Mornington Grove Community

Who we are

There are currently 11 adult members aged c.24-64. Membership is diverse and varies over time. We have our own outside interests and are involved in a wide range of work including the arts, community development, teaching, training, writing, health and study.

Diversity is one of our core values and over the years we have enjoyed living with people who bring a range of different experience: we have been male and female, all ages from 0-65+, straight, bi and gay, single, couples and families of all shapes, activists and people with a spiritual focus, cyclists and car owners, introverts and extroverts, from 5 different continents, speakers of different languages, people who are disabled and those who are not, students and teachers of many disciplines. So whoever you are: if you're interested in living communally with all that it takes (and gives!) and able to commit to do so for a minimum of two years then we are interested in meeting you.

The houses

We have a pair of large semi-detached houses, which are over 150 years old, and grade II listed. A new extension connects the two houses at the back and provides a lovely sunny communal space.

Each house has 7 bedrooms for members, plus a guest room, kitchen, living room, bathroom, shower room and 2 toilets. We also have a communal tool room, a food store, networked access to the internet, gardens, a bike shed with 4 shining hot-water solar panels, a woodshed and a conservatory.

Ethos

There is no defined ideological focus. We could loosely be described as greenish, leftish and feminist but our main common commitment is to communal living and working by consensus. The community is vegetarian and non-smoking.

The Community year - examples of how we live, work and plan together

January: making sure all financial records are up to date
February: doing the accounts and submitting them for audit
March: reclaiming our garden
April: doing the annual budget, setting the rent
May: community weekend away
June: midsummer party
August: lots of people away, so no business meetings
September: welcome back meal for community
October: community jobs meeting
December: midwinter meal for community and partners
All year round: optional birthday breakfasts and weekly community meals

Finance and food

The community's projected expenditure is assessed each year, and an average rent is calculated from this. Rent is paid monthly and covers the mortgage, water, gas, electricity, telephone rentals (but not calls), internet access, repairs and all other overheads.

Shopping for food is done by everybody and organised within each household. We have standard charges for each meal eaten in the community, and a monthly charge to pay for tea and toilet paper etc. There is an agreed list of what foods we do and don't buy for the community. We bulk buy a number of whole foods and can cater for people with different dietary needs.