This last session in the first series of Community Learning Circles, organised by Liza Hollingshead, explored the history of the Community’s economy. The story is one of faith, courage, and a continuous evolution from inspired leaps to strategic, sustainable growth. This article is a compilation of narratives from key Community members, tracing the Community’s economic history from the 1970s to the present day.

Michael Shaw: The Era of Faith and Manifestation

I came to the Community in 1974 and the atmosphere was electric. Peter Caddy was the driving force, guided by the belief that if a project was spiritually aligned, the money would manifest. This was the Findhorn Foundation’s core philosophy—you didn’t wait for the funds; you started with faith.

A perfect example was the building of the Universal Hall. We had a simple, two-drawer accounting system run by our accountant, Michael Ogden. One drawer was for incoming checks, and the other for payments. Lyle Schnadt, the main organiser for the Hall project, would simply ask, “How much money is in your right-hand drawer?” He’d hear, “£11,000,” and without hesitation, he’d say, “Great, I’ll spend £10,000 of that.” It was a primitive, exciting system that worked because of our collective faith that the money would always appear.

This was a very different time. The average age was about 25, and a large portion of the Community was from California, deeply rooted in the “flower power” and New Age movements. This attitude of spiritual trust and bold action defined our early expansions.

When the opportunity to purchase Cluny Hill came up, Peter saw it as divine guidance. Despite a trustee, John Hilton, a former bank manager, resigning in protest, we went ahead. Within 48 hours, a lady named Joanne Patterson donated £40,000 and I organised a group of ten individuals, each providing a personal bank guarantee. This financial courage got Cluny off the ground.

To fund our growth, we created the Capital Division. It wasn’t a bank; it was a way for friends of the Community to invest money and choose an interest rate between 0% and 6%. This helped us acquire properties like Station House. When the Newbold estate became available, a couple named Harley and Cally Miller took it on with a radical “voluntary donation” model, covering all expenses through the generosity of guests alone.

The purchase of Cullerne was another example of this faith-based approach. While on a tour with Peter in Colorado, he was sure a millionaire would fund the purchase. He didn’t, but a misheard phone conversation when Michael Ogden heard “£70,000” instead of the actual “£7,000” we had, led him to go ahead with the purchase anyway. These were the kinds of “honest mistakes” and acts of faith that built the Community.

Finally, the origin of New Findhorn Directions (NFD) is a story in itself. In the early days, with great music and bands like Hans Paulson’s New Troubadours, we needed to protect music copyrights. A Community visitor named Arthur Buck, who happened to be the lawyer for the Rolling Stones, set up a company for us. He called it “division” because that was the industry term for music companies in London’s Soho. It had nothing to do with its future role as a trading company.

George Goudsmit: From Spiritual Vision to Business Reality

I came here in 1989 and found myself running Weatherwise, a solar panel company that had been part of the Foundation. When I took it over, it was very much a “Foundation-style” business. We would start with long attunements and have frequent tea breaks. From a business perspective, it wasn’t going anywhere.

The solar panel design, created by Lyle Schnadt, was highly unique and efficient. I’m not a technical person at all, but I focused on what was exciting – solar energy. We were (and still are) the only solar thermal producers in the UK. We changed the company’s name to AES Solar and our breakthrough came from an enormous, almost miraculous, order from the Seychelles for 550 complete systems. That gave us the cash flow we needed to finally take off.

Over the years, we grew, taking on big projects and hiring more engineers. While we were technically a separate entity from the Foundation, we remained physically and emotionally close, always maintaining the ethics and morals of the Community. In the early 2000s, the rise of PV technology posed a huge threat to our business of solar water heating panels, but we adapted. For our commitment to our people and clients, we even received a Queen’s Award for Industry.

And speaking of the Queen, I had a memorable encounter. My daughter, who lived on the Isles of Scilly, had a small chocolate factory that the Queen was visiting. I was introduced to her, and after a brief chat about solar panels, the Queen said, “Maybe I should have them at Balmoral.” I couldn’t just hand her a business card, so I wrote to Buckingham Palace. Two weeks later, I was at Balmoral, installing a system.

Alex Walker: From Financial Turmoil to Ekopia

My journey began in the early 1980s. While the 1970s were a time of expansion, the early 80s were financially “tricky.” The growth had accumulated debt, and guest numbers were declining. We had a guest volunteer whose job was to sit by the phone all morning, monitoring piles of unpaid invoices and calmly reassuring creditors that they would eventually be paid.

Amid this stress, Eileen Caddy did something remarkable; every day before Sanctuary, she would take the pile of unpaid invoices and “bless them.” This spiritual act, along with the purchase of the Caravan Park in 1983, was a turning point that helped get the Community back on its feet.

Over the years, New Findhorn Directions (NFD) began to expand. We used to have a lyrical metaphor for how new enterprises would start: in the Foundation’s “greenhouse,” then move to the NFD “cold frame,” and finally be “planted out” as independent entities. This was a beautiful idea – and sometimes this actually happened!

