How did we get here?
In 1997, during a retreat in Stourbridge, Thay shared his vision for a “Being Peace” Centre in the UK. He envisioned a sanctuary where people from the UK and across the world could come to learn about mindfulness. It is now 2025 and we are closer than ever to making a Being Peace Practice Centre a spiritual home for Plum Village practitioners in the UK – should the Trustees decide to purchase Abenhall.
So, how did we get here? Over the last 28 years, many people have contributed to get us to this place. The timeline below captures and celebrates a small number of milestones that have helped get us to this point.
Thay proposes a ‘Being Peace’ centre for the UK
MarchDuring a dharma talk during the “Touching Peace” retreat in Stourbridge, Thay shared his vision for a “Being Peace” Centre in the UK; he said there was a deep need for places where people from the UK and across the world could come to learn about mindfulness and explore his teachings on peace. Before leaving the UK to return to Plum Village, Thay made calligraphy to be used as a logo for the centre.
The original Being Peace calligraphy made by Thich Nhat Hanh A beautiful offer
Shortly after the Stourbridge retreat, a sangha member offered her home in King’s Lynn as a site for the centre. While it did not end up being a suitable location for the Being Peace Centre, it was an incredibly generous offer and shows how strongly Thay’s vision resonated with some members of the UK sangha.
Early fundraising effors
After Thay’s announcement, a questionnaire was circulated to retreatants, asking for contributions of their thoughts, skills, and ideas. The response was incredible — hundreds of questionnaires returned, filled with enthusiasm. A group of practitioners came together to help with fundraising, project management, bookkeeping, and investigating locations and properties. Dharma teacher Teri West recalls her memory of making a heartfelt vow to do what she could to help Thay’s vision to be realized.
Establishing & formally registering “Community of Interbeing” (now, Plum Village UK)
It was clear that substantial fundraising would be needed to realize the dream of creating a national Being Peace Centre. To enable more ambitious fundraising, the “Community of Interbeing” (now known as “Plum Village UK”) was officially registered as a charitable organization by the UK government.
A ‘Being Peace’ cottage was purchased
SeptemberIn September 2008, a cottage in Dorset was purchased as a major step towards the vision Thay shared a decade earlier. Dubbed the “Being Peace Cottage”, it would become the site of numerous retreats for the UK sangha, especially for family retreats and retreats with children. At the time the cottage was purchased, there was a hope the Field Centre would eventually become available to be purchased and fully realise the vision of a Being Peace Centre.
Photo by Val Ghose Addressing the house of parliament
March 27On 27 March 2012, Thay addressed the members of the UK Parliament, at the invitation of Lord Richard Layard and Lord Andrew Phillips. Thay’s visit led to a spontaneous walking meditation through Parliament’s corridors, the gardens outside, and along the Thames.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s holds a peace sit Trafalgar Square
March 31Thay delivered a guided meditation and dharma talk in Trafalgar Square. In bustling central London, over 3,000 friends sat in peace. A video is available here.
Photo by Nathanael Corre Thich Nhat Hanh leads his final retreat in the UK
AprilIn his final tour of the UK before his stroke, Thay led a “Cultivating Happiness” family retreat at the University of Nottingham. Over 1,000 people joined the retreat, and an overflow room was needed for the talks. Organizers saw it as a sign the UK sangha was indeed in need of a national centre. You can listen to a recording of the final dharma talk of the retreat here. This was the final of 3 retreats held at the University of Nottingham.
Photograph: Frank Schweitzer Reimagining the Being Peace centre as a lay centre
During a meeting with the monastics during a trip to Plum Village France, it became clear that there would not be enough senior monastics in the short-term to cover a new centre. These conversations helped Plum Village UK transform their vision to lay-run “Being Peace” practice centre with monastics regularly visiting.
COVID and a growing online community
During the pandemic, people across the UK needed practices that would bring peace and joy into their life. In August 2020, there was an online transmission where 75 practitioners formally received the 5 Mindfulness Trainings. This was both the UK’s first online transmission in and its largest lay transmission. In many ways, this enthusiasm for online offerings provided the groundswell that led to the current fundraising efforts.
Sale of Being Peace Cottage and monastic fundraising support for
To make funds available for a national centre, in 2022, Plum Village UK made the decision to sell Being Peace Cottage cottage. Shortly after, a questionnaire was sent out for a national Being Peace Centre, with feedback received from over 500 respondents. In 2023, eight monastics led a tour of retreats and Days of Mindfulness around the UK and Ireland, while raising awareness and funds for the creation of the Being Peace Centre.
Official letter of support from British Monastics
NovemberBritish Monastics from Plum Village France commit to supporting a monastic delegation to visit a future UK Centre for 2-3 months/year growing to become a year-round monastery in time.
Click to read the full letter.
Start of the public fundraiser for the Being Peace centre
April 14A public fundraiser was launched as a ‘final fundraising effort’ to secure a home for Plum Village in the UK. The vision of a lay-run residential Being Peace mindfulness practice centre was shared with the community. It will be a place for refuge and healing for people and communities of all faiths and backgrounds.
We welcome contributions of stories, memories, and photographs to the timeline.
