Update: Precious Jewel Appeal
To see the full version of this newsletter with images and links, please click on the following link: https://mailchi.mp/westlondonbuddhistcentre.com/the-precious-jewel-appeal-update
One Last Push!
The Precious Jewel Appeal Comes to an End
Dear Member of our West London Buddhist Centre Community
The WLBC Fundraising Kula launched the Precious Jewel Appeal on Saturday 31st October with Dharmavadana’s overnight reading of the White Lotus Sutra, and an email which went out to our community a few days later. The purpose of the appeal was to help secure the Centre’s finances and steer it through the Covid crisis. We set ourselves a target of raising £50,000 by March 16th. Though we haven’t quite reached that, through your amazing generosity the fund now stands at £25,105.16 ̶ an astonishing achievement in only four and a half months, especially given the circumstances we all face.
There are still a few hours left…
Help Us Move Closer to Our Target – Donate
We named the appeal after the precious stone hidden in the traveller’s garment in the White Lotus Sutra because for so many of us, the Centre is a jewel of incalculable value. As Jo pointed out so movingly at our final Gala event last Friday night, it has helped thousands of people even in this pandemic year to learn and practise nourishing meditation, study and experience the Dharma and connect with each other in much-needed community. Those services are offered to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, and have reached people all across the world. Every pound you can give will help us sustain that vital aid – online and, soon we hope, in person as well.
The appeal’s events in themselves demonstrated in how many ways the jewel of the WLBC sangha shines. Dharmavadana’s Sutrathon, the testimonies of our Sangha Night Fever, Yashobodhi’s and Imma’s revelatory and imaginative ‘Looking Beyond’ exploration of the British Museum’s Tantra exhibition images, the beautiful artworks shown at Sangha Lights, the moving poetry of Sangha Voices and the astonishing performances of Friday night’s Gala have revealed the huge and multivarious talents of our community and opened our hearts and minds to each other in ways we could not have imagined at the gloomy onset of the pandemic. Those are results worth all the money in the world – but each event has also brought in generous and very welcome donations. For example, the Sutrathon raised £2,236, Looking Beyond £1,314, Sangha Lights £579, Sangha Voices £1,033 and the Gala Night £863.
We appreciate your enormous generosity so far in helping us to uncover the many ways in which the WLBC is a shining jewel.
This is the final evening of the appeal, so if there is any thought of further generosity in your mind please act on it now before the opportunity disappears.
Donate – Thank You for Giving Generously
With kindness and appreciation
WLBC Fundraising Team
Dharmavadana, Prajnanita, Sahananda, Susanna and Rebeka
