A Place to be Real Together
You are very welcome to attend our Annual General Meeting held in September each year - whether you are a member or not!
Currently the AGM is held online. See details of this year's AGM below.
Log in from 10.15am.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87225717379?pwd=wQhk5SLrUatfNtJke49gS6zAnl8Utb.1... Read More
Here's a link to our current programme. Have a browse!
We have a range of events including family events, quiet retreats, walking, working together, creative and musical activities, nature and environment focused, space to question and explore - and more!
Othona West Dorset is...
A beautiful seaside spiritual retreat...
combining the experience of community life...
with the arts, nature, contemplation & relaxation...
and, as we say, "the natural place to be real together".
You're new to Othona?
We hope you'll enjoy finding your way round this site. It's still being added to -... Read More
Wow! The 2024 summer season has just come to a close. What a beautiful time. Thank you to all who shared in it - visitors, vollies, facilitators, core. Thank you for making such a nourishing and fun community together. Following are just a few moments from the events...
(Photo: Picnic before Green and Easy event)
Supper before Counter Tourism event
Counter Tourists at Corfe Castle
... Read More
We are delighted to welcome Kathryn Brooks as our new deputy warden! Many of our regulars will have met Kathryn over the last couple of years. She has been with us as a vollie many times, so knows us well. We are excited to have Kathryn with us full time. More info will be shared in an upcoming newsletter. (If you would like to be on our mailing list, sign up here!)
Photo: Young adults event to build the new stone fire circle!
Use your energy and drive to support our very experienced centre manager/warden to further develop the business and renew the buildings and facilities of our Christian retreat centre in Dorset.
At our centre we provide fun and restorative times for individuals and families.
You will live on the Dorset coast, overlooking The Chesil beach and Lyme Bay, in a 2 bedroom flat, with all meals and household bills provided.
Salary £16,520.00, 20% employer’s contributory pension, 28 days leave including bank holidays and statutory days.
The centre is staffed by a small resident community who live by a simple rhythm of life described by our founder Rev. Norman Motley as “... Read More
We are featured in the Guardian Newspaper's Readers' Best Wellness Breaks! Thank you so much to Charlotte Marples for your appreciation and recommendation. We hope to see you again soon.
If you are one of the Guardian readers who found your way to us via Charlotte's recommendation, and would like to be the first to hear of our upcoming events...
We'd love to tell you about our events programme - from retreats to family holidays. But not all of it is published yet. Our events until May are here... Read More
This will be an online meeting, 10.30-12.30, on Saturday 23rd September
Papers will be circulated by email by 9th September
Written questions to Trustees to be emailed to communitysecretary@othona.org.
A link to this meeting will be made available nearer the time.
We hope to see you there.
We've begun a project to renew our websites and we're looking to refresh all of Othona's online presence. This means more people with interest and skills getting involved - not just staff members at the two Othona centres. Whether as part of the Website Development Working Group (even as project leader), or in other ongoing roles around social media and marketing, photo and video curating, or Google Workspace admin.
This one hour video presentation (passcode: r#YR316! to access), with Q&A, was recorded on Saturday 12th August. Do have a look if you're interested.
After... Read More
Great news about our continuing bid to reduce Othona's carbon footprint. We have replaced the gas boiler heating the chapel and library by two types of air-source heat pump.
Within the same project we've also installed an Eddi energy diverter. This makes smart use of power generated by our photovoltaic panels. It will enable expansion of this renewables technology at Othona in the future.
Our project has been part funded by Low Carbon Dorset as part of the European Regional Development Fund and will save over 5.3 tonnes of CO2 each year. Thank you so much to these organisations for their support!
Thank you to our Roll Ups gang for our new energy saving insulated thermal cooking bag (also called a wonderbag, or pot wrap). Enables us to cook porridge etc using a lot less energy.
A real community creation. The idea from Kathryn, the pattern by Eleanor, the sewing by Roll Ups crew, the cooking by chefs!
Boiling water and porridge - no further heating required
After 30 mins wrapped up.... Yummy porridge!