Aberdeen Passion Plays Annual Review 2014

AberdeenPassion Plays

Aberdeen Passion Plays is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC044128)

And Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2014

ANNUAL REVIEW

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ContentsAbout Us 4

Reference & Administrative Information 6

Structure, Governance & Management 6

Objectives & Activities 8

Council of Reference 9

Chairman’s Report 10

Artistic Director’s Report 16

Financial Statement 20

Charitable Giving 24

Friends of The Aberdeen Passion 28

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About Us

Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014 5

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Acts 3:15

Founded in 2011, Aberdeen Passion Plays aims to use the theatrical arts to spread the gospel message to those living in the North-East of Scotland and to provide opportunities around which Christians across all denominations can synergise.

We believe people’s lives get better when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. We equally believe the global Church is a stronger vehicle for positive spiritual & social change and improvement when all Christians are united and work together. Art and in particular the theatrical arts, is a powerful agent for doing just that. Alongside this Aberdeen Passion Plays is part of a wider movement to preserve the historical practice of passion plays, and so stages a major biennial production within the city.

As the project grows our prayer is for the establishment of the passion play as part of an officially (City Council) sanctioned Easter programme for the City of Aberdeen and to use the staging of the play as a platform for raising funds to support other charitable organisations that live out the Gospel message of love and compassion to all people through spiritual & social improvement and individual betterment activities, both locally and further afield.

Aberdeen Passion Plays is the parent charity for the theatre group whose players are drawn from Christians and non-Christians alike across the North East of Scotland. The charity benefits greatly from the talents of its group members be they performing, technical or production. All group members give their time voluntarily and become members purely by being involved.

Reference & Administrative Information

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:5

Charity NameAberdeen Passion Plays SCIO

Charity NumberSC044128

Principal OfficeThe Church Office

Bridge of Don Baptist Church Centre

Dubford Road

Bridge of Don

Aberdeen, AB23 8GS

Charity TrusteesFrazer Ramsay Chair - Founding Trustee

Craig Smith Elected - December 2013

Andrew Sykes Artistic Director, Founding Trustee

Elaine Sykes Chair FoTAP, Elected - January 2014

Other trustees who served during the year

Alan Campbell Founding Trustee - Until 19th May

Additional Office BearersIan Gourlay Finance Director

Appointed December 2013

Structure, Governance & ManagementConstitutionThe organisation is a Scottish Charitable

Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). It is

governed by its constitution which was

adopted June 2013. The organisation was

granted charitable status by Office of the

Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) on 10th

July 2013.

Prior to 10th July 2013 the organisation was

an unincorporated association of members.

Following conversion to an SCIO all assets

were transferred accordingly.

Appointment of TrusteesThe APP Board, which meets on a regular

basis, are the charity’s trustees. Membership

of the Board is open to any person aged 16

or over, and who subscribes to the purposes

of the organisation and wishes to see them

fulfilled.

Trustees are elected at the Annual General

Meeting. Under the constitution there must

be a minimum of three and there is no

maximum. The trustees can elect further

trustees during the year if they consider it

to be in the interest of the organisation to

do so.

ManagementThe trustees are responsible for the

strategic direction and governance of the

organisation as well as the day-to-day

management. The trustees are aware of

their responsibilities for Health and Safety,

especially for children. The organisation

holds comprehensive insurance and

maintains a risk assessment register.

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Our Purposes The organisation is established for

charitable purposes only, and in particular,

the objects are: to advance religion; and to

advance the arts & culture.

In more detail:

1 To regularly stage a passion play in

the City of Aberdeen or its immediate

surrounds. This should be a new play to the

general audience each time, of high quality,

firmly rooted in scripture and be accessible

and acceptable to a wide audience.

2 To encourage support for, and

involvement in, the Aberdeen Passion

from as much of the North East Christian

community as possible.

3 To work towards seeing the Aberdeen

Passion established as an event as part

of the Aberdeen City calendar.

4 To provide an environment where

individuals are encouraged to develop

skills, gifts and talents in the performing and

technical arts.

5 To use art as a means of promoting

and encouraging Christian harmony

through actively engaging with individuals,

churches and communities across all

Christian denominations within the North

East Christian Community.

