Countryfile

[carolegif]

They are in Herefordshire in a commune. Everything is shared. But who owns the very large stately home in whose grounds they are based? Apparently everyone pays £40 per month to live in the commune, so where does the money come from if all the food and produce is shared? It just didn’t make sense to me.
The children were home schooled, but we didn’t meet who taught them or what qualifications they had.

[barry1010]

"Canon Frome Court is owned by the Windflower Housing Association, a co-ownership housing association, Those who join the community purchase one of the homes on a 999-year lease, just as they would any other leasehold home, and may sell the home when they wish to leave to an approved buyer.
We finance activities by monthly contributions, according to size of home and family. Our children attend a range of local schools."
It was stated on the show that the property was owned and residents bought their homes.

It doesn't say on this website but many of the residents work outside the community, pursuing their own careers. Others have pensions and other private income. They don't pool their income, they don't share meals, each family has their own home. They have a communal meal once a week that is not compulsory. They don't share a religion.
They work for around 16 hours a week in the community, depending on other obligations such as employment and childcare.

Home schooling wasn't mentioned on the programme, unless I missed it, but home schooled children can be taught by parents or anyone - they don't need formal education qualifications. The children don't need to follow the national curriculum.

https://www.ic.org/directory/canon-frome-court/

https://www.gov.uk/home-education

[Vagus]

No, I didn’t hear anything about home schooling either, in fact that lovely young girl picking raspberries with Matt had a school uniform on.
It was very interesting, the whole commune thing, particularly this one. Can’t say it’s something I’d fancy but I can see the attraction for some.

[Buenchico]

I've not seen the programme but a bit of Googling offers this . . .

Hereford Community Farm "offers innovative support to people with additional needs through a programme of Animal Assisted Interventions, Therapeutic Horticulture and Equine Assisted Learning".

"Commissioners of the specialist provision at The Hereford Community Farm include Primary Care Trusts, Social Services, Residential Care Homes, Private Hospitals, other Day Care Providers and individuals with personalised budgets".

http://www.equine-animal-assisted-therapy.org.uk/

So, as well as simply growing their own produce, it seems that they're getting paid by quite a few different organisations to provide courses, etc, to their clients.

Hereford Community Farm is just one of many businesses and charitable ventures based at Warham Court Farms; its headquarters is at Warham Court
https://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/35/82/358267_fe5f6006.jpg
which, rather than being a stately home, is described by Historic England as a 16th century farmhouse.

The site though lies in the village of Breinton, with both Warham House and Breinton Manor nearby:
https://breintonparish.co.uk/about-breinton/breintons-history/houses-and-other-buildings/homeslider06/

Over 100,000 children are home schooled in the UK, with the vast majority of them simply being taught by their parents.

[Buenchico]

Barry's post suggests I've been looking at the wrong community farm!

Oh well, c'est la vie!

[barry1010]

Yes you have, Buen. :D

[carolegif]

Thank you for the explanation. One of the parents mentioned they home schooled. The programme gave the impression that the residents had left their jobs to go there. Kept say that previously they did…. It explains why 9 of them looked after the cows, presumably on a shift system to enable them to work. I like the communal sharing of work, food and produce etc., but couldn’t see how it managed financially.

[barry1010]

Carole, at least twice it was mentioned that the communal work was shared to take account of outside employment obligations.
I thought it very interesting and different from many 'communes' in as much as each family owned their own leasehold property and lived as separate households.
Apart from the shared work and produce (but not mealtimes) it is run very much like mobile home park sites with committees making the rules that the whole community must abide by and everyone paying the maintenance costs.
The community is far from self sufficient and I don't think they produce 80% of their food as they claim. They don't grow wheat or cereal so bread and / or flour must be bought in. They have mains electricity, water and drainage, I saw no sign of solar panels or wind turbines.
I can see the appeal for some people but it's not for me.

[carolegif]

No, but it is a start. Don’t think it would suit me either.

[barry1010]

We grow most of our fruit and veg, if only we had room for a cow and a goat :D