Cohousing-L Mailing List: Telecommuting/Findhorn/...

[Michael Forster (mforster]

Jeffrey Hobson wrote on 1st Sept.:
> I was delighted to see your posting to the cohousing-l.  
> 
> I would appreciate very much if you would post a general
> description of Findhorn to the cohousing-l.  I think it would
> contribute a lot to our discussion.

Thanks for the thought - I have copied what I hope are some relevant bits of
information about the place.  Please let me know if it is not what you had in
mind.  I have only been reading cohousing-l for a couple of weeks.

The Findhorn Foundation ('the Foundation') is a Scottish Charity founded in
1972.  The Foundation has its origins in the Community established at
Findhorn, Moray in 1962 by Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy Maclean.  The
objects of the Findhorn Foundation include "the advancement of religion, by
means of teaching, example and demonstration, recognising the essential
truths of all religions and spiritual teachings....and the establishment of
an educational centre to further these objects."  The Foundation also
promotes "... the conservation and preservation of the natural world by...
teaching, example and demonstration of the harmonious relationship between
humanity and all other forms of life."

As the Foundation is a charitable trust, no individual is allowed to benefit
financially, we have no shareholders and all our operating surpluses are
reinvested for the future growth of the community.  It is also our policy to
contribute a small proportion of our income to worthwhile charitable causes
through tithing.  This currently totals *10,000 per year.  The Foundation is
registered for VAT,  pays rates on its buildings, and all employed members of
staff are liable to the usual local and national taxes.  

We see our role as practising, teaching and demonstrating the link between
the spiritual, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of
sustainability, and seek to fulfil these in the following areas:

We run an education centre which teaches the application of spiritual
principles in everyday life.  We offer a variety of courses in such fields as
peace work, community, youth  empowerment, personal and spiritual growth,
leadership, the arts and complementary medicine.

The Foundation is part of a large, intentional Community that has grown up
around it.  A major part of the educational work is teaching and practising
the skills of community building, in such areas as conflict resolution, new
forms of decision making, employment, business,  and child and adult
education.  We  believe that the skills of building community will be a much
needed resource in the future and are investing in the development of this
model.

The Foundation is deeply and actively engaged in practical, environmental
projects.  These include the construction of innovative ecological housing,
the use of renewable energy systems, community based environmental schemes
such as recycling and environmental education.  For the latter, the
Foundation is a major resource for schools and colleges in Scotland for
environmental education.  We have recently published the UK's first technical
manual in ecological building, based on our own practise and research.

We have no formal doctrine or creed. We honour and recognise all the major
world religions, believing that there are many paths to God.  Guests and
members are free to follow whichever path they choose in their own spiritual
growth. In the community we focus on learning to bring spiritual principles
into our daily lives through our work, through the way we relate to  each
other, and how we express our caring and concern for the Earth.

The activities of the Foundation are carried on from our two main sites of
The Park, Findhorn, and Cluny Hill College, Forres; both in West Moray in
Scotland.  We also have a small community living on the tidal island of
Erraid, off the coast of the Isle of Mull, and we are custodians of a retreat
house on the sacred island of Iona.

Some of  the conferences and professional trainings at the Foundation have
been made in conjunction with other organisations, including UNESCO, the
Holos Institute, and the Psychosynthesis and Education Trust.  Links with
other organisations continue to be developed.  For example, in January 1995,
the Study Programme in Community Living, a cooperative project with Pacific
Lutheran University in Washington State USA, will begin.  Participants will
receive credits towards their degree courses.

The Findhorn Foundation is continuing to develop its Ecological Village
Project, based at The Park, Findhorn.  The project was started in 1990 and
since then our findings have been disseminated internationally.  The Findhorn
Foundation is part of a small but rapidly developing network of ecological
village projects worldwide. Our ecological work has also been the subject of
various research projects undertaken by Strathclyde University, Robert Gordon
University of Aberdeen and Cambridge University.  This is the first such
project of its kind in the UK that seeks to build an integrated, sustainable
settlement.  As such, the Eco-village project is already both a valuable
model and a centre for research and education.

For further information, please contact Patsy Blackstock on:
pblackstock [at] findhorn.org
(NB  Patsy is currently touring the States.  She will be back in about a
month or so.)

The Foundation's house on the island of Iona, Traigh Bhan, is used for
retreats.  On the Isle of Erraid we have a small resident community of around
5 members and their children. Housed in eight former lighthouse keepers'
cottages, the Erraid community grow all their own organic vegetables, tend
sheep and cows, fish, and have craft studios where they make candles and
stained glass, and spin wool. They have a sanctuary set on the hillside with
a beautiful view across the sea to Iona. Guests are welcome to share their
life and the island.


