International Collaborative Housing Conference, May 2010, Stockholm and Cohousing Tour of Sweden and Denmark

Would you like to...
... own part of a Jacobean manor? ... bring up your children in fifteen acres of freedom and opportunity? ... eat home-grown organic vegetables and fresh eggs? ... be entertained by musical & dramatic events in the Great Hall & Tithe Barn? ... join with us to get great pleasure from an amazing and beautiful place?

And would you enjoy...
... gardening organically in a walled garden? ... caring for chickens, sheep and Gloucester Old Spot pigs? ... maintaining and preserving a Grade 1 listed historic building? ... rebuilding drystone walls, mowing lawns and weeding flower borders? ... running the Cotswold Beer Festival and other public events? ... taking your share of community activities and meetings?

The Postlip Community celebrated its 40th birthday on July 3rd 2010, underlining our claim to be the oldest UK cohousing group. Postlippers old and new converged in brilliant sunshine on the tennis court glade and people who hadn’t seen one another for twenty years or more hugged and drank champagne. People who grew up here brought their children to play in the woods where they had played and the air was loud with “And do you remember when…? We drank to the absent friends around the world who couldn’t make it back, and to the next forty years.

Oxford CoHousing Group is a newly formed group, actively seeking out new members and land (ideally for new build) in, or very close to Oxford. If you are interested in joining or know of any potential sites in this area, please make contact with us via Fran Ryan 07889 209448, f...@peopleincharge.co.uk (click on 3 blue dots to get full email.)

If you would like to attend our next meeting at 7-9 pm on Tuesday, August 24th phone Fran Ryan (07889 209448) for details and for an update on where we have got to after our first two meetings.

Following the successful visit and sharing of expert cohousing knowledge by US architects Katie McCamant and Chuck Durrett in April 2010, interest was expressed in the possibility of internships for UK architects.

There was a buzz of excitement at the July 22 half-day conference in London, organised by the UK Cohousing Network. The theme was ‘Speeding the growth of Mixed-tenure Cohousing’, and there was a clear sense at this event that cohousing is moving rapidly from a bright idea into an attractive method of delivering the new priority of self-organised housing.

Members of local community group Lancaster Cohousing are celebrating after Lancaster City Council’s planning committee approved their plans to redevelop a 2.5 hectare derelict site by the River Lune at Halton, near Lancaster, to provide 40 new private homes, shared indoor and outdoor space and managed business space. The cohousing group is a mix of individuals, couples and families of all ages whose aim is to build eco-homes of a cutting edge sustainable design and create a friendly, supportive neighbourhood.

If your group seeks or has sought funds from the HCA for your cohousing proposal please complete the attached form. The HCA wishes to track emerging groups and understand what support might be needed. This information is important for the development of the cohousing sector.

Prospect Co-Housing has been meeting in Devon roughly once a month since June 2009, including 2 new members meetings and hiring a hostel for the weekend.
There are now 7 Full members, 5 Potential members and 2 Associate members plus lots of Friends of Prospect
The age range of Full members is 23-66 (average age 51) plus 2 young children and 1 dog
We have made contact with planning and financial consultants. In the process we have learned a lot about the planning system, more or less decided on a legal and financial structure and are in the process of writing a business plan.

A new wave of people have signed-up to definitely live in the LILAC cohousing development. Amanda, Jenny, Elinor, Brenda, Clive, Sarah and Robin are all new members. It is great to have more people on-board committed to making LILAC happen and being part of the design process. 8 of the 20 households are now confirmed. We also have some new “prospective members” who are very seriously considering joining up.