BIM Logo Bristol Insight Meditation

Trustees are elected by our registered Supporter group. There is the opportunity for new Trustees to join each year when we hold our Annual General Meeting.  Our constitution allows us to have up to 12 Trustees. Currently we have 6. However, 2 of our trustees are stepping down soon, so we’d love to hear from you if you are interested in the role.

What does it mean to be a Trustee? Trustees take the legal responsibility for the smooth running of the organisation. Currently this is not an onerous responsibility as our organisation is quite small, nevertheless it is important that trustees are willing to play their part in ensuring:

  • that Bristol Insight stays focused and achieves its objectives for the benefit of the wider community (see below for our charity objective statement)
  • that our activities are open to all to enjoy in a safe and respectful environment
  • that our resources are used effectively and appropriately
  • that Bristol Insight is open and accountable to the Charity Commission, our supporters, people participating in activities and the wider community.

To be a trustee a person needs to:

  • be at least 16 and eligible to be a trustee
  • be a Supporter of Bristol Insight Meditation
  • act in the best interests of Bristol Insight Meditation
  • not profit personally from their role.

The jobs carried out by the trustee group are centred on:

  • developing future plans and strategy
  • overseeing our activities
  • developing our communications
  • ensuring our funds and other resources are used effectively and appropriately

How much time will I need to give to the role?

Trustees usually stand for 3 years. However you can stand down before then if need be. At present trustee meetings of 1.5 hours happen every two months. At present our meetings are online. There’s sometimes up to 30 minutes of follow up activity, which means that the time commitment is roughly an hour or so a month.

Our charity objective

In June 2015 that the Charity Commission accepted the following objective for Bristol Insight: To advance the education of the public in the subject of meditation and the teachings of the Buddha in particular but not exclusively by supporting and encouraging the study and practice of Buddhist insight meditation (also known as Vipassana meditative practice) for the benefit of people in Bristol and the surrounding areas.

How to I become a trustee?

If you have relevant skills and a keen interest in the above you would be welcome to put yourself forward as a trustee. Please have a look at our information about Bristol Insight Meditation before the Annual Sangha Celebration Day and then if you want more information, or want to put yourself forward please get in touch with us at bristolinsightmeditation@gmail.com he will be happy to have a chat about it. More information on being a trustee can also be found here on the Charity Commission’s website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved

 

Current trustees

Christine Ramsey-Wade

Christine has had a daily meditation practice since 2009, and retreats regularly to Gaia House in Devon and Satipanya in Shropshire.  She joined the trustees in 2020.  After a short foray into slam poetry, she now works as a counselling psychologist, mindfulness researcher, psychology lecturer, and mindful eating teacher.

Joss James

Joss joined the trustees in 2020 having practised meditation since 1988 and Insight practise since 2008. She is on the day retreats organising team and co facilitates the introduction to meditation groups. She is an art therapist, and mindfulness teacher with many years service in the NHS, charity and education sectors as well as private practise.

Morag Ruffell

Morag joined the trustees in 2022 having practiced meditation since 2011 and Insight meditation since 2016. She co-leads communications for the charity and also helps to facilitate some of the meditation groups. Morag is a Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with experience working in the NHS and charity sectors. She is currently working in private practice in Bristol. She likes to paint, dance, and create music alongside her therapeutic work.

Lesley Wye

Lesley joined the trustees in summer 2019 and has a background in health services research. She started practising insight meditation in 2008. She has been attending Bristol Insight Meditation events, mainly the self-led group which she co-facilitates, since 2015. Lesley runs the nature meditation monthly group and is keen to introduce others to the many benefits of outdoor practice.

Maddy Longley

Maddy has had a daily meditation practise since 2011 and with Bristol Insight since 2020. She has a background in teaching and public sector administration. She is new to the role of trustee and would like to reach out to those from a Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently underrepresented in our sangha. She has attended retreats at Gaia House.

Nadja Klose

Nadja joined the Bristol Insight Meditation trustees in 2025. She has practiced meditation since her early 20s, and found Bristol Insight after a retreat at Gaia House in 2024. She has an academic background in Cultural Studies and Environmental Psychology, and professional experience in the social care and charity sector. Being neurodivergent herself, she has a particular interest in how neurodivergence might affect mindfulness and meditation practice, and vice versa.