Hartwood

Solas is the first project to emerge from our Ecovillage Visioning Weekend held at Fala November 2010.

It is the result of discussions at that weekend to determine the best way forward in the light or our previous experiences, successes and failures. Although this concept is focused on Scotland, it is applicable anywhere, and we want to encourage and support similar attempts everywhere. Given the hard won success of Lammas in Wales and the new TAN6 legislation resulting from it – the consensus at the gathering was the need to push the envelope in Scotland to match. (Wouldn’t hurt England either!).

The prime need felt was to focus the vision sharply enough for people to make informed decisions about whether they wished to be involved or no, and to create a hard edged framework with a small threshold to discourage casual (and usually unproductive) involvement, combined with a definite target and deadline. It was felt that if as a family or household, you cannot motivate yourself to acheive the £5000 within a year, you are unlikely to be able to carry through the further task of ecovillage creation in initially hard and primitive conditions.

Having the funds available to purchase, without debt, a landbase by a definite date focuses people’s minds on what to do with that land. The details of this will be filled in during the next year, both through the forums and at regular monthly gatherings, taking as a starting point the work we have already done towards this, and gradually pinning things down as the vision clarifies and the actual site is chosen.

Aims:

• to create a community capable of permanently feeding, housing and caring for themselves using sustainable, low-impact ways of living
• the target number of initial households per community is 20 to 40, a household being a single dwelling
• to purchase for the community at least 70 acres of mixed forest and agricultural land in Scotland
• the capital for purchase and essential equipment to be raised by each member household contributing £5000
• this sum to be deposited in a dedicated joint account by Winter Solstice 2011
• each household will pay a £100 returnable deposit on first joining the project
• all monies deposited with Hartwood are returnable in full if withdrawing from the project before Winter Solstice 2011, after which time the monies will be fully committed on agreed terms
• to develop specific project plans and requirements over the next year – to finalise the actual site, initial works and clear social constitution all residents will agree as fair and are willing to commit to by Winter Solstice 2011
• when purchased – to move immediately on to the land and begin agreed works. To jointly develop the long-term site plan based on close observation over the first full year on-site.
• to do this with or without ‘permission’ – solely by right of our being here, now; and respect for those to come

As a household, on joining you will commit to:

• deposit £100 with Hartwood Community Land Trust
• raising £5000 to be deposited in a dedicated account by Winter Solstice 2011
• to attend the monthly gatherings held to hear progress of the various work-teams towards our goal, have fun and get to know each other. These will circulate round member’s homes
• to take an ACTIVE part in at least one core work team – developing specific project plans, aims and requirements over the next year – to agree the actual site, works and social constitution
• become a voting member of the Hartwood CLT Co-operative. Dues are currently £5 per month.
• be honest with your expectations. It is better for all if two projects emerge from fundamental differences than one tear itself apart

Hartwood CLT commits to:

• publicise every project operating under our umbrella, freely provide what expertise we can muster, assist with travelling expenses and event costs where agreed by Hartwood CLT members
• provide core workgroup and private forum space and facilities for internal project organisation
• if required Hartwood will set up a dedicated savings account for each project
• we will endeavour to ensure there are at least two people assigned to any workgroup activity so no-one is left alone with an unfamiliar task
• we would ask that (confidentiality excepted) all core group findings, queries, work in progress etc. be routed through Hartwood’s existing open and regional forums, to avoid duplication, benefit from other’s knowledge and gift others in turn with your own

It will be possible to join (or leave) this project at any stage during the next year. It is in your interest to attend at least one gathering in person, before deciding whether to become more involved. Open Solas events are advertised on the Hartwood Forum here. Current full membership requirements can be found in the details section for Solas here.

If after reading the information provided here, you wish to take this further, you can apply using the Join Project tab at the top of the Hartwood forum and select Solas Project as the one you wish to join. You will need to be registered and logged in to the forum to access the Join Project page. The forum can be found using link top right of this screen or here: http://forum.hartwoodcommunity.coop

Please pass this on to everyone you feel may have an interest in really making this happen. The time is long overdue. Thankyou for reading!

Full details of the Solas project as it currently stands can be found here.