TEKELS PARK WILDLIFE CONCERN

ONCE VALUED

NOW

DOOMED

FEARS FOR FUTURE

OF WILDLIFE AS

MAGNIFICENT

TEKELS PARK

CAMBERLEY, SURREY, ENGLAND GU15 – 2LF

A SPIRITUAL RETREAT

A SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE

IS BEING SOLD

TO A DEVELOPER

 

So what about

The Tekels Park Deer ?

Not a protected species and could be slaughtered

 

The Tekels Park Badgers ?

Resident for centuries but could starve to death

if their foraging area is reduced or destroyed.

Development could cut off their feeding routes

or access to water.

They only have 50 acres to start with (small for

badgers), enclosed on three sides by urban

development and on one side by the M3 motorway

 

Legal Protection ?

Tekels Park has been designated a

SITE OF NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST

(SNCI)

This sounds impressive but unfortunately it carries

NO STATUTORY PROTECTION

 

St Francis Church ?

In Tekels Park

This gift from a church member and place of

worship since 1931 is also being sold and the

congregation will have to negotiate for

permission to worship there.

 

The people who decided

to sell Tekels Park ?

Try finding any.

Selling a sanctuary for wildlife to a developer

could turn Tekels Park into a death camp for

animals. Management don’t want to talk about

this and are now hard to find items.

 

 

It is difficult to see how the existence of deer in

Tekels Park would be compatible with development.

 

 

Tekels Park advertises itself as a Spiritual Retreat and

a wildlife sanctuary but news of the sale to a developer

has prompted many to raise serious concerns about the

fate of the Tekels Park Deer, Badgers and other wildlife.

_________________________

 

Who’s posting this stuff?

 

Hi I’m Dave

& I’m opposed to the

killing of the Tekels Park animals

 

 

I’m Dave Marsland. This is my website.

You can email me on

davemarsland@aardvarktheosophy.co.uk

 

________________________

 

Tekels Park

 

 

Tekels Park is a 50 acre woodland estate near Camberley, Surrey, England, It is owned by the Theosophical Society (Adyar) in England and has been a Spiritual Centre since 1929. The sale to a developer is surrounded by secrecy but news is now leaking out and many are unhappy.

 

Tekels Park has always been a great source of pride to members of the Theosophical Society and this decision represents a fundamental change in attitude by the leadership.

 

 

_______________

 

What Could This Mean ?

 

A Deer in the Snow

 

Concerns are now being raised about the fate of the deer and other wildlife as Tekels Park in Camberley, Surrey is being sold to a developer.The theosophical Society in England leadership have simply stated in the Theosophical “Insight” journal that the part is being sold without explanation. The was not headlined but rather tucked away in the magazine and many members have missed it.

 

 

Tekels Park is sanctuary for animal wildlife including deer, foxes, squirrels, badgers, bats, newts and stoats, and for birdlife including sparrowhawks, woodpeckers, tawny owls and many more. There are many species of trees including 3 types of redwood, ginkgo, eucalyptus, red oak, tall magnolias and lebanese cedars.

 

 

 

The effect on the wildlife will be devastating and of particular concern is the fate of the deer. Although afforded protection from cruelty under UK Law, they are not a protected species and could be slaughtered. As with badgers, any reduction in their foraging area could mean starvation although in the case of deer, their plight would be more obvious and all would have to be killed.

 

 

 

Part of Tekels Park is designated as a ‘Site of Nature Conservation Interest’ (SNCI). Unfortunately this designation carries no statutory protection. There appears to be some misunderstanding of the SNCI status with many believing that the park is protected when in fact it simply means that the flora and fauna are monitored by various environmental and conservation agencies.

 

 

Badgers have been residents of

Tekels Park for Centuries

 

Badger setts are protected by law but there is concern that development will destroy the badgers’ foraging area, on which they depend.

 

Protection for badgers’ foraging area is less clearly defined than for setts and developers can legally use heavy machinery 30 metres from the entrance to a sett and dig manually at 10 metres.

 

The minimum foraging area for a badger sett is around 30 acres and as Tekels Park is 50 acres surrounded by urban development and the M3 motorway, even a small level of development could wipe out the badgers.

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Anger & Dismay

 

 

There is widespread anger and dismay at decision to sell Tekels Park to a developer. The Theosophical movement is shocked to hear the news and many of the English Society’s 200 members had no idea this was happening as the leadership made no official announcement at the time the decision was taken. A brief reference was made on page 21 of the final issue of the now defunct Insight Magazine in February 2010 but this does not mention that the sale is to a developer.

 

This quotation gives some idea of the importance of Tekels Park to the Theosophical Movement.

