A sustainable approach to neighbourly living 

OCCUPATION: Social Worker WHY CO-HOUSING?: There are ways in which I am interested in living which can't be done alone. I think living together is living better and I am happy to put the work in to make that possible.

OCCUPATION: Psychotherapist and trainer WHY COHOUSING: Communal living has always been important for me. I've visited various housing cooperatives and intentional communities to learn more about communal living. Carrying is sharing! Also for the environment.

OCCUPATION: I am a Service Designer. I specialise in user research and communication to help clients improve the service they offer. I love what I do! WHY COHOUSING: Belonging to a community is important to me. I am keen to learn, to contribute and to be part of shaping a community that we all love.

OCCUPATION: Now retired, formerly ran my own private swimschool WHY COHOUSING: I would like to be part of the exciting movement to change the way housing is delivered. As a senior citizen I also seek to live as part of an intergenerational community as I age to avoid isolation and loneliness and live well interacting within a shared space respecting sustainability and demonstrating a low impact lifestyle.

OCCUPATION: Support worker for learning disabled adults WHY COHOUSING: I'd like to live in a world where people can develop and maintain meaningful connection with their neighbours, and the ability to engage in activities outside of work. I see Sussex Cohousing as a way to bring this to life.

OCCUPATION: Freelance coach specialising in mid and late career/ life transitions, a coach supervisor, group facilitator and trainer. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I want to live in a community where I am known and where I can make a contribution to my community. This is increasingly important to me as I age. I also want to be part of a movement which is challenging the traditional housing market to ensure that good homes in a stable community are accessible to more people.

OCCUPATION: Psychotherapist, Group Facilitator WHY COHOUSING: My daughter has left home for university, so this heralds the beginning of a different life stage. I’m excited about living in a way that’s more connected, to myself, to nature and to other people.

OCCUPATION: CBT Therapist. Previously I have been a social worker, and recently left working for a Local Authority Family Support team, after 30 years in various roles. I am a single parent with a teenage daughter. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I am involved in cohousing because I want to live in an intentional community, with a mix of shared resources and private space, as I age. I feel that living with people, of all ages, will help to keep me connected, energetic, happy and healthy.

OCCUPATION: I am an arts psychotherapist, workshop facilitator and ceramic artist. I run creative therapeutic workshops using clay and movement. One of my greatest joys is a good jam session. WHY COHOUSING: As I grow older I increasingly focus on the idea of home and think about what that means. In this process I have come to the conclusion that being part of a co-created sustainable creative community that evokes a sense of belonging and well being in its inhabitants is something I would love.

OCCUPATION: Psychological Therapist with The Fire Fighters Charity Previously worked with: Save The Children Spain, Infinity Foods and Marpa House Dharma Centre. WHY COHOUSING: This project seems like a great way to counteract urban isolation, and build a little slice of sanity in an increasingly individualistic world. It would be wonderful for my kids to grow up with friendly neighbours nearby, who are engaged in a collective ethos of living sustainably and closer to community.

OCCUPATION: I worked in youth and community development before becoming a Children’s Services Manager . Retiring from paid work four years ago I currently enjoy time with my grandchildren , long distance walks and being a Compassionate Neighbour WHY COHOUSING: Developing strong and lively communities has been important to me professionally and personally. I feel strongly that this is a brilliant , sociable and responsible way to live.

OCCUPATION: Director. I co-own GFW Clothing which is a brand dedicated to overturning gender restrictions in clothing. We have sell online and have a physical shop in Hove. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I believe Ecologically efficient housing is necessary to reduce carbon emissions, and it makes sense to pool resources/ time / tools to create more sustainability. ‘Community’ is an antidote to consumerism and encourages empathy in our increasingly fragmented world. It's the right living arrangement for me.

OCCUPATION: Retired Social Worker WHY COHOUSING: I want, & am able, to participate, communicate & contribute in relationship with others, in an interactive & supportive community. I want to co-operate in a thoughtful & respectful way with others, be flexible about ideas & organisational systems so we can challenge alienating ideologies & structures which separate us from each other & our environment. Cohousing is a way to envision a sustainable, co-operative & kinder way of being in community

OCCUPATION: Facilitator / Writer WHY COHOUSING: I have lived in communities in the past and really like the idea of sharing resources while having my own front door ;-) I'm also thrilled to make collective decisions without using consensus - Sussex Cohousing’s commitment to sociocracy and compassionate communication make it really special. Currently part of a family of four, but the teenagers may have flown the nest by the time we’ve built our eco-dream-community.