6 To identify and provide financial

support to good causes, including

Christian endeavours, with a purpose of

social improvement & individual betterment

through the distribution of part, or all, of

any monies arising from the productions

and associated activities after all costs have

been met.

7 To raise and maintain funds which

shall be applied to the above aims.

ActivitiesDuring the period covered by this report

Aberdeen Passion Plays successfully:

• Staged the production “The Aberdeen

Passion: One Hope”.

• Increased the number, quality and

level of involvement of performers and

technical personnel.

• Agreed a timeline for the

commencement of acting workshops

within the community.

• Raised, through both the production

and associated fund-raising events,

money for the two chosen charities

– the Lighthouse Support Centre and

the Solid Rock Café. These included a

ceilidh, quiz night, coffee mornings and

the launch of the second volume of the

‘Made With Passion!’ cookbook.

• Ran a number of fund-raising events

to generate capital to offset part of the

production budget of “The Aberdeen

Passion: One Hope”.

• Developed and expanded the ‘Friends

of The Aberdeen Passion’ organisation.

• Brought on-board new trustees who

bring additional knowledge and skills

to both the oversight of the charity and

the actual activities it undertakes.

• Appointed an experienced Finance

Director who also has extensive

knowledge of Scottish charity

requirements

Objectives & Activities

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

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Council of Reference Members

Dr. Andrew D. Clarke Senior Lecturer in New Testament University of Aberdeen

Pastor Iain Duthie Kings Community Church Aberdeen

Rev. John Greenshields Ministry Development Coordinator Baptist Union of Scotland

Fr. Keith Herrera St. Mary’s Cathedral Aberdeen

Jason McAuley Artistic Director New Scottish Arts

Rev. Eddie McKenna South St. Nicholas Church Kincorth, Aberdeen

Rev. Jarod Meenan Bridge of Don Baptist Church Aberdeen

Rev. Manson Merchant Dyce Parish Church Aberdeen

Rev. Gary Smith Crown Terrace Baptist Church Aberdeen

Ian White International Singer/Song Writer

The Council of Reference is a group of

individuals who support Aberdeen Passion

Plays’ ethos, aims and objectives, and

are willing to be publicly recognised as

providing ‘reputational sponsorship’ for the

project.

Members of the Council also give occasional

advice and encouragement as they are

able. Some members are in a position to

provide more input than others due to

their commitments; however, together the

Council brings a broad perspective to the

work of Aberdeen Passion Plays which is

invaluable.

It is also the members of the Council of

Reference who provide the main theological

sounding board for aspects of each

production as well the final theological

proofing of the scripts.

Members are currently drawn from within

the Christian community both locally and

nationwide and we seek to ensure the

interdenominational nature of the project is

reflected in the membership of the Council.

We have deliberately set no limit on the

number of members of the council as we

believe that God will raise new members as

and when we need them and so artificially

capping the group could limit His moving

through it.

During the coming year the trustees will be

looking to how the relationship between the

of members of the council of reference and

the board can be developed to support the

development of the Passion Play project.

Aberdeen Passion Plays is blessed by a group of wise advisors who help to guide and direct our work.

Council of Reference


Frazer Ramsay Chair, Aberdeen Passion Plays Board

Chairman’s Report

This was also the year when we would know if the passion play project could have a life beyond the 2012 production.From early on in the development process, within the Trustees we began

referring to Passion 2014 as the ‘difficult second album’. The Aberdeen Passion

2012: One Life had been an extremely well received production and as a result

we were all were very much aware of the importance of ensuring the second

production was both a worthy successor and one that would lay down the

foundations for a sustainable long-term project. To that end much of the work

that has happened within Aberdeen Passion Plays over the past year has been

focused on planning for the future while delivering on the needs of the present.

When we first started the project the steering group, who would go on to

become the founding trustees, also took on the role of production planning

and delivery. It was a model of project management that worked well and

allowed us to deliver the first passion play with less than one year of work.

They were tough months but ones in which we learned a lot.

