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MESA Wins BURA Award
The award, a highly coveted distinction, guarantees serious attention in the field of community development. Winning the award opens the doors for opportunities to implement key elements of the Maharishi European Sidhaland in other urban development programmes. Best practiceBURA's brochure on the award states: "The judging panel concluded that this is a most unusual project and an outstanding example of best practice in many ways which are totally different from any other project submitted for a BURA award. The School is particularly impressive and the architectural principles of Sthapatya Veda should be more widely disseminated. It represents a different and unconventional joined-up approach which addresses education, health and crime in a positive and unusual way. It has a qualitative impact on the surrounding area and promotes regeneration by motivating the individual within the community." BURA was formed in 1990 by Lord Jenkin of Roding, and now has over 500 members. Its annual awards aim to promote best practice-"not just good or average"-in urban regeneration, "basically trying to prevent people from making the same mistakes that have been made before, trying to push innovative thinking in front of people. That's how we see ourselves," company secretary Gerald Carey-Elwes told Transcendental Meditation News. The concept of urban regeneration has expanded in the past decade from its traditional focus on finance, enterprise, housing and commercial development to include such areas as health, environmental sustainability, childcare, and other quality of life issues. As a result, the extremely comprehensive approach of the Maharishi European Sidhaland, many aspects of which have now been in place for 20 years, struck a chord amongst committee members of BURA as the way forward for regeneration that really works. "Regeneration must empower each individual in society to improve the quality of their own life. Maharishi's programmes individually and collectively bring fulfilment to every aspect of regeneration : education, health, economy, buildings and community, in an integrated way," said Keith Laycock, National Co-ordinator of TM 2000, an outreach programme to offer the benefits of the Maharishi European Sidhaland approach to regenerate society. "Development of consciousness is fundamental to this process, but is missing from most regeneration programmes. The Maharishi European Sidhaland provides a model of genuine regeneration". Quality of lifeAt Keith's invitation, David Scougall, a main board Director of BURA, visited the Maharishi European Sidhaland, and also met with Maharishi Foundation director Dr Geoffrey Clements. He encouraged the community to apply for a 'best practice' award. Mr Scougall told Transcendental Meditation News that, having studied urban development projects all over the world, the Maharishi European Sidhaland "was one of the most significant things I've ever seen... particularly the education, the built environment, and the quality of life within the community."His visit took longer than expected. "I'd allocated a couple of hours, and I'd brought a colleague, an educational psychologist, the head of service in one of the authorities. We stayed the whole day, they couldn't get rid of us! "It was so exciting-the Sthapatya Veda, everything to do with orientation of buildings, the new centre, the educational attainment. I was very, very impressed with the whole process, it's really where we need to go." David Scougall took a straightforward approach to the BURA awards committee. Yes, the project is unusual, he conceded. "But I said to them, 'just tell me why it's not best practice, if you can.' And there really wasn't any answer to that question!" PracticalFollowing in David Scougall's footsteps to Skelmersdale came Gerald Carey-Elwes, to investigate for the awards committee.He "came across very sober-suited gentlemen, who had a quiet dignity about them." And like David Scougall, he was excited by the Sidhaland. "I just thought it was mind-blowing. One of the things I found particularly impressive is that it's actually very practical, it's down to earth, it's everyday but with something different. I learned an awful lot in a very short space of time." Finally, a second committee member, Professor Cathy Garner from Glasgow University, visited the Maharishi European Sidhaland. Professor Garner deals with urban regeneration issues on a global scale, and Gerald Carey-Elwes eagerly awaited her report. "I was just delighted when she rang me up and said, 'Isn't it fantastic?' because it really confirmed what I had felt about it." And so the remaining committee members agreed to make the award. Said Dr Clements: "Everyone at the Maharishi European Sidhaland is to be congratulated on this wonderful news, particularly those who have been leading the key projects in our community, such as the Maharishi School, the Maharishi Golden Dome, the Maharishi Sthapatya Veda building projects, the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre and Maharishi Ayurveda Products, for creating the success that has led to this award. In particular, I want to thank the past and present directors of the Maharishi European Sidhaland for guiding the growth of the community. By maintaining the group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme, the directors have helped to ensure the coherence that is the foundation-stone of success for all the activities of the community. The BURA representatives must have felt the glow of coherence when they visited, and this is essentially what has led them to make their glowing recommendation." BURA brings together a broad cross-section of members from the public, private and community sectors and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information on urban regeneration. It is the leading independent organisation concerned with the regeneration of towns, cities and regions. |
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On
4 October, representatives from the Maharishi European Sidhaland in Skelmersdale,
Lancashire received a prestigious award from BURA, the British Urban
Regeneration Association. The award, made to the Maharishi European Sidhaland
for Best Practice in Urban Regeneration, was presented by the Minister
of State for the Environment at a celebration in the Banqueting House,
Whitehall, attended by 300 leaders in urban and rural development from
all over Britain.