Caring Community Circle Friends Appreciation
Dear friends and supporters of the Caring Community Circle at Park Ecovillage Trust,
As we celebrate the 63rd birthday of the Findhorn Ecovillage and Community on the 17th of November, we honour more than six decades of collective visioning, spiritual practice, ecological stewardship, and the quiet courage of everyday service. What began as a humble experiment in cooperation with spirit has grown into a vibrant ecovillage known worldwide for its gardens, its teachings, and its commitment to living lightly on the Earth.
The Caring Community Circle (CCC) is deeply rooted in this lineage. We would not be here without the many hands, hearts, and devoted souls who have carried the spirit of care across generations. Over the years, the CCC has been held by numerous team members whose love-in-action ensured continuity, responsiveness, and a compassionate presence for all who needed support. Their contributions form a living legacy that continues to bless the community.
In this celebratory moment for the Ecovillage, we extend our gratitude to all who offer selfless service, visible or unseen, creating an abundant web of kindness that sustains us all.
A Year of Commitment and Care
Even through challenges, thanks to the dedication of our team, task force, volunteers, and generous supporters, the CCC has continued its core mission: supporting community members in times of need. This work has been strengthened by your donations, including a particularly generous contribution from a community member who wished to ensure the CCC’s continuity.
The CCC Team
Our current team is composed of:
Jen Hayward, our CCC Coordinator, who joined us in May, brings extensive experience in both healthcare and social care, having worked for many years supporting individuals navigating complex medical, social, and emotional challenges. Jen has a natural ability to listen deeply and respond with clarity and compassion, helping people feel seen and supported. Since joining the CCC, she has already formed strong and heartfelt connections within the community, building trust with residents, volunteers, and partner groups. Her calm presence, practical wisdom, and unwavering advocacy for those who are less able have made her an anchor of reliability and care within the team.
Jane Gambrill, our CCC Assistant Coordinator -a treasured asset who will retire in December-. Jane has supported the CCC for the past five years with steadfast dedication. A former CCC Coordinator, Jane carries a profound understanding of community needs and a quiet strength that has sustained many during vulnerable times. Her work has been marked by patience, consistency, and genuine kindness. In her current role assisting with essential workload, she offers invaluable continuity and grounded community knowledge. Jane’s retirement in December marks the close of an important chapter of selfless service. Her generosity of spirit, countless hours of care, and steady presence will continue to resonate long after she steps back from her formal role.
Isabella Guerrini de Claire, CCC Operations, Communications & Fundraising Manager. Izzy is our newest team member, she volunteered with the CCC before officially joining in September. Her journey with the CCC grew from a place of heartfelt offering, gradually expanding into a role that now supports the operational, communicative, and fundraising backbone of the organisation. Isabella brings a rich and diverse background from sustainabilty to compliance and holistic wellbeing. She has a gift for weaving together structure and creativity, helping ensure the long-term sustainability of the CCC while enabling the rest of the team to dedicate more time to direct community care. Additionally, she serves as PET Carbon Strategy Director, supporting ecological stewardship and long-term resilience across the wider Park Ecovillage Trust.
Leadership
We are deeply honoured to welcome Leona Graham as Director of the Caring Community Circle (CCC). Leona also serves as the Forres CCC Coordinator, and she brings many years of dedicated involvement and wisdom to her expanded role.
Leona’s long-standing commitment to the CCC and the wider Park Ecovillage Trust is rooted in her deep understanding of our community’s rhythms, needs, and spiritual values. Her steady presence has been a source of strength through times of change, and her leadership is grounded in compassion, clarity, and a listening heart.
Throughout her journey with the CCC, Leona has offered not only practical governance but also spiritual and relational support, helping to knit together volunteers, task-force members, and those in need across our community. Her ability to bridge the operational and the heartfelt makes her uniquely suited for this role.
As Interim Director, Leona will help the CCC through this season of renewal. She will work closely with our coordinator, manager and volunteers, bringing her long experience and deep care to steward our shared vision: cultivating a caring, resilient, and spiritually grounded community from cradle to grave.
