Newbury Buddhists come to together for annual celebration

“It’s important that we celebrate our culture in the local area"

THAI Buddhists gathered in Newbury last Saturday (June 17) in a ceremony to celebrate their culture.

The event also raised funds for the Wat Phra Singh UK temple in Runcorn.

Organised by Newbury resident Noi Davis, more than 60 Buddhists came together for the celebration which also welcomed three Buddhist monks from Wat Phra Singh UK, a registered charity aimed at promoting Theravada Buddhism in the UK.

Mrs Davis said: “It went very well. The weather was lovely, it was so hot and people from all over the area came to celebrate – of all ages too.

“The youngest was a two-month-old baby, who received a special blessing from the monks.”

The celebrations, held at Mrs Davis’ home, also included a mini market and an auction to boost the fundraising total.

Mrs Davis, who has lived in Newbury for 37 years, has been organising the annual gathering for more than a decade and said that it provided a good way to celebrate Buddhism in the local area.

“It’s important that we celebrate our culture in the local area,” she said

“It’s a good way to keep it alive.

“We need to keep it going and if we don’t do things like this it would die out.”

More than £660 was raised for the temple.