Archive for the ‘Kennington’ Category

Kennington Fete: Diamond Way Buddhism raises money for local charities

Posted on: July 29th, 2013 No Comments

Volunteers from Diamond Way Buddhism again manned a cake stall at the Kennington fete this year. They rolled up their sleeves, got their oven gloves out of the cupboard, and baked their socks off. Kennington Fete is one of the brightest spots in the Kennington community calendar, and for good reason.
For one lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday 7th July, dozens of Kennington businesses and organisations came together for an afternoon of fun and fundraising. There were attractions too numerous to mention, including Punch & Judy, a human fruit machine, plenty of food and drink stalls and a pop-up bar from the local Black Prince pub.
All proceeds from the event went to Kennington community “Dragon’s Den” and local charities.
At the London Diamond Way Buddhist centre we are spoiled with excellent cooks, and the fruits of their labour were very well received by the cake-loving public. We also enjoyed taking part and visiting the other attractions, and look forward to the next Kennington Fete.

Setting up the Diamond Way cake stall at the Kennington FeteKennington Fayre cake stand from the Diamond Way London Buddhist centreKids enjoying our cake at the Kennington Fete

 

Planning application approved for the Beaufoy Institute!

Posted on: October 14th, 2012 1 Comment

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 Buddhism celebrate outside the Town Hall where Lambeth Council granted planning permission for the Beaufoy Institute

Members of Diamond Way and friends joyful at the granting of planning permission by Lambeth Council

What next for the Beaufoy Institute?

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!

Diamond Way cakes at Kennington Village Fete

Posted on: June 5th, 2012

After an epic bake-athon the day before, a Diamond Way team brought cakes galore to the Kennington Fete in Cleaver Square on Sunday 27th May where thousands of locals enjoyed a day out in glorious sunshine.

The team sold hundreds of slices of cake along with donations from the Tommyfield pub, a 12 year old local resident and Fete organiser Alex (with his glorious organic chocolate mousse). To add to the festivities, the team also hosted a “Guess the Weight” competition with a splendid Jubilee Themed cake as the subject matter and prize. A thrilled winner took home the 5.196kg beauty – we’re confident she’ll find plenty of friends to share with. A buzzwire also kept quite a few kids busy!

The fete itself was a splendid occasion, featuring exotic dancing, the local beekeepers, a human slot machine and the famous Kennington Tandoori to keep us all entertained. It was a wonderful chance for us to work together with the local community and to raise money for this year’s cause, Kennington Market Garden.

We look forward to coming back next year!

Planning application submitted for the Beaufoy Institute

Posted on: March 27th, 2012

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.

Community Volunteering Recruitment event with the Kennington, Oval & Vauxhall (KOV) Forum

Posted on: March 17th, 2012

A very pleasant afternoon on Saturday 17th March was spent at St Anselm’s church with a host of other community groups of the Kennington, Oval & Vauxhall (KOV) Forum 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.

Interested in Volunteering to Renovate the Beaufoy?

Posted on: March 9th, 2012

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

Diamond Way Buddhism planning consultation at the KOV Forum

Posted on: January 25th, 2012

Representatives of Diamond Way Buddhism joined the Kennington, Oval, and Vauxhall (KOV) Forum on Wed 25th January 2012 to announce the intended purchase of the Beaufoy Institute building and annex.
The plans to convert the Beaufoy Institute into a Buddhist Centre for London will, once submitted to Lambeth Council, undergo a formal three-month planning consultation. Before that consultation began, the KOV forum was a perfect opportunity to consult informally with the local community about the planning application.

The community was broadly welcoming towards the application to use the Beaufoy building 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 planning application to purchase the adjoining plot of land behind the Beaufoy building.

Diamond Way Buddhism planning consultation at the Kennington, Oval, Vauxhall (KOV) Forum