As we stepped up to consider the Passion 2014 production we adopted the

same working model and to an extent it served us well. However, as we

entered this year as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO)

the increased demands this entails have led us to reassess our management

structure. As a result we have decided, as we move into planning for the

2016 production and additional projects, to separate the routine production

planning from that of the core work of the governing board. This will make it

easier to work on productions in a more focused manner while also laying the

foundation for having more than one production being worked on at the same

time without causing our board meetings to become clogged down in details

that need not be discussed at that level.

We anticipate this move will also foster an environment into which the board

The Difficult Second Album

2013-2014 marked our first year as a charity and the second staging of The Aberdeen Passion.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; on him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Keep up to dateFor the latest news check out our website: www.aberdeenpassion.com

can grow to meet the increased demands

which will be placed on the charity as the

project grows and develops. In particular,

by removing production operational

discussions from the board meetings the

formal board meetings allow for greater time

to focus on vision and long term strategy.

Equally, by decreasing the frequency

of board meetings from their currently

monthly cycle we hope to be able to attract

additional, experienced, people to attend

the meetings, either as trustees or advisors

to share their wisdom and experiences and

help direct the charity forward.

In staging the 2014 production we

deliberately sought to produce a work that

was both ambitious and challenging. Not

because we were seeking acclaim or any

other form of recognition, but because we

strongly believe telling the story of Christ’s

sacrifice and the hope and salvation that

it brings to everyone deserves to receive

our very best efforts and be presentable

in a manner that will be as interesting and

engaging as possible to everyone, be they

seasoned church goers or ardent atheists.

And so across the Easter weekend 2014, the

second Aberdeen Passion production was

staged with almost 140 people involved

on-stage or in the background. Months

of rehearsals, prop and set building,

technology testing, music arranging,

costume making to name but a few of the

activities required to stage the production

all came together as a single element over

those 3 performances. Once again this

company of amateurs gave themselves

wholly to declaring the gospel message

of hope and salvation and did so with a

professionalism to rival that of the most

hardened West End producer.

A total audience of around 1850 witnessed

the performances, and feedback received

to date has been on the whole positive with

solid indicators that future productions

if handled correctly will be equally well

supported.

One area where we were not as successful

as we had hoped was in the provision of

follow-up sessions which were designed

to help anyone who wanted to know more

about the Christian faith. Themed around

the central question of “Who Is This Jesus?”

these were informal evenings of a meal and

a discussion time. As a board we feel it is

important that there is always some form

of follow-up opportunity surrounding

the productions and as such we will be

exploring this in greater detail over the

coming year, in particular whether this is

something Aberdeen Passion Plays should

be coordinating or whether it is best, and

possible, to operate through the local

Churches instead.

Finances continued to be an issue for

staging the productions. The passion plays

are very expensive to stage, particularly

with regards to venue hire. It would be fair

to say that the 2014 production made a

loss of around £10,000 against ticket sales

alone and it was only through sponsorship,

donations and fund raising that we met our

costs and managed to give a small amount

of money to the charities.

We were always aware that the type of

venue required for the size of production

the passion play is, and the associated

costs of having so many people involved,

could only be met through either

commercial level ticket pricing or large

scale fund-raising. We feel we are at the

top end of where we can pitch ticket prices

for the type of production we are staging;

however, we are equally aware of the rising

costs of staging the plays and as such are

fairly sure that even with trying to reduce

the non-fixed costs elements of the 2016

production we will not meet our outgoings

through just ticket income. To address this

the board has been looking at different

models for funding the productions on an

ongoing basis.

In saying this we were very blessed this

year to receive dedicated fund-raising

support from so many people, especially

the work of the Friends of the Aberdeen

Passion in organising so many fund raising

events. We were also particularly inspired

and blessed by the efforts of Chika Edeh,

Pastor of Vinespring Church, who led the

“Walk for Passion” during November 2013.

Along with his daily walkers Chika walked

around 120 miles along the North East

coast, from Stonehaven to Portsoy, and in

the process raised almost £800 towards

the production. Our “Made With Passion!”

team were also back in force again this

year with the follow-up cookbook, “Soups,

Savouries & Snacks”.

