Manchester Buddhist Centre

Who we are

Manchester Buddhist Centre is the only Buddhist place of worship in the heart of Manchester city centre and is a beautifully converted Victorian cotton warehouse. Converted in the early 1990s by a group of Buddhist volunteers, Manchester Buddhist Centre is the heart of a large community of people living all over Greater Manchester. Its activities include classes in meditation and Buddhism, festivals, talks, and retreats. Spanning seven floors, it houses a vegan café, gift shop, two meditation halls, a natural health centre and offices for Buddhist Right Livelihood businesses. These include Clear Vision, specialists in DVD and online video materials for Buddhism in Religious Education. Manchester Buddhist Centre welcomes over 3000 pupils and students a year. Its group visits service is run by the Clear Vision Trust, housed in the same building. With its long and active involvement in the world of Religious Education and its membership of key RE organisations, Clear Vision keeps abreast of professional standards and issues in RE, and has first- hand knowledge of the needs of teachers and pupils. The centre welcomes groups of all ages and abilities and can tailor visits to Religious Education, Citizenship, Geography, History and PSHE. Topics include Ethics, Storytelling, the Victorians, Urban Regeneration, the Industrial Revolution and Well-being and Relaxation. Visits are lively and interactive, largely steered by the questions young people ask, as well as the topics requested by teachers. Their two greatest teaching resources are the building and their experienced Buddhist teacher-guides, specially trained for the job. Come and spend time here, ask all your questions and try some optional “stilling” or meditation. Buddhism is a rich way of life. Come and smell it! “It was everything I'd hoped for and more. On the way back I asked the pupils 'Did you enjoy it?' and was greeted with a resounding 'Yes!!'” Teacher, GCSE group “The Centre made a deep impression on the students - as I knew it would. I suspect the ripples will continue into their adult lives.” Teacher “We meditated for about 10 minutes. It was fantastic... the longest time I’ve ever stayed still and quiet.” Yr 4 pupil