“I know many people in the TS (Theosophical Society) and Theosophical Movement think of Tekels Park as their spiritual home. Long may we retain this wonderful heritage for the Theosophical Movement”

Theosophical Society in England member for over 40 years, Margaret Stagg, writing in Insight Magazine in 2004. (Insight Magazine Winter 2004) Margaret was also Senior Knight of the International Order of the Round Table, which has organised annual camps at Tekels Park for young people every year since the early 1950s.

 

After some uncertainty, Tekels Park camps have so far gone ahead even though the young people attending will certainly have been aware of the fate of the park and the inevitable impact on the wildlife. Any agreement regarding the future use of Tekels Park by Theosophical groups will be difficult to enforce.

 

 

Tekels Park was purchased for the Theosophical Society in England in 1929. It has been the home of many Theosophical Groups including Camberley Lodge of the Theosophical Society, the Theosophical Society’s Esoteric Section, the Retreat Society and the Liberal Catholic Church. Some Spiritual Groups have had a long association with both the Theosophical Society and Tekels Park and feel badly let down.

 

Although the Tekels Park Guest House is still being used for Theosophical Society events, many now feel unable to stay there, knowing what may now happen to the park and the wildlife. No mention is made of the sale on the Tekels Park Guest House website and many may still arrive there oblivious to the situation.

 

Madeleine Leslie-Smith, a long-term resident of Tekels Park wrote 'A personal recollection' in 1996. She commented: Tekels Park is in reality a mini Nature reserve ... It is up to us to preserve it from encroachment so that it may increasingly become a centre of Peace and dynamic spirituality”

 

 

 

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St Francis Church

Dedicated to St Francis of Assisi

Located on the Tekels Park Estate

Place of worship of the Liberal Catholic Church

 

Disquiet amongst Liberal Catholic Church

Members over loss of control of the building

 

St Francis Church

 

St Francis Church was registered as a place of worship in 1931 by the Liberal Catholic Church

 

The St Francis Church Altar

 

There is disquiet amongst Liberal Catholic Church members that although St Francis Church may not face demolition, they will only be allowed to use the building courtesy of the new owner of Tekels Park and that the building may be made available to other groups.

 

The Liberal Catholic Church was founded by a member of the Theosophical Society in 1915 and has remained an integral part of the Theosophical Movement.

 

Selling the Gift

A great loss to the Theosophical Movement

 

The St Francis church building was a gift from Theosophical Society and Liberal Catholic Church member Josephine Chambres in 1930. This is a consecrated church and the Theosophical Movement will be spiritually poorer for its loss.

 

 

St Francis of Assisi

Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment

 

St Francis of Assisi (1182 -1226)

Born in Assisi, Umbria, Italy.

St Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals and the

Environment. These must have been important

considerations in dedicating a church in his name

but the association appears now to be inconvenient

to the Tekels Park management.

 

The Bishops C W Leadbeater (left) and

James Ingall Wedgwood at Tekels Park in 1930

Bishop Wedgwood was the founder of the

Liberal Catholic Church.

Despite the long tradition at Tekels Park, the

Liberal Catholic Church are making no effort to

save their church.

 

 

The Liberal Catholic Church

 

The Liberal Catholic Church came into existence as the result of a complete re-organization in 1915-16 of the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain upon a more liberal basis. That Church derived its orders from the Old Catholic archiepiscopal see of Utrecht in Holland. It is neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant. It is called Liberal Catholic because its outlook is both liberal and Catholic. It aims at combining Catholic forms of worship, stately ritual, deep mysticism and witness to the reality of sacramental grace with the widest measure of intellectual liberty and respect for the individual conscience.
(From the Statement of Principles of The Liberal Catholic Church, eight edition, 1986)

 

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The Tekels Park Guest House

__________________

 

Theoversity Position Compromised

As Compassion for Animals Becomes

A Sensitive Issue

 

The Theoversity was established by the Theosophical Society in England (Adyar) in 2006 to promote Theosophical teachings. Compassion for animals was certainly therefore part of the Theoversity’s agenda. Developments at Tekels Park have compromised the Theoversity’s position and since March 2011 Theoversity activites have now ceased.

 

The Diploma in Theosophy Course now being offered by the Theosophical Society in England appears to leave out the sensitive subject of Compassion for Animals.

 

____________________

 

Who’s Behind the Sale ?

 

The whole deal is shrouded in so much secrecy that even the majority of the Theosophical Society’s actual card carrying members don’t appear to know what is happening but here are some contact points.