NFD became very complex to run with divisions including the holiday park, the Phoenix Shop, Findhorn Press, and even AES Solar. The NFD board went on a retreat to solve this. They had a long agenda, and the key item was 3B, which was seen as a sign because the number resembled the Sanskrit symbol for ‘Om’. 3B stood for “Let’s all get out of one another’s hair” and set up independent businesses so that’s how AES Solar and the Findhorn Press went into private ownership within the Community.

The Phoenix Shop was more complicated. Its manager, David Hoyle, wanted it to be owned by the Community as a whole, not just be a private business. After a long search, he found a lawyer who knew about Community Benefit Societies. This became the model for Ekopia, which was created to allow Community members to invest in the shop and other projects.

The history of Ekopia has been about finding “investment-ready” projects. The creation of Findhorn Wind Park was another key moment. When we needed to raise a million pounds (in today’s money) for three new turbines, Ekopia raised about half of this, proving that if the right project exists, the money will be there.

Fasil Bogale: Building a Sustainable Future

I came to Findhorn 13 years ago, drawn by one of Eileen’s books, and like many, I stayed after my Experience Week. As an accountant, I quickly saw the economic challenges for young people: housing was expensive, and jobs were scarce and low-paying. I realised the Ecovillage needed a better infrastructure.

I used my skills to serve the Community and eventually joined the Ekopia board. I found it to be a very structured organisation, focused on building a new type of economy. Unlike the “free money” of previous eras, our projects are financed through blended finance—a mix of grants and Community investment. For affordable housing alone, Ekopia has provided over £500,000 in investment, which has been paid back. Our projects are designed to be assets, not debts, for the next generation.

We’ve expanded our reach, helped out the Steiner school by purchasing Drumduan and bought the Moray Art Centre building through Community share issues. Today, Ekopia manages over £1.9 million in people’s money. We still have a long way to go in building affordable housing and businesses, but we are a highly innovative Community. Our postcode is considered one of the most innovative in the UK, a testament to the diverse organisations working here.

Our most recent project is food-growing. We considered the Kinloss Golf Course, but the investment required was too high. In the meantime, we’ve taken on the lease for the Cullerne Garden to support the existing team, thereby providing a container for good work to happen. This is our role: we act as a financial vehicle, holding the space and managing the risk so that other organisations can do what they do best.

An Honest Conversation About Community Finances

The Q&A session that followed brought up some frank questions, reflecting the Community’s shift toward practicality. The topics ranged from historical projects to future models, and a key theme emerged –  the need for sustainability and collaboration.

The Caravan Park: A Brave, Costly Move

The purchase of the caravan park in 1983 for £360,000—£100,000 for the business and £260,000 for the land—was a major undertaking at a difficult time. Peter Caddy had left, and the Findhorn Foundation’s finances were not strong. The fundraising effort was led by Francois Duquesne, with Eileen Caddy playing a pivotal role by signing thousands of letters asking for donations. A creative campaign was launched where Community members were asked to take fundraising responsibility for one of 150 plots on the Park, leading to a sense of collective involvement and ownership. However, the anticipated surplus of £50,000 a year for staff housing was never realised as much of this surplus was created by the Foundation paying rent, which ceased at that point.

The New Economic Model: Diversification and Collaboration

The Community’s economic model is shifting away from its traditional reliance on guest revenue. Historically, guest income was a key source of money, but it was never sufficient on its own, always requiring a blend of income and donations. Now, the economy is becoming more localised and diversified. Independent businesses like AES Solar have grown and contribute significantly to the local economy by providing jobs, even if they don’t directly share profits with the Foundation.

The idea of a formal profit-sharing model, similar to the one in Auroville, has been discussed but not yet implemented. This highlights the need for a more formalised way for the many different Community organisations to pool resources. Similarly, the financial struggles of the Findhorn College were attributed to a model where accommodation was a massive expense, suggesting that future educational programmes should involve collaboration between separate organisations for education, food, and housing.

The conversation also touched on the need for a more flexible visitor experience, where guests have diverse options for accommodation and food, from high-end to very affordable, rather than a single, all-inclusive package. This would make the Ecovillage more accessible to a wider range of people, a model found in communities like the ashram in Pune and the Omega Institute in New York.

Manifestation and Legacy: A New Form of Faith

The Community’s ability to “manifest” is still a powerful force, but its nature has changed since Peter Caddy’s era. While his philosophy of “Expect a Miracle” was remarkably effective, as we evolve we practise a blend of spiritual inspiration and practical, collective action. Projects like the wind turbines and affordable housing at East Whins show that a strong, collective will can still achieve incredible things.

The Community is taking on more responsibility for its infrastructure, and a core teaching has emerged; if something is lacking, you must step up to do the work yourself. This new approach acknowledges that while faith is vital, it must be paired with clear business plans, accountability, and a focus on long-term sustainability to ensure that projects become assets, not debts, for the generations to come.

COIF TEAM

Inspired by CommUnity, a group of NFA volunteers, manages this website. Hearing each others stories, and learning about the history of this community can help us all to find more cohesion and a sense of belonging. Read more.&lt