Theravada Buddhist Trust
Charity 1160584
Overview
Summary
Theravada Buddhist Trust appears to be building a public-facing religious and cultural foothold in South Yorkshire through a temporary monastery in Sheffield. Its role extends beyond providing a place of worship: it combines Buddhist practice, teaching, retreat activity and pastoral support, while explicitly welcoming people of any religion. The available evidence suggests an organisation using a faith-based setting as both a devotional centre and an accessible point of contact between Theravada Buddhist practice and the wider public.
Operational geography
Coverage: Neighbourhood
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- There is no direct evidence that the trust currently delivers services, operates a physical site, or has material delivery partnerships in any Birmingham ward or recognised place.
- The Charity Commission record identifies a temporary Buddhist monastery in Sheffield, while the charity's objects refer to South Yorkshire. This supports a Sheffield-centred and potentially wider South Yorkshire remit, but does not evidence current Birmingham activity.
- The supplied website could not be consulted, so it could not be used to test whether the trust has subsequently established activities or partnerships in Birmingham.
- The Sheffield contact address should not by itself be treated as proof of the monastery's precise operational location, although the Charity Commission's activity description independently confirms that the monastery is in Sheffield.
Additional evidence needed
- A current official programme, event calendar or venue listing showing services delivered in Birmingham.
- Confirmation from the trust of any Birmingham-based worship, meditation, retreat, pastoral or outreach activity.
- Official evidence from any Birmingham venue or delivery partner confirming an ongoing relationship with the trust.
Areas of work
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
- Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A monastery designed as a public bridge
The Trust appears to use its monastery not only for its own religious community but as an entry point for wider public engagement with Theravada Buddhism.
Why it matters
This suggests its local role may include cultural and interfaith accessibility, rather than operating solely as a closed congregational institution.
Show evidence
“Monastery is open to general public for meditation practice.”
Source:Organisation“People from any religion who are interested in Theravada Buddhism are welcome to attend.”
Source:Organisation“To promote awareness and understanding of Theravada Buddhism by providing regular religious teachings and meditation practices for the general public.”
Source:Charity Commission
Practice, learning and care are combined
The Trust's model appears to join collective worship and meditation with education, retreats and pastoral visiting, rather than treating religious teaching as a standalone activity.
Why it matters
This indicates a potentially broader community function: participants may encounter the organisation through learning, devotional practice, festivals, retreat or support during illness.
Show evidence
“Provision of place of worship which will hold religious ceremonies, mass chanting open to the public, prayer meetings, public celebration of religious festivals and long and short-stay retreats.”
Source:Charity Commission“To provide religious devotional acts by facilitating the Buddhist Reverend visiting the sick and encouragement and support of pastoral work.”
Source:Charity Commission
The temporary setting may signal an organisation in formation
Operating from a temporary monastery may indicate that the Trust is establishing or testing a longer-term local presence, although the evidence does not explain the reason or duration of the arrangement.
Why it matters
Its premises situation may shape its capacity for retreats, public events and sustained pastoral relationships, making organisational stability an important question for local partners.
Show evidence
“We are running a temporary Buddhist Monastery located in Sheffield.”
Source:Organisation“To advance the Theravada Buddhism practice in South Yorkshire area for the benefit of the public.”
Source:Charity Commission
- It is unclear which ethnic or racial communities the Trust specifically intends to support, and how this relates to its general-public offer.
- There is no evidence about attendance, volunteers, partnerships, funding, frequency of activities or plans for permanent premises.
- The scale and actual delivery of pastoral support, retreats and public celebrations are not known.
Remaining uncertainties
- A recent activity report showing participation, event frequency, languages used and the communities reached.
- Information on the temporary monastery arrangement, future premises plans and local partnerships.
- Evidence of how pastoral visiting and support are delivered in practice.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We are running a temporary Buddhist Monastery located in Sheffield. Monastery is open to general public for meditation practice. People from any religion who are interested in Theravada Buddhism are welcome to attend.
Charity objects
1) TO ADVANCE THE THERAVADA BUDDHISM PRACTICE IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE AREA FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BY ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING RELIGIOUS PRACTICE THROUGH PROVISION OF PLACE OF WORSHIP WHICH WILL HOLD RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES, MASS CHANTING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, PRAYER MEETINGS, PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS AND LONG AND SHORT-STAY RETREATS 2) TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THERAVADA BUDDHISM BY PROVIDING REGULAR RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS AND MEDITATION PRACTICES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC 3) TO PROVIDE RELIGIOUS DEVOTIONAL ACTS BY FACILITATING THE BUDDHIST REVEREND VISITING THE SICK AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF PASTORAL WORK