Speakers from established cohousing communities:

• Sarah Berger, Project Manager, UK Cohousing Network
• Melanie Nock, Community Project, Laughton Lodge
• Alan Heeks, Threshold Centre
• David Michael and Max Comfort, Springhill

Speakers from developing cohousing communities:

• Mark Westcombe, Forge Bank Community
• Berkshire Cohousing
• Older Womens Cohousing (OWCH), London

A once-in-a-lifetime UK opportunity to learn from the experiences of keynote speakers Chuck Durrett and Katie McCamant, award-winning Californian architects who pioneered cohousing in the USA and wrote the book `Cohousing'. Chuck and Katie have been involved in over 50 cohousing projects and the conference provides an opportunity to discuss with them the factors for ensuring success.

Chuck's keynote address will discuss: site feasibility, design priorities, overcoming obstacles and planning for project completion. Katie McCamant will examine the process of getting it built from the perspectives as a developer and architect in addition to running a workshop on marketing . Other workshops will include: finance/legal structures, getting going, group structure, overcoming barriers & more still to be determined. Speakers will include representatives from pioneering UK groups talking about developing cohousing as well as building and living in community.

Now is the time. Cohousing is attracting increasing interest from government and housing professionals as a model for building a sustainable communities. The Government's HAPPI report (Housing for an Ageing Population - Panel of Innovation) advised the government to adopt and promote cohousing as one of their key recommendations last December. The Homes and Communities Agency has welcomed bids for eligible costs within cohousing projects within its 2008 – 11 prospectus. Synergy Housing and Hanover Housing are pioneering partnerships with several cohousing groups and a number of other housing associations are showing interest.

There's a printable PDF with all this information in at the bottom of this page.

For more information or if you have any questions, email events@cohousing.org.uk

Do you want a stall at the conference?

Free to cohousing groups. All other organisations - £50.

Stall holders need to set up by 8.45 am. A limited number of stalls & display spaces are available.

Please register your interest in having a stall by emailing the following information to:

events@cohousing.org.uk

- by 15th April 2010. Confirmation if space has been allocated will be sent on the 19th April.

Delegate information:

• Organisation/Cohousing group, if any.
• Title, Full Name
• Organisation
• Email
• Address
• Tel No
• Would you like stall &/or display boards if available? - If yes, please specify which.