TREES FOR LIFE, the award winning environmental group that was formed in the
Findhorn Foundation, acquired its own charitable status in 1993.  It has
continued to work successfully with the reforestation of the Caledonian
Forest in the Scottish Highlands.

STEWARDS OF THE FINDHORN FOUNDATION,  is a new organisation that seeks to
promote a worldwide community of people who wish to work with the aims and
objects of the Foundation and stay in regular communication.

For further information, please contact: stewards [at] findhorn.org

TheFoundation, a Scottish Charity (number SC007233), receives income from
receipts, from running courses and from grants and donations.  Many of our
current projects are being financed by a fundraising campaign.  In the next
five years we are seeking to significantly increase the income generated from
grants and donations.

In the financial year 1993, income was *934,229, expenditure was *901,636,
and the surplus available for funding new activities was *32,593.

During 1993, we employed 81 full-time members of staff (of whom 62 worked in
education) and had 54 full-time students (of whom 51 worked in education).  A
further 38 associates volunteered their work part time for the Foundation. 
There are also about 130 people in the 'open community', living in the local
area, who opt for a looser, non-working connection with the Foundation.

Our day visitors and short term guests may stay anything from a few hours to
a few days. Our resident guests may come just for a specific workshop or
conference staying one or two weeks.  Others stay longer, sometimes several
months, as participants in our 'Living In Community Guest' programme, living
and working with us and sharing our daily life.

Members of staff enter the community through our Community Apprenticeship
Programme which lasts for two years (currently under review), during which
time they gain a deeper understanding of working and living in harmony with
each other, with nature  and the planet.  The average length of stay for
members of staff is four years and their average age is around 40.  10 years
ago the average stay was 2.5 years and the average age was 33.  20 years ago
the average stay was 10 months and the average age was 26.

The Foundation currently owns and operates one wind     generator which supplies
16% of the site's electricity requirements.  We plan to erect a further two
wind generators, thereby meeting the total requirements of the Foundation.

In 1991 the Foundation began a programme of fitting solar       panels on all of
its structures.  We now have 60 square metres of solar panels fitted on 11
properties, but ideally require a further 20 new systems to complete the
project.  Thereafter, solar panels will automatically be fitted to any new
structure being erected.  The advantages of using solar power are obvious,
        particularly in Findhorn where the hours of sunlight are higher than 
the UK
average.  

Sixteen ecological buildings have already been built on         the Park site 
using
environmentally healthy and resource conserving techniques.  In order to
continue the research, build our knowledge and demonstrate these techniques,
we are continuing with new building projects.  The Findhorn Foundation is
internationally respected for its pioneering work in ecological building.  We
disseminate information through the publishing of books, papers, training of
building teams and attendance at conferences.

Our next project is to build a natural sewage treatment facility which breaks
down sewage using ecological methods (bacteria, algae, plants and fish).  The
resulting effluent is of a standard far higher than that of traditional
chemical treatment and has obvious benefits from an environmental point of
view.  This technology is still at the forefront of its development and the
opportunity to establish a pilot research project at the Foundation is
actively being sought.  This would be the first of its kind in the UK.

The Findhorn Foundation has a policy of publishing all of its findings
through textbooks such as *Simply Build Green*; research papers; presenting
papers at international conferences; hosting conferences and training
programmes at Findhorn; providing consultancy services to other agencies; and
by training teams in ecological building skills and methods.  In October
1995, the Foundation will host a conference on Eco-villages, inviting
delegates from the small but growing global network of Eco-village
developments.  The Foundation actively welcomes visits and holds open days to
attract public attention to the         demonstration ecological buildings,
primarily aiming at schools, youth groups and professionals such as
architects, designers and engineers.  The Foundation's Eco-village
development is the only model of its type in the UK.

We are working on the establishment of a Bursary Fund to allow visitors from
Eastern European and developing countries to come to the Foundation to
participate in our educational programmes.

Two of our members, Gordon Cutler and Judy Buhler McAllister, will be on a
lecture tour of the US for 3 months from mid-October.  Please contact
gcutler [at] findhorn.org for details.

For general enquiries, please contact reception [at] findhorn.org

With love to you all.
Michael Forster
Findhorn Foundation, The Park, FORRES  IV36 0TZ, Scotland
email: mforster [at] findhorn.org
Tel.: +44 309 690311
Fax.: +44 309 691301