Out of the Ashes: replace our Kuti lost in a fire

Aim

Our solitary woodland hermitage The Kuti was destroyed by fire & we can only afford to replace it if this Crowdfunder is successful.

"The more space we make for stillness and silence, the more we have to give both to ourselves and to others"

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen monk, peace activist and poet 

In April this year, our much-loved, beautiful solitary retreat hermitage known as the Kuti burnt to the ground.  

Everything in the little hermitage was destroyed, including a book of memories left by retreatants staying there during its 25 years of existence.

Hundreds of people have stayed in the Kuti over these decades, meditating in solitude and surrounded by nature. There are very few places in the UK for such solitary retreats, away from all human noise and supported by its proximity to a larger retreat centre.

We would love to build another Kuti in its place, in woodland near The Barn retreat centre, so that people can enjoy solitary retreats in nature on the beautiful Sharpham Estate.

But because we're a charity, we can't afford to rebuild without your generosity and support.

A new Kuti

If we generate enough crowdfunding, we'll be able to work with a woodworker local to South Devon who specialises in making small structures and shepherds' huts.

We're looking at designs similar to these buildings (pictures from our intended craftsman Henry at Dart Valley Bespoke):

Helping people to connect to nature

At Sharpham, we believe that when people connect to nature, they are less likely to destroy it, therefore we know that the little Kuti has a big impression on the people who stay there.

"Time to sit, reflect, read and be still in nature is such a precious gift"

"My five days in the Kuti were transformational"

"I truly recommend this for anyone looking for some space, being it inside space or outside. I left the place feeling much more at ease" 

- Kuti retreatants after their stay

The Sharpham Trust - 40 years of mindfulness

The Trust is a registered charity that cares for The Sharpham Estate - 550 acres of land alongside The River Dart set within the designated South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At the heart of the Sharpham Trust ethos is our desire to build a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally-sustainable world.

The Trust's principles:

• An understanding of the interconnection of life
• A deep respect for the natural world
• A belief in learning through experience, creative engagement and enquiry
• An acknowledgement of the value of stillness and awareness

In November, The Trust celebrates four decades of offering mindfulness and nature opportunities.

Your help would be so appreciated

When people connected to The Barn retreat centre heard about the destruction of The Kuti, they pledged to help us rebuild.

With your assistance, we could restore the hermitage to its place in the trees, and enable people to retreat in nature-immersed solitude for the next 25 years and beyond.

With much metta,

The Barn team at The Sharpham Trust (registered charity)

This project successfully funded on 19th December 2022