Frequently Asked Questions
Education / children
Can I join if my children are at school?
We are particularly keen to have home educating families as we feel we have most to offer them but we understand that sometimes people’s circumstances change and home education doesn’t work out. So we wish to be flexible and will consider each family individually. All members will need to be supportive of home education.
Can I join if I don’t have children?
Yes, we would like Dandelion Community to have members of a variety of ages and stages of life, to benefit from the diversity that will bring.
Money
Can I join if I don’t have capital to invest?
At the moment we are only looking for new members with some capital as we need to fund the purchase of the property. - see here
How much will it cost to join and to live there?
Depending on the total number of members and the details of how the property is divided, each household will need to contribute £140,000 to £200,000 to the purchase. This can be either as all capital, or as some (minimum £80k) capital and some monthly mortgage payments.
There will also be a monthly service charge of approximately £150-£250 per adult, which will cover maintenance and most bills.
I just want to park my van there and don’t need to use the facilities – can I do that without paying towards the mortgage?
At the moment we are only looking for full members of the community who can contribute financially and be part of the life of the community socially, since we need to fund the purchase of property. Once established we may be able to welcome short term visitors.
I don’t have an income - can I work for the community projects instead of paying money to live there?
At the moment we are only looking for members who can contribute financially, since we need to fund the purchase of property. We may be able to work out other arrangements in the future.
Community life
Can I run a business from the site?
Yes, if the business doesn’t conflict with the community’s vision and the other members agree.
How much time will I be expected to work on community projects?
All members will be expected to contribute to the everyday life of the community, maintenance of the site and attend meetings but there will be many different ways to contribute according to each member’s ability and strengths.
What sort of accommodation will there be?
The property we are buying has a large farmhouse with several stone barns. We will convert the existing buildings into small self-contained flats or apartments, with communal space (kitchen, dining room, various spaces for work and play!) There should also be scope to site a small number of yurts/vans/caravans.
Can I build my own eco-home / tiny house?
We would like to have it as an option but this may not be possible, depending on the location and planning restrictions.
How often will we eat together?
Minimum once a week, maybe some people more often
Do we have to join the weekly communal meal?
Yes, members will need to prioritise the weekly meal, so we can keep and work on connections
How are we going to solve problems?
Members will need to learn how to use Non-Violent Communication skills. There will be a conflict resolution policy which members will agree to when they join. Discussions will happen using our Sociocracy circles to enable everyone to be heard and decisions to be made fairly.
Do you have any safeguarding procedures regarding children?
We are working on a safeguarding policy.
The place
Where will the community be located?
We are hoping to buy a property in Devon.
Covid-19
What is Dandelion Community's stance on Covid-19?
We don't have a single community stance. We all believe that individual freedom, respect for others and compassion are important. However, we take different views on the medical evidence about and political response to Covid-19. There are therefore a range of views within the group on things like lockdown mask-wearing and vaccinations.
Can I join if my children are at school?
We are particularly keen to have home educating families as we feel we have most to offer them but we understand that sometimes people’s circumstances change and home education doesn’t work out. So we wish to be flexible and will consider each family individually. All members will need to be supportive of home education.
Can I join if I don’t have children?
Yes, we would like Dandelion Community to have members of a variety of ages and stages of life, to benefit from the diversity that will bring.
Money
Can I join if I don’t have capital to invest?
At the moment we are only looking for new members with some capital as we need to fund the purchase of the property. - see here
How much will it cost to join and to live there?
Depending on the total number of members and the details of how the property is divided, each household will need to contribute £140,000 to £200,000 to the purchase. This can be either as all capital, or as some (minimum £80k) capital and some monthly mortgage payments.
There will also be a monthly service charge of approximately £150-£250 per adult, which will cover maintenance and most bills.
I just want to park my van there and don’t need to use the facilities – can I do that without paying towards the mortgage?
At the moment we are only looking for full members of the community who can contribute financially and be part of the life of the community socially, since we need to fund the purchase of property. Once established we may be able to welcome short term visitors.
I don’t have an income - can I work for the community projects instead of paying money to live there?
At the moment we are only looking for members who can contribute financially, since we need to fund the purchase of property. We may be able to work out other arrangements in the future.
Community life
Can I run a business from the site?
Yes, if the business doesn’t conflict with the community’s vision and the other members agree.
How much time will I be expected to work on community projects?
All members will be expected to contribute to the everyday life of the community, maintenance of the site and attend meetings but there will be many different ways to contribute according to each member’s ability and strengths.
What sort of accommodation will there be?
The property we are buying has a large farmhouse with several stone barns. We will convert the existing buildings into small self-contained flats or apartments, with communal space (kitchen, dining room, various spaces for work and play!) There should also be scope to site a small number of yurts/vans/caravans.
Can I build my own eco-home / tiny house?
We would like to have it as an option but this may not be possible, depending on the location and planning restrictions.
How often will we eat together?
Minimum once a week, maybe some people more often
Do we have to join the weekly communal meal?
Yes, members will need to prioritise the weekly meal, so we can keep and work on connections
How are we going to solve problems?
Members will need to learn how to use Non-Violent Communication skills. There will be a conflict resolution policy which members will agree to when they join. Discussions will happen using our Sociocracy circles to enable everyone to be heard and decisions to be made fairly.
Do you have any safeguarding procedures regarding children?
We are working on a safeguarding policy.
The place
Where will the community be located?
We are hoping to buy a property in Devon.
Covid-19
What is Dandelion Community's stance on Covid-19?
We don't have a single community stance. We all believe that individual freedom, respect for others and compassion are important. However, we take different views on the medical evidence about and political response to Covid-19. There are therefore a range of views within the group on things like lockdown mask-wearing and vaccinations.