What a wonderful thing it would be, to have a Plum Village centre in the UK! I am so glad I can contribute to help make this amazing thing happen 🙏🏻
Dear Friends,
This is a moment of celebration!
On 20th June our Trustees exchanged contracts for the purchase of Abenhall. This marks a historic moment and we are now on track to full ownership of this amazing site.
Click to watch video update 2:15
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This joyful moment follows years of collective vision, dedication, and careful preparation. We are deeply grateful to all who have supported this journey: from donors and lenders to teachers and friends near and far. Your encouragement and generosity have made this possible.
As we look toward the next stage next stage of set-up work and preparation for opening, your continued support and engagement will be essential in helping this vision blossom.
We will be sharing updates and the next steps in creating the home for the Being Peace Practice Centre at Abenhall over the next weeks and months.
With peace and gratitude,
Plum Village UK Trustees and Being Peace Delivery Team
Founding a
centre at Abenhall
Join us to found a Plum Village centre in the UK
Cultivating Peace for Generations to Come
Welcome to
Abenhall
A Refuge for Peace
and Transformation
and Transformation
The Being Peace Practice Centre will be a place for young people, families, activists, and people from all walks of life to come together and practice peace and transformation, inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.
The Abenhall Estate
We have a unique opportunity to purchase the Abenhall Estate in Gloucestershire, and establish a lasting home for the Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK with retreats potentially starting later this year. Your support at this stage is crucial to making Thich Nhat Hanh’s vision a reality.
54 Acres of land
Expansive grounds with rolling hills and 5 acres of woodland, perfect for walking meditation and nature contemplation.
Starting capacity of 32 guests
With potential to convert a beautiful stable block to host up to 56 guests
Land to grow food
And set up an organic Happy Farm
Possibility for growth
A beautiful threshing barn could be renovated into a dining hall, and an agricultural barn could become a summer events space.
1997
Thich Nhat Hanh envisioned a peace centre in the UK, and through the generosity of many who have shared their advice, creativity, time, and financial support, we have come to the point we are today.
2000's onwards
Sangha fundraising efforts and exploring many potential properties have nurtured the growing possibility of a practice centre in the UK. The Being Peace Cottage was purchased in 2008 and practitioners enjoyed self facilitated retreats until 2023.
2023 - 2024
A public fundraising campaign launches, bringing total funds to £2.75m by end of 2024
November 2024
Abenhall Estate was suggested as a potential site for the Being Peace Practice Centre. Community Survey was shared with our community, who gave highly positive feedback on the property.
May 2025
A provisional date by which we expect to complete the pre-application process, due diligence, and secure agreement from key stakeholders, enabling Trustees to make a decision on the property.
Seeing the beautiful setting and the nature that surrounds it, it’s easy to see how this venue could be part of a very special retreat experience.
Located in the Forest of Dean
Abenhall Estate is located on the border of England and Wales, on the edge of the Forest of Dean.
Connected to all of the UK
There are two train stations each approximately 30 minutes drive away from the venue: Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa. Shared minibuses will transport visitors from these stations, which serve 13 major cities across the UK from Edinburgh, all the way down to Plymouth.
Suitable for our community
Almost 1,500 members of our community responded to a recent survey, giving Abenhall an average rating of 9.2 out of 10 with over 800 people giving it 10 out of 10 for overall suitability.
We are committed to finding ways to support areas less well connected by this location, ensuring it is accessible for the UK-wide community. Whilst we acknowledge that the site is further South than we would have liked, it was Thich Nhat Hanh’s aspiration that the Being Peace Practice Centre would be the first of many centres across the UK.
Preliminary Land Use Concept
An early-stage conceptual sketch of one potential way we might use the land in the coming years—if we successfully raise the necessary funds to purchase Abenhall. This plan would remain subject to a full community consultation in 2025.
Drawing by Austin Design Works
A Plum Village Centre at Abenhall
Learning the art of mindful living
Visitors to the Being Peace Practice Centre will learn the concrete art of weaving mindful awareness into all aspects of life – sitting, walking, eating, playing, studying, sharing and working. All within a deep ethical commitment to nurturing a healthy, inclusive and compassionate society.
Retreats and program
A rich retreat programme will be offered at Abenhall led by Plum Village monastics (up to 2 months a year), UK Dharma Teachers and others.
Retreat examples include affinity and regional sangha retreats, climate and creative retreats and mindfulness courses.
A place of refuge for all
Being Peace is working towards being an inclusive Practice Centre where people of all heritages, backgrounds, ethnicities, income levels, social classes, sexualities, genders, religions, disability, neurodivergence and health conditions feel welcome.
The participation and centering of underrepresented groups will be a key element in the programming and stewardship of the centre, with a focus on identifying and overcoming the barriers some groups may face in accessing retreats and the centre more widely.
Together in practice
There are more than a hundred practice groups in the UK, with over 6,500 members. Groups are open to people of all faiths and none, all lifestyles and include affinity groups for young people, families, BPOC practitioners, the LGBTQIA+ community and people engaged with environmental protection.
A Being Peace centre at Abenhall will bring UK Plum Village practitioners together, strengthening communities and the very real support they offer to our society.
Join a Growing Movement of Support
We are incredibly grateful to our global community for coming together to support this project and for helping us raise a significant portion of the funds we need.
supporters from 47 countries all over the world have contributed to the project so far.
Thanks to your generosity and support we managed to raise additional funds and surpassed our target of £1m to purchase Abenahall.
The next phase includes borrowing up to £750k for renovations, setup, and running costs. As borrowing involves interest, we are deeply grateful for any additional donation or friendly loan that helps reduce this cost.
Every contribution, big or small, helps turn this vision into a sustainable and accessible centre for peace and healing—one that will serve for generations to come.
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
The Legacy of Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh, poet, peace activist, and Zen-Master, dedicated his life to mindfulness, compassion, and nonviolence. Known as “The Father of Mindfulness,” he embodied peace amidst the Vietnam War and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967.
His teachings have shaped modern mindfulness practices, influenced global leaders, and guided millions worldwide. Through retreats and dialogues, he fostered reconciliation among diverse communities.
His legacy continues through the global Plum Village community that he founded.
Worldwide, eleven official Plum Village practice centres welcome tens of thousands of people every year to study and practise the art of mindful living together.
The Being Peace Practice Centre will carry forward Thich Nhat Hanh’s legacy and continue his peace work, offering a place for transformation and healing, helping individuals cultivate inner peace, and inspiring global change.
Join us in building a future of peace and mindfulness.
Help found a
centre at Abenhall
Your donation now will help towards a lasting legacy of peace, fostering a more compassionate world for generations to come.
By establishing the Being Peace Practice Center in the UK, we can not only unite communities in peace and mindfulness now, but ensure that future generations have a sanctuary of 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 £1,000,000 raised
Read the campaign update
This is a wonderful moment – we have crossed the £1 million barrier! Every extra pound raised helps reduce borrowing and interest costs , making the centre more sustainable and retreats more accessible for all. We’re awaiting pre-planning approval and Trustees are completing final stages of due diligence to inform their decision on the property. They meet on 3rd May and we will share an update soon after.
