Community Organization

Our organization reflects the multi-faceted nature of the community which includes different approaches; different experiences; different life stories and different attitudes.

It also reflects our origins and belonging to the Findhorn Foundation wider community with its spiritual foundations and sensitivity to co-creation with nature spirits.

We use a complex integration of rational structure for efficiency, psychological awareness for emotional clearance and attunement to the spiritual world for inspiration and guidance.

The quality of working at Newbold House is constantly challenged by our financial needs and at the same time sustained by good willing, interpersonal boundaries and authentic spiritual practice.

Newbold House Departments

We have different areas of awareness which are looked after by one or two focalizers (see below) . The list includes: Community as a whole, Kitchen, Maintenance, Homecare, Garden, Spiritual-Healing-Educational, Office, Marketing, Financial Control, IT. To learn more about our departments go to the departments page.

The concept of Focalization

A focalizer, in the 'Findhorn' tradition, is a person who "holds the focus" for a certain activity. This is similar to team leader or manager but does not correspond to a hierarchical power structure. Here is the Findhorn definition:

The focalizer is not intended to be a leader in the sense of someone who gives orders, but is rather someone who, by virtue of their ability to attune to the needs of the whole, achieves respect.
(Alex Walker, The Kingdom Within, Findhorn Press, 1994).

The Membership Structure

Our community provides a wide range of possible positions to fit the needs of  visitors and co-workers whilst providing stability and commitment to the community as a whole. See the details of the membership model.

The Consensus Building Process

Rotating and "status-free" working roles

Newbold House is a place where to identify oneself with a job is deeply challenged. Definitely you cannot recognize the "status" of people by looking at what they are doing.

It is very probable that you can see people moving from feeding the chickens and digging the garden, to programming computers, cleaning the kitchen and holding workshops in the same day.  People in the Findhorn Community are invited to develop multi skills and to release the need to use their professional pedigree for achieving self-confidence and acceptance.

Everybody in the community is involved in more than one department, with a special care for the Garden, which is one of the most healing place of the house. Group projects in the garden are regularly implemented to give everybody the chance to breath the sparkling energy of the plants, tees and flowers.