Tag: croydon wish-fulfilling jewel appeal refurbishment

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

The Home Stretch

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 11 May, 2017 - 10:36

The Home Stretch

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 11 May, 2017 - 10:36

This is our final shrine project blog as we speed towards our re-opening and re-dedication celebration. It’s been quite a journey, which although has had it’s challenges, has been very inspiring and rewarding. We’re spending our last week finishing off the smaller details, getting the areas cleaned, planning for our sangha visitors to our dedication day on Saturday. Fundraising will continue as we still need to support the ongoing works, which should include a wheelchair platform lift, garden decking and...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

Generosity & Gratitude

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 27 Apr, 2017 - 16:50

Generosity & Gratitude

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 27 Apr, 2017 - 16:50

What a week it’s been. Things are moving fast with carpet tiles and lino arriving, sorting out the garden and finishing up flooring ready for the next stage. As the re-opening fast approaches, it is a real pleasure to pause and see how far we’ve come and to also express gratitude to those who have generously given their time and energy to help get our shrine room and reception ready. Vijayasri, Dhammasena and Malcolm, have been working so hard laying...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

Feeling Grounded

By Carol Robertson on Fri, 21 Apr, 2017 - 16:09

Feeling Grounded

By Carol Robertson on Fri, 21 Apr, 2017 - 16:09

With so much activity of late, it’s been a refreshing change to have some quiet in the last week. With much of the ‘messy’ jobs complete and many of our fixtures and fittings gradually put into place, focus has turned to organising our re-opening. We’re starting our countdown now that we’re stepping into the last four weeks. How exciting! It’s shaping up to be a wonderful day welcoming sangha past and present.

Carpets, lino and blinds are ordered, so it feels good...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

April Showers Lead to May Flowers

By Carol Robertson on Tue, 11 Apr, 2017 - 16:51

April Showers Lead to May Flowers

By Carol Robertson on Tue, 11 Apr, 2017 - 16:51

On the surface, there isn’t a lot of news this week as we’ve been spending much of our time continuing to scrape, fill, sand and paint our way through the kitchen and reception area.Though I do have to say that walking through the gravel in our garden with a magnet on a stick, looking for nails and screws, was a new one for me! So it’s much the continuation of last week’s blog.

However, as we score off another job on our...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

A Breath of Fresh Air

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 27 Mar, 2017 - 16:43

A Breath of Fresh Air

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 27 Mar, 2017 - 16:43

Spring is certainly in the air this week, the sunshine is filling up our new shrine room and reception space. The builders worked over the weekend to finish painting and the electricals and left only one worker on site Tuesday. Our contractors have gone on a much needed holiday. With the majority of the main work complete, cleaning up started and we turned out attention to getting the area tip top before we fit our new carpet tiles.

Vijayasri, Malcolm, Dhammasena and...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

Fundraising - It doesn't just raise funds

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 13 Mar, 2017 - 14:51

Fundraising - It doesn't just raise funds

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 13 Mar, 2017 - 14:51

Recently we launched our appeal for funds to support the new shrineroom project. Already people are making generous donations - many thanks to all who’ve given – we’ve reached £1475. And also ideas have been springing up - involving film, poetry, art, swimming, quizzes… and cake. What a creative bunch! Fundraising doesn’t just raise funds, it raises our creativity, mutual appreciation and participation. It builds our Sangha. Looking forward to a rich time ahead.

Week 7 has certainly not seen any let...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

"In a Room with Four White Walls"

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 6 Mar, 2017 - 09:57

"In a Room with Four White Walls"

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 6 Mar, 2017 - 09:57

Bouncing into week 6, we can really see so much of our vision coming together. Underlying strengthening of walls, running cables, creating more space and more light. This week saw our intrepid workers starting on plastering the new walls in the shrine room. Beautiful new doors and windows appeared, bringing light back into a dusty work space, including the lovely addition of an atrium window. Reception walls are being insulated inside and out, external walls being rendered and clad. The...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

Opening up the Space, Bringing in the Sky

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 6 Feb, 2017 - 17:13

Opening up the Space, Bringing in the Sky

By Carol Robertson on Mon, 6 Feb, 2017 - 17:13

We’ve come to the end of week 2 and things are moving fast. New skylight windows are appearing, bringing in the sky, a wall has vanished into space, leaving – more space. Every day brings more decisions – some large, some detailed

After much discussion with the builders, the structural engineer and the building control inspector we have had to modify our initial idea for the ceiling in the shrine room for many technical reasons, (in layman’s term-...

Croydon Buddhist Centre
Croydon Buddhist Centre

We have lift off !!

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 2 Feb, 2017 - 16:06

We have lift off !!

By Carol Robertson on Thu, 2 Feb, 2017 - 16:06

We certainly set off like a rocket the first week. Scaffolding was up on day 1, so we were able to have the health and safety inspection, and start removing the corrugated iron roof, on day 2. Unfortunately, removing the roof materials, showed us what a poor state, the wooden structure underneath, was in.

Crisis !? Yes, but, a crisis made easier by the relaxed nature of our lovely contractors 2SS, who reassured us that most of the damaged timber we saw,...