We are also very thankful for the continued

support from BreadPR and Graham Dargie


Photography who donate their services free

of charge to the project and from which we

benefit greatly. The 2014 passion production

also became the first to receive financial

sponsorship with Ken Sturgeon Training

Ltd. very kindly sponsoring the sound

requirements.

The situation regarding the number of

people involved in production tasks has

improved over the reporting period. We

are also very pleased to see a number of

those previous involved stepping up their

commitment and involvement; however,

as with most projects of this nature we

continue to see a core grouping carrying a

large number of roles and as such the board

is committed to supporting the productions

to seek out additional workers to relieve

burdens. If you are skilled in an area of use

to the project please get in touch and we can

discuss how you can get involved.

The board had been working to develop

more formal relationships with a number of

churches; however, as we worked through

this over the past year it has become

clear that this was not going to be a viable

option for the time being given the size of

the charity and that to most outside of the

project it was something that only had a

visible life every two years. To this end the

board agreed to not pursue the idea further

for the time being. It is hoped as future

projects come on stream the portfolio of

work emanating from Aberdeen Passion

Plays will mean developing arrangements

such as can be returned to at a future date.

The joys of the past year have only been

tainted by loss we felt as a board with the

stepping down of Alan Campbell, one of

the founding trustees, as he and Helen, his

wife, made the move down to Edinburgh to

be closer to their grandchildren. Both Alan

and Helen were involved in the project from

the very beginning and gave an enormous

amount of time and energy to seeing the

productions come about - much of which

went unseen. We are forever grateful to

them and miss them both greatly.

And so in closing we wish to thank everyone

who in one way or another has contributed

to this remarkable project. We as trustees

are a small group and one who ourselves

are wholly unable to bring about the

productions and foster the impact that

the passion is having. It is only through our

extended family of cast & crew as well as our

amazing community of supporters within

the Friends of the Aberdeen Passion that a

project such as this can flourish.

Again we thank you all but give the glory

and honour to our Lord Jesus, maker of all

things.

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Andrew Sykes Artistic Director, Aberdeen Passion Plays

Artistic Director’s Report

So I tried introducing some new elements. Now I would accept that

not all of them were universally liked but the aim was to challenge

the audience and so I think it’s inevitable that there will be a range

of opinion. The new elements were a challenge to the actors and the

technical team as well as to me.

The use of pre-recorded material projected on a big screen did, I believe,

add greatly to the look of the Aberdeen Passion 2014. The striking

image of Jesus on the cross as the audience entered the room made a

statement from the very outset. The use of this filmed material was an

artistic challenge - how to mix this with on-stage action in a way which

didn’t distract or confuse the audience. And it was as also a technical

challenge to get an image that size at a good quality. We are indebted

to Gillian Martin and her team at Aberdeen College and Adam Bolton for

their help.

And it wasn’t just new technical elements that were tried. The idea of a

narrator in the person of Barabbas was something which set the tone

for the play and allowed the character to speak directly to and challenge

the audience. I know not everyone was keen on the noise of the cherry

picker as it raised Barabbas above the action and brought him back

down into it but I rather liked it.

And at the end of the play, the disciples changed into modern dress

to signify the change in their lives after Jesus’ resurrection and the

relevance of the story today.

Challenging Ourselves,Challenging the Audience

After our first venture into producing a large scale Passion Play the challenge was to do a second that built on the les-sons learned from the first and to move things forward.

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

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These were elements incorporated into the play to surprise and challenge the audience. And they can all be seen as a risk - a risk as to whether they would work in the way intended but I felt they were risks worth taking and I was very pleased with the final product. Everyone involved gave everything they could to make the play

work and the combination of music, singing, drama, lighting and

technical came together as a moving and powerful telling of a

great story

And since then? Some might think I would hibernate for a few

months before emerging to begin the process again but there is

a heightened atmosphere of creativity during the performances

that I have tried to use and sustain by looking to the next project.

And of course after the difficult second album the expectation is

to step it up a level again. I don’t want to give too much away at

this stage but you can be sure that I will do my best to dream big

and aim high so if you’re up for it, we’d love you join us again for

a whole new Passion journey.


