LBC News Update Weblog: April 2007

LBC News Update Weblog

Welcome to the LBC Weblog, the place to read about day to day news. Please visit www.lbc.org.uk for information about classes, courses and retreats.

Fundraising for Breathing space - Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Fundraising is picking up as more and more people feel excited about the prospect of Breathing Space. We recently received a single donation of £10,000 and others of £2,000 and £1,000. There are a good amount of fundraising events every month. Val Witonska's play ' Do not collect £200' raised over £700. We have also received many smaller donations.

We received £500 from the Joan Strutt Fund and are currently applying to the City Bridge Trust and the Tudor Trust .

Breathing Space News - Tuesday, April 17, 2007

We had our 'full investigation' meeting at the LBC with Futurebuilders on April 3rd. It went very well. We reviewed the business plan, showed the carers and depression film and talked about LBC finances and cash flow. The next stage is to go to their cabinet meeting and respond by April 20th to questions arising from the Future Builders visit.
Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust has expressed interest in our running a mindfulness based cognitive therepy (MBCT) outreach programme on the Isle of Dogs. We are looking into costings and feasibility.
The Breathing Space team attended 'The role of Faith and Faith Communities in Supporting Mental Health in Refugees' - funded by the NHS
Paramabandhu ran a well-attended MBCT Training Day at the LBC on March 31st. Clare Thormod GP Fiona Johnstone and Manjumitra (Clinical Psychologists) gave presentations on the treatment of depression; Paramabandhu outlined the MBCT course and Maitreyabandhu outlined our requirements for teaching MBCT at the LBC.
We have updated our website about the Breathing Space programme and are creating a new 'micro site' for Breathing Space.

A word from those getting Ordained - Monday, April 16, 2007

Alban Leigh has worked on the centre team for 5 years, and he has left for his ordination retreat. Alban says:
"There was a dream that I had recently. I was in the Tate Modern. At the top, David Smith (the sculptor of metal) had a vast studio. I went up there, finding myself on the edge of a vast space, full of his imaginative works. He was there, welding metal, sparks flying, but hidden from view. Infront of me was a small sign. A piece of card held up by a feeble metal pole. It read 'Please do not enter'. So I didn't. I turned around and walked off.
The image of stepping back from the edge is familiar, showing up in tendencies and habits borne of fear. I imagine disregarding the sign and stepping over the threshold. Taking a step, not away out of fear and habit, but towards out of resolve, awareness, faith.
Stepping towards Guhyaloka is an enjoyable, meaningful and moving experience. The conditions here, the people of the LBC, are so genuinely positive; it is a good place to leave from. I have appreciated and been touched by the support, gladness and rejoicing that I have received. Having such an event 'in front of me' calls forth energy, gratitude, potency, happiness. Simply to have such a clear direction and to be relatively free of indecision is itself enjoyable.

Carol Bois has been working at the Wild Cherry for the past year, and she has left for her ordination retreat. Carol says:
Leaping into the unknown. We do it all the time - getting up to welcome (or face) a new day, making friends, meeting a lover, tasting some new food, walking around the corner.
For me, ordination is all of this and more - an unknowable combination of the mundane with the magical, for life. And all with the underlying, supporting context of the Three Jewels in both the practical and transcendental sense.
To be ordained with the first group of women at Akashavana, the WBOs first women's dedicated ordination centre, is a wonderful gift. I go with much gratitude for the support and kindness of my new sangha, the LBC, where I have been since July 2006, my earlier FWBO sanghas at Birmingham and Aryaloka in the States as well as all my various inspirations along the way. I return as - who knows?

Who keeps the centre running? - Monday, April 16, 2007

The LBC Centre Support Team work in the basement-office underneath the main shrine room at the LBC. This team is responsible for the general running of the Centre which involves doing the administration for the courses, classes and retreats that the LBC runs. We take care of finances. We maintain the buildings; not just the Centre building but the community buildings associated with the Centre and our retreat centre. We do the publicity, help to organise events as guided by the LBC Council and... we clean the Centre with a couple of volunteers who come in regularly to help us.

The current team is: Maitreyaraja, who is the Manager; Daniel, who has finance and web responsibilities; Steve takes care of bookings and publicity; Adam, who is doing finance work and managing the bookshop; Jayaka is our Facilities Manager and Simon is the Treasurer. Paul who has been with the Team for nearly 18 months utilising his strong IT skills plans to leave soon and is looking to use his experience in a training environment. We wish him well with that. Alban is currently living in a Spanish Valley in Southern Spain getting himself Ordained into the Western Buddhist Order and will return to the Centre Team in late August, early September.

