The Sturts community at Sturts Farm, West Moors, Dorset

Community housing

Home is a community.

Six small neighbourhoods where Companions, workers, and volunteers live alongside one another — on the farm and in West Moors.

Clover Community Housing

More than accommodation.

At Sturts Community Trust we have a number of community housing schemes — either on our two farm sites (Sturts and Gullivers) or in the local West Moors community. Together these are known as Clover Community Housing.

Clover Community Housing is arranged into six small mixed neighbourhoods, with accommodation varying from one to five bedrooms. Four of those neighbourhoods are on Sturts Farm, one is on the adjoining Gullivers farm, and one is in West Moors.

Neighbourhoods house between 10 and 17 people. All aspects of community life are organised through them. Each neighbourhood includes people with support needs — and all communication is adapted to be truly inclusive.

Sturts Community Trust team on the farm

Twin Oaks

We opened Twin Oaks — a major new development on the Sturts site — in April 2021. We have plans to continue extending our housing provision.

6

neighbourhoods

10–17

people per neighbourhood

90

acres of shared farmland

Types of accommodation

A home for everyone in our community.

The largest part of the accommodation is for Companions — adults with learning disabilities. We also have accommodation for:

Companions

Supported housing for adults with learning disabilities — integrated within the neighbourhood with support tailored to individual needs.

Vocational workers

Self-contained homes for vocational workers and their families who live as part of the community and contribute to its daily life.

Volunteers

Shared accommodation for co-workers and gap year volunteers, with food, living costs, and pocket money provided.

Co-housing

In the medium term, we plan to offer accommodation to people who wish to live in a community setting and be part of community activities.

How to apply

Applying for accommodation.

All accommodation at Sturts Community Trust can be applied for alongside an application for a role — whether as a support worker, on the farm and garden, or in the shop. The two processes can be considered and managed alongside each other.

You will be applying to live in, work with, and — in due course — help run a major community project for vulnerable adults. As such, it's critical that you have the space and time to be sure this way of living suits you, and that we feel you're fitting in well to how we operate.

Both your initial tenancy and your contract of employment are subject to probationary periods to enable that assessment on both sides.

The interview process

Two stages.

Stage one

A visit and tour of Sturts Community Trust, followed by an informal conversation with a small group of Companions and vocational workers.

Stage two

An interview with a small panel of vocational workers, covering both your housing and your employment application.

First six months

We offer a learning programme to help you settle in, covering community living, our philosophy, and the green principles of the farm.