cooper<br />Since November 2009 I have been putting half my time and energy into developing our HQs at 43 Lancaster and into the church community that meets there. The team working at 43LG, which is a mix of local volunteers and full time staff, have focused much of its efforts on developing the experience people have when they come for worship. We spent several months raising funds, upgrading our facilities and working on our programs, our content, our music, hospitality and communication. <br /> <br />The main result that is visible to us is that more people come to church, including several who had not been for many years and are now at the heart of our new culture. We have gone from an average of about 50 on a Sunday to an average of over a 110 in recent months. <br />Our next task is to develop as a community through the other 6 days of the week and be relevant to the wide ranging demographic group that we have become, from parents with young children, to parents with children who have already flown the nest, to teenagers, from students & young graduates, to young couples who are starting out on married life.<br />Some other key areas I have been focusing on in the last 12 months are:<br />Trustee and advisory board:<br />We have been developing the work of our trustees and advisory board who have got involved in taking a closer look at how we work as an organisation. We have with their support and research started recently to introduce some restructuring of our staff management and an appraisal system through which we can evaluate & improve the effectiveness of our working practices. This is essential if we are to develop as an organisation and be an attractive place for people to work and take up missions. Look forward to reporting on this development next year.<br />Websites:<br />We have continued to work on our websites and put more functionality into our unificationmovement.org.uk site. For example we now have on the site a project that Michael Rawlence has started to work on which is called Uvolunteer. There are volunteer roles with job descriptions clearly laid out: http://www.unificationmovement.org.uk/uvolunteer.html and the goal is to create an attractive volunteer environment that people naturally gravitate to.<br />Significant Events:<br />We had several significant events in the last year: The Little Angels double bill at Saddler’s Wells, and then our International President Hyung Jin Moon’s visit. Also a very large number of you responded to different events abroad that our True Parents called us for, most notably in Korea, USA and Israel, connecting the 3rd, 2nd and 1st Israel together.<br />We currently have 881 members in the UK, and roughly 520 people pass through our worship services each Sunday. And then there are all the other people who are involved in the different events and projects that our movement is running. What is beyond that reality for us as the Unification Movement in the UK? Over the last year we have decided to brand ourselves as the Unification Movement (see cover sheet). We understand that we will always be more than a church; being a movement allows for the overall vision of True Parents to be better represented. I plan by the time of their Birthday and our God’s day celebration on the 3rd February to be able to present a clear workable vision and mission statement that looks ahead to the next 5 -10 years of our UK movement. I have been posting thoughts on this topic on the familyfireplace over the last 2 months. That is the place I hope you can all feel free to leave your opinions, thoughts, feedback, and inspirations. <br />Financial Report<br />Simon Rosselli<br />Main Points from Graphs below for Jan – Oct 2010<br />1) Income Planned £258,703, Actual £250,615. This is about 3% (less) difference from planned which is not bad as it stands but even better when some centres catch up on their tithing and when rental from Wontner Road and Cleeve House comes in (timing).<br />2) Expenses Planned £215,634, Actual £231,667. This is about a 7% (more) difference from planned. However about a third of this is due to HQ financed property repairs. For years we’ve planned £10,000 and in reality spent nothing (good short term but bad long term) and we’ve now had to fix a roof on what has now become the music ministry. So although it’s a 50% overspend (on budget) it is investment in our property and something that needs to be addressed long term. <br />We have also agreed to take on another Youth Pastor – as the youth are our future any investment in this area, seems to be a good idea and one that is very much needed. This was not budgeted at the beginning of the year.<br />3) To date we are about £19,000 + on our cash flow for the year from which we have continued to pay back debts going back to the first Global Peace Festival in 2007. At the beginning of the year we owed over £8,000 to the various regions (as loans) which is now down to about £4,000. We’ve continued to pay back debts on money that we’ve been sitting on for various things such as Gift Aid to the regions, Holy Day and Balkan Funds etc and in total have reduced our overall debts in these areas by over £32,000.