The New Findhorn Association

Up until 1999, everything at the Findhorn Community came under the administrative umbrella of the Foundation. As it grew, it became increasingly difficult and expensive to manage, and there was no structure to hold those people who wanted to participate in community life without being part of the Foundation.

The first such structure was the Findhorn Bay Community Association, organised by Roger Doudna and others. Then in 1999, Robert Gilman, an American experienced in setting up communities helped me set up the New Findhorn Association. Thirteen years on, the NFA is coming into its own as the support structure for the community.

Twelve people (half Foundation and half not), including Robert Gilman, Eva Ward and Richard Coates and myself, worked for three months to create a constitution and set up elections.

The NFA supports people who come up with ideas and schemes. Two Listener Conveners (one of each gender) take the pulse of the Community and convene meetings accordingly. Decisions are made by a Council of 12 volunteers, thus all the power to create community lies with community members. The NFA also has an accountant, an admin person, and a youth coordinator.

We had our first election in March 1999. A lot of people voted, including Foundation staff. I was the first elected male Listener Convener, together with Hannah Albrecht as the first female Listener Convener.

The first two years were very much about establishing the NFA. After I left, Kay Kay was elected as a LC, and was very active for four years. She got more involved in many things, particularly with the kids and youth.

Over time the NFA has taken on responsibility for running almost everything that is not directly related to the Foundation’s core activities. So if you use the General Office, read the Rainbow Bridge, ‘shop’ at the Boutique, recycle, borrow books
from the Park Library, use the B&B list, use the telephones, go to the Winter Gathering, attend the Youth Project, then you are using facilities brought to you by volunteers and the NFA’s few staff.

The NFA runs on subscriptions from its 400 members, both near and far. Membership is by attunement with an average fee of £150 a year. More than 30 businesses are part of the NFA, including the Foundation, Trees For Life, the Phoenix, Pottery, New Findhorn Directions, Duneland Ltd and also some businesses in Elgin, Forres and Nairn.

Despite its large membership, it’s hard to get people to stand for Council. This year we had nine people on the Council and four have already resigned. Meanwhile, the Foundation is more supportive of the NFA than ever before. We have regular meetings between Foundation Management and NFA Council to look at future cooperation, for example in building public toilets and creating an orientation programme for community members.

We are looking at new governance structures in The Park, in which NFA has more of a voice. At the moment the Foundation makes many decisions that might affect the Community, so creating a new, more balanced way of governing The Park would be most welcome. The Chair of the Foundation’s Trustees and the Chair of Management are very supportive of what the NFA is trying to achieve.

We need to look beyond having a comfortable life and a Community that is supplying all our needs. And for that to happen, we need to go back to the roots of this place, which is, We are here to do God’s will. And then everything else will be given to us. Findhorn has become more and more a beacon of light for many people around the world. In order to be true to who we really are, we need to be able to walk our talk in a more meaningful way.

Fabien Barouch, interviewed by Catharine Stott