Ian Gourlay Director of Finance

FinancialStatement

Financial StatementAs a charity we take great care in ensuring our financial dealings are in compliance with the relevant regulations. As Christians we aim to go further in seeking to be honouring to our Lord’s name.

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

Reserves Policy

The Board of Aberdeen Passion Plays have

designated a reserve fund. The general

purpose of the fund is to help to ensure the

organisation’s ability to meet its financial

commitments associated with its activities

long-term. The charity generates the

majority of its income following the events

it stages, in particular the biennial passion

play; however, much of this is in the form

of ticket sales through a third party agency

and as such the organisation does not

receive any monies until after the event

has been staged. Almost all of the charity’s

expenditure associated with staging the

production is required to be made in

advance. Currently Aberdeen Passion Plays

relies on interest-free loans from private

individuals to underwrite the production

cash flow; however, the Board recognises

this is not a sustainable model to operate

under.

Aberdeen Passion Plays therefore maintain

a Board-Designated Reserve Fund to achieve

the following objectives:

1. To enable the organisation to meet the

advanced expenditure associated with

staging productions and associated

activities;

2. To promote public and supporter

confidence in the long-term sustainability

of the project by preventing a chronic

cash flow crisis that can diminish the

reputations of both the organisation and

associated groups/individuals; and

3. Allow the organisation to focus on its

primary objectives in times of varying

economic conditions, in the knowledge

that production income will replenish the

reserve.

Designated reserves at the end of the year

were £1000.00 with additional funds due to

be transferred by board decision at the AGM.

Risk Management

The trustees have assessed the major risks

to which the charity is exposed and in

particular those relating to the operation

and finances of the charity and are satisfied

that systems are in place to mitigate the

charity’s exposure to any major risk.

Donated Facilities & Services

During this year the charity received freely

donated services and support from the

following commercial businesses:

• Graham Dargie Photography

(photography)

• BreadPR (public relations services &

press liaison)

• Sir Jack and Lady Stewart-Clark,

Dundas Castle (loan of costumes)

• Alford Heritage Centre (loan of props)

In addition, Bridge of Don Baptist Church

freely donated:

• Rehearsal space

• Fund-raising event hosting

• Short-term storage

• Administrative support.

Turnover

The turnover for the period was £42,662.

raised through ticket sales of £25,825;

donations of £8,074; fund raising activities

of £7,759 and Friends of Aberdeen Passion

Plays £985.

Costs for the year amounted to £39,534

leaving a surplus from the production

and fund-raising of £3,128 after making

charitable donations to the Rock Solid Café

in Fraserburgh and the Lighthouse Support

Centre in Aberdeen of £1,850. There was a

pre-SCIO bank balance of £5,343.53 from

a previous production and fund raising

activities which are reflected in the surplus

shown of £8,471. This amount has been

carried forward as a reserve into the new

financial year.

As at 31 July 2014 the charity held an

unrestricted reserve of £8,471. The ultimate

aim of the trustees is to build a sufficient

reserve in a designated fund to meet the

costs involved in producing a performance

without the need to borrow funds for cash

flow purposes ahead of ticket income

flowing.

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STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS For the period 10 July 2013 to 31 July 2014

NOTES

1. Donations - The donations figure includes the pre-SCIO bank balance of £5,343.53 for the unincorporated organisation as at 10 July 2013 when Aberdeen Passion Plays was granted charitable status.

2. Ticket Sales - Donations of £796 were made to allow those less well-off to attend performances. This figure is included under the donations heading.

3. Fund Raising Costs - The fund raising costs of £5,729 includes the printing of recipe books, some of which the charity holds in stock

4. Surplus - The closing balance excludes £17.76 in the charity’s PayPal account.

5. Surplus - There is an outstanding liability of around £900 due to PRS in respect of music used during the 2014 performance. The company has not yet calculated our liability.

