initially managed by Brian Nobbs, who returned in 1979 to rebuild and restart the Pottery as a business. By 1983 is was again a Findhorn Foundation work department. Brian rebuilt it once more, in 2005 he sold the business to Belia Biesheuvel. In 2022 Findhorn Pottery moved to Findhorn Village and the Park Pottery was taken over by a group of Community members.

Initially known as the Sparshop, it became the Phoenix Shop run within NFD. Through the first Community buy-out it became community owned in 2001, and changed into a CIC (Community Interest Company) in 2016.

Architects Of Aquarius, September  the beginnings of over 120 conferences or large events until the last one in 2019. 

This evolved into Findhorn Music which later merged with Findhorn Press.

A limited liability company and wholly owned by the Findhorn Foundation, created as a holding company to permit commercial activities initiated by members and ex-Foundation departments to be carried on outside the umbrella of the charitable trust. In 1994 Thierry Bogliolo describes the changes in NFD in a One Earth article. NFD has seen many changes over the decades, taking on HoCo (Housing Company) as more private homes were built in the Park Ecovillage, and later in collaboration with the Titleholder Association, taking on the responsibility for the infrastructure on this ‘private estate’ where many council services (such as sewage and water) stop at the entrance. This includes the electrical distribution system from the wind turbines. In 2024, with the withdrawal of the Findhorn Foundation and the transfer of assets to the Park Ecovillage, NFD finds itself once again in a major transition.

An Idea Becomes a Business by Liza Schnadt.  The business eventually became part of NFD before setting up as an independent business in 1984. George Goudsmit took over from Lyle in 1990, renamed the company AES Solar. This company, with its offices in Forres, has gone from strength to strength receiving the Queen’s Award for sustainability in 2022. Click here to read George’s story  and see AES timeline. 

Economics as a Way of the Spirit by David Spangler
Business in the New Age by David Spangler

1982 Purchase of Newbold House by newly formed Newbold Trust. Newbold ran as a residential community and workshop centre until 2020 when the building was sold, and the Newbold Legacy Trust was set up. For more details please see here.

 Richard Brockbank was one of the first to set up an independent enterprise.

This was focalised by Kay Tift, with the expressed mission to “Being the primary educational facility for the FF, to run workshops and generate income for FF.” 

Kay Tift, April 9, 1983: Section F: Vision and Function of Cluny Hill – Functions:

• The Foundation’s principal Guest Accommodation;
• The Foundation’s major Campus Site for educational programmes;
• An important Residence for Findhorn Members;
• The location for Assigned Community Services such as Transport, Accommodation Office, Bakery and Laundry;
• The location for Income Producing Businesses such as the Bookshop.

Roger Benson recalls: “The community context here was that the community was mired deeply in debt and cash was in very short supply.  So cost saving and cash earning (filling beds) were necessities.”

Presenters: Guy Dauncey, Chris Elphick, Lionel Fifield, Paul Hawken, Ian Gordon-Brown, Jose Lutzenberger, Linda Ecklin, Jonathon Porritt, Peter Schwarz, Charles Handy Focalisers: Vita De Waal, Francois Duquesne.  

Echo-nomics:The Science of Comeback by Lionel Fifield
Politics and the New Economics by Jonathan Porritt
From Community to Village: An Economic Perspective by Alex Walker
The Four Horsemen of the Economic Apocalypse….  by Alex Walker

Free Enterprise in the Ashram (1986/7) by Andrew Murray
Path to Prosperity by Richard Coates

Click here to see all the papers that are published in the collective autobiography.

Linking with Russia, begins operating. Liza Hollingshead organises visits between Russia and the UK as part of ‘citizen diplomacy’ initiatives.

This was the beginning of what became a dedicated company, Findhorn Wind  Park, in 2002. Moya, a 75kW turbine, served the Community well until 2017 when it was dismantled. In 2006 it was joined by three much bigger turbines (225kW each) which are still working well, as they had a major refurbishment in 2023.

