Hi folks,
I’m Matt. I do not own a smallholding yet but aspire to do so in future, and have a keen interest in all things related to self-reliance and smallholding. I’m a painter and decorator by trade but my real love is bushcraft and woodlore. I love the outdoors, even in inclement weather. I’ve started a group endeavour in which, I hope, some of you might be interested.
Last year I started a ‘close-community’ project, which I hope will culminate in a nationwide network of people who’ll meet locally in order to skill-share, barter, train, and socialise together, and we seek to empower people to get out into nature and exercise, and learn. We’re a family-centric venture and we want to train seriously yet keep things fun too. We have a number of dedicated members, and we’re growing in number. We’re apolitical, and seek to teach valuable life-skills, and promote self-reliance.
We'd like to hear from people of all backgrounds in order to pool our expertise, and manpower. Among our group, although small in number, we’ve already covered some very important bases, including Law, First Aid/Therapy, Communications, Construction/Renovation, Self-Defense, and more besides. Many of our members have multiple skill-sets.
We held a few meetings this year, and we’re very much about real-world action. We seek to create community, and I feel there’s never been a better time. Trying to find an appropriate venue for our activities has been really problematic this year though, and I hope that someone reading this message would be kind and/or interested enough to help.
I’d like the use of a small piece of your land, please, for the purposes of a small monthly group meeting. Perhaps you have a small field or a patch of woodland that you’d be willing to rent or loan? I'm searching specifically for a central location, from the Midlands, to Yorkshire, or perhaps further North. Remuneration can be arranged, but for now, while our numbers are small, it’s only possible on a modest scale. I’d take full responsibility for the group as a whole and you’d only have to deal with me personally. We’d be self-contained and would require very few amenities. I guarantee that your land would be left just as we found it, if not better. Ideally you’d like to join our group, and the activities.
I’d also like to offer my services. I can paint and decorate to a high standard but I’d rather do things related to smallholding. I hasten to add that I have no experience. However, I’m fairly handy with tools (and have plenty of my own), have some experience working on vehicles, laid a few hedges, some groundwork, that sort of thing. I’m physically fit. I’d be prepared to dig ditches, muck out stables, wrangle animals, put up fences, build stone-, or wattle and daub walls etc. I’ll be there when you need me, with a smile on my face, even in the worst weather. Whatever I can do to help you to help the project (and the self-reliant family), then I’ll do it. I’m looking to the future and I want to forge strong alliances with good people.
Apologies if this seems somewhat unorthodox but I'm trying everything I can to find an appropriate venue for next year. So, if you think you might be interested to join our self-reliant family network to learn, socialise, train, and meet other friendly, pro-active people then we'd like to hear from you. Our members are encouraged to play to their strengths. Everyone is valuable. If your speciality is solar power, or knitting jumpers, that’s awesome. This is the nature of the project. In future, I also aim to apply for land for a community allotment project and if anyone has any experience of such then I’d really appreciate your advice.
If you find community an important, yet sadly missing, part of modern life then you have friends waiting to meet you.
I’ll finish by saying that I’m also here to learn, thanks in advance, and I look forward to making your acquaintance.
Cheers,
Matt.