As we found out during the recent visit of Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Lambeth has a lot to offer a Diamond Way Buddhist when taking some downtime from renovating the Beaufoy Institute. We’re enjoying getting to know the neighbourhood.
If you go down Black Prince Road and head right along the river, just a stone’s throw from the Houses of Parliament, you’ll find (more…)
The Beaufoy Institute has been empty for over a decade, and many Lambeth residents who walk down Black Prince Road often look at the grand facade of number 39 and would very much like to see the inside. That was never possible – until this April. Having taken ownership in January 2013, the charity Diamond Way Buddhism UK, which is renovating the building as a Buddhist centre, opened the doors for the first Open Days on the weekend of 27-28 April.
The Open Days showed the past, present and future of the Beaufoy Institute. Photographs of children attending lessons in the Beaufoy when it was a technical school were exhibited on the wall in the main hall. We were even lucky enough to have a visitor who happened to be a former student of the Beaufoy Institute. He was able to tell us many stories of what life was like for the students in the old days.
We also exhibited architectural drawings of Diamond Way’s plans to renovate the building into a Buddhist centre. And in one room, there was a video touring different Diamond Way Buddhist centres around the world, showing how volunteers have renovated beautiful and historical buildings, transforming them into vibrant meditation centres while carefully conserving the beauty and listed features.
And of course, being British, there was tea and cake.
As there are so many interesting architectural features to the Beaufoy, we gave regular guided tours around the building. The history of the Beaufoy family’s philanthropy, how they built Ragged Schools in Lambeth, and the original features of the Institute such as the Cockrill-Doulton tiles, made for fascinating tours.
Some visitors were themselves very knowledgeable about local history, and told us about the Black Prince, after whom Black Prince Road is made, and the Duchy of Cornwall’s ownership of the area and how it had changed over the years.
Over the two days, more than a hundred Lambeth residents dropped in to visit us, having seen our sign on the pavement, or heard about it through friends. Everyone was impressed with the progress made so far in cleaning up the building, and with the plans that we have for it. One recurring theme was how happy people are that “someone is now taking care of the building”. Many people signed up for more information on the various art, renovation, and history projects run or planned by the Friends of the Beaufoy group. Several people also expressed an interest in learning Buddhist meditation.
Everyone wished us well with our work, and lots of visitors left touching comments in the comment book.
Lovely to see the Beaufoy in use.
Thankyou and good luck! Welcome to Kennington!
Really fabulous space. Good to see the old building being loved.
Very encouraging. Looking forward to the final opening.
Thanks for today’s viewing and tour. As a past student of the school it is good to see the new exciting project the building is to be used for.
What an amazing place! Thank you for opening the doors this weekend, a wonderful insight into this beautiful Lambeth landmark! Your neighbour (Orsett Street)
The wait is over and the work starts on Wednesday 23rd January 2013 to transform a derelict school in Lambeth into one of the capital’s biggest Buddhist centres, with a visit by Lama Ole Nydahl.
Over the last 10 years, London’s Buddhist community has rocketed by more than 50% – that’s 27,000 new Buddhists, who now total 1% of the capital’s population. This makes London more Buddhist than India, where just 0.8% follow this famously peaceful tradition.
Unsurprisingly, London’s Buddhists have been looking to expand to accommodate the growing interest. Today, a derelict school in Lambeth starts its transformation into one of the capital’s biggest Buddhist centres as a home for Diamond Way Buddhism.
The Grade II Beaufoy Institute promises to be regenerated back to its former splendour, having stood empty for more than 15 years.
The project gained community support and planning approval from Lambeth Council in July and turning the empty Institute into a Buddhist meditation centre will now take some time – and hard work too, explains Steve James, a doctor and spokesman for Diamond Way Buddhism:
“We’re thrilled and delighted to bring the Beaufoy Institute back to life – it’s our dream fulfilled. The project’s success is thanks to the enormous support we’ve had from everyone. It will make a hugely positive impact locally. We’re expecting a lot of hard work now cleaning, painting and cooking for all the volunteers – and the fun starts today”.
If you are interested to hear more about the project, the Danish Lama Ole Nydahl, who has inspired the founding of this and more than 600 other Diamond Way Buddhist centres around the world, will be talking about “Buddhism in the West” at Kensington Town Hall, 5pm Saturday 26th January.
The keys to the Beaufoy Institute!
It was a long journey, from the wishes of our highest Karma Kagyu lamas 40 years ago until now, running through the long preparation and planning application, down to the approval and the receipt of the keys, supported by the enormous hard work and altruistic dedication of many friends and supporters.
Finally, on Wednesday 23rd January 2013, the London Diamond Way Buddhist Sangha entered their new Buddhist centre and home for many years to come, the Beaufoy Institute. Lama Ole Nydahl, founder of over 640 Buddhist Centres around the world to date, symbolically unlocked the front doors and led a large group of students and friends inside.
Lama Ole helped to carry an impressive-sized statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, into the main meditation hall. Truly, the power-field of the direct unbroken lineage of the Karmapas was now established definitively, here in the heart of Lambeth. In the centre of London, we are a stone’s throw from the Thames and the Houses of Parliament, home of the oldest parliamentary democracy, heir to the Magna Carta, the “foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot”, often mentioned by Lama Ole in his lectures. History was in the air, and it seemed to fit perfectly that this very Institute, founded to help people, embodying a hundred years of idealism, would now be an exemplar of the development of selflessness and freedom – a Buddhist centre – home to so many idealists, and carrying the blessing of a thousand years of the Karma Kagyu Buddhist meditation transmission.
After having waited on Black Prince Road in the crisp winter weather, everyone was glad to be inside. Lama Ole gave a short speech, praising the hard work of his friends and students and underscoring the importance of working to benefit others. Especially, building up Buddhist meditation centres, places where people can access the Buddha’s teachings and experience the nature of their mind, is considered to be one of the most useful things one can do.
Immediately after Lama Ole’s speech, work began on cleaning the small meditation room. The delicate task of restoring the Beaufoy Institute and making it usable as a Buddhist centre will take some months; then we will open it for the Lambeth community and the general public, and it will be some years before the full potential of the Beaufoy Institute as a Buddhist centre is realised. The work continues – we shall not be bored!
We are delighted to announce that our planning application to transform the Beaufoy Institute has been approved. The application from Diamond Way Buddhism went to the Lambeth Planning Application Committee on 3rd July 2012, and was approved by the vote of 6 Lambeth councillors, with 5 in favour and one abstention, and the planning permission has now been granted.
We are very thankful for the overwhelming support of the local people of the Kennington, Oval, and Vauxhall (KOV) area, and the ward councillors during the planning consultation process – and now the project to bring the Beaufoy Institute back to life can go ahead! More details can be found on our Diamond Way Buddhism UK blog.
Members of Diamond Way and friends joyful at the granting of planning permission by Lambeth Council
It is expected that work to transform the Beaufoy Institute will start in early 2013. We hope the Beaufoy will be open, at least in part, for use within a year.
The project itself has now moved into detailed planning and further fundraising phases – so there is lots going on behind the scenes! The architectural plans in particular need to be converted into detailed plans for the renovation and there is a huge effort underway now to secure the benefits of the project for all.
The local community will be interested in how and when they can visit the Beaufoy Institute, as well as any disruption that might be caused by the building works. We very much have this in mind and so will post more updates as soon as we know more.
We are all very excited and looking forward to the move to Lambeth – watch this space for more information!