Proposal:-

We wish to secure the funding of £3300 ($3997) for Teresa Grimsditch to complete the Holden Qigong Tier 1 Teacher Training program, to help secure the future of our successful free Marlow based Wild Swan Flowing River Qigong Practise Community.

Information:-

As our Wild Swan Flowing River Qigong Community in Marlow continues to grow and develop, it is essential in helping ensure its future continuation, that we gradually increase the number of formally trained Qigong Teachers within the group.

It is not only important to have committed people who are fully prepared to engage in intensive self paced nine months to a year in depth study and practise, but also to secure funding as a community, for this undertaking, as to individuals cost may prove fairly prohibitive otherwise.

Teresa Grimsditch, an extremely skilled and active member of our community, already leading sessions so excellently, has most kindly agreed to dedicate her time and energy to training with Holden Qigong.

It is wonderful how more people are stepping up to lead practise sessions together, (highlighted particularly throughout Mark’s prolonged absence through Covid illness over 7 weeks), and it is hoped too that as such in addition the inclination and interest to follow a program of formal study may be sparked further consequently. As a group we need both formally trained Teachers, and practise session leaders equally.

It was always intended from the beginning that Wild Swan would not be solely about one person leading sessions, but about developing a broad community of like minded practitioners, to come together, and practise.

We already have over 150 people now in the wider community, and at practise sessions we already get around 25-30 people in attendance at both our free Saturday and Wednesday 10am hour long park sessions.

We continually receive so much incredible feedback how Qigong is benefiting and bringing people together locally, of all ages, and helping improve the quality of people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing, both through practise and the wonderful community we have now developed and growing.

We have a Facebook page and also a WhatsApp group, along with the Wild Swan Flowing River website.

www.wildswanflowingriver.com

https://www.facebook.com/people/Wild-Swan-Flowing-River-Qigong-Marlow-UK/61562208553867/

As the community grows it is hoped that more frequent sessions then will also be able to be offered freely, along with further events, workshops, retreats and similar extended additional activity; perhaps even holding sessions in local towns also, such as Henley, Bourne End and other neighbouring areas, alongside our Marlow base.

There is genuinely no pressure whatsoever to donate here, as Qigong offered is completely free (aside from occasional hall hire optional donation when rain forces us indoors), however, this is a crucial development in our community to secure our continuation for many years to come.

If anyone has any questions, either about this fundraising project, or wishing themselves to train formally as Teachers, then please do not hesitate to either speak to Mark, Teresa, Mel, James, or any of the group about this.

www.holdenqigong.com

It is wonderful those of us now participating in this community from its very first year, shaping it, and helping it grow for the future, and confident that our community will flourish to benefit people for many many years to come.

Additional Details:-

As from the commencement Mark has maintained preference to not be involved in any money collection for sessions, keeping Qigong offered free to all, therefore the money will be paid from Go Fund Me, to Teresa, to pay Holden Qigong directly herself.

Mark has invested many thousands of pounds personally himself, not only in his own continued training, but additionally in all the marketing and promotional material (fliers, postcards, cards, posters, etc), website development, domain and hosting, various banners, and other associated costs in setting up and maintaining this free community, to benefit others, along with a great deal of his time both lovingly and freely.

It is our sole intention to remain entirely removed from formality, hierarchy, bureaucracy or financial incentive, and thus not depending upon corporate, commercial, or government/council/NHS sponsorship which is avoided in preference of an independent grass roots group funding itself, with no leaders, in such an important community project.

Wild Swan Flowing River wishes to not be affiliated, committed, indebted, or in dependence upon any organisation, institution, or individual benefactor, but solely upon our own community members, in which ALL are most welcome.