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Newsletter

November 2019 (no.80)
 
Hello,  <<First Name>>
We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please forward to anyone you think may be interested. We welcome comments and feedback, so please reply to this email if there is anything you would like to follow up.
The News

Can't stop, won't stop

National CLT Network award
 
The National Community Land Trust Network awards ceremony was held in Birmingham this month to champion people and projects from around the country that have achieved great things in the past year.  Monica won the award in the 'Can’t stop, won’t stop' category. Of eight nominees, she was chosen because she has worked tirelessly for a decade to help bring our development of 53 affordable eco houses to fruition, and is an unpaid wonder!
This project could easily have fallen apart so many times. We have faced incredibly difficult challenges from our stakeholder partners, renegotiating agreements with 3 different housing association partners over the years and dealing with the impacts of successive government policies. We have learned to navigate our way through an extremely complicated access agreement with NHS lawyers, and work our way through the local planning process, submitting various plans on a piece of land which has involved buying it in different phases. We have had  to find ways of financing ourselves through grant applications, loans, members' deposits  and community loan schemes. It has been a bit like being on a ghost train ride! You are going along nicely when something scary jumps out and you do a 90 degree turn that takes you on a different path until the next scary thing jumps out!
Monica has never lost her nerve, or her calm; just got on with the job in hand in a most professional and diligent way. Her patience, empathy, good humour and experience all combine to make a truly exceptional person, so it is no wonder that in the category 'Can’t stop, won’t stop' she was declared overall winner.

Lin

The NCLT people are very 'green minded' and don't go in for flashy awards - theirs are understated, but very significant.
The goose award is given in mind of how geese fly in formation - the one at the front working a bit harder than the others to create a slipstream and its position taken up by another goose when it gets tired.
Lin
 A round table lunch meeting at the London School of Economics to discuss
 
Bridport Cohousing - a report by Jim Hudson
 
On Friday 20th September, Lin and I had a lunch date with Charles Couzens, Jim Hudson, Judith and 13 others at the London School of Economics. We were all contributing to a discussion of the report that Jim has been commissioned to prepare for Bridport Cohousing to look at the expected social and environmental benefits of Bridport Cohousing.  

The benefits to residents are well researched and understood, but the impact outside of the group is something that BC has had to think about in the past, when preparing presentations to councils and funders, and particularly in our planning application.  Now we have the additional benefit of those with wider experience in the housing sector bringing that experience to our project.
 
We were welcomed by Kath Scanlon of the LSE and with food on our plates we took our places at the table and all introduced ourselves.  It was really great to see such a range of people from a variety of organisations gathering for the benefit of cohousing in general, and Bridport Cohousing in particular.
 
Between us, Judith, Lin and I gave a brief introduction to BC, and Charles added relevant professional information.  Specific parts of the draft report were read out and the conversation began.  It was fascinating to hear other people bringing their experience to bear on Jim’s work, developing and connecting ideas.
 
http://www.lse.ac.uk/geography-and-environment/research/lse-london/documents/Reports/Bridport-cohousing-report.pdf 
 
As we were due to finish at 2.00pm, some left for other appointments, and some of us teased out the issues a little more.  Then there were some personal conversations, including lots of good guidance from Sheila and Shirley before Lin, Jess and I made our way through Parliament Square where climate protesters were dispersing. Eventually we said goodbye to Jess and 12 hours after leaving Bridport, we were back home, ready to relax and reflect on the day’s events.
 
Present were:
Shirley Meredeen and Sheila Nicholson - of Older Women’s Co-Housing, London
Melissa Fernandez - of Lancaster University, working with Jim Hudson
Iqbal Hamiduddin - of the Bartlett (School of Architecture and Planning), University College, London; specialist in rural planning and self-build housing, and second supervisor for Jim Hudson’s PhD.
Jess Haigh - of Barefoot Architects  (BC’s architects)
Zohra Chiheb - an architect, working with Croydon Council on enabling Community Led Development.  (Zohra visited BC a few years ago and has developed her interest in cohousing.)
Simon Henley - of Henley Halebrown, architects of Copper Lane, London’s first cohousing scheme
Stephen Hill - an independent public interest practitioner, currently Chair of the UK Cohousing Network.
Andrea Jones - of Good Health Projects, Managing a programme of community led housing in Brighton & Hove; recently completed her PhD exploring the experience of older members in cohousing.
John Goodman - Chair of the UK cohousing Trust;
Levent Kerimol - of Community Led Housing, London
Nigel Kersey - of The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 
 
Monica, with input from Jim Hudson.
 