Breathing Space in Schools - Monday, April 16, 2007

Maitrivajri and Srivati of Bodhi Tree regularly host school visits at the LBC. Through positive feedback received about the children’s responses to meditation, in March they piloted the project ‘Breathing space in schools’, funded by Onwards for all.
The project was conceived to take meditation into schools and see what effect it has on children’s self awareness, on bullying, and to teach them ways to cope with their own anger and stress.
"The thing i really like about it is it builds my contentment and alleviates my apprehension" (Year four pupil)
For five weeks, Bodhi Tree taught aspects of meditation to children aged between six and ten, of the multi ethnic and faith school Bangabandhu in the form of a three minute breathing space (mini meditation). Aspects taught included relaxation, everyday awareness, and kind awareness to self and other.

"You come every week and make us relax" (Year six pupil)

"My work is getting better and I dont need to worry" (Year four pupil)

The meditation practices were taught separately to the school teachers to enable them to continue to conduct the three minute breathing space for the children everyday throughout the summer term. Of 218 children that responded to feedback forms 211 have said they benefited from the meditation. Meanwhile research into the effects on the children’s stress levels and how they deal with others is continuing.

Environmental News - Sunday, April 15, 2007

The LBC hosts an environmental group that meets every month to work out the practical steps we can continue to take in protecting the environment.
Currently the group is promoting, 'The Big Switch' - A project to encourage people to move to renewable energy sources.
In the wider community the group is working closely with TELCO on an environmental project with local schools, bringing awareness of climate change and how it can be combated.
Recently, on the 1st of March this year The LBC reached out into Leicester Square for a combined fundraising meditation lesson and film screening of 'An Inconvenient Truth', at the Prince Charles cinema. The film has successfully brought awareness to the potent topic of climate change. When combined with the practice of meditation, the issue becomes grounded in compassionate action and altruistic intention; moving away from a tendancy to get bogged down in fear, blame and a denial of our effects on the world around us.

Recent News

Archives

Links

LBC News Update Weblog




	Recent News 24hr Draw Fundraiser Aloka commissioned to paint large-scale shrine pai... LBC Yearly Review 2007 New Members of the Western Buddhist Order 2007 LBC’s work hits the US press! Breathing Space gets the Green Light! Fundraising for Breathing space Breathing Space News A word from those getting Ordained Who keeps the centre running? Archives April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 Links LBC home page		LBC News Update Weblog Welcome to the LBC Weblog, the place to read about day to day news. Please visit www.lbc.org.uk for information about classes, courses and retreats. Fundraising for Breathing space - Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Fundraising is picking up as more and more people feel excited about the prospect of Breathing Space. We recently received a single donation of £10,000 and others of £2,000 and £1,000. There are a good amount of fundraising events every month. Val Witonska's play ' Do not collect £200' raised over £700. We have also received many smaller donations. We received £500 from the Joan Strutt Fund and are currently applying to the City Bridge Trust and the Tudor Trust . Breathing Space News - Tuesday, April 17, 2007 We had our 'full investigation' meeting at the LBC with Futurebuilders on April 3rd. It went very well. We reviewed the business plan, showed the carers and depression film and talked about LBC finances and cash flow. The next stage is to go to their cabinet meeting and respond by April 20th to questions arising from the Future Builders visit. Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust has expressed interest in our running a mindfulness based cognitive therepy (MBCT) outreach programme on the Isle of Dogs. We are looking into costings and feasibility. The Breathing Space team attended 'The role of Faith and Faith Communities in Supporting Mental Health in Refugees' - funded by the NHS Paramabandhu ran a well-attended MBCT Training Day at the LBC on March 31st. Clare Thormod GP Fiona Johnstone and Manjumitra (Clinical Psychologists) gave presentations on the treatment of depression; Paramabandhu outlined the MBCT course and Maitreyabandhu outlined our requirements for teaching MBCT at the LBC. We have updated our website about the Breathing Space programme and are creating a new 'micro site' for Breathing Space. A word from those getting Ordained - Monday, April 16, 2007 Alban Leigh has worked on the centre team for 5 years, and he has left for his ordination retreat. Alban says: "There was a dream that I had recently. I was in the Tate Modern. At the top, David Smith (the sculptor of metal) had a vast studio. I went up there, finding myself on the edge of a vast space, full of his imaginative works. He was there, welding metal, sparks flying, but hidden from view. Infront of me was a small sign. A piece of card held up by a feeble metal pole. It read 'Please do not enter'. So I didn't. I turned around and walked off. The image of stepping back from the edge is familiar, showing up in tendencies and habits borne of fear. I imagine disregarding the sign and stepping over the threshold. Taking a step, not away out of fear and habit, but towards out of resolve, awareness, faith. Stepping towards Guhyaloka is an enjoyable, meaningful and moving experience. The conditions here, the people of the LBC, are so genuinely positive; it is a good place to leave from. I have appreciated and been touched by the support, gladness and rejoicing that I have received. Having such an event 'in front of me' calls forth energy, gratitude, potency, happiness. Simply to have such a clear direction and to be relatively free of indecision is itself enjoyable. Carol Bois has been working at the Wild Cherry for the past year, and she has left for her ordination retreat. Carol says: Leaping into the unknown. We do it all the time - getting up to welcome (or face) a new day, making friends, meeting a lover, tasting some new food, walking around the corner. For me, ordination is all of this and more - an unknowable combination of the mundane with the magical, for life. And all with the underlying, supporting context of the Three Jewels in both the practical and transcendental sense. To be ordained with the first group of women at Akashavana, the WBOs first women's dedicated ordination centre, is a wonderful gift. I go with much gratitude for the support and kindness of my new sangha, the LBC, where I have been since July 2006, my earlier FWBO sanghas at Birmingham and Aryaloka in the States as well as all my various inspirations along the way. I return as - who knows? Who keeps the centre running? - Monday, April 16, 2007 The LBC Centre Support Team work in the basement-office underneath the main shrine room at the LBC. This team is responsible for the general running of the Centre which involves doing the administration for the courses, classes and retreats that the LBC runs. We take care of finances. We maintain the buildings; not just the Centre building but the community buildings associated with the Centre and our retreat centre. We do the publicity, help to organise events as guided by the LBC Council and... we clean the Centre with a couple of volunteers who come in regularly to help us. The current team is: Maitreyaraja, who is the Manager; Daniel, who has finance and web responsibilities; Steve takes care of bookings and publicity; Adam, who is doing finance work and managing the bookshop; Jayaka is our Facilities Manager and Simon is the Treasurer. Paul who has been with the Team for nearly 18 months utilising his strong IT skills plans to leave soon and is looking to use his experience in a training environment. We wish him well with that. Alban is currently living in a Spanish Valley in Southern Spain getting himself Ordained into the Western Buddhist Order and will return to the Centre Team in late August, early September. Breathing Space in Schools - Monday, April 16, 2007 Maitrivajri and Srivati of Bodhi Tree regularly host school visits at the LBC. Through positive feedback received about the children’s responses to meditation, in March they piloted the project ‘Breathing space in schools’, funded by Onwards for all. The project was conceived to take meditation into schools and see what effect it has on children’s self awareness, on bullying, and to teach them ways to cope with their own anger and stress. "The thing i really like about it is it builds my contentment and alleviates my apprehension" (Year four pupil) For five weeks, Bodhi Tree taught aspects of meditation to children aged between six and ten, of the multi ethnic and faith school Bangabandhu in the form of a three minute breathing space (mini meditation). Aspects taught included relaxation, everyday awareness, and kind awareness to self and other. "You come every week and make us relax" (Year six pupil) "My work is getting better and I dont need to worry" (Year four pupil) The meditation practices were taught separately to the school teachers to enable them to continue to conduct the three minute breathing space for the children everyday throughout the summer term. Of 218 children that responded to feedback forms 211 have said they benefited from the meditation. Meanwhile research into the effects on the children’s stress levels and how they deal with others is continuing. Environmental News - Sunday, April 15, 2007 The LBC hosts an environmental group that meets every month to work out the practical steps we can continue to take in protecting the environment. Currently the group is promoting, 'The Big Switch' - A project to encourage people to move to renewable energy sources. In the wider community the group is working closely with TELCO on an environmental project with local schools, bringing awareness of climate change and how it can be combated. Recently, on the 1st of March this year The LBC reached out into Leicester Square for a combined fundraising meditation lesson and film screening of 'An Inconvenient Truth', at the Prince Charles cinema. The film has successfully brought awareness to the potent topic of climate change. When combined with the practice of meditation, the issue becomes grounded in compassionate action and altruistic intention; moving away from a tendancy to get bogged down in fear, blame and a denial of our effects on the world around us.