<br />4) This has basically come from money that we have been putting aside to do up LG (£5,000 a month) but at present this is theoretical as it’s all gone to pay off past debts.<br />5) The Audit was completed on time again and whilst the budget looks very low, we are about to get the yearly bills (timing) but have money in budgeted to cover this (around £18,000)<br />6) One legal situation we had at the estate has now been taken care of. This has taken almost two years to sort out and a lot of trips to the farm but in 2013 our property will be back in our hands, to decide what we want to do with it. We also have been dealing with another legal situation at LG and this is also being taken care of. <br />7) Cleeve House. 4 Main workshops, 22 weddings, 2wedding fairs and 2 Bentley cars events have been the main activities this year. Bed and Breakfast picked up in summer. Our website upgrading has doubled the enquiries for weddings and B&B. 3 Christmas Dinner-Dance are offered for 16, 17 and 18 December, £ 37.50 per person. Five more weddings are scheduled before the end of the year. Restoration continues with thermal insulation in bedrooms and Fire System upgraded.<br />8) Estate. Main repairs carried out in the last 4 months: New roof at 4 Trenchard Road, new windows fitted to 6 Trenchard and Old post office plus a new bathroom at Beech Farm House. Part of Farm land and garden walls repaired. Permission granted for the Memorial Woodland Won Jeon. Opening 18th of November. Please contact Keiko de Giles for plot details. <br />9) Livingstone House. We have seven full-time students with us at the moment together with some first generation members and one couple……approximately 10 people in total which allows us to function just above the break-even level. We are putting in an en-suite to our room on the ground floor which is long overdue and will be a valid asset for future occupants. (3000). Completed the ladies toilets on the ground floor (4500). Completed phase 2 of fire alarm system and will finish everything by end of 2010 (600). Finished phase 2 on window repairs and will complete by spring 2011 money permitting (600). Looking to upgrade Kitchen and Canterbury Room in 2011<br />10) Lancaster Gate. Major renovations have taken place on the ground and first floors this year. The General Office moved into the rear Livingstone Room and a new front Reception created with wood floor, exciting furniture and flat screen TV. Ballroom completely redecorated with new lighting and fixed projector and screen. New wood flooring to corridors and new carpets to Kent Room and stairs. All this work was paid for by donations from not only our Lancaster Gate community membership, but with generous donation from a wide range of members from other communities in the UK and even some from Europe. Also a recording studio was created and an adjoining office area reroofed and waterproofed. Next spring we plan to completely repair and redecorate the whole front and rear facades of the building after more than 30 years.<br />Now the Bad News (and Good !) <br />The Façade at LG is due to be done next year (this is the good news). The bad news is that we have to pay for it. We have had someone come and inspect it and draw up detailed plans of what needs to be done and this will be sent out to tender next week. Whilst inspections were taking place it was noted that there needs to be quite a lot of work to the rear of the building as well as the front. Taking both into account he has given a ball park figure of £235,000 – however we won’t really know until we get the tenders come in. This figure doesn’t include VAT which will go up in January to 20% so we are looking at £282,000 and in reality need to find £300,000 (worst case scenario). If we were to borrow this amount and started to pay back repayment loans we forecast that next year we would be just about breaking even. This in itself positive however if something comes up unexpectedly (with a property repair or in the providence) it could seriously affect the movements finances. <br />Simon Cooper did write a letter asking for individual/couples who felt they wanted to support this project, as they felt Lancaster Gate has a special place in our movement’s history and their heart. (True Father stayed here, some were matched and Blessed here, others lived here during various mobilizations, some first met the Church here etc) to make a special heartistic offering of £120. This was not a request or an official Cheong Song but a one from the heart. A few individuals/couples have made this offering and the money is now ring fenced in an account to go towards this project. If you to feel you would also like to support in some way please contact Joanna in the accounts dept. <br />We will need to find some ways to help Fundraise for this project next year. This year we held a balloon race at the time of Hyung Jin Nims visit and this raised about £700. If you have