Plum Village UK

Who we are

Plum Village UK is a working name for the UK charity The Community of Interbeing UK, dedicated to cultivating mindfulness, compassion and ethical living across the UK. 
 

We align ourselves with the Plum Village Mindfulness practice of Thich Nhat Hanh and the global Plum Village family. This unique accessible, joyful, engaged form of Buddhist practice that has been developed by Thich Hanh Hanh and his students over the last 30 plus years. 
 

What does the charity do?

We hold space for people from all walks of life and belief systems, welcoming everyone with openness, compassion, and non-judgment. In practice we:

* run mindfulness courses and organises retreats
* support a growing network of practice groups throughout the country
* facilitate outreach work to offer the Plum Village practices in appropriate forms to groups in need
* run the Being Peace Practice and Retreat Centre
* run online meditation and events
 

About the Being Peace Centre

The Being Peace Centre is our new mindfulness practice centre which opened in March 2026. Located on a historic farm in Abenhall, Gloucestershire, it provides peaceful setting for retreats and mindfulness practice throughout the year. You can find out more about the centre at www.beingpeace.uk

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can be described as “being aware of what is happening inside and around you in the present moment.” The key Plum Village teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily in the present moment—as a way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.

As we cultivate more awareness of our breath, our body, our feelings and our thoughts we gain insight into what causes our happiness and what causes our suffering. We see more clearly how to act to create peace and wellbeing for ourselves and those around us. We see mindfulness as part of a path, beyond a tool or technique, that requires training and practice.

Mindfulness comes from the Buddhist tradition yet is a practice that is available to people of all faiths and none.

Plum Village Mindfulness has four key features:
 

Mindfulness as a way of life

While mindfulness is widely considered to be a method of stress relief, Thich Nhat Hanh has long taught that mindfulness is not a tool but a way of life. The Plum Village tradition uses the Five Mindfulness Trainings, a concrete expression of Buddhist teachings, to bring an ethical and spiritual dimension to decision making. Mindfulness is also applied to all aspects of life, including sitting, walking, eating, speaking, listening, emailing, and working.
 

Community Building

At the heart of our tradition is our approach to community. We see that applying mindfulness to our daily life is not always easy. With the support of a spiritual community (or “Sangha”), the challenge can be lightened and it becomes possible both to transform our suffering and to cultivate joy and happiness. We can build community in workplaces, schools, and health care environments, and together bring positive change to society.
 

Engaged Buddhism

Amidst the devastation of the Vietnam War, Thich Nhat Hanh and his colleagues found a way, with mindfulness, to actively help those most in need without losing their own spiritual practice. “Engaged Buddhism” was born—a practice that is engaged with the challenges of our time, and in which personal spiritual growth and service to society go hand in hand. Today, many thousands of people worldwide follow in Thich Nhat Hanh’s footsteps by practicing Engaged Buddhism.
 

Monastic Community

Thich Nhat Hanh has established a monastic order that is dynamic, youthful, and engaged. It is also the largest Buddhist monastic community in the West. In Plum Village practice centres around the world, the monks and nuns create a peaceful, joyful, and healing environment where visitors can take refuge and immerse themselves in mindfulness practice. The monastics’ commitment to a life of simplicity, harmony, and spiritual training ensures that Thich Nhat Hanh’s living teachings will be carried far into the future.

Our culture and values

Our culture is shaped by the Five Mindfulness Trainings, reverence for life, true happiness, true love, loving speech and deep listening, and nourishment and healing, which we understand not as rules but as a living ethical compass, guiding how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the wider world.

Our work is grounded in the practice of presence, bringing awareness, kindness, and ease into everything we do, compassion and inclusivity towards everyone we encounter; collective responsibility and collaboration, recognising that life is a shared endeavour; and a commitment to sustainability and simplicity, in how we live and how we use our resources.

We look for people who can bring these values into their work, whatever their role, and who are drawn to service as much as to a job. All members of our teams, whether coordinating the kitchen, managing finances, or welcoming retreat guests, try to embody our values in daily practice,

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive community. We welcome inquiries and applications from all suitably experienced individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, relationship status and neurodiversity