Notes Unrestricted Restricted Total

RECEIPTS

Ticket sales 2 25,765 25,765

Donations 1 13,418 13,418

Friends of The Aberdeen Passion 985 985

Fund-raising 7,759 7,759

Miscellaneous 18 18

TOTAL RECEIPTS £47,945 £47,945

PAYMENTS

Venue hire 14,479 14,479

Scenery, lighting and sound 11,358 11,358

Costumes, wigs, props and make-up 345 345

Other production costs 72 72

Fund-raising costs 3 5,729 5,729

Tickets and posters printing 2,301 2,301

Programme printing 2,060 2,060

Gifts 1,976 1,976

Insurance 522 522

Postage and stationery 298 298

Website costs 215 215

Storage for scenery & costumes 100 100

Miscellaneous costs 19 19

TOTAL PAYMENTS £39,474 £39,474

SURPLUS 4, 5 £8,471 £8,471


Craig Smith Trustee

Charitable Giving

Helping those in need is one of the major themes of the Bible and of Jesus’ ministry.

As far back as the thirteenth century

B.C., the Hebrews’ law institutionalised

assistance to the poor:

When you reap the harvest of your land,

you shall not reap to the very edges of your

field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of

your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard

bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your

vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor

and the alien: I am the LORD your God. (NRSV,

Leviticus 19:9-10)

Both the Old and New Testament writings

give many examples of the importance of

service and charity:

And the crowds asked [John the Baptist],

“What then should we do?” In reply he said

to them, “Whoever has two coats must share

with anyone who has none; and whoever has

food must do likewise.” (NRSV, Luke 3:10-11)

But whoever has the world’s goods, and

beholds his brother in need and closes his

heart against him, how does the love of God

abide in him? (NAS, 1 John 3:17)

It is with this in mind, for each passion play

production we work with two locally active

charities that visibly demonstrate Christ’s

comPASSION to help raise their profile and

to seek to raise some money for their work.

The scriptures tell us our good deeds should

be motivated by a sincere desire to help

others and that public recognition should

not be the goal. That is something we

recognise in the humble, Christ-like service

our two charities for the 2014 production

show every day as they selflessly seek to

make the world better for someone else

and to help them find true meaning and

satisfaction in their lives.

Unfortunately this year, due to increased

costs, we have not been able to raise as

much funds as we would have hoped;

however we are committed to protecting

this aspect of the passion project and are

actively looking into how we can increase

that element of our work for future years.

We would ask that you prayerfully consider

how you can help these charities, or others

you know of. Each of us has something to

give. Some have wealth, some have talents,

some have time. Whatever gifts we have

been given - large or small - we should share

generously and the Lord will make good use.

And [Jesus] looked up and saw the rich

putting their gifts into the treasury. And He

saw a certain poor widow putting in two small

copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you,

this poor widow put in more than all of them;

for they all out of their surplus put into the

offering; but she out of her poverty put in all

that she had to live on.” (NAS, Luke 21:1-4)

The Lighthouse Support Centre

The Lighthouse Support Centre is a

community outreach project situated in

Tillydrone Shopping Centre. The project

offers one-to-one and group support to

socially excluded and disadvantaged people

in the surrounding community.

Holistic (emotional, material and spiritual)

support is provided to men and women who

have life controlling issues such as alcohol or

drug addiction; ex-offenders and families of

prisoners; single parents; lonely and isolated

individuals. Help is given with form filling

and accessing essential items of furniture

and household goods. Food is distributed

weekly.

The aims of the Lighthouse community is:

• To show unconditional love by

respecting and valuing each individual

• To develop self esteem and self worth

• To provide one–to-one support

• To act as role models, mentors and

advocates

• To encourage spiritual development

through life courses and pastoral care

The project is dependent on a team of

committed volunteers, from churches, who

are involved in running drop-in sessions for

men on a Monday and women on Tuesday

& Wednesday mornings (due to the ever

swelling numbers of women). On Thursday

mornings the project is now also running

two groups alternatively. A creative craft

group for ladies to help develop skills and

self esteem and a parenting support class

for mothers.

On Thursday afternoons the project has

started a “Celebrating Recovery” group.

This group focuses on addiction issues and

includes a step by step programme towards

freedom. Last year 7 people completed the

25 session course!

The Lighthouse Support Centre works

in partnership with other social action

agencies such as Bethany Christian Trust,

Prison Fellowship, Integrate and St. Machar

Parent Support Project.

