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EnglishHow to Find and Attend Upcoming Meetings of the Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada)
Updated
The Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada), known as BGKT, lists its upcoming meetings on its website at buddhistgroupofkendal.co.uk, and the group asks visitors to confirm each meeting on the website or its Facebook page before travelling. Meetings are free, donations are welcome, and all are welcome to attend. The group has met for over 30 years, and in recent years its activities have included lay retreats and lay study meetings alongside regular drop-ins.
What the group currently offers
BGKT publishes three main kinds of gathering:
- Drop-in meetings in the centre of Kendal, which include meditation and mindfulness
- Monthly early evening meetings in the centre of Kendal, except in December
- Visits and teachings from Buddhist monks, most recently from Ketumati Buddhist Vihara (Monastery) in Manchester
The group also writes articles about Buddhism, and Cumbria Moon Day Meditation (CMDM) describes Cumbrian Theravada Buddhists meditating together.
Confirmed details for the next drop-in
The website gives full practical details for the drop-in on Thursday 15 October 2026, 1.30–3pm:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Venue | Unitarian Chapel, Branthwaite Brow, off Market Place, Kendal, LA9 4TN |
| Room | Meeting room at the back of the Chapel |
| Entrance | Via metal gates; the Chapel is at the bottom of the Market Place if walking from Stricklandgate |
| Access to the room | Go round the Chapel to the back and up the disabled access slope to the back door |
| Content | Meditation and mindfulness |
| Cost | Free, donations welcome |
The group says it hopes to hold further drop-ins, so this is not necessarily a one-off.
How to confirm a meeting is going ahead
BGKT explicitly asks people to check its website and Facebook page to confirm that meetings are taking place. Treat the published date, time and venue as provisional until you have checked one of those two sources close to the day. This matters most for the monthly early evening meeting, because the website does not publish its exact date, time or venue — you need to contact the group for details.
Steps to attend
- Go to buddhistgroupofkendal.co.uk and find the current listing for the meeting you want.
- Check the group's Facebook page as well, since the website directs visitors there for confirmation.
- For the monthly early evening meeting, contact BGKT directly to get the details, and remember there is no December meeting.
- Note the venue and the specific access route — for the Unitarian Chapel drop-in, that means the back door up the disabled access slope, not the front.
- Arrive within the stated window; the October 2026 drop-in runs 1.30–3pm.
- Bring nothing required — entry is free, with donations welcome if you wish to give one.
Common sticking points
- Assuming the listing is current. The site carries an "Updated 19 September 2026" note, but the group still asks you to reconfirm, so check before you set out.
- Missing the entrance. The Unitarian Chapel meeting is in the back meeting room, reached round the building and up the disabled access slope — the front of the Chapel is not the way in.
- Turning up in December for the evening meeting. The monthly early evening meeting does not run in December.
- Expecting published details for the evening meeting. Only the drop-in has a full public date, time and address; for the evening meeting you must contact the group.
If you want teachings rather than a drop-in
Monk visits are a separate strand of BGKT activity. In recent years most have come from Ketumati Buddhist Vihara in Manchester, and the group has published write-ups of past visits, including a 2025 piece on Ven. Mahalova Ariyadhamma Thera and a 2024 piece on Ven. Pidiville Piyatissa Nayaka Thero's appointment as Chief Sangha Nayaka for England. These appear on the website as articles rather than as a fixed schedule, so watch the site and Facebook page if monk teachings are what you are looking for.