Trustees

Trustees take on the legal and financial responsibility for the Trust.

Present Trustees

Jim Tibby, Household and Property, is our Chair. He is a retired teacher who has known Bhante since he first became a monk in the mid-1980's.  He joined the Trust in 2015. Jim is also supporting Mark in his role as Kitchen Co-ordinator and as a keen gardener, will support Andy in enhancing the property. 

Richard Benjamin, our Treasurer, has been a self employed builder for many years. Richard was first involved in Satipanya when he volunteered to hang some fire doors, with his wife Dea Paradisos, before the centre first opened. He has carried out many paid jobs at the centre since, including building the dining room and the decking. Currently works as Administrator and support officer for the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury. Joined the Trust as treasurer in 2017.

Noirin Sheahan, our Secretary,  has been a student of Bhante for over thirty years and has been teaching under his guidance since 2004. Now retired, she had worked as a medical physicist in various hospitals until 2007 and subsequently as a mindfulness teacher for patients with chronic pain and cardiac disease as well as hospital staff. Noirin has been close to many of Satipanya’s developments over the years and has been teaching at Satipanya since its opening.

Mike Regan, originally a fibre optics system designer and now a laser safety consultant, Mike first met Bhante in the mid-1980s at the Birmingham Buddhist Vihara. Mike had the privilege of attending the very first Mahasi retreat held at Satipanya, in 2007. He joined the Trust as Treasurer in 2015. Mike resigned from the position of Treasurer for personal reasons in 2016.

Gwen Sanderson, currently works in the field of Specific Learning Difference/ Neurodiversity in the FE and HE sectors. Having moved around looking for sustainable ways of living she is currently resident in a housing cooperative. The pragmatic nature of shared responsibility for maintaining and developing our housing together alongside managing land is just one part of it. Living cooperatively is a great Dhamma teacher in its own right. Gwen took her first Vipassana course thirty years ago and came to Satipanya to learn the year after it opened. She has turned up, on average, once a year ever since.  For a few years, she lived close to the centre and was able to be fully active in the local group.

 

Past Trustees:

Anne Ashton was then one of the two Co-ordinator who ran Gaia house when Bhante was resident teacher from 2001–2005. She helped from the inception of Satipanya in 2002. She was instrumental in the acceptance of the trust deed by the Charitable Trust Commission. She continued as treasurer until 2006.

Seetha Siriwardene, retired doctor, supported Bhante from the time he returned from Sri Lanka in 1998, helped to set up the centre in North London. And then chaired the new Satipanya Buddhist Trust from 2003 to 2011.

Bryan Lester, a retired music teacher and presently composing, set up and ran the Bhikkhu Fund in 1998 to support Bhante. He then joined the Trust in 2003 and remained until 2007. During that time he took responsibility to change the charitable trust into a Limited Charitable Company.

Nick Costaras, an environmental engineer, currently with a disability allowance, joined the Trust in 2003. He had organised London weekend courses for Bhante. He was the treasurer from 2006 to 2011.

Ernie Gunesekera is a Retired Civil Engineer engaged on Design and Construction of heavy Civil Engineering projects,such as Harbours,Jetties,Immersed Tunnels ,Large Bridges and Mortaways for over 44 years in this country and also in several countries in the world. He joined the Trust in 2004, was crucial in setting up the mortgage and buying the property in 2007. He became the chair until he retired in 2015.

Dea Paradisos, Secretary, an artist, has known Bhante for years since he resided at the Birmingham Buddhist Vihara. Living in Shrewsbury, she is able to help out at Satipanya when needed. She became secretary to the trust in 2015. Resigned from the Trust in March, 2017.

Rob Poleykett, our Chair, was in was in family law and now is involved in counselling in legal matters. He has known Bhante since the middle 80’s when he used to go to Shrewsbury to take the evening class. He now runs an evening class there. He joined the Trust in 2009. He was treasurer from 2011 and chair in 2015. He then became Chair until September, 2017 when he resigned from the Trust.

Maureen Tibby took on the role of Trust Secretary in March 2017. She worked in Education (primarily higher education) for over 35 years and is now semi-retired.  She continues to work on a consultancy basis supporting effective learning and teaching in higher education. Maureen is married to Jim Tibby.

Alison Weeks, is a Director of Lightfoot, a charity which promotes energy efficiency in homes, public buildings and businesses within the communities of south Shropshire and the Marches. She works with local schools to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the environment and our lives. She worked since the mid1980s as an oceanographer at UK universities, both teaching and research. Alison took up meditation practice about 10 years ago and helps at Satipanya as a local assistant. She is a yoga teacher. Alison joined us in 2019 and resigned in 2022. She saw us through the Lockdowns.

 

Honorary Members:

Sharon and Keith Hammond volunteered to help the Trust with financial matters. They have been guiding us through perilous times since the opening in 2007 when we had to pay off the mortgage and build the kitchen and annexe extensions.  Their offering came to an end in spring, 2016.

Sharon Hammond is an accountant and acted as Honorary Trust Secretary, organising materials for the meetings, claiming gift aid and other financial duties.

Keith Hammond is also an accountant and prepares our quarterly and yearly statements to be presented to Company House. Because of his long service as accountant for Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, he volunteered as adviser to the Trust on financial and legal matters.