Braziers Park (School of Social and Integrative Research)

  • Community
  • 2 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Rural

What we do

Braziers Park is a community, a residential college, and an architectural treasure hidden deep in the south Oxfordshire countryside. It was founded in 1950 as an educational trust, and is a continuing experiment in the advantages and problems of living in a group. Community members share responsibility for running the college and the estate.

“To make conscious the shape of the process of which we are a part, so that we may facilitate its development more efficiently.”

We grow trees and vegetables; we live in the midst of beauty, and we eat well; we argue joyfully on good days; we argue pointlessly, and/or ignore each other on bad days. Lots of dreams and fantasies are stimulated here. There is always work to do…

Our Vision

“To make conscious the process of which we are a part.”
evolution ecology education

Our Mission

“To make conscious the process of which we are a part.”
evolution ecology education

  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Commune
  • Activities
  • Education

Gallery

  • 29 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
29

How to join

There are two pathways to joining –
1. Come as a residential volunteer for 1-3 months, if you feel you wish to join then, make an application for an available role.
2. Apply as a resident applicant which entails the following process: – application; – 2-3 day invitation to stay; – community deliberation (decision on consensus); – 2 week visit; – community deliberation (decision on consensus); three month paid trial in role; – community deliberation (decision on consensus); – membership.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Check our website for basic information, and email us. Please be clear in the way you wish to visit (i.e. residential volunteering [1-3 months], day visits, etc.)

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Labor required: 28 hours/week
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
We work 20 paid hours, and 8 for the benefit of the community (unpaid).
Most of this work is in our core roles (i.e. admin/kitchen/garden etc.)
We make an hourly wage which then has deductions for our rent & food – at the end of the month, we receive approx. ÂŁ180 (as of Jan 2018).

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Outdoor Kitchen, Large Scale Kitchen, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately all meals

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

  • Biomass (from wood or other organic materials)

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    55 acres

Reviews

Location

  • England, United Kingdom

Braziers Park (School of Social and Integrative Research)

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
Need
  • Communities with Openings
6 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul

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