We're delighted to announce that we have exchanged contracts on Pleasant Rise Farm, Alfriston (Lot 1 only). The farm is ideal for Heartward, comprising eight properties, 19 acres of beautiful farm and woodland, and a range of stables and outbuildings (including an indoor tennis court!). It's on the south edge of the lovely village of Alfriston, half a mile from the Cuckmere and four miles to the north of the iconic chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters.
We originally offered for the farm in March 2023, and though daunted by what we were taking on, little suspected quite how complex the buying process would be! It's taken an extraordinary effort by the seven households involved (12 adults, 6 children) to maintain our togetherness and purpose through the past two years. Successfully navigating this experience will no doubt create a firm foundation for our lives together in the years ahead. Completion is set for 11th July and we are now focused on a range of tasks including planning, renovation, and just moving in!
We're delighted that we will now have the chance to realise our dreams, founded on our three pillars:
Ecologically Regenerative, Socially Positive and Financially Sustainable.
Heartward will be a co-operative society that will never rise in price for new members. We will aim to measurably improve biodiversity and to reduce our environmental footprint through such means as growing our own food, reducing car use, and generating energy. And as a community group we will serve not only the needs of our own members but also those of the wider community of which we are a part.
The potential is for Heartward to be a model for affordable and positive community living. This model could be used to regenerate and revitalise uneconomic farms, creating communities throughout the country, and addressing some of the most vital and pressing needs facing our society today.
How You Can Get Involved
As you can imagine, we are busy with everything that needs to be done between now and July, and in the initial months of moving in. We have always felt that the wider community is an integral part of what makes up the Heartward spirit, and once we have had the chance to get settled at the farm we will be organising volunteer work days to get people on site and be part of making this work. If you would like to get involved, or have any particular skills, contacts or ideas that could assist our project, please let us know.
You can email us at: heartwardcohousing@gmail.com