NE6CLH collective: We are a small group planning to fund and build affordable housing and work spaces for cultural creatives in Newcastle upon Tyne UK. Goals: We aim to find a building in Newcastle and retro fit this as a regenerative build. This building will provide living accommodation for 8 to 12 people and will include shared living space that all those in the building can choose to use. There will also be individual studio work spaces and shared studio workspaces. Any of those living in the building will have a choice of individual work spaces or access to the shared studio work spaces. The living and work spaces will be occupied at an affordable rent. Background: The NE6CLH group formed in response to research that showed that many people who gain qualifications in the cultural creative sector struggle to find a way to generate a living income from using these skills. The cost of renting accommodation and work space came up frequently.

What we'll deliver:

• Membership, Meetings and Modules
• Training and skills required for running the building and managing the community living and working there.
• A collective proposal for further funding
• Planning, surveys and first architectural advice
• A fully researched and working business plan that describes our project
• Journeys to existing community led housing associations
• Traders and Facilitators
• Top-notch website

Why it's a great idea:

• The building will be self sustaining financially and ecologically. • Once someone moves out they are no longer a full member although they may have a choice to become a supportive friend of the group and continue to share their skills and experience on a voluntary basis. • The building will become more than the sum of its’ parts. This will involve engaging the local community so that there is a wider sense of shared ownership. • People living in the building will always have the choice to take part in the shared nature of the space and the wider community in what ever way suits them best at any particular time. • Each person, in using the building, will agree to manage themselves in ways that do not cause harm or distress to other people sharing the building. Those who chose to live in the building will receive training they identify as useful to help them gain the skills required for running the building and managing the community living and working there.

Steps to get it done:

• Completed business plan, proposal
• Building membership First Stage (50 members)

• We distributed an open invite to anyone interested in community led intuitive. • We held public meetings in The Star and Shadow Cinema. • We then worked in small groups on the main themes that came from the initial group conversations. • Ideas from each group were collected and shared across the whole group • We created an online share space using the Slack/Zoom app. • A website was built and we used this to share our plans and progress • Following the Covid 19 lockdown restrictions we hosted online Zoom meetings. • We took part in exercises around how we imagined this project to develop and what it might provide. • Several members shared their own projects and we supported them to develop these alongside our project. • People from other community led and environmentally conscious building projects joined our online meetings and shared their experience and learnings. • We collected a list of possible buildings and made enquiries through agents and Newcastle City Council.