funds

The materials and works at the property have been almost entirely funded from working modestly for a living in eco building and energy saving.

Our biggest regret is actually that we have not quite been well funded enough to bring in one or two younger apprentices who we know can take so much from our wisdom that perhaps they can even be eased into careers in some aspect or other connected to these eco practises, or indeed the land. We hope to be able to afford to run the project with future part time apprentice opportunities forefront. And now there are a couple of new volunteers we may be able to get our act together to create formal positions such as the younger apprentice.

The elders do have damn good stuff in their heads for example one many year landscaper was around helping recently  and on seeing the garden walls recently finished all wrapped up in tarpaulins asked what on earth it was about assuming some weird lazy hippy thing left over from some party long past, no, he was astonished to hear new knowledge that if mortar is left covered ideally for several months so that moisture can be retained as much as possible then in fact the mortar becomes far longer lasting as it dries itself off slowly - of course saving time and money down the road fewer repoints needed over the decades.   Such expert knowledge - often so simple as a few flapping tarps.... can be what makes the difference in impressing a prospective employer or being left on the dole for our local youth. They are here for the taking.

We have had some small funding from a couple of charitable trusts but these streams are drying up in these perhaps austere times  it would seem.

We have recently been advised by a local senior community trust building charity manager that indeed everyone, even the most conservative types, has a punt at the crowdfund begging bowl and are going to prepare a presentation for one on Indiegogo.  Any funds we can raise will also be used for creating great media - a certain amount of what we have done on the project can be shown in video - some specialist, for example there is a considerable interest in the most efficient boilers one can buy in from Germany, but few know how to fit them (one of our sticking points at the moment), so we will make an instructional film as we fit ours.
(we can make share profit share arrangements with anyone independently producing video with us)

As a few will have heard we seek the very last few thousand pounds to cover the final step of installing the boiler and a final coat of paint both of which we would like to finish by the new year.

We will be applying for the odd last few thousand pounds grant if we have time for what nowadays is even more red tape than ever, though almost all building is self funded over the last decade through the incredibly hard work of David working many years as an energy consultant (until HMG cut all the subsidies of course)   saving many homeowners literally thousands on their bills, and as a building consultant, all whilst spending many hours a week on building almost stone by stone his own home.

There can be few funding applications made  with such great collateral to back it all up and great CV and above all public reputation that we hope will remain foremost for decades to come.


The banks currently pay up a few percent on your savings. For anyone eco-minded interested in the project and with a few thousand on deposit at their bank and getting nest to no interest, standard (and inexpensive) lien can be drawn up  with house as full collateral and  far better interest rate than any standard savings account.

Further details soon.

Also the fullest 'credit' page being several others have long long given their expert labour at extremely generous rates without whom the project would not have got this far, of late chief hero: ace builder Frank to retire at the end of this month.