For more information please contact John

Merson, DCF Church (01224 733979)

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The Solid Rock Café, Fraserburgh

The Solid Rock Café has been at the very heart of Fraserburgh since the

North East town was first ravaged by the effects of drug abuse in the late

1990s. The outreach initiative provides desperately needed help for those

battling addictions, as well as support for families, who often suffer greatly

when loved ones become entangled in drugs.

Operating a host of services, including a drop-in centre and one-on-

one appointments, Solid Rock’s dedicated team of staff and volunteers

work hard at building relationships, offering assistance and providing

counselling to those in need.

The café – which is often the first port of call for those looking to change

their lives – acts as a feeder to the Teen Challenge programme, referring

local, hurting people to centres across the UK.

Solid Rock, which is open between 10am – 5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays

and Thursdays, recently introduced ‘Street Church’ on the third Sunday of

every month. At the sessions, attendees enjoy a free meal before having

the opportunity to listen to a sermon, as well as an inspiring life story from

someone who has overcome their problems to live a life free from drink or

substance abuse.

And the café – which also hosts drug prevention seminars for local schools

and youth groups to raise awareness of the dangers of substance misuse

– has now joined forces with the Apex Church in Peterhead to bring ‘Street

Church’ to the town.

For further information on the Solid Rock Café, please call Paul Innes on

01346 515608 or [email protected]

We were very pleased to have been able to support the Lighthouse Support Centre and Solid Rock Café as our two partner charities this year.

Along with hopefully increasing awareness of the amazing work they do we also managed to raise funds towards their work.

We thank everyone we came along and supported the fund-raising events and also those who came to the play from which money was also raised.


Elaine Sykes

Chair, Friends of the Aberdeen Passion

Friends of the Aberdeen Passion

A Communityof Support

We had a number of people who were keen

to keep in touch in the years in between

productions, they wanted to be able to

support us both financially and through

prayer. These people wanted to see the

Good News of the Aberdeen Passion spread

further afield and they wished to see the

project grow and thrive. They wanted to

stay as a community.

The Aberdeen Passion steering group

took advice from many good friends in

the Aberdeen Christian community and

considered how we could do this. It was

decided to form what has become known

as the ‘Friends of Aberdeen Passion’. This

was launched in 2013 and to date we have

84 memberships.

Becoming a Friend means you commit

to a small financial payment once a year,

£10 for an individual and £25 for a family

membership. When people became a

Friend they received regular newsletters

which kept them up to date on the latest

Passion news, including the work of the

supported charities. As a welcome gift

they received a car sticker, a postcard

advertising the Aberdeen Passion – One

Hope and a keyring. Friends were also

given invitations to Friends events.

Friends events this year included a Beetle

Drive, a quiz night and a ceilidh, these

were all fun filled family events and we

were pleased to welcome friends and their

families.

The Friends of Aberdeen Passion also

take a lead on the fund-raising activities

which are so important to being able to

fund the staging of the shows and to give

money to the supported charities. A small

steering group works with Elaine Sykes to

plan and run events in the time leading up

to each production. This year the Friends

of Aberdeen Passion also supported the

launch of the second Aberdeen Passion

cookbook – ‘Soups, Snacks and Savouries’.

Being a Friend is more than just signing up

for updates and information, it is crucial in

helping to enable staging a major passion

play for the North East of Scotland every

two years. Friends are among our biggest

prayer support and because they span

across the country they spread the news of

each passion play meaning people come

from far and wide to each production.

We hope that Friends of Aberdeen Passion

will continue to grow with many people

joining us to support this project and all the

things it could become.

If you would be interested in becoming a

Friend of the Aberdeen Passion either sign

up on the Aberdeen Passion website or

send us an e-mail at:

[email protected].

Following the Aberdeen Passion 2012 we were encouraged and blessed by the sense of community which had grown up around the project.

“…who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:21

30


Aberdeen Passion Plays

c/o The Church Office

Dubford Road

Bridge of Don

Aberdeen

AB23 8GS

Telephone: 01224-826256

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.aberdeenpassion.com

AberdeenPassion Plays

The Aberdeen Passion: One Hope, Cast & Crew

Documents

Aberdeen Passion Plays Annual Review 2014