Living at Tinkers Bubble

Life at Tinkers Bubble is immersive, and requires an interest in both fossil-fuel-free land-work and in intentional community. There is no financial buy-in – prospective residents are assessed on how well they fit with the ethos and needs of the community. Long-term volunteers and residents commit to a Residents Agreement, which sets out the structure and rules which we follow. Our Residents Agreement states that;

"Tinkers Bubble is a community whose residents aim to derive collectively their livelihoods from sustainable management of the land and its resources primarily through agriculture and forestry.

Tinkers Bubble is a relatively high-profile project, which combines intentional community, low-impact living, and land work. Residents of the Bubble are the stewards of this project, and are expected to support the long-term continuation of these values at the Bubble, and to express them in their own lives. Residents are expected to uphold:

• The effective functioning of community through shared work, caring for communal assets, and a willing engagement decision-making processes and interpersonal communication.
• The values of low-impact living, which includes prioritizing local over global supply chains, and an awareness of the impacts of consumption, including restraint around usual patterns of consumerism, such as fossil fuel use.
• The care of the land, including the production of food, resources, and earning a livelihood, in accordance with environmentally sensitive and regenerative practices."

Some key agreements for long term volunteers and residents include:

• Upholding the ethos and long-term wellbeing of the community
• Working for 3 days a fortnight on communal activities, and being available for key communal events including hay making and woodland work weekends
• Participating in domestic tasks, including cooking, on rota with other residents
• A financial commitment of £115 per month, which pays for communal expenses, including food, bills, and maintenance.
• Participating in communal decision-making processes
• Hosting volunteers throughout the year

Residents often work fairly autonomously and will hold various responsibilities within the community. The structure of work for long term volunteers will depend on their experience and interest – typically there is some autonomy, as well as guidance and direction from the resident group. Residents and long term volunteers also have the opportunity to have paid work with the communal businesses.

Our seasonal activities, which create much of the working structure for us, are roughly:

• March – June – establishing the growing season
• July – September – managing gardens, hay making, harvest and preserving
• October – December – Harvest, preserving, apple season
• December – March – Woodland management

People interested in long term stays and residency will be expected to undertake a trial period of volunteering so that we can get to know each other.