Watch a video (4.5 mins) about the Engaged Buddhist Kula, part of Clear Vision's recent video news round up, NewsByte 2.
Over the last two years, amongst other things – some as part of UK Buddhist Action Month - the Kula has staged street meditations, litter-picking events and collected food from the Manchester sangha to contribute to the food bank run by nearby Manchester Cathedral's Booth Centre for the homeless. This week it's collecting clothes for the UK's first shop supplying clothes to the homeless, opening next week near the Manchester Buddhist Centre.
Manchester mitras Si Haves and Simon Bradley collected the awards, along with the BCHG's Keith Munnings (Theravada) and Modgala (Amida Buddhist Order).
The Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Group is a national UK initiative training and accrediting Buddhists of many traditions as chaplains in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Triratna Order members Dhammarati, Dayasara and others were among Buddhists of several traditions involved the early days of the project, which broke new ground in the way different Buddhist traditions worked together to share experience and skills. Manchester Order member Amitasuri is one of the latest chaplains to be accredited, following BHCG training partly paid for by the Abhayaratna Trust; very fitting all round given the extensive periods she has spent in hospital as a kidney patient and transplant recipient.)
Together in Service (TiS) is a UK government multifaith programme stimulating and recognising faith-based social action in England. (Buddhist Action Month began as a TiS project.) The awards were presented by Stephen Williams MP, Under Secretary of State to the Department of Communities and Local Government, which funds TiS.
In a message to all the winners, of many faiths, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, wrote “This is a brilliant way of putting the spotlight on the work that faith groups do daily across the country, and recognising those who have been at the heart of making a difference in their communities.”