New members

 
!!!
 
A warm welcome to Neil

!!!

       
B C Events


OPEN EVENTS

~for future neighbours to meet ~
~for members and friends to drop by for a chat ~
~for asking questions about bc and about becoming a member
and buying or renting an eco-home.
~
Please check on our website to make sure the event has not been changed or cancelled. (This does occasionally happen.)
If you wish to let us know you are coming or ask any questions,
please 'phone the bc line on 07907 993587.
If you have an idea for a fun thing to do or a place to visit,
please share with Devi on 07507 325120.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

November events

Sunday 3rd November, 2 to 4pm, gardening on the bc allotment at
 

on the 'to North Mills' road, off st Swithins Road.
Don't miss our last meeting this year!  Our next will be in spring 2020!
An opportunity to engage gently with nature and enjoy a compulsory teabreak.  Families welcome.
(weather permitting) 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wednesday 6th November, 10:30am - 12 noon

 coffee 
at

Barrack Street


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wednesday 12th November, 7 -9 pm


61 South Street
Skill-free fun. Children welcome!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sunday 17th november, 2-5pm,

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS
Presentation at the Town Hall
  (See poster below)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday 21st November, 2:30-4:00pm


 at the Ivy House, Groves Nurseries,
74 West Bay Road.

  Ask at the bar if you can't find us.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sunday 24th November, 10:30am - 12noon

 from Bucky-Doo to Hazelmead
  (Weather dependent.)

Gentle walk taking in beautiful views of the field from Allington Hill. Children and dogs welcome!  Please check website in case of cancellation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There's so much to talk about between ourselves and with our friends.
These informal get-togethers are open to everyone interested
in our cohousing project at Hazelmead.

We look forward to seeing you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sunday 17th November, 2 to 5pm

Bridport Town Hall,
 East Street, Bridport DT6 3LF



Bridport Cohousing ~
 
an affordable choice for local people 

Free, but ticketed via Eventbrite https://bit.ly/2kG2fNl

 Places are limited so please only take a ticket if you are a local person
under 60* and genuinely interested in finding out more.

An afternoon of short talks on our cohousing project
and affordable housing at Hazelmead.

Homes are available for social rent or shared ownership (25% to 75%).

Lots of time for questions:
find out about becoming a member
  and how to register for a home.

We are looking for
young people, families and first time buyers
who live locally to join us

now !

*
please note that our quota for over-60s is already full.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Note to members
Please offer to anchor events on the events spreadsheet
and remember to update the calendar of members' meetings and events.
In and around Bridport

  Dorset Woodhub  

Woodhubs are emerging across the UK. Their aim is to promote active woodland management and support development. This includes the use of local materials, especially in affordable housing.
Woodhubs can also provide workspaces, specialist equipment and training. Dorset Woodhub, a new Community Benefit Society, is running a series of events to explore what a Woodhub could deliver for us in Dorset.
Open to all with an interest in using and revitalising our local woodlands and woodland economy.

        for Dorset Woodhub on fb:    click here
        for November events flyer      click here
 


 Permaculture Garden
Litton Cheney
Sunday 3rd November from 10am.

Volunteer gardening days in an idyllic setting with delicious food and stimulating conversation.
Please text Pat 0790 096 3228 a day or two beforehand to give her numbers for food.

Word Forest Event with Film Screening and Q&A


more information here


Autumn from Allington Hill                                                         Suzanne

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There is a growing problem with displaying photos taken on smart phones. Sometimes images appear sideways or upside down or squashed.  It seems to originate in the coded instructions attached to the picture by the phone so that it knows how to display it.  Other devices and programs sometimes can't interpret these instructions. It is possible to adjust or override the instructions when taking the picture, or when saving it.  I have not yet found a way to disable the misleading code before inserting an image into the newsletter.  If anyone knows, please share! 
My apologies to anyone whose beautiful photos have been randomly compromised.
P.

photo: Suzanne

Links
bridport            cohousing
bridport cohousing            sales & rentals microsite
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UK Cohousing Network
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Bridport Cohousing CLT · 7 Hazelmead · Hospital Lane · Bridport, Dorset DT6 5FQ · United Kingdom

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