Information for Potential Residents (Buyers & Tenants)
What is Cohousing?
The essence of cohousing is a self-governing community with a combination of self-contained units and some shared facilities.
Each household has its own front door and can live independently.
Shared facilities at the Threshold Centre include communal space in the farmhouse for shared meals, social events, meetings, administration, meditation and accommodation for guests. We also enjoy shared laundry facilities, workshop, bike shed, large gardens with polytunnels and an orchard.
Our Vision Statement comes from the heart of our community, so it is important that it resonates with you:
Our vision as an intentional community is to live more sustainably in the full sense, treading as lightly as we can upon the planet, both individually and as a group.
Serving something greater than our own needs, we aim to create an environment that is nourishing and diverse, whilst deepening our spiritual awareness in everyday life and work.
What to expect:
If you’ve been living a “normal” life, moving into a community can be quite an adjustment! When you move in, do feel free to ask anyone for any help, support and information you need. This is not a therapeutic community, but that doesn’t mean we are not here for each other.
Membership
As a buyer or tenant, you automatically become a full member of the community, and as such accept the terms of the long-term lease (999 years dating from 2010), held either by you or by the Housing Association.
During the first month or so, you are encouraged to begin making some contribution to the running of the community. It can take a while to find your main focus here, so feel free to join other members in what they are doing, and to ask questions.
Visiting with a view to joining the community
We try to be flexible about when people come to visit and stay, and have simplified the process by asking you to be prepared to self-cater, although a communal meal may be available. We make a charge for an overnight stay (see Events/Visiting page for current rates). When you arrange your visit you will be given the mobile number of a “go-to” ‒ someone to meet you, arrange lifts to and from the station if needed, show you your room and cooking facilities etc. Here are some suggestions for when to visit:
Tuesday “work mornings” ‒ several of us meet at 10 am each Tuesday, to do some tasks around the site, drink coffee and chat; sometimes there is soup afterwards. It’s a good opportunity to get the feel of the place. You can arrive on the Monday and stay over, if you live some distance away.
Gardening/Work weekends. Free overnight stays in exchange for your help. Where communal meals are provided, we may suggest a contribution of food or money.
Events. These vary, from short celebrations of Equinoxes and Solstices, ancient ceremonies like Wassailing and Beltane, to quiet periods when residents and friends offer their time spontaneously, providing, for example, Storytelling, Sketching, Dance, Qigong, led meditation. There may be opportunities to make donations, where self-employed practitioners are leading sessions.
Afternoon teas. On the first Saturday of each month, from 3 to 5 pm, we have an “afternoon tea”. A chance to have a chat and a look round the site. Please let us know if you would like to come along. Contributions in the form of cake are always welcome!
Short stays. There doesn’t need to be a specific activity going on, particularly if you have visited before and are a potential new resident, but visits must always be by arrangement, in case it’s inconvenient for some reason.