“To discover how to be human now is the reason we follow this star”
W.H. Auden - the guiding inspiration for the Commonwork Trust.
Bore Place is home to The Commonwork Trust, a charity that was set up by Neil and Jenifer Wates in 1976.
The establishment of the charity came about as Neil and Jenifer were deeply concerned about the exploitation of natural resources in the world and the lack of opportunity for others to achieve their potential. They wished to bring about real change and realised this would require a massive shift in how society thinks and works. Their vision was to explore how to live and work sustainably understanding and recognising the interconnectedness of the environmental, social, economic and political aspects of sustainability. They sought to achieve this through practical action and by working cooperatively with others to share and inspire a change in thinking. They gifted the Bore Place estate, its farm and its properties to the charity as the foundation from which this work and exploration could be done, and to act as a model of sustainable living. This focus remains at the heart of our work today.
Jenifer remains closely involved today in her role as Trustee Emeritus.
“Our sense was and still remains that we can contribute to … change by seeking to live it in practice and share our experience with others.” Jenifer Wates