Over the last months we’ve spoken to many different local people across Princes Ward and Lambeth more widely about how we might support the community and engage in the most beneficial way.  With the Beaufoy Institute, we have an opportunity to link our specific capabilities as a volunteer based organisation to local people through a wider framework than our Buddhist activity.

The discussions have focused around four themes.  The outcome of our consultation work is a proposal to form a “Friends of the Beaufoy” organisation to sponsor and support projects that connect the local and wider community, the Beaufoy Institute and Diamond Way Buddhism. The four proposed initial themes are:

1. History of the Beaufoy Institute: many have a great fondness for the building due to family connections or interest in the ragged school movement.  A history project linking local people, schools, libraries and archives and online resources is proposed to document, preserve and tell the wonderful story of the Beaufoy building for future generations.
2. Regeneration, renovation and refurbishment:  the building needs a lot of work and this provides the potential for training and skills transfer for local people.  We will certainly be grateful for any help in renovation – and can see opportunities for our skilled teams to liaise and work with local community groups and social enterprises to offer work experience and skills transfer opportunities.
3. Space for Art:  Lambeth has a rich and lively artistic tradition and Tibetan Buddhism also has a tremendous interest in paintings, statues and Tibetan frescos.  It is proposed to hold joint art exhibitions and develop art skills transfer for young and old,  amateur or professional artists and curators.  This is an opportunity to link local colleges and museums and the borough’s talent together for everyone to enjoy.
4. Mindfulness, meditation and science:  whilst Buddhism as a type of religious tradition has specific meditation methods that are used on a daily basis, many are interested in meditation from within their own religious tradition or on a secular basis e.g. meditation based cognitive therapy (MBCT).  We have a lot of interest in developing this theme to offer generic non-Buddhist meditation to those that would be interested in the local community along with stimulating inter-faith and inter-science discussions.

We would love to hear from anyone on the ideas and framework proposed above – especially if you would like to get involved.  Please send a message through “Contact” section.

Following local community consultation, the planning proposal to bring the historic Beaufoy Institute and Annex back to life has been submitted by Diamond Way Buddhism.  The plan will:

• Fully renovate the Beaufoy Institute, with minimal changes to the listed building
• Provide space for community living including common dining and children’s areas.
• Include a contemplation garden, exhibition room and facilities for events and meetings.
• Provide accommodation for the Buddhists living at the centre and visitors.

The community consultation has highlighted interest in the history of the building and in the transformation of the derelict site.  The renovation will provide opportunities for local people to be involved in the project and also visit and use the building for different events and community activities.

The primary activity in the institute will be Buddhist meditation and an associated program including art exhibitions and classes on wellbeing.  Funds have been raised for the project from within the Buddhist community and have come from many activities in the last 10 years both in the UK and in Europe.

Roman, Tarini, Sade and Matt from the Beaufoy Team with the planning application which includes 379 pages of reports and 28 architectural plans.

The Beaufoy scheme ensures the long term benefit of the local communities by regenerating the site and bringing a much loved building back to the community and Lambeth as a whole, following the vision set for London’s developments.

The careful architectural scheme proposes retaining the D1 class use for the Beaufoy Institute, with a residential component in the annex and a garden at the rear. The proposal deals with a sensitive building that is currently at risk and slowly becoming more damaged and less viable to repair. The design is attentive, and considerate to the historic building, making use of the existing historical layout and at the same time responding to modern needs. The juxtaposition of modern contemporary spaces, overlapping with the historical building will offer a rich context for people to meet.

No major alterations are proposed to the historic part of the building, maintaining the original halls, main rooms, windows details, plaster works, etc. The new developments address the rear of the property, connecting internal social spaces with the rear garden and 2 new extensions are proposed at the sides the building on both Black Prince Rd and Vauxhall St.

In the context of the planning law and the conservation area constraints, this application is appropriately renovating the listed building, bringing it back to the community by a dynamic and socially engaging charity.

Internal planning for the Beaufoy renovation project took a step forward this weekend, with a next steps action planning day. More than 40 members of the group came along to learn the latest about the project, share ideas and take responsibility for new elements of the project.

The main portion of the day was devoted to discussing our vision for different users of the Beaufoy when it is fully restored. Members brought out the sticky notes and brainstormed how we would like it to be for different types of visitors and residents to use the centre in the short term and long term.