any bright ideas or have any comments on any of the above please email me at: energy1@btconnect.com<br />God Bless – Simon R. on behalf of the finance committee<br />Outreach Department <br />Matthew Huish<br />Ever since the European leaders' meeting in Schmitten, starting on the 25th February, there have been regular Outreach department meetings, including key representatives of the Unificationist communities, to discuss the progress of witnessing and outreach. This working group has developed new methods for introducing people to the Unification Movement, as well as having developed a strategy to raise new guests as blessed family members.Recognising the need for good quality publicity, materials from across the country were collected and redistributed, such as the leaflet developed by the Welsh community. A new introduction card was also designed and reproduced, as well as a leaflet promoting the regular weekend workshops. Further discussion continues and a greater variety of fliers and publications will be developed.Witnessing activities have been ongoing in many communities: There have been declaration rallies, Divine Principle lectures and small group education. Between January and June, an STF witnessing team resided in London, carrying out the outreach activities in a number of London communities. While there have been many witnessing results across the country, the result of the members of the STF team was particularly inspiring, as they were able to witness to a sister who now regularly attends Sunday service and attends a Divine Principle study group.Key events in the calendar were utilised to maximise potential for outreach, such as the Hyung Jin nim event and the Little Angels tour. A lot of effort was made to ensure that there existed a follow-up strategy after these events, to offer something to the new guests who attended.One of the strategic priorities for the Outreach Department up until True God's Day (3rd February 2011) is to promote and empower the creation of small groups. Training for small group leaders will be provided and materials will be prepared to make the small groups as effective as possible at creating a warm culture of heart, through which new guests can be uplifted and educated.In September the Outreach Department took on a new incarnation, separating from the Education Department, with which it was previously twinned. Matthew Huish was appointed to the position of department leader, and is committing himself to do further research to develop this area.<br />Youth Ministry <br />Patrick Hanna<br />This is a brief report of the major activities, developments and changes over the past year. A more in depth report of the goals, plans and structure will come in the near future. Email: youthministry@familyfireplace.org<br />Changes in leadership team:<br />Youth Ministry Leadership team: 08/10 = Matthew Huish (leader) 10/11: Patrick Hanna (leader), Sung Jong Choi (assistant since May).<br /> Newly established CARP committee for 18-25 who have finished high school: Yoshiko Chellew, Seijin Thomas, Masa Hayashi, Yoshi Hayashi, Keishin Barrett, Samuel Read, Rosanna O’Connell, Sean Greaves (working with Patrick and Sung Jong). CARP is the name for the specific care and education targeting Unificationists in the 18-25 range who have graduated high school and are in University, working or graduated – fulfilling the same purpose as HARP but for a different age group.<br />HARP committee 09/10 = Kenta Barrett (leader), Jonathan Bateman, Kathleen Moloney, Erena Shaw, Reamonn Bateman. HARP committee 10/11 = Kenta Barrett (leader), Kenneth Read (assistant), Alex Shaw, Kayo Hayashi, Josephine Spencer, Naomi Davis.<br />We would like to express sincere appreciation to Matthew Huish for his investment as Youth Ministry Leader, his consistent and heartfelt effort have moved things forward. Thankfully, he continues to be connected through his new roles in the Outreach Department and as Assistant Pastor in the Bromley Community, and his ongoing role supporting university students as a chaplain, as well as being a precious brother of many, father of three, and husband of one. <br />Major activities of the past year<br />Regional level: there has been progress across the regions in many different areas, with some regions developing Divine Principle study small groups, and Youth Service, organizing regular activities and regional workshops, and also investing in one to one care and ‘mentoring’. There needs to be more communication between national and regional level, and more support and direction offered to the regions. This is something we are working on, also to have a clearer sense of the regional Youth leadership teams and the role of regional youth leaders, so that we can have a clear team taking responsibility for the youth.<br />National Workshops: For HARP there have been 5 successful and well attended national workshops: God’s Day w/s, Brother/Sister Purity w/s, 7 Day Divine Principle w/s, Arts w/s, Summer w/s. For 18+ age there have been several Divine Principle based workshops, and opportunities to staff on HARP workshops.