ASSAP Celebrates 45th Anniversary with Heartwarming Webinar
10 June 2026, the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP) marked its 45th anniversary with a special celebratory webinar in its weekly Thursday. Hosted by Kristian Lander and Caroline McKendrick-Gibson, the event was filled with warmth, laughter, nostalgia, and forward-looking enthusiasm as current and former members reflected on the organisation’s remarkable journey.
Founding Vision and Early Days
ASSAP was officially founded on 10 June 1981 with a bold mission: to create a national network for communicating and investigating all kinds of anomalous phenomena — ghosts, poltergeists, UFOs, and more — under one inclusive umbrella. Unlike more specialised groups, ASSAP championed an interdisciplinary, ethical, and evidence-based approach.
Kristian opened the evening by sharing highlights from early *ASSAP News* issues. He spotlighted ASSAP’s first chairman, **Alan Hughes**, who has since become the Margaret Thatcher Professor of Enterprise Studies (Emeritus) and advised the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology — a wonderful success story!
Hugh Pincott and Alan Cleaver, two key founding figures, shared vivid memories of the early excitement. A Radio 2 broadcast featuring Hilary Evans generated 120 responses and helped ASSAP grow to over 250 members in its first month. Hugh described the atmosphere as “electric” and recalled the rapid series of inaugural meetings held across the UK — from London to Bristol and Manchester — in the days before email or the internet.
Hugh Pincott reflected on the “prehistory” of ASSAP and the influence of Hilary Evans, who coined the term “anomaly studies” and advocated for an umbrella organisation linking different areas of research. He also spoke candidly about internal challenges at the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), including the “modernisers” (including himself and Alan) being voted off council in what he described as an undemocratic process. This ultimately paved the way for ASSAP’s creation.
Alan Cleaver recalled the proactive PR efforts, including a prominent feature in *Psychic News*, and the collaborative early issues of *Common Ground* magazine. Followed by a major bump in Punch Magazine!
Training, Standards & Landmark Projects
We highlighted the organisation’s long-standing commitment to proper training and ethical standards. Kristian quoted Jenny Randles, officer, who emphasised the need for accredited investigators who treat witnesses with respect and professionalism. Herself recalling a matter several years earlier, where she attended a location with a gentleman citing anomalous phenomena and the investigator brought 27 other people who were chanting at the gentlemans door! Call it a synchronicity Issue 2 of ASSAP News featured Dennis Bury, discussing the coming workshops and one-day seminars to upskill people. "Presenting a package of exercises into conjuring performances, the psychology of fraud of children and adult, practical problems of studying phenomena such as metal bending and experiments of accuracy, or otherwise, or reported evidence." Steve Parsons currently continues this important work. Oh the synchronicty… the 11th the day of the Birthday Broadcast Webinar was Dennis Burys Birthday! 
Maurice Townsend discussed the ambitious Merlin Matrix project — a wide-ranging study of paranormal phenomena across the UK — Project Albion, focusing on psychic geography and local studies (such as *Strange Tame* and *Strange Pocklington*).
Archives, Achievements & Looking Ahead
Bill Eyre gave an excellent overview of ASSAP’s archives, which contain nearly 400 investigation reports dating back to 1965. While the collection is rich, there has been a drop-off in recent submissions, possibly due to the rise of social media. Bill encouraged members to continue sending in reports, noting they are a valuable resource for researchers.
A major highlight was the commitment from former leaders to help fill some of our archive gaps: Alan Cleaver offered copies of ASSAP News issues 11–93 and these early *Common Ground* magazines in collaboration with Keith McClure, plus permission to republish his past articles. Maurice Townsend will send scanned copies of issues 11–50.
Other updates included:
- Significant website improvements (Steve Hume)
- Safeguarding and ethical framework enhancements (Sarah Pilkington)
- The upcoming **ASSAP Conference** at the University of Worcester in August, featuring speakers, panels, a gala dinner and the Friday event at The Commendary
Warm Reflections
Caroline shared heartfelt thoughts on her six years with ASSAP, noting how much she has enjoyed developing the webinar series (now over 287 episodes) and encouraging members to present their work. “I’ve been phenomenally blown away with the amount of talent that we have within ASSAP,” she said.
The chat was full of appreciation:
- “Pioneers” (Karen Kelsall)
- “Well done everyone for all you have achieved through ASSAP — and good luck for the next 45 years!” (Alan Cleaver)
- “Thank you all for creating and driving ASSAP forward” (Malcolm Dyer)
- Multiple members praised the webinars as “brilliant,” “wonderful,” and a great way to keep the community connected.
A Bright Future for ASSAP
Forty-five years on, ASSAP remains true to its founding spirit: approachable, serious, and open-minded. As one participant put it, it’s like “the working man’s SPR” — hands-on, inclusive, and dedicated to real research.
Huge thanks to Kristian and Caroline for hosting such a memorable evening, to all the former executives who joined, and to everyone who contributes their time, reports, and enthusiasm. The organisation is in excellent hands and ready for the next chapter.
If you have old *ASSAP News* or *Common Ground* copies, investigation reports, or would like to get more involved, please reach out via the ASSAP website. Members and newcomers alike are warmly welcome.
Here’s to the next 45 years of exploring the unexplained — together! 🎉We're only as strong as the commitment we give.
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If you enjoyed this digest and would like to attend future webinars or the Worcester conference, ASSAP is the place to be. Please consider offering support.
