I admire all the hard work and efforts that have been put into bringing to life Thay’s idea of a centre for peace and compassion in the UK. I have no doubt it will become a much-needed space and place of healing and refuge for many generations. May peace be with us in every step.
Building a lasting centre for everyone
Dear Friend,
This Centre is here because of you, and it is here for you.
After more than 28 years of loving intention, over five thousand individual donations from 47 countries, and countless freely given gifts of time, energy and skill, we are now planning to open the doors of Being Peace to public retreats in Spring 2026!
Watch our campaign film 3:52
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You can help us with the final stages of preparation to launch this centre on the secure base it needs – giving it the platform to be a lasting centre for everyone🪷
With deep gratitude and joy,
The Being Peace Team & Trustees
What we are creating together
Being Peace will offer a sanctuary for healing, where people can find hope, peace, and transformation through mindfulness practice within a supportive community rooted in a vibrant tradition.
Rooted in the deep teachings of Zen Master, peace activist and poet Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village retreats are renowned for their profound impact on emotional and spiritual well-being.
Supporting access to mindfulness
Being Peace will be offering retreats that are affordable and accessible. Weekend retreats will start from around £150, with tiered pricing and further support available to reduce financial barriers—especially for first-time practitioners and more disadvantaged individuals and groups.
Bringing together mindfulness communities in the UK
With over 100 local Plum Village mindfulness groups (sanghas) across the UK, Being Peace will offer a shared home for many of these communities to come together, practise deeply, and strengthen their connections, nurturing both the current and next generation of practitioners in the UK.
Varied and inclusive programmes
We are planning a retreat programme to support a diverse community to flourish, with dedicated programmes for BPOC and LGBTQIA+ practitioners, activists, and the Vietnamese community. We will also offer retreats for families, young people, and themed experiences centred on nature, creativity, and deep ecology.
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In order to support our aspiration and capacity to be a refuge for all, the Being Peace team is actively consulting with practice groups representing the diversity of our community throughout the UK, as well as EDI trainers and external consultants.
Rooted in deep ecology
With a deep commitment to ecological stewardship, we aim to regenerate large areas of the 54-acre Abenhall site, creating a sanctuary where people can reconnect with the natural world. In time, the centre will also feature an organic "Happy Farm"—a living, breathing example of mindful, regenerative agriculture.
Around 2,000 people will benefit from retreats at the centre each year, roughly doubling Plum Village UK’s current offering.
Our current needs
Thanks to you, we have already been able to start preparations to open in Spring 2026. Your support now can help us launch sustainably, without any commercial loans, as we work to fund these key areas.
Installation of professional catering kitchen
Meeting all the rigorous health and safety rules we have in this country, where we can lovingly cook healthy nourishing food for us all.
Preparation and fitting out of the meditation hall
To make it beautiful, comfortable and accessible.
• Meditation mats and cushions
• Hearing loops
• Integrated sound system
• Create an accessible entrance space
• Improve access to accessible toilet
• Meditation mats and cushions
• Hearing loops
• Integrated sound system
• Create an accessible entrance space
• Improve access to accessible toilet
Essential repairs & maintenance
Making sure all parts of the site are cared for and up to spec.
Vehicle budget
Vehicle budget to support eco-friendly access to the site
Staffing costs
Pre-opening staffing costs, ensuring that all necessary preparatory work can be carried out before the long-term centre team is in place
Ecological Surveys
Seasonal baseline surveys to deepen our understanding of this precious land and support responsible regeneration and stewardship
Operational cash reserve
The foundation for a healthy financial operation which allows the charity to move forwards with both prudence and confidence, knowing that we can ride out rainy days and disruptions responsibly and securely.
Future development
Budget to support the development of a modest camping area, in keeping with the local area, to widen access further.
Investing in our community
Together, these costs match our pre-purchase estimates of a total of £750k to meet all requirements and launch with confidence.
The generosity of the previous owners afforded us a delayed final payment of exactly £750k, which allowed us to proceed straight away with our preparations to bring the centre to opening as soon as possible. These costs remain due, and the final piece of the pre-launch phase is to see if we can now cover this final element without needing any kind of commercial loan, mortgage or interest-bearing debt at all.
Target goal of £750,00
by 15 February 2026
So that Being Peace can open in Spring 2026 on the most secure and healthy basis possible as it launches into a future of service and benefit for generations to come.
Avoiding commercial loans
Previous discussions with ethical lenders have established a clear pathway to commercial borrowing if needed for Being Peace. However, there are enormous benefits if we can launch this centre unburdened by any commercial debt, so that every loving donation continues to go 100% towards the flourishing of this centre.
Every contribution makes a difference!
The establishment of Being Peace has been a truly collective creation. From more than a quarter century of visioning, countless volunteer hours and skills, and way past five thousand financial contributions from more than 45 countries. From the smallest donations to the largest, to all the messages of love and support, and just the efforts to spread the word and the positive vision of the Being Peace project, everything you do counts.
So, whether you can support us by contributing to buying a meditation cushion or by outfitting a professional catering kitchen, you are part of the river that is launching this new centre into being.
supporters
From over 45 countries
Interact with the map to see where all our donations are coming from.
Christiana Figueres
Leader on Global Climate Change
Satish Kumar
Peace Activist
Shantum Seth
Let’s build a lasting refuge for all
Your donation now will help towards a lasting legacy of peace, fostering a more compassionate world for generations to come.
By giving the Being Peace Practice Centre the best possible foundation to launch, free from commercial borrowing of any kind, we not only support communities to come together in mindfulness now, we offer future generations a sanctuary to nourish peace and harmony for years to come.
We welcome donations of any kind.
If your employer is registered with Benevity, we are able to accept donations as ‘The Community of Interbeing’. We also accept donations through Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and Charities Trust. Please specify ‘Being Peace Practice Centre’ in your gift.
For donors in the US, you may wish to donate through the Hygeia Foundation, a 501-C-3 non-profit organization that has adopted Being Peace as one of its current projects.
of £750,000 raised
By 15 February 2026
You can help us with the final stages of preparation to launch this centre on the secure base it needs – giving it the platform to be a lasting centre for everyone🪷
Thank you, dear friend. Together we can contribute to healing and positive change within ourselves, our society and our world.
