A Brief History
The Lantern Community currently consists of ten houses on the estate, and one house is around the corner on Hurn Lane.
In each house, home life is shared, with everyone contributing and taking their part. We all recognise that our home is central to our lives in giving us security, a sense of belonging, and companionship.
Households vary in size from 2 to 7 people in a variety of accommodations ranging from a two-hundred-year-old cottage to modern houses.
The Lantern Community offers adults with a learning disability (Companions) the possibility to contribute and partake in a mutually supportive environment, where there are opportunities for meaningful work suited to each individual’s needs, interest and choice.
Initially, the work with young adults began within the Sheiling School, in Sheiling House in 1968 and then was taken up in Folly Farm in 1980.
At the establishment of Sturts Farm in West Moors, in 1982, both Sturts Farm and the work in Folly Farm combined under the name of Sheiling Farms.
In 1983 Folly Farm restructured as the Sheiling College, working with those within the 18-25 years age range.
Throughout the time outlined above, the emphasis was on training and education, within the Camphill framework of “Youth Guidance”, living and working with “trainees”, who intentionally moved on to adult Camphill communities around the age of 25.
For a variety of reasons, partly due to lack of vacancies within the adult communities, which resulted in an increasing number of trainees remaining post 25 and considering it their home, a natural development of biography took place, whereby the specific “Youth Guidance” gave way to the establishment of an adult lifesharing community working with Social Therapy.
The Lantern Community came into existence on St. Martins Day 11th November 1997, having previously been named Sheiling Farms. It was so named:
“In recognition of the life and deeds of St. Martin, who in a selfless and compassionate way, gave warmth and strength to those in need”
Some notable dates are:
Building of Bay Tree 1984
Purchase of Hillcrest and Folly Farm 1987
Building of the Art Studio 1990
Purchase of Haslemere 1991
Building of Lantern Centre Autumn 1992
Purchase of Candela Candlemas 1996
Lantern Community naming Martinmas 1997
Purchase of Seahorses Easter 1999
Loft Conversion Hillcrest 2000
Move from “Residential Care” to “Supported Living“ 2002
Purchase of Willow End March 2003
Development of Folly Farm 2004
Development of Dell 2007
Purchase of Pine Lodge Easter 2008
Development of Hillcrest Flat 2008
Purchase of Silver Birches 2009
Sale of Candela 2010
Link with Tawa 2012
Development of Silver Birches 2013
Lantern becomes independent charity 2014
Building of Craft Centre 2014
Development of the old pottery –Bluebell and Cydonia 2015
Development and extension of Barn 2016
Purchase of Badger Cottage 2017
Sale of seahorses 2020