Set up by Alan Harfield and Vidura le Fevre in an old posthouse outside Forres. Published One Earth Magazine 1990-1996. Moved into the Pubs Building in the Park Ecovillage which it shared with Findhorn Press, printing the Findhorn Foundation brochures and supported many individuals and businesses with design and printing services. Rebranded as Big Sky. Closed during the pandemic lockdown in 2021.

A group of complementary and alternative practitioners got together, agreed on a Code of Ethics and Practice and created a directory. This has evolved into Moray Complementary Therapies, and still offers access to alternatives in healthcare to everyone in Moray. 

The work of restoring the Caledonian Forest goes from strength to strength over the decades. In 2024 the office is still in the Park Ecovillage but the focus of the work is in the Highlands, particularly in the estate that the charity owns, Dundreggan. Click here to read more about Trees for Life.

Initially based in the Park Ecovillage, the charity opens HealthWorks in Forres in 1994. Click here to read more about the work of HHC.

Started by a small group of Community members including Nicole Edmonds, Jill Brierley, Philip Stewart, and Cornelia Featherstone.
New Moray LETS started in 1998 to increase accessibility in the local area for several years there were 2 local LETS systems, eventually Findhorn LETS closed, New Moray LETS is still going strong.

Findhorn Foundation trustees sold Findhorn Press to Thierry and Karin Bogliolo who ran it until 2018 when it became part of Inner Traditions publishing.

This beautiful video  includes a lot of footage about EarthShare and the fields and Cullerne. Boxing Clever Cookbook helped customers to deal better with the vegetables they received in their boxes. Earthshare ceased operation in 2011 for various reasons but it has inspired many people and enhanced the awareness UK-wide for local organic food and community farming. 

  Set up as charity in 2001, supported health posts in rural areas of Nepal for several years.

Earthshare – Feeding Community needs by Andrew Aikman
Spirit in a Material World  by Andrew Ferguson
NFD – Changing the Way We Do Business  by Thierry Bogliolo
Can the Pottery Survive & Thrive by Brian Nobbs
Money, Money, Money by Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson see One Earth Magazine issue 15 p8

 Over the years Ecologia supported children, young people and families in many countries, including Russia, Myanmar/Thailand, Scotland, Kenya and Uganda. It closed down in 2024.  

Financing a Sustainable Dream, Johnny Brierley & Alex Walker with Carol Alexander

Presenters: Richard Barrett, Satish Kumar, Peter Russell, William Bloom, Ashley Ramsden Focaliser: Johnny Brierley

A company with shareholders, Community members who put up the money for the initial purchase and later for subsequent development phases. The first major step taken was to set aside 200 acres for a newly set up Findhorn Dunes Trust to preserve the land in perpetuity. In 2006 start of the Findhorn Hinterland Group (later Trust), sale of land to the Soillse Co-Housing cluster, and still ongoing development of the Magic Triangle including crucial support for affordable housing.

In 2006 it goes independent, renamed Findhorn Consultancy Service. The Consultancy provided services to corporations, NGOs, charities and individuals. It ran Business Experience Weeks, 3 annual Walk Your Talk conferences for social and environmentally sustainable businesses and paved the way for the founding of the Findhorn International Centre for Sustainability in 2010.

Mark Jones brought together a group of builders to build many of the houses on the Field of Dreams.

The first investment was £137,000 in the Phoenix Shop since then supporting many Community projects – for more details click here.

 A limited company was set up to deliver accredited courses, work with universities etc.. Later renamed to Findhorn College. It ceased activities in 2021.

Commissioned by the local enterprise company, supported by the Findhorn Foundation, this assessment looked at the economic impact of the Findhorn Foundation, Park Ecovillage Findhorn and wider community on the economy of Moray. A short Summary written by Alex Walker was published 2013.

Findhorn Flower Essences  founded in 1993 by Marion Leigh. After her death her daughter Iona, stepped into leadership in 2019 and is continuing her mother’s legacy to date – visit the website.