OCCUPATION: Decorator and Handyman WHY COHOUSING: I'd like to live in a friendly whirl of connection and mutual support with plants thriving and children buzzing around.

OCCUPATION: Counsellor, Web Developer, Membership & Engagement Manager for Ecological Land Cooperative WHY COHOUSING: I believe in community, solidarity, mutual support and inclusivity within clearly defined boundaries and with sufficient personal space!

OCCUPATION: I am an expert in climate change and the response of business, investors and cities. I am also a trustee of the Findhorn Foundation intentional community. WHY COHOUSING: My experience of Findhorn encourages me that community is the way forward.

OCCUPATION: Retired Editor / Volunteering / occasional Florist WHY COHOUSING: Having reached retirement it is heartening to know that real community and a more mindful, sustainable way of living is possible through co-housing.

OCCUPATION: I am a mediator, conflict resolution trainer and coach. In a previous life I was a trade union lawyer and a director of a PR Consultancy - sounds a bit eclectic - life's a funny thing. Plus I still have ambition to get a novel out there. WHY COHOUSING: Community, collaboration, sustainability, economy, friendship and fun.

OCCUPATION: Counsellor and Group Facilitator WHY CO-HOUSING?: To me co-housing addresses so many of the challenges our society faces and enables healthy, supportive, fun, smart and creative solutions to things like social isolation, unaffordable house prices and environmental degredation. I also think we humans thrive in close commmunities.

OCCUPATION: I am a new Director of Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust. I have recently joined Plot 22 working with their Friends Group. I have been a voluntary befriender for the last 18 months. WHY COHOUSING: I am in the lucky position to be able to own my own home. I think that I would like to live as part of a group of people and be able to be part of people having secure housing. Co-housing is a way of doing this.

OCCUPATION: I am both an Electronics Engineer and a Naturopathic therapist. WHY COHOUSING: Co-housing minimises the social isolation that is endemic in modern society. Previously I have been on the committee of a housing co-op in London (1980s), so know some of the challenges of working co-operatively, but believe that all obstacles can be overcome given goodwill and commitment!

OCCUPATION: Currently a stay-at-home mum, and previously a child psychologist WHY CO-HOUSING?: I want to live in a conscious community, in my own home, but with shared indoor and outdoor spaces. A place where nature, relationships and growth are valued.

OCCUPATION: I work part time as an Occupational Therapist in Adult Social Care WHY COHOUSING: I am interested in contributing to and benefiting from an intentional community based on the principles identified by Sussex Cohousing

OCCUPATION: I am retired. For 25 years I worked in public health in various settings and countries. Previous to that I worked for a short time as a radio journalist and prior to that as a community printer. WHY COHOUSING: I lived commually in a shared house for about 12 years. It was a very rich and satisfying experience resulting in good, lasting friendships. Now I am retired I would like that kind of interaction with people and to be involved in a common venture around shared ideals/goals

OCCUPATION: Copy-editor. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I am excited by the prospect of living differently, in a way that is connected to a community of ethical, conscious people, all invested in creating a mutually-supportive, sustainable and peaceful way of life. I want to be in touch and to share with my neighbours.

OCCUPATION: Project Manager for an international development organisation; Qualified massage therapist; Yoga teacher trainee; Member of neighbourhood care scheme. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I love sharing! I want to live in a way where this is central - sharing lives through living in community, sharing skills to support each other, sharing material goods to have less impact on the environment and through all of this helping to create an alternative way of living for present and future generations.

OCCUPATION: Architect and Director at Tom Turner Architects. As a practice it is our intention to design timeless buildings that will resonate with their surroundings. WHY CO-HOUSING?: I believe that we are a social animal that thrives through meaningful relationships. I love the idea of being part of a community and want to maintain a sense of autonomy. I care about our responsibility to the environment and value good quality design.

OCCUPATION: Director at Sustainability Engineers. Energy consultant and Passivhaus Designer. WHY COHOUSING: I see Cohousing as a fair way to build better community and higher quality homes. ‘Developers’ who represent future residents and have a long-term investment in the success of the group and place they hope to make.