June at Oru Space 🌞

Valuing Humans, Celebrating Refugees.

There Simply Isn’t Enough Outrage.

Hello from Vibushan.

Refugee week this year takes a bigger prominence for us than ever before. Oru is a proudly anti-racist organisation, we are a B Corp, we are accessible, and to date, more than 100% of our profit has gone into social impact, through many various means. Oru means one, for one, Oneness. It is this Oneness that we are trying to cultivate, and I hope that is felt.

There are many things we are trying to do here. One of the main things we are trying to do is not to ask you to be a reduced version of yourselves, to not ask you to conform, and not to target you as a customer profile. This is a place that is safe for marginalised people and communities and will always be.

The local economy is what we are interested in; it is greed that we are suffering from. I truly believe that a lot of our problems economically, societally are a result of the greed of a few, and slowly it feels like we are beginning to understand this on a greater scale.

We're empowered with more information than we ever have had. But this comes at a cost…there is a lot of information, and we can't trust all the information and technology is finding new ways to manipulate us and divide us. We need to find new ways to connect with each other, to prioritise in-person things and to not base our whole understanding of life on what we see and read on a screen, because we are being segmented…. we are being distracted, what is happening in Palestine is a travesty.

I am also a refugee born in Sri Lanka and am now very privileged to have a safer life in the UK with my family. We as a family had many harrowing stories, we had lost family members, including a grandfather to a landmine, we are from a people who were treated as second-class citizens in Sri Lanka. On channel 4, you can see a documentary called Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields. And you will see the terrifying similarities of what’s happening in Palestine, and that is why we are standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are subjected to a genocide, as our people once were. Two years after I was born, we were helped out of the country and into the UK. We were in a council flat in Kingston, McDonald House, for 7 years until we found our own way.

This makes me think about the Palestinian people a lot. They aren't granted the asylum and refugee status that we were, there seems to be less empathy for Palestinian people, and there simply isn’t enough outrage.

On Saturday, I was delighted to give an opening speech for Brutiful Tales, held by Samia and featuring special guest Nadia Sawalha. The event was powerful and beautiful, we had an amazing turnout in our Sutton Town Hall, and we finished up on the roof, accompanied by some amazing music curated by Paolo Tossio. It was a great night.

If you have any ideas about how we can continue to help and raise awareness for Refugees, please get in contact with me at vib@oruspace.co

What Does Community Really Mean?

Last week’s theme for Refugee Week was ‘Community As a Super Power’, and last month’s theme for Mental Health Week was also ‘Community’; this all seemed very fitting to us at Oru. Community is something that we are always thinking about and trying to cultivate.  It got us thinking, though, what does community actually mean? And how do you truly cultivate community?

We are living in a world where we struggle to stay connected to each other. With so many things to distract us, to take us away from human-to-human interactions, the concept of community is getting watered down. We know first-hand that community exists outside of the realm of convenience; it’s something that needs to be cultivated and created with thought and intention. The word community is used a lot, but is it just the latest buzzword?

We have worked really hard to ensure that Oru is a space that feels safe for all. A space where everyone can come and feel comfortable expressing themselves fully. Whether that’s through Chatty Wednesdays or Community Meditation, or if you’re just coming to grab a coffee! The times we are living through are tough. It is important to us that during these times, Oru is seen as a safe space, a space where you know you will be welcomed as your whole self.

Refugee Week : Community As A Super Power

Refugee Week is really important to us here at Oru. We wanted to do as much as we could to both celebrate Refugee Week and raise awareness by centring refugee voices, amplifying untold stories, and challenging the systems that make displacement necessary in the first place.

We started off the week in Trinco Dulwich with a community cook-up for a local charity that provides shelter for Refugees and people seeking Asylum. We’ve been hosting community cook-ups since before Oru even opened its doors, back in 2019, when we were still a building site! It's something we will continue to do without fail, and is super important to us.

We then held a Film Screening + Discussion in partnership with an amazing charity, Refugees At Home. We showed three films that explored stories of belonging in different and beautiful ways. This was followed by a powerful Q&A and discussion with Refugees At Home and three guests, sharing more about their experience working with the charity and providing information about how others can get involved. If you want to find out more about Refugees At Home, please head to their website!

We finished the week on Saturday with Brutiful Tales, a powerful and moving event held by Samia which detailed her trip to the occupied state of Palestine earlier this year and informed the start of her new art project, with the aim to share the stories of those currently living through the genocide in Palestine. This was followed by an art project on the roof, accompanied by Solidarity-infused grooves curated by Paolo Tossio DJ & Friends and rooftop cocktails and pizzas!  

Over the past few months, we’ve shared powerful moments together that have left us buzzing with connection. This summer, we’re weaving even more magic into our community. Join us for The Fully Expressed Woman circle in Dulwich, soak in the sun at our Rooftop Sessions, or dive into Inspired Conversations exploring topics like understanding ADHD. With a line-up of deeply restorative workshops designed to nourish your body and mind. Let’s keep growing, learning, and connecting — head to our website to see what’s on and book your space now.

