On Saturday 5th September I'll be starting to walk the 50-mile Abbey Way (a pilgrimage between Lancaster and Furness Abbey near Barrow-in-Furness), to raise money for the Tara Centre in Lancaster. This will be a no camping walk. I will walk continuously, resting only when I need to, until I reach the abbey. This is the old way of pilgrimage.

I've seen first-hand the incredible difference this remarkable organisation makes in people's lives. I've watched people who arrived feeling isolated, overwhelmed or forgotten discover friendship, hope and a sense of belonging again. The Tara Centre was founded on a simple but profound belief:

We heal in relationship with one another.

Since opening in 2012, the Tara Centre has supported more than 9,500 people through over 25 community wellbeing projects. Almost one hundred volunteers have given their time, skills and compassion to make this work possible, donating thousands of hours so that support remains accessible to those who need it most.

What makes the Tara Centre special is that it refuses to see people as problems to be fixed. Instead, it creates spaces where people are welcomed without judgement, treated with dignity and encouraged to reconnect with themselves, and with community. It reminds us that kindness and genuine human connection are not luxuries—they are essential.

I am a Zen Buddhist monk and Peace Pilgrim and I'm walking the Abbey Way, a pilgrimage walk between Antei-ji Zen Buddhist Temple in Lancaster and the ruins of the great Cistercian monastery of Furness Abbey near Barrow-in-Furness.

Every donation, no matter how small, will help ensure that the Tara Centre can continue offering hope, compassion and belonging to those who need it most.

More about The Abbey Way here : www.anteiji.org/abbey-way

I am so grateful for your donation.