Special projects for the UK Bahá’í community
To all believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
The Office of the Treasurer sends you its warmest love and greetings.
As you are aware, the United Kingdom Bahá’í community has the great bounty of having the Resting Place of the Beloved Guardian on its shores. We have also been gifted a property in Bristol of great historic and spiritual significance, that was visited by the beloved Master and is now being refurbished to a condition closer to how it appeared at the time of His stay there. Furthermore, this community is honoured to assist a number of young people attending UK universities, barred from pursuing their higher education in Iran because they are Bahá’ís.
Naturally, all of these require the friends to give generously and sacrificially.
The financial year for the National Spiritual Assembly and its funds extends from January to December. In its 174 BE Annual Report, the National Assembly indicated the exceptional needs for funds for 2018. Ideally, by the midpoint of the year – the year to date (YTD) – close to one half of each of the goals should have been met. The chart below illustrates the current status of the funds in question:
| Projects | Budget for full year 2018 | Actual Contribution Year to date | Current Deficit for full year |
| Guardian’s Resting Place Endowment | £168,000 | £ 77,007 | – £90,993 |
| Guardian’s Resting Place Maintenance | £308,000 | £106,345 | – £201,655 |
| The Master’s apartment, Bristol | £170,000 | £ 19,577 | – £150,243 |
| Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education | £200,000 | £ 41,657 | – £158,343 |
To further assist the friends to have a deeper understanding of the Funds of the Faith, a series of deepenings is planned to take place throughout the remainder of the year. These will also focus on the sacred places that we are blessed to have in the United Kingdom. Any friends wishing to host such a gathering with support from the Office of the Treasurer can request further details from the Office.
Beloved Friends, as we begin the second half of the year, during this period of special potency, it would be wonderful to see our community achieve the financial goals set for these projects by the National Assembly for the year. Details on how to make a contribution are outlined here:
1. Online
http://admin.bahai.org.uk/donation
2. Cheques
These should be payable to: National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom, and posted ‘For the Attention of: The Office of the Treasurer, 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD’.
3. Regular payment
Please complete a standing order form and we will arrange with your bank for the regular amount to be taken from your account in accordance with your request. Standing Order forms are available through the following channels:
- Download from: http://admin.bahai.org.uk/donations
- Emailing: office.treasurer@bahai.org.uk or
- Writing to the Office of the Treasurer requesting a copy of the form
4. Bank transfer
Bank name: NatWest
Sort code: 60 04 04
Account no: 18188443
Account name: NSA – Fund account.
If using this method, please use your surname as a reference in order for us to identify the payment. You should also send an email to office.treasurer@bahai.org.uk with details of the amount, the project or fund being contributed to, the date transferred and the name of the contributor(s).
Finally, if you are a taxpayer, the National Spiritual Assembly can obtain a tax refund on your contribution/payment if you complete and return a Gift Aid form to our office. These forms can be downloaded through the web page: http://admin.bahai.org.uk/donations. You can also email office.treasurer@bahai.org.uk or write to the National Office requesting a copy of the form.
The National Spiritual Assembly looks forward to a generous outpouring of funds by the friends to assist in honouring our commitment to these activities. You are also lovingly invited to pray for the Fund, and for all who will utilise them in the service of the Cause.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Darren Smith
Treasurer