 

Tekels Park is owned by;

 

The Theosophical Society in England (Adyar)

50 Gloucester Place

London W1U-8EA

 

Tel 0207 563 9817

www.theosoc.org.uk

office@theosoc.org.uk

 

Please note that there is more than one Theosophical Society. Only the Theosophical Society with its headquarters at Gloucester Place, London is connected to Tekels Park. This is generally known as the Theosophical Society (Adyar) as its international headquarters are in Adyar, India.

 

The Theosophical Society administers the Tekels Park Estate through a limited company

 

The Tekels Park Estate Limited

4-6 Church Road, Burgess Hill,

West Sussex

RH15 9AE,

 

It is reported on some newsboards that the Tekels Park Estate Limited hope to get £6Million for the Estate but this may be optimistic at this difficult economic time. Members are at a loss to know why the leadership ignored professional advice in 2009 not to sell Tekels Park

 

 

______________________

 

 

Suggestions to save

Tekels Park are ignored

 

Many people including myself, have submitted suggestions to the Theosophical Society in England headquarters for helping to save Tekels Park for wildlife and Theosophy but all seem

to have been ignored. There has been no members’ open forum on the future of Tekels Park as this would allow a platform for grass roots members to express opposition to the sale and also may draw unwanted attention.

 

 

Do you have a suggestion for

saving Tekels Park

for wildlife and Theosophy?

 

I don’t normally have two ideas to rub together but I’ve sent a few suggestions in to the Theosophical Society in England headquarters in London.(no reply – probably in the bin).

There are many, in addition to Theosophists who would have an interest in saving Tekels Park, including conservationists, environmentalists, those concerned with animal welfare and local residents. Tekels Park is a venue within walking distance of Camberley centre and the potential for generating ideas is enormous, and so far untapped. If you have a constructive idea for saving Tekels Park, I will be happy to publish it on this website. I won’t publish your details if you want to remain anonymous. So please email me, Dave Marsland with your idea on davemarsland@aardvarktheosophy.co.uk

 

 

When one looks at how the sale of Tekels Park to a

 developer will affect the wildlife and St Francis

Church, it is easy to see why the Tekels Park

management have tried to keep it quiet.

 

______________________

 

Using Tekels Park

After

It’s Been Sold ?

 

What’s that all about ?

 

Reports have appeared on the internet that

there will be an agreement between the

Theosophical Society in England and

the developer, by which the Society will be

able to use Tekels Park, after it has been

sold to the developer.

 

Even if this is true, and many members don’t

actually believe it, the following questions arise;

 

Whose lawyers are drawing up this agreement ?

 

Will the Theosophical Society in England members

get to see it before it is signed ?

 

Has a legal opinion as to the enforceability of

any such agreement been obtained ?

 

Will the Theosophical Society in England

have to pay to use Tekels Park ?

 

______________________

 

 

 

____________________

 

 

 

From the Website Owner:- Dave Marsland

 

I am dedicated to the future of the Tekels Park animals and have created this website in support of saving them.

 

My main concern in posting information on this, and related websites, is to draw attention to the sale of the 50 acre sanctuary for wildlife to a property developer and the inevitable deaths of the animals by slaughter or habitat destruction.

 

The killing of the Tekels Park animals would be an obscenity and as a long standing student of Theosophy, I cannot turn a blind eye.

 

I maintain that the Tekels Park management and the Theosophical Society in England leadership have attempted to keep the fate of the Park and its wildlife from public attention and the attention of the Theosophical Society in England members.

 

Dave Marsland

 

You may contact me on davemarsland@aardvarktheosophy.co.uk

 

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Future of Tekels Park Badgers Now in Doubt

 

St Francis Church

 

Concerns about Tekels Park Wildlife

 

Tekels Park & The Loch Ness Monster

 

Party On! Tekels Park NOT! 

 

The Tekels Park Minstrel

He doesn’t have a Diploma in Theosophy

but he certainly has a Diploma in Satirical Singing

 

 

Tekels Park Badgers

Once Highly Valued by the

Theosophical Society in England

 

Theosophy Tekels Park

Article describing Tekels Park and its much

cherished wildlife by Theosophist and long

term Tekels Park Resident Madeleine Leslie Smith

 

Theoversity Compromised by

Tekels Park Wildlife Issue

 

The Rejuvenation of

the Tekels Park Pond 1995

 

Hey Look!

Tekels Park is Being Sold to a Developer

 

 

The Theosophical Movement will be spiritually

poorer with the loss of St Francis Church

 

 

The Toff’s Guide to Selling

Tekels Park to a Developer

 

White Flag Day

 

Website Owner:- Dave Marsland

davemarsland@aardvarktheosophy.co.uk

 

 

TEKELS PARK, CAMBERLEY, SURREY, ENGLAND, GU15-2LF