Our Story
The founding Vision for the Tara Centre, (June 1996), arose out of a holistic world view which cherishes a sense of the sacred in all forms of life and which promotes a way of living whereby diversity can be experienced as potential enrichment and pain can be engaged with as the raw material of deep personal transformation.
Acutely aware of the intense suffering throughout society here in Northern Ireland in those pre Good Friday days, and keen to make a difference, there was a strong focus on addressing not only the symptoms of that pain but also its root causes with a view to affecting a deep and lasting transformation of society.
Mind-sets had to change at a deep level not least of which was to embrace the belief that suffering, engaged with and worked through, can become the gateway to a whole new, significantly enriched life experience, one drenched in the life-transforming experience of healing not only at the physical level but also at the emotional, psychological and soul levels.
Throughout the past 25 years, practical expression has been given to the aspirations of this Vision by developing and delivering a multi-disciplinary range of healing and life-enhancing initiatives to the community.
For fully ten years, (1998 – 2008), the late poet, philosopher, spiritual guide, and author, John O’ Donohue, presented a one-day seminar at the Centre. John put on record the following statement about Tara:
The dream of peace is realised through the awakening, healing and integration of all the dimensions of the human heart. The Tara Centre is at the frontier of this exciting transformation.
Testimonials abound to the fact that at the Tara Centre people often find a new direction for their lives. They come in touch with inner resources and discover that there are others who share their values about life and its meaning, thus finding inspiration in a communal quest. They come to know that healing and transcending life’s pain and trauma brings them home to the sanctuary of their soul, that portal through which we all gain entry to an awareness of our life’s purpose and its gift of deep healing and inner peace.
Never was this inner connectedness more needed than at the present time when our planet is ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. At Tara, a very resolute approach was adopted from the outset to adapt, in an appropriate and feasible manner, to these new challenges in order to be of service to the community as we find our way into the unknown.
No stone will remain unturned to honour Tara’s commitment to continue throughout this pandemic, and long after, to be “… in the service of healing, peace and holistic wellbeing”.
Core Values and Ethical Principles, inspired by the Tara Centre’s founding Vision, inform every aspect of life throughout the Company.
Together they underpin and inform the entire living culture of the organization.
- Integrity
- Respect for all
- Compassion
- Confidentiality
- Transparency
- Accountability
Profile of Tara’s Governance Structures
Members
The Members are the custodians of the vision, ethos and values of the Company; they appoint the Board of Directors and the Auditors, make decisions regarding any alteration of the Articles of Association of the Company and other decisions so required by statute.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors runs the Centre on behalf of the Members and takes full responsibility for developing an appropriate strategy to this end, implementing the strategy, assessing risk, making commercial decisions and ensuring good governance.
Management Team
The Management Team holds delegated authority from the Board of Directors to implement the strategy on behalf of the Board and takes responsibility for managing the organisation within the legislation as set out in the Companies Act 2006.
Accountability
The Members are responsible for remaining true to the founding vision of the Company. The Board of Directors is accountable to the Members. Management is accountable to the Board of Directors in line with agreed reporting protocols.