Some interesting and creative ideas came out… from the straight-forward – “make sure everyone can get a nice cup of tea” to the more elaborate “statue exhibitions and fundraising concerts for local groups“. Certainly some great ideas to build on!

As always a team kept us well fed and watered during the day, rewarding our many hours of hard work and discussion with a fine spread of nibbles and flapjacks.

Thanks to all who were involved!

A very pleasant afternoon on Saturday 17th March was spent at St Anselm’s church with a host of other community groups searching for extra helping hands for their projects. The Diamond Way Group set up shop with some details about the Karma Kagyu lineage and details of the Beaufoy renovation project, along side other local groups ranging from the Lambeth Autistim group, to the Vauxhall Society, to the local Girl Guides.

Once again, the local people we gathered feedback from were eager to see their beloved Beaufoy building being brought back to life and we reassured them that we too wish to see it restored to its former glory as quickly as possible. It’s wonderful to get more and more information about the building from people who have lived in Lambeth for many years – one man’s father had actually attended the old ragged school at the Beaufoy Institute. And one woman has lived locally for 40 years and has seen the Beaufoy go from thriving school, to empty shell. Let’s hope she’ll join us to celebrate the reopening of the building in the not-too-distant future.

What strikes us ever more about the Lambeth community is how welcoming everyone is, how active the locals are with community activities. Now more than ever, we’re looking forward to becoming a part of it.

Lama Jigme Rinpoche

We were delighted to receive this letter of support from Lama Jigme Rinpoche, the General Secretary of the Karma Kagyu School

Letter from Lama Jigme Rinpoche, March 2012

Regarding Diamond Way Buddhism and the Beaufoy Institute, London

Since the time H.H. 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, appointed me as his representative in Europe in 1975, I have watched how interest has grown in genuine Buddhist spiritual methods, and how they can be applied to our modern societies.

It has been my experience in working with communities that Buddhism can have significant benefit. Indeed we have had programmes to support teachers, business people and young people and many have found the application of Buddhist methods such as developing mindfulness, compassion and clarity of thought useful in their daily lives.

In the United Kingdom, Diamond Way Buddhism, a lay Buddhist organisation, started in 1994 at the University of Cambridge with the visits of H.H. 16th Karmapa’s closest Western students, Lama Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah. Since that time, through the teaching and practice of the traditional methods of the Kagyu School, and the endeavours of many British people, the organisation has grown and benefitted many people.

It is with great joy, now as General Secretary of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, that I support the redevelopment of the Beaufoy Institute as a place for the practise of Buddhism. It is my wish that it will benefit the local and wider community and become a place where many can learn, enjoy, and use the Buddha’s teachings to develop the great qualities of compassion and wisdom.

Lama Jigme Rinpoche

Coming Up:

Interested in becoming a volunteer to help in the restoration of the Beaufoy? Join us on 17th March to learn more about how you can get involved with the project:

KOV Forum Volunteer Matching Event

17th March 3-5pm
St Anselm’s
Kennington Cross
286 Kennington Rd
SE11 5DU

Representatives of Diamond Way Buddhism gathered at the splendid Tea House theatre to offer the local community the opportunity to look at plans for the renovation of the Beaufoy Institute building.

Various visitors shared local stories about the history of the Beaufoy building and how different groups would like to be involved in the new Buddhist centre following various previous projects.

Comments were positive and the general feeling was that it is a good thing that the building – which has been vacant for some 15 years – will finally be brought back to life.

Some of the ideas discussed with the local visitors included the opportunity for tours of the building before and after the renovation; the potential for volunteering or apprenticeship opportunities for local youths; possible connections with local schools and the prospect of an annual community fundraiser where the whole community are invited into the Beaufoy for a concert. These ideas are all being looked into and announcements will be made further down the line.

On Wed 25th January 2012 representatives of Diamond Way Buddhism joined the KOV Forum to announce the intended purchase of the Beaufoy Institute building and annex.

The community was broadly welcoming towards the proposal of the Beaufoy building being used as a new Buddhist centre. The Diamond Way Buddhism representatives enjoyed the opportunity to connect with community representatives from the local area and hear about their activities. The Diamond Way group were particularly impressed with the amount of community activity in Princes Ward and Lambeth as a whole and look forward to building strong ties with local individuals and community groups.

Bellway Homes also presented their related project to purchase the adjoining plot of land behind the Beaufoy building.