Madhyamaka Kadampa Buddhist Centre, at Kilnwick Percy Hall, have completed the works on a new path that connects the hall to the meadow and the lake.

The Centre were awarded £83,346.84 from East Riding of Yorkshire Council as part of Commuted Sums from local housing developments and raised £9,206.76 of their own funds towards the £92,607.60 total cost of the project.

The grounds of Kilnwick Percy Hall are free to enter and open every day of the year. The newly installed path is accessible to all and creates a nature pathway from the back of Kilnwick Percy Hall out to the meadow then down to the lake, where there are two seating areas.

The project has greatly improved the accessibility of the grounds and the lake and will allow visitors who use wheelchairs or have difficulty walking a much easier route down to the lake.

Administrative Director, Ian Povey, said: “The new pathway linking the car park to the lake will give many more people the opportunity to enjoy everything Madhyamaka Kadampa Buddhist Centre has to offer. Set in the idyllic Yorkshire countryside, the centre occupies over 47 acres of natural woodlands and meadows.

“For the past year, teams of kind volunteers from the local community and wider Kadampa family have been working tirelessly to help make the grounds more accessible to the public and more sustainable for the local environment.”

Lynn Drury, a visitor to the Centre, who has a rare debilitating illness, said: “The amazing team at the Madhyamaka Kadampa Buddhist Centre have recently installed a path leading to the lake. This new addition to an already beautiful location has unlocked another level of tranquillity I was not previously able to access in my wheelchair. The location enables me to escape from the day to day craziness of life, and I would encourage everyone to go and appreciate it for themselves.”

Councillor Leo Hammond, portfolio holder for planning, communities and public protection at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, added: “It’s great to see that this very worthwhile project has now been completed, and will add a great deal to the visitor experience at the Madhyamaka Kadampa Buddhist Centre. I am very pleased that it has been made possible largely through Commuted Sums from local housing developments as a condition of their planning approval.”

Thanks too to the Pocklington Green Buddies volunteer group (pictured below) who have worked so hard to achieve this.