A Place to be Real Together
Chill time, ideas, shared jobs, fun, spiritual refreshment - with flexible arrival and departure dates. And PAY WHAT YOU CAN - no set charges.
This event is unusual for Othona.
You can book to arrive and depart on dates that suit you (between Thursday afternoon and Wednesday morning).
You only pay as much as you choose - we have no set charges for this event!
Visit the event page: Growing Community - Pay What You Can for more details.
Don't miss this chance to have this handmade quilt and to support two community projects.
Raffle drawing date is now Fri 21 October 2021.
Buy a raffle ticket (or 6!) and have a chance to win a beautiful quilt made especially for OthonaWDorset by June McColm.
Proceeds from the raffle will support SHARP (Sandwell Homelessness and Resettlement Project) in Birmingham AND help fund Othona West Dorset's new stone seating circle and firepit.
Below is a photo and the story of the making of the quilt.
See poster for details and use this... Read More
The Othona Community joins the Nation in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Her long reign has been marked by her faith in God, her dignity and her commitment to public service. We mourn for her loss, celebrate her life and pray for her family.
Gracious God, we give thanks for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth, for her faith and her dedication to duty. Bless our nation as we mourn her death and may her example continue to inspire us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Dancing at Tamarisk Farm while the sun sets and the moon rises during Othona WDorset's Circle Dance event. Wow.
Click on the link below to see the video!
Thank you to Raffi for the tune!
Apprentice Mouser!
Our jobshare caterers Eleanor and Tom and their toddler Teddy have an addition to the family. The ginger boy-kitten is called Link (after a character in the Legend of Zelda video game).
The Farley family live in the ground floor flat under Robin and me. Our own cat Otto, an eminent 15 years of age... Read More
We made a great start on a circle of stone seats with a firepit/table in the middle. This was a project each morning for people aged 18-36. They were a great little team. (Kathryn and Tony helped too - let's not comment on their ages!)
As a Community Experience week this had plenty of time for chilling too. On the beach, round the woodland firebowl or playing mega-Qwirkle.
We began three days late because of Covid, but look: we've completed the first section of the stone circle. The concrete base was laid down the week before by Pete Baird, Dave Marsh and Andrew Gough.
Loads more photos HERE
Next... Read More
Writing on Good Friday may I offer you new programme events, generous new discounts, new faces on our team?
Hoping we can tempt you
At long last Othona has a programme of new events into the autumn bookable on our website. (Others for autumn and winter will follow soon.)
In May alone we have bluebell-time relaxation, short stories, a new retreat leader, zany digital art, and 'the good life'.
You'll find more new facilitators and innovative events - not to mention more photos - than any previous year. We hope you'll browse through the full programme and discover something irresistible.
By the way, there is a filter function at the top of... Read More
Othona's first full-on 'conference by Zoom ' was a real feast. Experience, passion and invigorating ideas about how we can respond to the greatest issue of our time: climate change and the degradation of the planet.
We had a raft of different speakers, some of whom were at COP26 last November. All the way from hands-on farmers to a protesting climate activist, to an international campaigner for inter-faith cooperation on the environment. There was a storyteller too and an expert on rewilding and bringing back the beavers! People who know their stuff and walk their talk.
Now you can catch up with them all on Youtube!
Othona West Dorset events for November to March are now on our website and open for booking.
There will be some extra events added later for January, February and March, but already we have quite a selection. Festivals, working weeks, prayer, creative writing, yoga, spiritual dance...
There are two sessions that'll suit really practical can-do folk who fancy a bit of decluttering.
We're keeping our ultra-flexible cancellation terms for anyone who has to drop out because of Covid. (If you cancel for other reasons, however, we've now gone back to our usual T&Cs.)
And thanks to the Association for Promoting Retreats (which we belong to) on most events we can offer 50% bursaries to NHS staff and to carers!
... Read More
We are still enjoying some early autumn sun here in Dorset. I wanted to bring you a video'd walk, a vivid experience of earth and moon, and news of a leadership opportunity at Othona's Bradwell centre.
Who Will Fill Tim's Shoes?
Tim Fox, my opposite number at Othona's centre in Essex, will be stepping down around Easter 2022. He'll be much missed, and as you'll appreciate the Community has an important recruitment task ahead.
If you would like to learn more about this role - for yourself or someone else - visit our 'Othona at Large' page.
Come Walk With Me (No 18)
Two weeks ago I enjoyed a sunny afternoon in Thorncombe Wood and Puddletown... Read More