I became Listener Convener in the early days of the NFA. The attempt was to land an organisation that was embracing all corners, or all aspects of the community, individuals and businesses, and the Foundation counted as a business. The problem was many people didn’t see the point of joining the NFA or didn’t really see how it related to them. That was a challenge and I struggled as I wasn’t particularly confident at the time. However, I strongly believed that the community was one community and I had my own business as part of the community businesses. I was interested in things that involved everyone and I tried to get a community-wide meditation going because I felt it would help hold things together. It didn’t get going at that time, but of course later became an integral part of life at Findhorn.

Part of our responsibility as Listener Conveners was to welcome new people who had come to join the community and show them around, explain to them how things were done and so on. I took on the responsibility – and I think other years Fabien and Barbara and so on did – of running the Winter Gathering, which is an evening in December where people from the local community were invited to come to the Hall and there would be acts of one thing or another ending with Christmas Carols. Sometimes it would be outside groups or individuals performing. Other times it was largely Foundation people or community people. I found organising the Winter Gathering particularly rewarding.

However, there were challenges. I struggled a bit with my fellow Listener Convener. We had very different ways of working and it wasn’t easy to see the other one’s way, so that added to the challenge. I also remember there were difficulties with the electing and voting processes, so some structural challenges as well.

Interviewed by Liz Wigglesworth