The 2026 AGM of the Buddha Metta Society was held recently.
Updates from the AGM 2026
Annual General Meetings can be quite dry affairs, but the meeting on Friday 22nd May 2026 (on Zoom) was anything but. In recognising the recent changes in Trustees, Ken Garrod expressed great gratitude to those who had served in this position since the formation of the BMS as a charity in 2013, and well before. Their outstanding efforts have made the charity what it is.
Outgoing Trustees are Hui Teoh, Peter Foster, Mandy Walker, Marjorie Jack and Zarine Katrak.
Current Trustees are Ken Garrod (Chair), Martin Bersik (Treasurer) Chris Jones (Secretary), Jeremy Bruce, Tony Halter, Sheila Taylor and Gregory Scotland.
The charity was initially founded to support regular pilgrimages to the monasteries of Luang Por Sudhiro in Khon Kaen province, Isaan, North-East Thailand. As well as many very successful pilgrimages the charity has supported the work and projects of Luang Por Sudhiro, including the building of a new sala, supporting students at Mahamakut University in Khon Kaen, a school for the education of novice monks and many other efforts. At this point it should be noted that since the inception of the BMS, members have provided over £300,000 to Luang Por!
Regarding finances, Martin gave a detailed and meticulous discussion of the financial state of the charity and how the expenditures have continued to honour the commitments described above.
As has often been the case the BMS (and especially the outgoing Trustees) have arranged and supported an extended stay and tour in the UK for Luang Por and in particular Mae Chee Bpla for several years. In 2025 during a 2.5 months visit they visited Oxford, Hill Cottage Rereat in Powys, the Buddhist Society of Manchester in Sale, Peter and Karen Foster in Cheshire, Cambridge University, Leeds, the English Lake District, Milton Keynes Samatha Centre, and Chithurst Monastery in Sussex.
The BMS has also been instrumental in efforts to establish a first Thai Forest tradition monastery in Scotland, both to enable monks and nuns from Thailand to stay for extended periods, and to provide a base for practice and retreats to lay people. Efforts on this are ongoing, and to facilitate it a separate charity – Wat Buddha Metta – has been established, albeit with very close links to the BMS.
The BMS has also developed a life of its own – with a regular Friday Zoom meeting (1-2pm all welcome) focussing on Dhamma discussions; morning chanting and meditation practice by Zoom (7-8am every morning) often led by Luang Por Sudhiro.
There is an intention to print a new chanting booklet which reflects a co-development with the morning chanting sessions, which Hui, Pete and Luang Por have collaborated on.
Please note that there is an opportunity here for people to donate towards the printing and delivery charges. We are keen to get this done and not to divert donations away from the core work of Luang Por – so please feel welcome to donate in the usual manner but indicating that your donation is for the new Chanting Booklet (Version 2.0!).
Updates on developments here and in Thailand will be raised here in future newsletters.
And contributions from members to the newsletter are very much welcomed!