Commonwork was set up by Neil and Jenifer Wates in 1976. Neil had left his position as Chairman of the Wates building firm, and they took the opportunity to change their way of life completely.
Both believed that the central agenda for humankind was to develop as whole persons. Key to this process of growth which both feeds and is fed by our inter-dependence with others was work - work which empowered people to do what they had it in them to do.
So they bought Bore Place, established a thriving dairy farm, and converted the old farm buildings into a study centre.
"When Neil and I set up Commonwork in 1976, we saw it
as an exploration of what it would be like in practice to live and work
sustainably - recognising that 'all waste is a misplaced resource' and that we
are all all inter-connected. We intended the farm, our core activity, not
only to generate profit to help finance the educational work, but itself to be
part of the process of discovery. And we were convinced that everything we
did had to embody the principle of 'learning by doing'.... risky, but in the end
the only effective way." Jenifer Wates, co-founder with Neil Wates
and trustee.
On Neil's death in 1985 the site was handed over to the Neil Wates Charitable Trust. Jenifer Wates continues to be an active participant in the Board of
Trustees working to develop Commonwork activities for the 21st century together
with fellow members Edward Wates, Joe Lulham, Paul Chaplin, Mark
Measures and Linda Davies.
