We are taking part in the London Open House Event on 21st and 22nd September.
“Open House London” is a yearly weekend event, during which many buildings across London open their doors to the public and the Beaufoy will be one of them.
Our doors will be open between 11am and 5pm on each of those days.
Throughout both days, we will have tours through the building at 12noon, 2pm and 4pm, as well as introductions to Diamond Way Buddhism and Meditation at 1pm and 3pm.
This Saturday, 5th April 2014, the London Diamond Way Buddhist Meditation Centre will be officially opened! Representatives from Lambeth Council, local residents and special guests from a number of Buddhist and other faith groups will join Lama Jigme Rinpoche and Lama Ole Nydahl at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The opening ceremony is part of a weekend of Buddhist teachings and meditation with Lama Jigme Rinpoche and Lama Ole Nydahl, accomplished meditation masters in the Karma Kagyu lineage. Tickets are still available on the door (the opening ceremony itself is free). See here for the full programme of the meditation course.
Once the Buddhist centre is opened, public meditations will commence every Thursday evening at 7pm, starting on Thursday 10th April, with a short talk about Buddhism preceding the guided meditation. All welcome.
To celebrate this wonderful occasion, we have produced this short video invitation below. Enjoy!
This Thursday, 23rd January 2014, the members of the London Diamond Way Buddhist Centre celebrated something very special. We ate together, meditated on the 16th Karmapa, and listened to a spontaneous lecture by Leo, a Buddhist teacher who was visiting to help with the Beaufoy renovations.
Looking over the photographs from the last year and swapping stories, we celebrated the first Beaufoy Birthday. So many things have happened that it’s hard to believe.
From visits of high lamas to tea and cakes, 2013 was a lot of work and a lot of fun.
Look back with us on our favourite events from the last year..
Of the many dates that we could have chosen for the Beaufoy Birthday – the date we first saw the amazing Beaufoy Institute, then derelict and forgotten, or the date Diamond Way Buddhism UK got the planning permission from Lambeth Council – we decided to mark the date that the Buddha moved in to the Beaufoy.
On Wednesday 23rd January 2013, a large statue of the Buddha Maitreya was carried into the Beaufoy by Lama Ole Nydahl and friends, symbolically “opening” it as a Buddhist Centre, just after we had received our own set of keys for the building.
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.
And although we didn’t know about it then, the profits from Diamond Way’s purchase of the Beaufoy Institute were already earmarked for a range of beneficial, very local projects that would be announced by Lambeth Council later in the year. Read more: Beaufoy Institute sale profits to be invested by Lambeth Council.
In 2013 we started the restoration work, and fully finishing the Beaufoy will take us probably a few years to come. With expert advice from friends from Diamond Way Buddhist centres abroad that have also taken on big restoration projects, we were able to make lots of progress this year.
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No sooner had we done a little cleaning up of the years of grime from the Beaufoy, when we opened up for a weekend for local residents to come and take a look at the old building, and see records of the past and plans for the future. With guided tours of the building, showing its important architectural features, a video installation, and tea and cakes, there was something for everyone. Over two hundred friends and neighbours from Lambeth came to enjoy the history of the Institute and get a foretaste of the future Buddhist centre. Read more at “Beaufoy Institute Open Days: Diamond Way Buddhist centre invites Lambeth for tours and tea”
A foretaste of the role that the Buddhist centre will play in the spiritual life of the local area was given when Faiths Together in Lambeth, a local interfaith group, stopped off at the London Diamond Way Buddhist Centre as part of their Interfaith Walk. Read more: Diamond Way hosts Interfaith visit: Faiths Together In Lambeth.
As the Open Days had been such a success, we decided to join in with the tradition of the many Christmas Markets in London and hosted our very own in the Beaufoy. As a combined Open Day and opportunity for people to come in and do their last-minute Christmas shopping from local arts and crafts suppliers, the Beaufoy Christmas market was a great success.
