People endeavour to improve the world in different ways: through improvements in diet, physical and mental health, housing, and education. Our approach encourages joyful interpersonal relationships1. Happy marital relationships ensure that children grow up in an atmosphere free of mutual psychological damage. Although we are a Buddhist charity, our teachings are open to anyone. At heart, the logic of our tradition is simple: world peace begins in the family. If children have positive rôle models in terms of their parents’ relationship, they are more likely to grow up as kind balanced individuals. This provides a self-perpetuating positive influence upon the world.
We seek to raise £500,000 to establish a permanent centre in Britain – capable of hosting residential and non-residential events, to make available a rare strand of Buddhism pertinent to Western culture in the 21st century. Open to interested people every day of every week—and run on a financially and environmentally sustainable basis—it will provide the unique facilities this document describes
Part I: (which you are reading at the moment) states our ‘appeal objectives’ and describes why we feel we are a cause worthy of attention.
Part II: Describes a three phase plan. The first phase is the ‘core project’ essential to establishing a viable self-sustaining centre, which will be realised when we reach our fundraising target of £500,000. The second phase involves ‘ancillary projects’, each of which is individually costed. These additional works need to be funded either through the profit made by the centre itself, or through additional donations. We have also included some of our hopes for the long term future – phase three.
Part III: The final section is a brief outline of our ‘Five Year Business Plan’ which sees the centre moving past financial break even point at the end of year two. A more detailed plan is available to potential donors and business partners on request.
We are looking to receive donations or pledges for anything from £1, up to the full cost of the centre. Please read this document and help us if you feel moved to do so. If you remain unmoved, then we hope you simply enjoy hearing about a rare and precious strand of Buddhism and of our efforts to make it available.
1 Although these teachings are most easily applied by those in long term heterosexual monogamous relationship, some vow-holding life-long committed members of our sangha (community) are gay or lesbian, and apply the teachings in a form appropriate to their own relationships.