<br />National Sunday Services: The HARP service has grown in strength, and has been consistently well attended and appreciated with a wide range of speakers. For 18+, The Saturday Service brought a valuable opportunity to the young adults to worship together and receive more targeted efforts, this has developed into the CARP Sunday service which is scheduled to take place on 2pm of the same day as the HARP service at 11am at LG. Both Services have benefitted from progress in the LG building, efforts of the HQ Music Ministry, and many other volunteers and willing speakers.<br />Chaplaincy care structure: For students, the chaplaincy programme progressed. There have been good results from them - some students truly benefitting from having this extra layer of support from an elder figure who they can freely relate to. This has continued for this year for approx 150 students, and we will look to evaluate its progress in the coming months and be flexible and readjust if needed. We would like to thank those elders who have taken that role to reach out; finding ways to connect and support one on one, and as a group.<br />European Level: very good participation of European level activities, workshops and programmes. 24 British are attending STF and 2 are attending DONE for this new academic year. The input from key European educators has been very valuable, and the European Youth Department has a vital role in supporting and guiding our national structure. We hope to support all, and host some, of the European youth activities in the coming year. Geros Kunkel remains the EYD director and is also responsible for the 2nd Generation Blessing Department, our European Youth contact person for the UK is Martin Alexy, and for efforts with 18+ Julius Alexy is also in place as key support. Also, with so many British Youth on STF this year – it is valuable to acknowledge the efforts of Garrun Abrahams as the STF director. We are very grateful for all their support, and the education and care that they have given, and will continue to offer to all UK youth of HARP and CARP age. It is invaluable.<br />Blessed Family Department<br /> Susan Crosthwaite<br />Our work circles around education and counselling – preparation for the Blessing, relationship skills for Marriage; and counselling to find ways to solve problems.<br />This year there were three Blessing ceremonies – one in January in San Marino, one on February 17th in Korea and the other also in Korea on October 10th. In each ceremony the UK was represented in one couple in each Holy Blessing Ceremony – Divine Ngama (Bolton), Aziz Bouba ( sp. son of the Thonett family, Alton), and Behrouz Eslami, who joined our movement in 1978 in London and had to return to Iran due to visa restrictions. Recently he wrote this email for the UK members:<br />Dear sister Susan C and your family,I gratefully thank you for your blessings and your support. Eventually I have recieved the Blessing of True Parents. …… I also thank Daivid Franklin and his family and all blessed families in England.To give you good news, I wrote EMail letter and sent pictures of me and Nataliya to Mchelle Tosaka. ( his spiritual mother) …….After 28 years of separation from UC I am enjoying to be with true families. When it is possible for you to come to Russia, I can see you and your family. Please take care . Yours faithfully, Biros Eslami <br />2010 Statistics: 1st Gen people Blessed - Out of 26 Europeans, 3 were from UK<br />2nd Gen people Blessed – out of 76 Europeans, 17 were from the UK<br />Ashley and I have traveled to Brittany in March and Albania in October to teach our Blessed Couples’ Seminar called “Living in the Four Great Realms of Heart”.<br />During September a Blessing Preparation Workshop for 2nd Gen. candidates was held in Cleeve House with over 100 parents and candidates in attendance. <br />I received an additional qualification to enhance my counseling skills in January, becoming certified to practise “The Emotion Code”. Cecilie Fortune also qualified . We use this in conjunction with our Personal Development Seminars to greatly improve the way we seek solutions for deep seated problems in ourselves. The PDS was held twice - in April and October. The next date has been set and the 7th UK PDS is to be held in 2011; May 5th-7th, in the South London Peace Embassy.<br />In my capacity of the person Responsible for First Generation International Blessings within the European Blessed Family Department, I attended a one day meeting on October 12th in Seoul, Korea with the new ‘Family Education Department ‘ Director, Mrs Jang. We ( 14 delegates from reflected about the Oct. 10th Blessing and planned an agenda for another International Meeting, which will be held in Boston from 13th December 2010 – to discuss the many issues surrounding ‘Blessing Operations’ around the world.