Lifespan Community

About us

Lifespan Community is set in the wild and bleak, but beautiful Yorkshire moors, 11 miles from Huddersfield. We live in nineteen houses, built around 1906, which had been uninhabited for forty years. They were bought outright in 1974 by a group of teachers who established Lifespan as an Educational Trust. In the following years a few of the houses were renovated by interested people, the group expanded and registered as a Housing Cooperative. After some hectic early years Lifespan experienced its second major rebirth phase in the eighties. The economic centre became the printing business, where everybody in the group played an active role. Meanwhile we are looking at new ways of financially supporting ourselves.

The people living here have, in general, always shared the common ideals that co-operative living and working creates opportunities for a more effective and non-exploitative use of resources, more fulfilling relationship between people, a better environment for our children to grow up in, a return to a more stable economy, and environment in which the oppressive roles into which history and society have placed us can be escaped, and eventually a model for the decentralisation of power and the return of control to small communities. We recognize the rights of everybody to have access to what they need, regardless of sex, colour or beliefs. We emphasise the participation of people in decisions which affect them, and giving people the practical tools to help them make their own decisions, both as individuals and as groups. We recognize the rights of future generations to enjoy their planet, involving the conscious choice of the present generation to use non-renewable resources as sparingly as possible.

Our current group comprises fifteen adults and seven children, several cats and dogs and other animals. Overall building plans change as often as new core groups of members emerge. Based loosely around the principles of Permaculture, we aim to supply ourselves throughout the whole year with as much fruit, vegetables an herbs as possible and managing it entirely on natural dung and compost. Project updates are given at weekly general meetings, which gives the group a clearer overall perspective of developments and plans and allows us to prioritise our finances. General meetings help us to share information and consensus decision making.

Lifespan is currently producing the quarterly inter-communities magazine "Communes Network", and we hope to be instrumental in forging stronger links between British communities.

Visitors´ accommodation is little more than basic (bring very warm clothes outside of summer). All visitors donate 4 pound, children 1 pound to cover food and fuel expenses.