MISSION

Our Focus

Community Eco Build Projects

As well as benefiting the community in how to employ construction techniques that are both cheaper and more energy efficient, participants are expected to keep a journal of their experiences to provide a means of connecting the various elements of the course. Supplemental theory lessons and focused group discussions throughout the course support students in integrating the experience.

We hope to attain the correct balance of just enough theory, allied to a lot of practical, so that each and every one of the graduates from our course can leave confident in the knowledge they can repeat the process over and over again. Such a process creates skills and self-confidence that should not be underestimated in the search for jobs. Welcome to a new career!

Besides the course, we will redesign the website to become an information resources hub concerning specific applications of renewable energy and self build.

It is a view of the future that we feel offers real choices to people irrespective of age, gender or ability and helps them to make a real contribution to a sustainable future. The more people who are taught these methods, the more such ideas can spread.

Education Value

We believe that potential self-builders require practical experience before commencing with their own build. To this end we like to work in partnership and assist community/not-for-profit organisations build much needed facilities. This is our interpretation of the term community self-build when not doing a home build.

As we are a group committed to a renewable energy ethos, we try to advise on the cost and time savings to be gained by adopting autonomous building techniques in any planned projects. During such builds we invite and welcome volunteers to participate in a project to gain an education and insight through practical experience into what the actual building process consists of.

There is no typecast volunteer participant in our experience. We have welcomed and trained; excluded 16-18 youth from schools, reformed substance abusers, ex-offenders, asylum seekers, BMEs, professional unemployed, single parents, etc.

The fast changing pace of an unpredictable job market has meant that people are now realising that it may be a wise idea to run a low energy home and perhaps even be completely independent from the national grid if possible! We seek to teach people the effectiveness of structures based on a segal design whilst taking advantage of great economies.

Furthermore, by adopting low impact living approaches such as organic growing, hive & rainwater harvesting, recycling/composting, and some appropriate renewable technologies, the cost of living can be reduced to a fraction of an urban lifestyle.

Volunteer participants often come from the ranks of those finding themselves with restrictive housing options. It gives them an opportunity to take some control over their lives and develop new skills in a practical way so that they have the best opportunity to build their own home. Most of all, it gives everyone a sense of achievement and can open doors when seeking work opportunities.