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When I started this organisation, the main aim was to find some like minded
people to create an Eco-Hamlet for me to live in. If enough
people liked the idea and we could create several Eco-Hamlets,
that would have been a bonus. Things started to take off on
a larger scale than expected, and this led to various challenges
that have taken a while to resolve. You can read more about
the rocky road to get to where we are now here.
My intention was that Eco-Hamlets UK would be an entirely
voluntary organisation, but quite a number of members told
me that I ought to be paid for the work I was doing. At the
time I was reluctant to consider it, but with this re-launch
of the organisation, the amount of work involved has made
me change my mind.
A lot of people who want to live in an Eco-Hamlet lead busy
lives, and don't have the time to do all the work that is
needed to achieve their aims. This site has the potential
to help with this by avoiding duplication of work that has
already been done by other people, and having the help of
other members, the Site Administrator, and various computerised
systems.
Setting up and maintaining this web site, and the member's
web site and other online facilities that help to find new
members and publicise our aims, is very time consuming. However
much I believe in what I'm doing, I need to make a living
and work on my own project, and can't afford to spend a lot
of time helping other people free of charge. Creating a home
in a low-impact development is likely to cost between £10,000
and £100,000, and in conventional housing between £100,000
and £300,000. If even a small part of this cost can
be saved through using the facilities of this site, an annual
subscription would be money well spent.
I don't expect to receive enough income from this site to
pay all the costs and time involved in running it, although
that would be nice. I see it as the first stage of setting
up a number of services that help us to achieve our aims.
Some of these are on a small scale, and others more ambitious.
At the moment it is just me doing the work. Hopefully in
time that will change, but we're not there yet.
It's very important that members of this site are not put
off contributing information, knowledge and useful documents.
The site won't work without this. I want to make it very clear
that no one will be expected to pay for any contributions
made free of charge by members. Donations and Subscriptions
will contribute towards making the facilities available, and
administering the site. Any information I acquire related
to my own Eco-Hamlet project will be added free of charge,
but how much content that benefits others but not myself I
can add to the site will depend on the time I can afford to
spend on it, so will be related to the income from subscriptions.
John Boshier
23rd January 2011
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