Good news from the Findhorn Foundation!
We are pleased to announce the relaunch of the Findhorn Foundation education programmes beginning July 2024. Now operating as the Findhorn Foundation SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation), we will begin by offering small, intentional Experience Week (FX) and Retreat Week programmes at our beautiful satellite campuses on Scotland’s West Coast.
As you may know, last September, the Findhorn Foundation Trust entered into a necessary wind-down process and announced that it was ending active operations and education programmes. Although a difficult decision, it was a crucial one. The closure allowed us to step back, attune, reconnect with our mission and 1) design a sustainable operating model focused on today’s challenges, 2) reimagine inclusive programming that meets the needs expressed by you, our global audience, and 3) restructure ourselves, focus on our spiritual essence and from there transition into a new legal entity – Findhorn Foundation SCIO.
Findhorn Foundation SCIO is a new and distinct organisation; one that is focused on delivering high-quality experiential programmes based on the deep spiritual impulse, core practices and values of connection and community that have defined the Findhorn Foundation experiment for decades. We truly believe there is a vital place for our learnings about everyday spirituality, inner listening, aligned action and co-creation with nature in today’s challenging world.
Traigh Bhan, the Findhorn Foundation's retreat house, is near white sandy beaches on the Isle of Iona (photo by Mark Richards)
The Isle of Erraid Community is just off the coast of Mull, opposite Iona
But why a new organisation? In 2022, the Trustees of the Trust wisely recognised that the existing structure had become outdated and an organisational change would be needed to ensure ongoing sustainability. At that time, they established a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organization (SCIO) with the intent of transferring operations of the Trust into the new SCIO. The SCIO was set-up with the same mission as the Trust, to deliver educational programmes based on the principles of the Findhorn spiritual community that was founded in the 1960’s.
Originally the transfer to the new SCIO was planned for April 1st 2023, but with the financial and operational challenges resulting from the COVID pandemic and Brexit, this transfer was delayed. The delay ended when, on Thursday 28th March 2024, the SCIO Trustees approved a new business plan and deemed the SCIO ready to start-up. The business plan was then put before the Trustees of the Trust and they, too, approved the SCIO plan and agreed to transfer the assets needed to officially launch the SCIO beginning May 1st 2024.
A profound peace can be found in the sanctuary at Traigh Bhan with its views of the sea and the Isle of Mull
Stone spiral on the Isle of Erraid at the midsummer sunset
The launch of the SCIO is a major step forward in our evolution and very exciting! As we take on this new challenge, we are reminded of guidance received by Eileen Caddy: “When life asks you to change, see clearly what is needed and change without any resistance. See it as a stepping stone to greater and more wonderful revelations which are there waiting to be made.”
As the Findhorn Foundation SCIO gets underway, it will take several months to be ready to host programmes. We anticipate that we will first begin welcoming participants in early July to our retreat house ‘Traigh Bhan’ on the Isle of Iona and will also begin developing online programming. Although there will be some updating in what we do, know that the essential learnings and practices of the Findhorn Community will be at the centre of our experiences. It is our intent to build on the outstanding service that has been a part of the Findhorn Foundation for decades as we take our message out into the world and expand the Network of Light.
“Embrace change and see it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.”
Over the coming weeks we will share with you updates about the changes and new programmes. You can learn more on our website, as well as on our Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also find frequently asked questions about the new Findhorn Foundation SCIO on our FAQ page.
We appreciate your ongoing support and faith during our transformation and look forward to sharing with you the wonderful revelations that emerge in the coming months.