A leaked document has revealed the Church of Scientology have raised in excess of $50 million (£37 million GBP) for the refurbishment of their next ‘Ideal Org’ in Manchester, with work now underway and a ‘Command Team’ shipped in from the US to recruit new staff.
The former Duckworth Distillery building in Trafford was purchased by Scientology in 2007 for a reported £3.6 million but has sat derelict for the last 18 years. In 2019 it was given planning consent by the local Council, however due to no refurbishment starting the approval was later revoked. In June 2024, we reported Scientology had submitted a fresh application and we now understand construction work is finally under way to bring the building up to reclusive leader David Miscavige’s ‘Ideal Org’ standards.
In a newsletter sent to parishioners, Scientology explains a group of executives have now been flown in from its headquarters in the United States to take over Manchester Org’s operations and ready it for the opening of its new building.
“Scientology Management has just fired a four-man command team into Manchester Org to help it realise LRH’s vision and make the org Ideal,” the memo states. “The new Command Team has over 50 years of combined experience and comprises a new Executive Director, an HCO Executive Secretary, a Public Executive Secretary and a Flag Banking Officer! In addition, the Command Team was accompanied by an auditor, a course supervisor and other Sea Org members to help the org rapidly expand and go Ideal.”
“The command team will be delivering like mad to the existing field while working to invite new public into the Org and onto the Bridge.”
Finishing renovations and opening the new building is a top priority for Scientology, with the head of their UK headquarters Bjorn Jansson joining the international team up North to “help fire them into the Org.” According to the document, “extensive renovations” have also recently been completed at their existing property on Deansgate in the city centre so that it is “set up to help them expand into their new Ideal Org”. It continues, “simultaneously, the keys to the new building are now in the hands of the construction team. Scaffolding is being erected and we have 20-30 construction personnel working throughout the building.”
The newsletter also revealed a list of people who have donated to the project, separating them into tiers according to the value of their total contributions so far. Last year, we broke down a previous version of the list to provide information about some of the individuals who were mentioned but this is the first time we have seen a comprehensive breakdown with the values of each person’s donations. You can read more about Scientology’s donation tier system on Mike Rinder’s blog here.
Here’s the list:
Ideal Civilisation Builder (unknown, estimated $7.5 million+)
Bob Duggan
Platinum Civilisation Builder (unknown, estimated $6 million+)
Jim & Gigi Bridgeforth
Trish Duggan
Silver Civilisation Builder ($3 million+)
Mauro & Lizzy Calcioli & Sheila Gaiman
Stuart & Vicky Guy
Andrew & Maria Robb
Total: $9 million+
New Civilisation Builder with Honours ($2.5 million)
Richard & Melinda Bromley
Rury & Sarah MacLeod
Total: $5 million
New Civilisation Builder ($1 million)
Charles & Nicole Jackson
Paul Dolan
Rawner Parselle Family
Robert & Anne Lawson
Steve & Jo Brooks
Alastair & Tricia Lycett
Brenda McQuade
Geoff & Holly Parvin
Ian & Kris Smith
Total: $9 million
Platinum Humanitarian ($750,000)
Wordie & Gilchrist Family
Dave Ali & Evelina Mirceska
Total: $1.5 million
Gold Humanitarian ($500,000)
Dan & Nat Garside
Warren & LeAnn Meyer
David & Becky Fryer
Total: $1.5 million
Triple Humanitarian ($300,000)
Andrew Chalmers
Tim & Cat Clark
Sophia & Malcom Fraser
Bill Beaver
Eve McKenzie
Frankie McGuigan
Siouxie & Grant Boshoff
John Wood & Family
Gunilla & Shelly Gerber
Julia Price
Steve Ingram
The McNeil Family
Stephen Turnball
Angie Reid
Tom McFadyen
Mathieson-Pinchin Clan
Total: $4.8 million
Silver Humanitarian ($250,000)
Ellie Bolger & Howard Glazer
Antony & Lisa Brinkman
Francois Mairiaux
Andy Robb
Bernhard & Joelle Eppert
Selina Heron Lyn Bryce & Li Tong
Fran & Andy Hutton
Julia Fleetwood & John Herring
Alex & Tash Cronin
Angelo Forte
Phil & Sue Harrison
Joe Elias
Total: $3 million
Double Humanitarian ($200,000)
Teresa Kane & John Moffat
Flag Italian OTC
Yvonne Springthorpe
Eric & Rhoda Calder
Vicky & Paul Maisano
Matt & Gillian Brown
Calder Fraser Family
Ilmarie Rencken
Andy & Lisa Brown
Joe & Debbie Taffe
Robert Matthews
Total: $2.8 million
Humanitarian with Honours ($150,000)
John Chadder
Tom & Marion Shuster
Halasz Kane Family
Ann Carter
Vicky & Roger Ellory
Katie & Gary Duxbury
Martina Cartwright
Mike Nance
Bernadett David
Shannon Seymour
Lee & Sandi Borth
Martin Scullard
McEnery Family
Hamish & Sheila Bulger
James Davy
Total: $2.25 million
Humanitarian ($100,000)
Dave Fraser & Jackie Docherty
Danny & Tracey Fitzgibbon
John & Rosa Nesbitt
Mark & Sharon Kloss
Shahab & Catherine Emrani
Peter & Terri Hodkin
Murdo Guy & Camilla Banks
David & Alison Banks
Owen Robb
Jerry & Leslie Dyas
Marian & Betka Kapusta
Andrew Stevens
Stewart & Lisa Coffey
Sue & Tony Hollom
Peter & Aniko Huszar
Jane & Jerry Marshall
Emmanuel & Julia Beyer
Chris Whitham & Family
Dick & Susan Jones
Adrian & Maria Bennett
Liam Lahart
Marlon & Delphine Bulger
Birmingham OTC
Robin & Viv Lowe
Bev Croft
Chris Lomas
Richard Roberts
Nicola Whittaker
Sylvia Tomlin
Greg & Vicky Boyce
Bernard & Helen Ram
Wilfred Adams
Keith Verdon
Gareth & Olga Roberts
Jon Swales
John Gourlay & Fran Perbohner
Annie & Kevin Bennett
Francesca Cowin
Sheila Clifford
Anne Briffet
Julian Somers
James & Patricia Osborne
Jean Nichols
Beverly Withers
Ethnie Ward
Julie McNamara Phelps
Hilary Porteus
Rachel & Brian Givargidze
Meredith Candlin
Simon & Claire Chrisholm
Guy Newman
Nils Ostermann
Total: $5.2 million
According to this list, the combined total of money raised for the Manchester Ideal Org project comes to $44 million (£32.7 million GBP), not including top two tiers where the associated donation value is unknown. However estimates suggest the value of these contributions could be around $19.5 million, making a grand total of $63.5 million (£47.2 million). It is unclear what Scientology’s fundraising goal is or how much has already been spent on refurbishment costs.
The Grade II listed building, located on Chester Road, was originally acquired by the Church in 2006 for a reported £3.6 million ($4.8 million USD) and a planning application was submitted to Trafford Council the following year, only for it to be withdrawn shortly afterwards. The site was added to Historic England‘s ‘at risk’ register in 2012. Last year, the “deteriorating” building and its neighbouring properties were designated a conservation area and given the lowest condition rating of “very bad.”
In 2023 according to Place North West Trafford Council included the building on a list of “eyesore sites” that were causing “a potential drag on investment”.
It is unclear why it has taken Scientology 18 years to begin working on the property are they are yet to announce how long it expects construction to last or when the building will be opened to the public, but it is likely to be at least a year away.
