“Once more unto the breach”, reads the flyer promoting Scientology’s latest UK fundraising drive. A sword-wielding pirate leads the charge, backed by his armed comrades, into what looks like a fire storm against the dramatic backdrop of a ship’s mast and stormy skies… this flyer depicts a battle of epic proportions. In fact, however, it is an invitation to David Miscavige’s latest money-grab, held on Saturday 13th July at the Church of Scientology Plymouth.

“If there’s one thing all Scientologists experience, it’s neverending, heavy pressure to donate money so church leader David Miscavige can open up new Ideal Orgs”, explains Tony Ortega on The Underground Bunker. He sent a reporter to observe comings and goings at Plymouth’s latest bid to raise funds for the refurbishment of the former Royal Fleet Club, a listed building purchased by Scientology 14 years ago that remains in a state of disrepair as the majority of their properties are here in the UK.

In their article, The Underground Bunker reveals Scientology were expecting just 23 attendees. A dismal 10 showed up. Not much has changed, it seems, in Plymouth since it’s previous fundraiser back in April, where one of our own reporters had boots on the ground and reported “a total of 13 people seem to have arrived, including 2 at the door.”

“The youngest was about 55,” our source tells us. “I was the only non-Scientology person, so I did not make too much of a fuss. At one point both of the ‘welcoming people’ were helping old folk with steps and another person stood there looking lost, so I asked if he was a Scientologist and then gave him directions. I suggested he keep his own money and leave the organisation. We had a nice chat, he seemed totally unaware Scientology is losing members internationally and thought it was just Plymouth.”

Despite apparent decline across the globe, Scientology use international gatherings and large-scale events to drum up support among its follower-base, often using flashy graphics and inflated statistics to demonstrate ‘unprecedented expansion’ in different cities. Even the size of their new Paris ‘Ideal Org’ grew over the span of three months, with David Miscavige describing it as “90,000 square foot” at the IAS event in November 2023, “93,000 sq ft” in his January New Years’ address and “95,000 sq ft” when it opened in April 2024. Planning documents reveal the property is, in fact, 75,800 sq ft.

Scientologists being misled about the state of their organisation is nothing new. When I worked at the Church of Scientology London, I remember recruiting passers by to fill up seats at the Tottenham Court Road ‘test centre’ just to ‘make the Org look busy’ for a film we were shooting that was played at an international event shortly afterwards. Although our ‘expansion’ was lauded, our course rooms were empty.. and we thought it was “just us”.

Back to Plymouth, our reporter tells us “The welcomers came back and told him not to talk to me, eventually putting an arm around him and walking him away. He was about 65. The last words I heard him say were ‘why cant I talk to him, he seems very nice’ I felt very sad at that point.”

The April event was held at Devonport Market Hall, a local event space close to the site of their current premises. Considering Scientology’s history of fraud in Europe, with L. Ron Hubbard himself once being found guilty and sentenced in absentia in France, we asked the Real Ideas Organisation, who run the venue, whether it was appropriate to offer their space for a Scientology fundraising event. A spokesperson told us “Like many organisations, Real Ideas hires out spaces in its buildings to a wide range of groups and organisations from the community during the year.”

Last weekend’s event was instead held in Scientology’s own building and we’re left wondering whether that was by design, or as a result of their former hosts cutting ties after we reached out for comment back in April.

Nonetheless, according to The Underground Bunker‘s coverage, the situation seems unchanged in Plymouth, with their report concluding “nothing much happened — but that’s now typical of UK orgs.”

Our boots-on-the-ground reporter told us he overheard a conversation between two staffers back in April. “They seemed confident the ideal org would open soon and were expecting a ship to come to Plymouth as part of the celebration”

Could that be a suggestion Scientology’s cruise ship the Freewinds might be one day make a trip across the Atlantic? It seems unlikely but then again, anything’s possible when David Miscavige is in charge.

This website is entirely independent and reader-funded.
Please consider helping to keep it up and running with a donation.