TCP

The Community Project

For more info: Rachel Rose
newmembers@thecommunityproject.com

The Community Project
23 Laughton Lodge
Laughton
East Sussex BN8 6BY

Tel: 01323 815724 (voice mail�please leave a message)

Introduction

The Community Project is a group of people who have jointly purchased a site on the edge of the small village of Laughton in East Sussex. There are 3 large buildings that have been converted into 16 family houses and 4 new houses have also been built. The 23 acres of land and a small number of other buildings on the site provide communal facilities for the group. Whilst maintaining the privacy of individual homes, the aim of the group is to live co-operatively, jointly managing the land and communal facilities, informally sharing skills and support and generally enjoying each other�s company. There is no one specific ideology which defines the group, but we are all keen on a spirit of community. We do not want an institutionalised feel, but we do want to be more than simply a housing estate. We want to live next door to people we know and trust.

Who are we?

We are a group of families and individuals, comprising 37 adults and 29 children, ranging in age from 2 months old to 65. The group consists mostly of families with one or more children, but there are also some single people. The land is shared communally and consists mainly of open meadow land, with some clumps of trees, and a larger patch of woodland. One large building, Shawfield, provides considerable communal facilities, including a hall, a large kitchen and dining area, meeting rooms, guest rooms and an office complex. Much refurbishment remains to be done. Two other buildings are still to be developed.

Structures

The Community Project is a company limited by guarantee. The company owns the freehold of all the land and buildings. Members purchase individual properties from the company by leasehold. All leaseholders are directors of the company. We were always keen to ensure that the project was water-tight from a legal point of view, and so the main structure has been set up with legal documents (memorandum and articles and leases.) These would ultimately provide recourse to the law if members did not meet their obligations. We believe clarity in this area is crucial.

All major decisions regarding the community are made by members at main group meetings. Wherever possible, decisions are made by consensus (to date all major decisions have been made by consensus). There is a fall-back voting procedure, and only directors of the company are eligible to vote. Many smaller, day to day decisions are made by sub-groups. Sub-groups also prepare information for discussion at main group meetings.

Finance

Members of the project purchase their properties leasehold from the company. At this point they also become directors of the company and share in common with the other directors the freehold of the site, including the land and communal buildings. Members are able to obtain mortgages to purchase in the normal way.

Members who wish to leave the project need to sell their leases. In order to maintain the land and buildings each household pays a monthly service charge. An annual amount is also paid into a development fund.

The life of the community

There are a number of ways in which the community meets and works together. Every Friday evening we have a pot luck supper together in Shawfield. It is not a compulsory event, but a good opportunity to meet up and chat informally. Once a month we have a work day, where we tackle tasks that need to be achieved either on the land or in the communal buildings. There are many informal gatherings and social events and many more formal meetings of subgroups and interest groups.

Finding out more about the community

People may want to know more because a) they are interested in becoming members of the community or b) they are considering setting up a community of their own.

a) Becoming a member of the community

All units are currently occupied and the 4 new build houses are sold. There is one studio flat currently occupied on a 6 months rental basis.

• If a person or family expresses an interest in becoming future resident members of the community, they are first sent this information pack and then if still interested, we ask them to write in, telling us a little about themselves. A visit will be arranged and it may be suggested that they come to the pot luck supper on a Friday to meet people or to a smaller supper with some members to talk more about the project. We would also suggest they attend a main group meeting as an observer. We would then suggest that they involve themselves in the life of the community. This could be by attending work days, coming to parties, visiting for weekends etc.

If someone wants to become a resident of the community, they need to wait until a suitable house becomes available to purchase. This could happen at any time, but may be some years after an initial interest is expressed. It will take effort on their part and the community�s part to maintain interest and commitment. If a house does become available, then there may be several people who would be interested in purchasing it. The group as a whole will decide who to offer the house to, after checking that candidates have the necessary finances. Factors that may be taken into consideration are the balance within the group (in terms of age, for example, or number of children). But of course the group will also be influenced by the degree to which the interested party has become involved in the project and the contribution they have made.

b) Advice and information on how to set up a community

We receive many enquiries from people at various stages on considering whether to try to set up or join a community. Currently we respond to these enquiries in two ways:

Option One: A one day introductory course on setting up a community is held from time to time. Participants can sometimes attend our potluck communal meal on Friday evening and stay the night and sometimes also stay night on Saturday. A charge is made for the course and for overnight stays.

Option Two: A tailor-made consultation taking the form of a one day workshop designed around the needs and situation of the particular group. An overnight stay would be optional. We would normally expect groups taking up this option to have been meeting for around six months as a minimum.