100 + Classes A Week. Rooftop Views. A Whole Community.

The Oru Dulwich Wellness community is thriving. With yoga, pilates, barre, sound healing, meditation & more – there is something for everyone. This June, we are doing 50% off of our Unlimited Wellness Memberships guest passes, and free breakfast every Tuesday and loads more benefits.

Whether you're starting your wellness journey or deepening your existing practice, this is the perfect time to move, breathe and belong. Ready to move, breathe and connect? Join the Oru Wellbeing Community!

We Are Launching Our First Ever Teaching Programme!

We are launching a brand new course to help teachers develop their teaching skills and confidence. This course is for anyone with a 200-hour YTT certification, and is Yoga Alliance accredited for 28 CPD hours and will commence on the 15th November later this year and will be taught over 3 consecutive Saturdays. This course also includes 1-1 mentoring from experienced senior Oru Space teachers, Shruti, Sammy and Erin!

This is our first teaching educational program in yoga and we have selected some incredible teachers to be part of the mentoring for this course!

Elemental Yoga Retreat in Portugal

Last week, we held our third retreat in Valle De Moses, Portugal, taught by the amazing Christie Knight. The retreat centre is surrounded by nature and immersed in the elements, with a natural water pool! We always make sure to prioritise food, nature and connection on our retreats at Oru, and we hope that everyone leaves feeling restored, grounded and with a stronger sense of community and hopefully a new network of friends!

We have already received some lovely testimonials from last week, one of them being: “The retreat in ‘Valle de Moses’ is a special experience. The location is unique. Steep-sided wooded mountains surround you. The silence is inspiring; you sleep like a log. The practice space is glass on three sides, so you feel like you’re floating in the sky, hanging off the side of the mountain. The food is imaginative and plentiful. I’ve been there twice, and both groups couldn’t help but blossom and bond in the context. Highly recommended.”

Our next retreat will be in the Sri Lankan Mountains in February. Head to our website to find out more. We hope you can experience some retreat magic soon…

We are so excited to bring Trinco evenings to Sutton this summer. Our menu brings a playful and vibrant twist to Sri Lankan-inspired cuisine, served from our rooftop kitchen in the heart of Sutton. From small snacks to shareable dishes and bold pizzas, everything is made from scratch using seasonal ingredients, including herbs and produce from our own rooftop garden. Expect comforting flavours, house-made pizza dough, and an infusion of traditional Sri Lankan spices with a modern, creative touch. Sutton Trinco Evenings are currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 16:00.

From Garden To Plate!

This week, we made a Cherry, Blueberry & Blackberry cake all sourced from our Rooftop Garden in Sutton AND made with Eggs from our Chickens! This cake represents a real victory in our ongoing mission to close the loop here at Oru! Our garden is blooming; full of fresh fruit, veg and herbs, and our Chickens are laying eggs! This is a huge success for us. We want you to join us on this continued journey as we try to source as much of our produce as we can from right here on site.

We hope that this inspires you to make small changes in your own kitchen and home. As we step into a new age, we are being called to learn what it means to become more self-sufficient. How exciting would it be if we could all step closer towards closing the loop within our own homes, within our lives!

So Much More Than Just A Retreat Center

At the beginning of the month, we travelled to Oru El Saltador in the Sierra Alhamilla hills, arriving as the sun softened over the landscape. We brought some of our team, along with a couple of our investors, to meet the wonderful Claudia, the current owner who has lovingly built and managed this site for over 27 years. We felt incredibly honoured to have been chosen to take on this project. It marked an exciting step forward in bringing Oru El Saltador to life, following a busy and inspiring few weeks.

Oru El Saltador will be so much more than just a Retreat centre. Re-wilding + Festivals + Food forest + Sustainability and wellbeing programs + Members and affiliates access outside of retreats.

Nestled within 81 acres of wild Andalusian land. A space for deep rest, creative connection, and regenerative living, where wellness, creativity, and nature will come together. We’re now raising investment to complete the purchase of the land, and we’re inviting you to be part of this chapter. Want to host a retreat with us? Want to invest or get involved?

Sutton Lunch Club

Hosted monthly at Trinco Sutton, the Sutton Lunch Club returns to Trinco Sutton each month, bringing together professionals from a variety of industries for an afternoon of engaging conversations, great food, and valuable networking. Whether you're keen to grow your network, exchange ideas, or discover new business opportunities, this welcoming event is a great platform to connect with like-minded individuals.

P.S: A robot did not write this newsletter. Seriously, none of it. We’re THAT good.

If you have an enquiry about Coworking, Wellness, Trinco or any aspect of Oru Space, please reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible: