Lucy was born and raised in Sussex but has spent many years living abroad. She returned home with passion and skills in growing food and regenerating landscapes, bringing a creative, grounded approach to the community growing, woodland projects she helps with. She earns her crust as a primary school teacher and gardener, and lives in Forest Row with her partner. They would love for their daughter to grow up in a supportive and creative community and deeper state of connection to all life.
Issy’s career has included being a youth worker, social worker, film-maker, photographer, community arts practitioner, community organiser, writer, teacher and (currently) clinical hypnotherapist and Life Coach. She was raised in rural England (Herefordshire; Devon) before moving to Tottenham on the north edge of London, attracted by the strong sense of community she found there. As a director and active member of Lordship Rec Eco-Hub, Issy loves creating popular community events and opportunities. Issy cycles everywhere, has an allotment and is an organic bee-keeper. She has two adult children and a grandson.
Sandra is an award-winning writer of fiction and memoir. She mentors writers and runs writing workshops, including for those with chronic, disabling conditions. She has been living with chronic illness for 30 years, and it's important to her that Heartward as a cohousing group embraces and includes disability. Sandra leads our Relationship Circle and assists with research for our other Sociocratic Circles. She has a wide range of experience besides writing, including project management, graphic design and setting up a small charitable organisation focusing on animal welfare. She has taught Photoshop to refugee monks and nuns in Dharamsala, and fly-shuttle weaving to school children in Ireland. Alongside reading, photography is her primary hobby. She lives with her partner, David Crean.
Sarah is a psychotherapist and former PR consultant. She is passionate about developing a sustainable community that is match fit for the 21st century and the challenges we face, and has spent the past eight years striving towards creating a cohousing community in Sussex. She wants to parent in community and for her daughter to grow up in a more interconnected world. Having travelled the traditional route of moving from London to Brighton 10 years ago, and from there to a large village just outside Brighton so she could be nearer the countryside, she is excited to be taking one step nearer to the South Downs and being part of a community that will take care of this precious part of the world.
Dylan has lived in East Sussex for over 20 years. He works in Lewes as a counsellor in his private practice and previously ran a sports events business and worked in publishing. He loves walking in the countryside and writing, and has published a book on Eastern Philosophy. He has been involved with Heartward for five years, out of a personal desire to find a more community-oriented way of living that is also what a planet of 10 million people crucially needs. He is father to two adult children and to two young girls who will live on the farm, and hopes that country life and freedom to roam will give them a happy childhood and a foundation for life.
David is a therapist and workshop leader, and is passionate about health and well-being for the individual, businesses and at the community level. His work has taken him all over the world and he is delighted to find community in East Sussex. David has been involved in a number of volunteer organisations including the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, Louisiana Himalaya Association, Dharamsala, and community outreach progammes for children. He is trained in Sociocratic governance principles and leads our Legal Circle. Having a working background in both film and theatre, David maintains an interest in both, drawing on some of his experience in his current vocation. He is an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction, with a particular interest in history and ecology. He lives with his partner, Sandra Jensen.
Mike has worked in the construction industry for the last 22 years. He is passionate about using modern green building techniques and the importance of taking care of our built environments, both in its aesthetic and ecological impacts. He has recently started exploring the world of growing, and is excited about the community’s plan to grow its own organic vegetables. In his spare time he likes to play bridge and pickleball.
Jo is a couples therapist and conflict mediator, dedicated to supporting individuals and partners in cultivating authentic and resilient relationships. She lives in Sussex with her family where they have been active members of the Firle community for the past five years, with their daughter attending the local school. Jo grew up abroad in a British expat family, where she learned to value the importance of community and belonging as her family sought connection while living between cultures. In her free time, she enjoys salsa dancing, exploring the South Downs, and finding creative ways to bring people together.
Jesse is particularly interested in eco-friendly and modular building using advanced production methods. He owns a successful furniture-making business, leading a small team, and brings expertise in carpentry, technology, building, and finance. Actively contributing to the community’s finance circle, Jesse is dedicated to ensuring its success and stability. Jesse looks forward to the joys of communal living, especially food growing and the simple pleasure of feasting together. Striving to balance family, work, and community life, he is committed to creating a lifestyle where all three thrive.
Lizzie runs community singing groups, under the umbrella of Singing Mamas (for mothers and babies) and Singing Village. Lizzie is fairly new to the area, having moved to Kingston three years ago. With a background in acting, educational theatre and various charity sector organisations, Lizzie has a wealth of experience in work with a positive social purpose. She believes in a life lived with the door open to visitors, a cup of tea on the go, and a freshly-baked treat on offer. It’s important to her that we are outward facing and engaged with what is happening around us and she is hoping the village will be a happy home for her family.
Together with Lucy and his daughter, Panya has been living in Sussex for the past 13 years, where he is employed by the NHS as a Senior Psychological Therapist in a community mental health team. Originally born and educated in the north of England, he then spent a significant part of his adult life in SE Asia, which included a decade living and practicing in meditation communities in the forests and mountains of Thailand. The vision of Heartward reflects the aspiration of mindful, compassionate living in harmony with the natural world.
Rob is co-owner of a small web and database company in Brighton. Whilst Brighton is a lovely and exciting place to live, he grew up next to a farm in a small village in West Sussex and misses that connection to the land. He has an 11 year old daughter who loves the outdoors and would like her to experience that in a more hands-on way. Rob has always had a passion for nature and spends a lot of time exploring the coast from Seaford to Eastbourne by kayak, watching seabirds, seals and the peregrines that live in the cliffs. His time there and his work for the Inland Fisheries authorities has made him appreciate the fragility of some of these systems and the need for more care in the way humans interact with the environment. He is very interested in joining any local groups that do clean-ups along the coast.