SUMMARY: We live as a communal household (over two buildings) because this meets many of our personal and political needs and beliefs. We are not currently self-sufficient, although we have a large orchard and kitchen garden where we actively grow a huge range of organic fruit and vegetables. We have a broad sympathy for many green and feminist ideas and values.
THE PEOPLE: The community currently consists of fourteen resident adults and two children who live here all or most of the time. We span a wide age range, and we welcome friends, relatives and other visitors, so mealtimes can sometimes be quite busy. Most community members have some form of paid employment, whether part-time or full-time, and some work from home.
OWNERSHIP: As a housing cooperative, we own our land and buildings as a group, but no individual member has equity in the property. We each pay a weekly rent, partially income-related, that covers most of the household costs. Our aim is that Birchwood is an affordable place for anyone to live.
THE PLACE: Birchwood Hall Community consists of a large Victorian house and a Coach House as living space, with eight acres of grounds (garden, woodland, orchard, volleyball court and outbuildings). Each member has their own room, and we all share a variety of communal spaces, including kitchen, living areas and bathrooms. Some members have office or workshop space within the community. We also have a small 14-bed residential centre called “Anybody’s Barn”, run as a separate charity.
LOCATION: Birchwood Hall is on top of a ridge, four miles from Malvern, eight miles from Worcester and 18 miles from Hereford. There are stunning views and beautiful walks; it is a 25 minute walk to the local village and post office. As we are a rural location, there is limited public transport, so most of us drive or cycle to Malvern, where there are schools, shops and two train stations.
DAY-TO-DAY:
We have five commitments: Social, Financial, Meetings, Maintenance and Domestic. We eat our evening meal together every day – a key part of the communal experience – and we make decisions by consensus and discuss current issues at weekly meetings. We expect new members to be fairly self-reliant.
