Establishing a UK Practice Centre for Mindful Living and healing in challenging times
""To create an environment where wholesome qualities in each of us can be nourished is one of the most valuable things we can offer to the world today. Through the practice of mindfulness, this will be a place for refuge and inner peace, where the community can live in harmony, where young generations can reconnect with their roots, and where seasoned practitioners can deepen their spiritual practice. Please bring your love and support to this project, for yourself and for future generations.""
Thich Nhat Hanh
Twenty-one years ago whilst Thich Nhat Hanh was leading a retreat in England he expressed a wish that there be a national practice centre in the UK. He also announced that he had a name for the centre – Being Peace – and presented the UK community with a beautiful calligraphy of this phrase.
Being Peace Centre will be a place for:
Being Peace Centre will offer the gift of mindfulness to future generations through Family, Wake Up and Educators' retreats.
Being Peace Centre will offer benefits of mindful living to support UK society by offering a range of open and specific retreats, with regular invited monastic presence to support individuals, families, communities, businesses, organisations and changemakers.
A spiritual home and focal point for practice in the UK will greatly strengthen the UK national Sangha.
Many people have benefitted from the wisdom, lightness and joy that Plum Village monastics have cultivated.
Through a wild, natural setting and opportunities to put our hands in the earth on a ‘Happy Farm’, Being Peace Centre will foster the love and connection we need to respond to the grave challenges of climate change.
Welcome and thank you for your interest in helping to create a dedicated Plum Village Practice Centre here in the UK. 2023 is the ‘year of fundraising’, and along with the generosity of personal donations, you are invited to join us in raising the funds through events, challenges, personal fundraisers, fundraising with your Sangha or coming along to a Plum Village UK event.
Whether you chose to create your own fundraising event or challenge or join one of our organised events, your involvement and support will be essential. On the following pages you will be offered ideas and tips for getting started with fundraising as well as events which will be taking place.
Please do get in touch via https://plumvillage.uk/beingpeace/#contactus or email beingpeace@plumvillage.uk if you would like any help or to tell us of your exciting plans. We would love to hear from you.
TOUCHING THE EARTH Throughout July 2023
WALK (OR RUN) 100 MILES IN JULY AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THE BEING PEACE PRACTICE CENTRE.
Walking and appreciating our beautiful planet is a key component of Thay’s teachings.
You can do this challenge on your own or in a group, all mileage counts, you’d be surprised how much your daily dog walk soon mounts up, or even the walk to the shops. You could use a tracking device like strava, the health app, OS Maps or chose to log your mileage however it works for you. Join Ramblers’ Association walks (first few are free), National Trust estate walks or just walk around your town and local park. Every mile is a step towards us being able to bring the value of mindfulness to a larger audience…
Individuals living with a disability are welcome to adapt the challenge for their own individual circumstances, we’d love to have everyone join us. Sanghas can join together to complete the mileage if they prefer.
To apply or find out more please contact us beingpeace@plumvillage.uk
MINDFULNESS WALK 2nd December 2023
Join the international ‘Peace in Myself, Peace in the World’ mindfulness city walk.
Location: London and other UK cities (tbc)
The international community is coming together to share a message of peace. For the first time in the UK, we will be offering the opportunity to join this short mindfulness walk.
To apply or find out more please contact us beingpeace@plumvillage.uk
JURASSIC COAST TREK 3 DAYS (2 NIGHTS)
1st – 3rd September 2023, or other dates available in 2024
This is a fully supported challenge with food, accommodation and guiding, pickups from local train station included. Stretching 95 miles between Old Harry Rocks in Dorset, to Orcombe Point in East Devon, the Jurassic Coast – England’s first Natural World Heritage Site – is the most geologically diverse coastline in the world. With a more recent history of mining, shipwrecks and smuggling, this is a fascinating stretch of coastline. This trek takes in some of its most spectacular scenery, from the renowned natural stone archway of Durdle Door to the beautiful circular Lulworth Cove, as we continually climb and descend the steep hills of the Jurassic Coast.
Full Funded – £80 registration fee, £320 trekking fee.
Every penny of fundraising you do on top comes to Plum Village UK.