We had previously accumulated the confidence to organise our own market by getting experience in the well-known Kennington Fete. Diamond Way Buddhism ran a stall at the Kennington Fete in the summer. From now on we’ll be known not just for meditation, but also for the best cakes this side of Kennington Cross. Read more at “Kennington Fete: Diamond Way Buddhism raises money for local charities”.
And lest we forget, we had another, specially themed Open Day weekend! As part of the Thames Festival, Diamond Way Buddhism hosted a historic tour of local sites important to the Vauxhall Ragged Schools movement. After taking in sights such as the White Hart Docks and the Lambeth Ragged School, the tour ended with our own Beaufoy Institute, with its own rich history. Read more: Vauxhall Ragged Schools tour & Buddhist centre Open House at the Beaufoy.
Hopefully these experiences of the Beaufoy have whetted the appetite of the residents of Kennington and Vauxhall for our upcoming Public Opening in April 2014.
Some important Buddhist teachers came in 2013 to see how our project to bring the Beaufoy back to life was progressing. In July, our much-loved teacher Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche visited us again. Rinpoche, a high lama from Nepal, took time out from his schedule of travelling and teaching in Asia and the West to visit us. Read more at Compassion in Action: Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche visits London, July 2013.
And Lama Ole Nydahl, founder of Diamond Way Buddhism and tireless supporter of our London Buddhist Centre project, visited us twice. Lama Ole came to London in January, to symbolically “open” the centre. And he came again in April, donning gloves and helping to clear up and prepare the site.
Because of Lama Ole Nydahl’s great enthusiasm for the new London Buddhist centre, which has gained international project status, he spontaneously decided to spend two of his project days working directly with the friends involved in the project and inspiring them with his personal example and teachings.
What was your favourite memory of last year? Leave us a comment, or a birthday wish below.
When Diamond Way Teachings and Centres bought the Beaufoy Institute, many local people were interested to hear of the benefits a prospering Buddhist centre might bring to their part of Lambeth.
One of the most immediate benefits is that Lambeth Council received £200,000 from the sale of the former Beaufoy Institute and annexe on Black Prince Road (bought by Diamond Way) and the adjoining plot of land bordering Sancroft Street (bought by Bellway Homes). This money was earmarked for local regeneration projects.
Those of us who now live in the area can not only rejoice at the benefit this is bringing to everyone (which is something very Buddhist!), but also take a personal interest in what improvements are being planned literally on our street.
Recently, Lambeth Council announced exactly where the money will be spent. Councillors Lorna Campbell, Mark Harrison and Stephen Morgan wrote on their SE11 blog that five projects will be funded. Money from the sale of the Beaufoy Institute and associated plot will be combined with the proceeds from the sale of the Old Lillian Baylis School for a number of projects.
You can read more about the proposals in the Local investment projects from the Beaufoy sale announced! article on the Princes Ward SE11 blog.
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!
This week an extraordinary free exhibition of local art from Lambeth and Buddhist art from the Himalayas is being exhibited. Uniquely, the exhibition includes a contemporary art response from local artists in Lambeth displayed alongside pieces from the British Council Collection.
It is a chance for local people to come and meet us and enjoy the rich Tibetan tradition and its contemporary equivalent.
The exhibition features more than 50 separate items including gilded statues, ritual ornaments and embroidered scroll paintings called Thangkas. The largest Thangka stretches more than 16 feet from bottom to top, while the smallest sculpture measures just 4in tall. The oldest piece in the exhibition is a rare 3rd century stone statue of the Buddha, carved in the ancient kingdom of Gandhara – part of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Buddhist collection was previously displayed at the European Parliament in Brussels, in honour of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. First assembled in 2001, the collection has also been shown in Germany, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Hungary and Poland.
The Exhibition is free and at The Spring, 100 Vauxhall Walk, SE11 5EL and runs from 28th May to 3rd June 2012. A complementary programme of tours, talks and films are also happening daily – these are either free or £7.
See full details www.spaceforart.org.uk. All are very welcome to come and visit.