How does it work?

How does it work?

You decide how often you want to donate £108 to the 108 CLUB: once every one, two, three or four months. Making regular payments from your bank account helps us to build a strong foundation and plan for the future. If you want to join and donate to this project please click the Join the 108 CLUB link.

Is there a target?

Yes - £250,000!

To buy a property in the charity's name we need a 25% deposit before we can get a mortgage and this means hundreds of thousands of pounds. Although this seems like an enormous task, if we work together and pay regularly we really can do it.

If 108 people join the 108 CLUB spread across the four rates of payment then after three years (claiming back the tax using Gift Aid,*) we will save over £280,000!!! And if you add to that the money from previous as well as future fundraising activities, buying a centre will soon become a reality.

Is there a special account for the 108 CLUB?

Yes, we have opened an account with Triodos Bank. This charity bank is the sister of the bank in Hamburg that funded their centre project and we want to build an on-going relationship with them. They have lent money to so many Buddhist groups that they even have a dedicated advisor for this sector. They offer group loans and signing up to the 108 CLUB is a way to show them that we have a group of committed supporters, and that they can work with us. If we show them that we are saving regularly, then they may lend us the deposit in less than three years as well as provide us with a mortgage.

*Gift Aid is a way for the charity to claim back the money that you have already paid to the government as tax. It doesn't cost you a penny but means that your £108 is worth £138 to the charity. You just need to be a UK taxpayer and let us know you are happy for us to claim the Gift Aid on your donations, which you can do on the Join the 108 CLUB page.