<br />Music Ministry<br />Reamonn Bateman/Kathleen Moloney<br />Music Ministry started in April. We felt that there was a strong need for development in this area (improving the quality of Sunday service, encouraging people to channel their faith through music, and encourage musicians to use their passion and talent to serve their community. So that's what we're working towards every week.<br />Previous events:<br />Live Lounge VII: 30th April<br />Live Lounge VIII: 19th June<br />Live Lounge IX: 22nd October<br />Music Ministry Launch: 1st September<br />Little Angels: 2nd September<br />Current Weekly Tasks:<br />HQ Staff Meeting/Evaluating<br />Event meetings/planning and organising<br />Prayer evening prep (music arrangement)<br />Sunday service prep (powerpoint and music arrangement)<br />Band practice Two Sunday servicesCommunity Choir<br />Researching:-new song material for service and choir-sound equipment for HQ service and studio-possible venues for events-other churches and styles of worship to gain inspiration<br />Upcoming events:<br />Still ALive Lounge: 26th November<br />Live Lounge X: 17th December<br />Christmas Service: 19th December<br />Plans:<br />-Buying and upgrading studio equipment and instruments for HQ service<br />-Creating a repertoire of 70 songs by Christmas with the plan to finalise the arrangements in the New Year.<br />-Make the band more professional and tighter through practices<br />Universal Peace Federation (UPF) 2010<br />Robin Marsh<br />This year has been similar for having a number of events from a range of areas. There have been many more activities that have been directed from the International UPF leadership during this last year such as Legacy of Love, Inter-religious Council and Little Angels.<br /> The www.uk.upf.org and the http://peacedevelopmentnetwork.wordpress.com/ have been the main websites for reports on all UPF’s activities. <br />There has been a small but continual focus on the Blessing and the Family Association. <br />There have been several events to support the United Nations including consultations on the Inter-religious Council. There were also events to mark International Women’s Day, International Family Day, Africa Day, World Environment Day and International Peace Day that were held in both Lancaster Gate and in other local communities around the UK. <br />There have been community cohesion events such as the Genocide and Holocaust Commemoration event, the Forgiveness and Reconciliation series of conferences, and the Joint Faith Celebrations. <br />The Peace and Development area has included a small role in a joint Civil Society effort to organise a meeting for Deputy PM Nick Clegg and DfID Minister Andrew Mitchell to speak to a group of 300 people in the days prior to attending the Millennium Development Goal Review Summit at the UN in September around the time of the General Assembly. There are also four humanitarian projects that UPF is supporting as part of the Millennium Development Goal campaign such as the support for Bethlehem Caritas Baby Hospital, North Korea Medical Assistance, Bishop Riah’s Educational project entitled ‘Integrazia’ and a Low Cost Housing Manufacturing project. <br />The Youth Achievement Awards in the House of Lords in July was a great success that dovetailed with activities in South London, Hastings, Birmingham and Bromley.<br />Cultural events have been prominent this year including the visit of the Little Angels, Building a Culture of Peace in the House of Lords, cooperation with Peter Graham’s World Culture Association and Sakura Club Choir. <br />The twice yearly UPF Peace Council has been effective in drawing together the strands of our activities to review and strategise. These times have allowed the Ambassadors for Peace to realise the breadth of UPF’s vision. There have been regular requests for support for campaigns, events, and joint activities as other activists have recognised our capacity to mobilise and network.<br />Media <br />Richard Biddelcombe<br />The overriding media policy is that the movement is keen to develop a healthy working relationship with the media.<br />The Unification Church is still in the somewhat paradoxical situation in which on the one hand it works together with heads of state, politicians and prominent religious leaders, and yet, at the same time, it has to operate against a backdrop of hysteria and bad argument put out primarily by small pressure groups of self-appointed, fanatical ‘cult-watchers’ that actively campaign against new religious movements. To help clarify and correct that situation much of the work of the media team has been to encourage constructive communication with editors and journalists in order to update them on the way in which the movement has evolved and to help familiarise them with its current activities and developments. To that end, the media team aims to bridge the gap between the movement and the media, develop good working relationships, exploit any media opportunities and ensure impartial coverage of church-related matters.