Dance artists Karl Jay-Lewin and Deborah Jay-Lewin (now Deborah Lewin) believed that the setting of Findhorn and locally-based arts facilities would provide the perfect platform upon which to showcase contemporary dance to rural Scottish audiences. Later rebranded as dancenorth.

It is renamed Shambala and is operated as Buddhist retreat centre until 2010.

First, the Phoenix Bakery moved into the old Bakehouse bought by David Hoyle and Jan Boultbee (Ekobay Ltd) in 1994. A while later the restaurant/café opened next door. Initially it was part of the Phoenix Community Stores. In 2009 Ekobay bought the business from the Phoenix, and Jan and David left the Phoenix. As the restaurant/café had to close due to lockdowns during the pandemic in 2020, it transformed into The Bakehouse Market, wholefoods and deli, offering a lot of local produce, thus protecting jobs, supporting local producers and continuing to serve the local population. In 2024 Jan and David sold the business to two of the staff, Alisha and Dawn Payne.

Operated as an unincorporated community group until 2015 when it was set up at Findhorn Hinterland Trust SCIO 

 The Art Centre Building was purchased by Ekopia in 2021 and leased to the MAC charity 

Managed by the Findhorn Hinterland Group, later Findhorn Hinterland Trust

Initially set up to deliver a programme in schools under the Climate Challenge Fund, it now operates several divisions which serve the Community.

The objective of this initiative was to bring a broader spectrum of people to the FF.  BB ran bespoke programmes for local, national and international groups, and also birthed the Care Farm initiative which began in 2015, hosting weekly visits for local people with learning difficulties.

FICS began as part of the Building Bridges initiative to bring a broader diversity of participants to the FF. By providing education to the corporate, policy making, NGO, charitable and academic sectors it also served to build a successful new income stream.  FICS began with one programme, The Findhorn International Forum on Sustainability in 2010, and grew to nine programmes in 2019. These programmes were from 2 to 4 days in length and included such subjects as Climate Finance, The Authentic Investor, Unblocking the Future, Water Security, Leading from the Future, and Trauma-informed Leadership. There was a break during the pandemic, then programmes began again in 2021 with Moving Beyond COP, and ended in September 2023 when the Foundation paused its educational offerings.

Vera Bohlen set up her pottery business in a flexi-unit in the laundry block in East Whins.

Taking forward the work the Findhorn Hinterland Group had been doing since 2006, including the Green Burial Ground in Wilkie’s Woods.

Karen Hughes started to work with local organic growers to bring their produce to customers through an online-shop box scheme. This operated until 2021 when Karen had to give it up due to ill health.

For the next 4 years NFA invited Community projects and entrepreneurs to submit applications and present it to the Community which then voted on how to spend the available funds.

Connecting young people to their communities: as mentors to children in need of extra support, and by creating youth-led projects In the Community – initially under Ecologia Youth Trust, formed as an independent SCIO in 2022. 

He started to build it into the Pizzeria it still is, in 2024, praised by customers for it’s pizzas ‘being the best this side of Rome‘. With his business partner Stefano Nebiolo he set it up as La Boheme Catering Ltd in 2022.

Biomatrix took on management of the Living Machine in the Park Ecovillage.

With the assistance of a LEADER Grant and the support of The Pebble Trust, Naturesave Trust and the Beatrice Fund, to provide offices, hot desking and startup support for emergent businesses.

This facilitated a financial restructuring to allow the school community to focus on their educational objectives.

When Findhorn Pottery moved to Findhorn Village, the Park Pottery was taken over by a group of Community members under The Park Pottery Ltd.

The Trust is being wound up, and a new charitable organisation, Findhorn Foundation SCIO launched on 1st May 2024. It is presently offering educational programmes in Traigh Bhan on Iona and is hoping to extend that to Erraid in the near future. Plans to return educational offerings to the Park Ecovillage are at an early stage.

The operations of the Titleholders Association in the Park Ecovillage had been held within Ekopia since 2004. Now the time had come to set it up as an separate company.