Big love to all of you communards, prospective communards and commune curious folk out there
We get out and about to various events, so if you’re wondering whether we might be showing up anywhere near you, check out our calendar
Visioning for Architecture Day, 11th October 2025
On Saturday 11th October (bang in the middle of The World Transformed, Manc, doh) we will have a special commune visions day with our team of architecture students from the Sheffield School of Architecture.
We will be at Bentley Urban Farm, mixing up conversation and exploration of commune ideas with planting, weeding, pruning and fruit processing.
Lunch will be available around 1ish and food round the fire from about 5.30, with story-telling and singing to round off the day. You’re welcome to drop in for any or all of it and to stay over if you want.
We hope the students will use the information and ideas collected from the day to develop visuals and models of what the commune might be like, to help us find our path and to make the whole idea seem more possible to potential members and investors. Exploring possible visions with more than just the current residents will be super-helpful
If you’d like to stay over, please use this registration form to let us know, so that we can manage food and accommodation more easily.
Very much hoping to see you there
Next commune gathering
Our next quarterly gathering is 12-14 December 2025, a weekend of info and discussion designed to introduce you to and update you about the ambitious project that is A Commune in the North. It will also include a bunch of time working on the farm and visits to both Donny Skate Co-op and our homes… with the opportunity to stay over at the farm or the Farmhouse or 54 Cooke Street (see below).
If this link to the registration form isn’t for the current gathering, let us know! If it is the right link, do register so we buy enough food and find enough sleeping spots.
We welcome guests to arrive on Friday evening and get to know each other.
On Saturday we’ll have jobs big and small to fit all ages & abilities, both morning and afternoon – lunch cooks particularly welcome!
Saturday is also the day to visit the skate park if you’ve not been there before.
Once it gets dark, if the weather is good, we will have food, music and conversation around the fire-circle at the farm, or, if the weather is inclement, we will head to the house for a similar event… but with walls. There may perhaps be games… There will certainly be extreme cosiness.
Sunday
Breakfast from 8.30
9.30am start for general discussion about where we’re at, what excitements we’ve had, what challenges we’re facing, how we’re thinking of progressing, etc.
Lunch then clear up.
We will be having a commune debrief meeting on the Sunday evening, which you’re welcome to join us for, but we might not be as accessible for questions and small-talk as we will be during the gathering itself.
Kids & Dogs
Most of the weekend can be child-inclusive. The community garden is child-friendly in terms of interesting, but obviously young children need to be supervised around stingy, prickly, pointy, rusty, mouldy and toxic things.
The only time which might not be quite so interesting to children is the Sunday morning discussion – we’re trying to find someone to hang out with the kids then, but nothing confirmed yet.
The community garden is fine to have dogs in it, and we can shut the gates meaning that good dogs can be off the lead.
However, the house has a cat, so only very good dogs indeed would be ok to be in the house.
We don’t yet have capacity to look after people’s children and pets while we run the gathering, so people will need to be responsible for any small-and/or-furry-footed companion they bring along, or else self-organise any necessary services.
Food, Accommodation & Waste
Food – all vegan and all gluten-free apart from fresh bread. Cooking and eating together (and clearing up together) is part of the collective culture we’re trying to create, so expect to chop and peel and wash and dry at some point.
Accommodation will be at The Farmhouse on Jossey Lane and at 54 Cooke Street, or even camping if you’re a hardy type. Options are on the registration form. We may struggle to provide private space, tell us early if you’ll need it.
We’re working towards a zero-waste culture and the farm in particular has no bin services. If you bring items which have single-use packaging, please be prepared to take the packaging away with you. If you bring any interesting initiatives around dealing with waste you will earn extra brownie points and may be entitled to an extra-large portion at mealtimes 😉
Money
Donations for the weekend (esp for food) are very welcome – please give what you can. We’ll have a donations pot around somewhere or contact us for bank details if you want to transfer some.
Looking forward to seeing you soon, love from us all
@CitN