We are profoundly grateful for Leona’s willingness to step into this role. Her appointment marks not just continuity, but a renewal of commitment and a reaffirmation of the values that sustain us: selfless service, compassion, and mutual support.
Committed volunteers
Our heartfelt thanks go to Ann Bilous and Catherine Brislee, who lovingly facilitate our much-loved Tuesday Teas. Their warmth, humour, and generosity uplift all who attend.
Our Holistic & Wellbeing Activities
Over the past year, the Caring Community Circle has continued to offer a range of holistic and wellbeing workshops and practices , all rooted in our vision of a truly caring community. Grounded in our mission to educate in self-care, ageing in place, and end-of-life planning, these activities are designed to support everyone across the spectrum of life.
Some of the key areas we have focused on include:
- Stress Management / Preventative Healthcare: We run regular practice sessions (grounding, mindfulness, or deep listening) that support stress awareness and build resilience in the community.
- Trauma-Informed Facilitation and Mental Health Trainings: Workshops have covered trauma-aware group work, Scottish Mental Health First Aid, and suicide intervention planning.
- End-of-Life Education & Planning: As part of our commitment to caring “from cradle to grave,” we co-create peer learning around advanced directives, palliative care, and navigating final transitions with dignity.
- Life Advocacy, Health Care Navigation & Social Care Support: Our team provides health‑advocacy for individuals and families, guidance around social-care planning (including Power of Attorney), and support for navigating NHS, local services, and community resources.
- Community Peer Groups: Through our outreach, we facilitate peer groups around meaningful themes, such as suicide prevention, dementia awareness, and conversations on death that offer connection, shared wisdom, and trusted dialogue.
- Practical and Emotional Support: Task Force volunteers not only help with lending equipment, picking up prescriptions, practical support and visiting, but also create safe, caring presences for people in vulnerable or transitional times.
The Task Force
Our Task Force of engaged volunteers currently includes around 45 members, with roughly one third regularly active. Guided by the CCC team, they support community members through:
- Post-surgery visiting
- Collecting sick notes or prescriptions
- Occasional company and visiting those now living in care facilities
- Offering practical support in vulnerable moments
Their commitment forms the backbone of our work.
Support from community organisations
The CCC continues to receive meaningful support from the New Findhorn Association (NFA. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to community groups such as Park Pottery, the Taizé group, and others whose regular contributions help sustain our activities, nurture our volunteers, and strengthen our capacity to respond to those in need.
Their generosity reflects the spirit of mutual care that lies at the heart of our community, and we are deeply appreciative of every gesture of support.
Finances
Thanks to you, our donors and supporters, the CCC remains financially viable. We continue to pursue additional funding through private grants and public sources to ensure long-term continuity for the service to our community circles in Findhorn and Forres.
We are also grateful for the Endowment Fund, prepared for emergencies should they arise. It recently provided essential support to a community member in the final days of his life.
Donations
We will soon be introducing new, simpler ways to donate through the Park Ecovillage Trust website, as our previous systems are now due for an upgrade. These updated options will make it easier for friends and supporters to contribute directly to the work of the Caring Community Circle.
As we implement these improvements, we kindly ask that all donations be clearly marked with the reference “CCC donation” so that your contribution can be directed straight to our dedicated finances and used where it is needed most.
Every offering, whether large or small, truly forms the lifeblood of our organisation. Your generosity sustains vital services, supports our coordinators and volunteers, and directly nurtures members of our community through times of vulnerability, transition, and change.
We are profoundly grateful for your continued kindness, trust, and commitment to a culture of shared care.
With deep appreciation and warmth,
The Caring Community Circle
Stay tuned, more news are coming soon. Our newsletter will now be shared every couple of months.
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Support the work of the Caring Community Circle
Bank of Scotland: Branch n. 80-06-81
Account n.06022056
Park Ecovillage Trust – Please always state REF: “CCC Donation”
–you could set a standing order or one off or just email at [email protected]
If you are a US taxpayer please click here for the USD form.
