Month: June 2019

Posted on

Powys Cohousing Talk in Machynlleth this evening, 26th June

K1 communal house, garden and individual housesEvent: Mach Speak, Y Plas, Machynlleth, 26th June 6pm-7.30pm

Allan Shepherd is the first person in Wales to be employed by a local authority to facilitate the development of cohousing projects.

Supported by the Welsh government through the Integrated Care Fund, and working with Powys County Council and the Wales Co-operative Centre, he’ll be meeting with groups across Powys to develop a network of people passionate about developing new affordable community led housing projects. In his 30 minute talk Allan explains what cohousing is
and how Powys Cohousing can help community groups set up their own projects.

Using examples from across the world he will show how pioneering community groups have come up with different approaches to housing that help to tackle loneliness, social isolation and inadequate housing provision, whilst strengthening individual and community wellbeing.

Having lived in a housing cooperative for five years he also has a wealth of real-life practical experience to offer. The talk will be followed by Q&A’s and resource sharing. Allan is in the process of creating a Powys Cohousing web resource.

If you want to know more about cohousing take a look at https://wales.coop/get-our-help/our-projects/powys-cohousing/ https://cohousing.org.uk/

Cyd-drigo Powys – Creu gweledigaeth newydd ar gyfer tai a arweinir gan y gymuned yng Nghymru
Allan Shepherd yw’r person cyntaf yng Nghymru i gael ei gyflogi gan awdurdod lleol i weithio ar ddatblygu prosiectau cyd-drigo, gyda chymorth Llywodraeth Cymru trwy Gronfa Gofal Integredig, Cyngor Sir Powys a Chanolfan Cydweithredol Cymru.

Mewn sgwrs o hanner awr, bydd Allan yn esbonio beth yw cyd-drigo a sut y gall cynllun Cyd-drigo Powys helpu grwpiau cymunedol i sefydlu eu prosiectau eu hunain. Gan ddefnyddio enghreifftiau o bob cwr o’r byd, bydd yn dangos sut y mae grwpiau cymunedol arloesol wedi datblygu agweddau gwahanol at dai sy’n mynd i’r afael ag unigrwydd, ynysu cymdeithasol a diffyg tai, gan wella lles unigolion a chymunedau. Ar ôl byw mewn menter gydweithredol tai ers pum mlynedd, mae ganddo doreth o brofiadau ymarferol go-iawn i’w cynnig. Yn dilyn y sgwrs, bydd cyfle i ofyn cwestiynau a rhannu adnoddau.
Mae Allan wrthi’n creu gwefan Cyd-drigo Powys. Os ydych am wybod mwy am gyd-drigo, ewch i wefan Rhwydwaith Cyd-drigo’r DU ar
https://cohousing.org.uk/ https://cymru.coop/get-our-help/our-projects/cyd-drigo-ym-mhowys/

 

Posted on

Creating Cohousing projects in Powys

 

K1 communal house, garden and individual houses

Since March I’ve been working part-time for the Wales Cooperative Centre in a new role created by Powys County Council. I’m the first dedicated cohousing project officer in Wales.

This is a tremendously exciting opportunity and a huge challenge. Community led housing projects face an uphill struggle to get homes built but the results are quite often life changing for generations of residents.

I’ve seen the positive benefits of cohousing first hand, in particularat OWCH in London and K1 in Cambridge (picture above). My job is to see how cohousing can work in Powys.

That means meeting with community groups, council officials, planners, housing organisations and support agencies, to facilitate the development of projects but also seeing how cohousing fits in with national and local health, social care and housing objectives. This includes the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

I’ll be posting occasional blogs and event details here and soon we’ll have a Powys Cohousing web page to support the creation of the Powys Cohousing Network. In the meantime, if you want to know more about my work please take a look at my blog for the Wales Cooperative Centre

%d bloggers like this: