The Wee Retreat

Aim

I am aiming to raise the funds I need to secure a property to establish a meditation and well-being centre in the Southside of Glasgow.

To me, a retreat is having time and space to reconnect with ourselves and that feels private and safe. This is what I would like to offer people through The Wee Retreat. Our lives are so busy that unless we take a wee bit of time out now and again we can forget our lives are happening right now!

The idea for The Wee Retreat came about after I had been on a meditation retreat for a week in Spain over 2 years ago. At the end of the retreat I realised how lucky I was to be able to attend such an event and how not everybody can. I wanted to bring the benefits of retreats to people, in their everyday lives. It is so easy to wait until we are on holiday, or when we save up enough money or to retire to start living our lives so I wanted to create time and space on people's doorsteps where they can start realising this for themselves, now.

So when I got back I set up The Wee Retreat, offering day and weekend retreats by hiring various venues in the southside of Glasgow. The events have been so worthwhile and participants have given such wonderful and heart-felt feedback.  It has always been my intention to find a home for The Wee Retreat but fear has got the better of me and it's taken until now to be able to ask for your help.

Having a home for The Wee Retreat will mean it can put down roots and grow. It will offer a space for ALL meditation and different well-being practices and communities to teach from. It will be a place for groups and sanghas to meet. It will be a place for people to be part of a group and be by yourself. It will be a place that people from all walks of life will be welcome. It will be a sanctuary and a place to share a cup of tea. And within this shared use of space, a community of its own can be established.

The premises that I would like to buy will provide space for 2 separate studios to be created, a cosy corner to host a wee library and comfy chair to snuggle up in, a gift shop area where books and CDs on health and well-being can be sold as well as lovely gifts to nourish yourself with, a kitchen so I can continue to offer homemade cakes, scones and lunches on day and weekend retreats and a garden to which will be transformed to provide a tranquil space in the fresh air. I would also like to create a smaller, private space which could be hired to offer 1:1 retreats such as reflexology, counselling etc. and a separate space where people can drop in to simply meditate.

Behind the scenes  host of stay-at-home parents will be making The Wee Retreat run smoothly through our social responsibility scheme. A range of opportunities will be available that will support stay-at-home parents with challenges they face such as social isolation, fear of returning to work, lack of intellectual stimulation and financial constraints. It is my hope that through this scheme, The Wee Retreat will make it possible for stay-at-home parents to fulfil their commitment to parenting and at the same time retain -or regain- their own identity as an individual.

I believe that all this, and more, is possible with your help, whether that be to share my campaign, donate, wish me well or all 3, please know that a warm welcome and a cup of tea will await you when the doors of The Wee Retreat open.

With gratitude, Vicky  

This project successfully funded on 2nd September 2017