The Beshara Trust

The Beshara Trust was founded in 1971 as an educational charity in the United Kingdom. According to its founding documents:

The object for which the Trust is established is the advancement of education in the consideration of the basic unity of all religions, in particular by the provision of courses to provide an understanding of the relationship of humanity to the universe, the earth, the environment and society, to Reality and to God.

For full details see the Beshara Trust’s Memorandum of Association

“The intention is to help Man in this life, its purpose is not to provide only a transcendent, inner understanding and satisfaction. It is necessary to realise and promulgate that the inner understanding has value only in relation and its communication to the outer life.” (Bulent Rauf [/], 1986)

In consideration of the above statements and its memorandum of association, the Beshara Trust seeks to initiate and support relevant lectures, talks, seminars, conferences, reading groups, and short courses. See the Event Calendar for the current schedule. The Trust is also the publisher of this website and Beshara Magazine [/].

Please contact trust@beshara.org if you would like to help or volunteer in any way or if you have a proposal that you would like the trustees to consider.

If you are interested in holding an event that you think is relevant for the Trust, please contact trust@beshara.org, or submit a funding application for consideration using the form below. The Beshara Trust may be able to offer practical and financial help.

The Beshara Trust is supported entirely by philanthropic donations and voluntary work by people supportive of its aims. To make a donation, please click here.

Funding

The Beshara Trust welcomes applications for funding for projects which meet its aims as set out above. For more details please click here.

Board of Trustees

Gill Williams, BA (Hons)
Chair

Gill studied at the University of Leicester and has worked in education for many years, latterly focusing on working with young people with special educational needs. She has studied at the Beshara school since 1973 and has had the good fortune to attend local study sessions for the past thirty years. Gill also has studied 5 Rhythms dance movements, which have incorporated some of the spiritual exercises and movements taught by the students of Gurdjieff.

Dr John Markson-Brown (PhD)
Secretary

John has been teaching and training teachers for over 25 years in various locations including Africa, South America and the Far East. He has been Director of Studies, Deputy Head, an Adult Learning Inspector, teacher and teacher trainer. He specialises in Teacher Training on CLIL, Methodology and CERT TESOL courses. He is an associate lecturer at the Open University teaching Education for Development on a Masters Degree programme and undergraduate courses. John and his wife, Carolyn live on a small farm in East Sussex.

Michael Cohen (BSc, PhD)
Trustee

Michael studied Mathematics at London and Warwick Universities and did research at Newcastle. For many years he has taught A-Level Mathematics and Statistics at a London tutorial college. He has an abiding interest in the connections between science and spirituality.

Dee Mitting
Trustee

Dee has been a student of the Beshara education since 1972. Having studied courses in the complementary medical world, she has specialised and worked for many years as a Craniosacral Therapy practitioner. Dee enjoys ‘good taste’ Tai Chi in the way that is called Artless Art and enjoys travelling and exploring different cultures and lands.

Kim Roberts
Trustee

Patricia Taddei
Trustee

Patricia was introduced to the writings of Ibn ‛Arabi at the Beshara School in 1983 where she was resident for a year; then studied Arabic at Edinburgh University and travelled in Egypt, Yemen and Syria. She worked in local government for several years while training in psychotherapy, Buddhist studies and meditation at the Karuna Institute and the University of Aberdeen. Her interest in ‛Arabi’s writings and the Fusus was revived during the first lockdown in 2020 and she is delighted to be able to support the purpose and work of the Trust in whichever way she can.

Sam Fardghassemi
Trustee