To apply or find out more please contact us beingpeace@plumvillage.uk
SNOWDON BY NIGHT (2 DAYS, 1 NIGHT TREKKING)
10th June – 11th June 2023, other 2023 and 2024 dates also available
Fully supported with mountain leader and back up. Hot drinks before ascent and celebration breakfast at the end; some snacks on the mountain. Snowdonia National Park in North Wales is synonymous with beautiful, rugged landscapes and wonderful trekking and outdoor pursuits. The highest mountain in England and Wales at 1085m, Snowdon’s Welsh name is Yr Wyddfa, reputedly the burial place of a mythical giant. A popular summit trek by day-time, it forms a real challenge by night. The base for this challenge is a friendly hotel, which makes for a comfortable, sociable start to the challenge as we tuck into fantastic food and get to know each other. At the end, we gather back together in the warm and celebrate our overnight achievement with a tasty breakfast!
Fully Funded £49 registration fee, £175 tour cost.
Every penny of fundraising you do on top comes to Plum Village UK.
To apply or find out more please contact us beingpeace@plumvillage.uk
Most fundraising starts life with the seed of an idea. We are here to help you make the most of your fundraising so please contact us to find out more. Fundraising can feel daunting, but there are lots of ways to make it manageable and joyful. If you are stuck for ideas, but have a talent or drive to do something we can talk it through. We are planning to set up a helpline
Here are a few tips….
Tell others about your event, use email, posters, and promote on any social media channels you are on. Tag us #plumvillageuk @plumvillageuk and we may be able to share your plans.
For any fundraising posters or if you are providing information about your event please include the following: ‘In aid of Plum Village UK, registered as The Community of Interbeing UK (Charity Number 1096680)’
Set up a fundraising page on Just Giving, send the link to your friends. It’s an easy way to spread the word and enable friends to donate to your fundraiser. www.justgiving.com/thecommunityofinterbeing
If you work for a company your employer may match fund any money you raise. We can help with the paperwork if you can apply!
Don’t forget to gift aid it. If you are donating your own money and you are a taxpayer, don’t forget to gift aid it. We get an additional 25% on your donations at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your interest in fundraising for the Plum Village UK Being Peace Practice Centre
Thank you for your interest in fundraising for the Plum Village UK Being Peace Practice Centre
Please find all needed information in the Fundraising Guide you can download below:
Our vision is to establish a Lay Practice Centre in an inspiring natural setting, as the first stepping stone towards having a Monastic Centre in the long term future.
We will continue watering the seeds of the long term vision and building on our relationship with the monastics whilst we work on implementing the Lay Practice Centre Project.
We envisage the centre being able to host around 40-50 people per week, with extra capacity for camping in the summer.
The property would have scope to grow over time and we will work as a community to expand the accommodation capacity and improve the facilities.
In order for this vision to manifest then many conditions need to come together at the same time. We need to raise a significant amount of money, secure a suitable property and establish a bigger project team with all the skills and capabilities required for an undertaking of this size and complexity.
We need your financial help to make this vision a reality.
We need to raise at least £1 million to add to existing COI assets and pledged donations in order to proceed.
Since this project re-emerged at the 2017 London Mindfulness Hub, a small team has come together, with skills in commercial property, project management, start-up projects and online communications.
Many initial steps have been taken including:
Read our latest updates here.
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Starter Circle community is crucial for the centre’s creation as it will demonstrate the groundswell of support and enthusiasm there is for a home for Plum Village in the UK. In addition to offering regular financial support, this community will be at the heart of the movement to realise our collective dreams for a centre.
There will be regular email updates about progress made. Join us and be a part of creating a home for Plum Village in the UK.
If you are in a position to be able to offer a major gift of £1,000 or more, or offer a loan on friendly terms, this will significantly help us bring the vision into reality.
We would recognise this generosity with a personalised calligraphy, recognise the names of people within the Stability Circle in the new centre and invite you for a weeks’ retreat as a special guest.
To discuss this further please email beingpeace@plumvillage.uk.
The centre will need financial support to develop and grow over the years and remembering the project in your will can be a way to create a beautiful continuation.
We would recognise this generosity with a personalised calligraphy, recognising the names of people within the Continuation Circle in the new centre.
If this is something you can do please get in touch by emailing beingpeace@plumvillage.uk and we can offer you support and assistance.
If you are planning to offer a large donation, please email beingpeace@plumvillage.uk to arrange a bank transfer. Otherwise please click here to donate : Donate
I am dedicating my time and skills towards this project as I feel it is a chance to be part of something really important that will really help a lot of people.
Esteban Ruseler - Wake Up London Member
Much time, effort and skill will be needed in this project. We will only achieve this with a diverse team of dedicated volunteers.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Given these considerations, Wales or in the Welsh Borders regions has been identified as an area that is likely to have properties that meet these requirements, but the team is also searching in other parts of the UK with natural beauty.
If you would like to get in touch about the project, please email us on:
Please send your phone number if you would like us to call you back
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