<br />The media team continues to issue press releases to all major UK news outlets whenever something potentially newsworthy occurs. These are frequently acknowledged by the various recipients. It has also been building up a network of useful contacts through attendance of media-related events and social gatherings such as those held by the London Press Club.<br />Some of the recent face-to-face meetings that have taken place have been with the Religious Affairs Correspondent of ‘The Independent,’ with two journalists from ‘The Sun’ and with an independent television producer. <br />A minor setback occurred in April through the broadcast of a BBC radio programme in which its presenter gave his unfavourable account of a Unification Church-sponsored event that he’d attended in the United States in 1973. The programme was made without the church’s participation and through its selection of contributors it was one-sided and unfair. The matter is being pursued through the lengthy BBC’s complaints procedure by the church’s legal team and others. In the meantime, and with the assistance of the Press Complaints Commission, an apology for the way in which the programme had been advertised in the Radio Times was squeezed out of that publication’s editor. <br />In June a most favourable feature article about the process of ‘matching’ and the marriage blessing ceremony was published in ‘The Sun’ and included interviews granted by couples from the British Unification Church. BBC Local Radio later gave good coverage of the proposed new burial ground on church property in Stanton Fitzwarren and featured interviews with Henry and Avril Masters as well as Nancy Jubb. <br />Meetings with an independent TV Producer to explore the possibilities of a television documentary programme about the Unification Church have been taking place at regular intervals. Although the programme has yet to be commissioned by a national broadcaster, it is already at an advanced discussion stage and, in addition to gathering reference material about aspects of the movement, the producer has also made the effort to attend talks on the church’s theology as part of her research. <br />Coverage of this year’s October Blessing Ceremony was generally quite good, although some reports contained certain factual errors which needed clarifying. Associated Press responded well to points that were raised and has given a firm commitment to report accurately on church-related issues in any future coverage.<br />Although what works in one country doesn’t necessarily work in another, the UK media team now enjoys considerable co-operation with America, Europe and South Korea in its media outreach. There’s a common desire for the movement to develop a healthy relationship with the media rather than being caught up in an endless cycle of simply waiting to respond to the next instance of poor press coverage. There’s also agreement that that can best be achieved through endeavouring to keep the momentum up through an ongoing series of face-to-face meetings with producers, editors and journalists. The hope is that sooner or later this will lead to opportunities for the kind of media coverage that accurately portray aspects of the movement in a way that’s sufficiently intriguing to the audience.<br />The UK media team can provide some degree of in-house media training to help equip members with the skills required to deal with the media in a professional manner. It is able to give media-related talks at locations on request and a fresh series of Media Workshops is also in the pipeline - particularly for interested members in the regions and also for those in Continental Europe. <br />Although Nancy Jubb is still a valued member of the UK media team, she has recently resigned from her position as Press Officer mainly because she's now back at work at the American Embassy and, together with her new-born baby, it's a difficult juggling act. Therefore, there is currently an immediate need for a young, enthusiastic, London-based Press Officer to act as the initial point of contact for media enquiries and to help further develop the movement’s media outreach for which some training can be provided. Anyone interested in the exciting challenge of such work is invited to apply to Simon Cooper.<br />Websites<br />Tim Read<br />The Family Fireplace blog site is being redesigned to present the blogs and news items separately. There is still work to do to add a Youth Department section. There were 4000 visits to the site last month, with 7300 page views and an average time of 2 and a half minutes per visit. There were 44% new visits last month. The number of visits has risen by 20% over the last year.<br />The Unification Movement web site is being redesigned to present more information about our Movement, its teachings and its activities for anyone who is wanting to find out the basics. There were 390 visits to the site last month, with 1000 page views, and an average time of 2 and a half minutes per visit. There were 50% new visits last month.The number of visits has stayed the same over the last year.<br />Education Department<br />David Hanna<br />Womens’ Federation for World Peace (WFWP)<br />Mitty Tohma<br />To follow<br />