Lifehouse - Resilient Neighbourhoods
Facing up to a future where emergencies, crises, and even collapse of the systems that we rely on is terrifying, but rather than getting so overwhelmed that we can’t think clearly, there are many actions we can take together to make sure that we can be as resilient as possible. Resilience comes in many forms as well as practical - being part of a caring community and facing these challenges together gives us emotional and psychological resilience too .
A lifehouse is a neighbourhood or building that is concerned with building resilient communities that are preparing to support local people as we face the challenges of dealing with the “long emergency“ of climate related crises and disasters and potential collapse of various systems we have relied on.
We wish to empower neighbourhoods to prepare practically for climate and other shocks like power outages, food scarcity, drought, pandemics, floods etc, as well as helping each other move to a more sustainable lifestyle.
We are already networking with the great initiatives currently operating in the area and plan to establish a network of lifehouse resilient neighbourhoods in 2026. We are applying for some funding and have had meetings to begin this process of setting up the South Devon Lifehouse network.
January 2026 updates
At our last meeting, we shared the "Vision for 2050" that was generated following the network meeting in November, and is open to future review and change. We think it is important that we hold a vision together of what we'd like to see, because preparing for various collapse scenarios can feel very bleak and disheartening.
Having a positive vision does not mean we're glossing over the realities of what we see unfolding or that we think this is how it's going to look like, but instead it is like a guiding star that points us into the direction of travel and reminds us of where we're putting our efforts and why. Hope you like it:
South Devon Lifehouse Network - Vision 2050:
"Communities in the South Devon bioregion feel empowered and are practically and emotionally prepared to meet various breakdown scenarios, such as climate related shocks, power outages, food scarcity, drought, pandemics, floods etc.
“We are seeing growing networks of thriving neighbourhood resilience groups and Lifehouses that embody a culture of mutual care, simplicity, and shared responsibility.
“Neighbourhoods flourish through local food security, clean water systems, renewable energy, and accessible healthcare.
“Creativity, celebration, and intergenerational belonging shape daily life.
“Political power is reclaimed through citizen assemblies and decentralised decision-making grounded in trust, respect, and non-hierarchical collaboration.
“We live lightly on the earth, repairing, reusing, and regenerating.
“With strong relationships between people and place and a deep reverence for nature, people feel supported and connected within compassionate and self-reliant communities"
Next Network Meeting
Tuesday 24th February , 7-9pm
Totnes Methodist Hall, 44 Fore Street, TQ9 5RP
We will come together again on Tuesday 24th February for our next network meeting at the Methodist Church Hall. In February, we will be looking in more detail at how preparations are going in your household (even if you have not started at all), and where your neighbours come in. All are welcome.
Background
We launched the Lifehouse project at our Community Resilience Forum in September 2025 with the input of Dr. Gail Bradbrook and Transition Streets, and about 100 people attended.
If you would like to explore the themes covered that feed into the shaping of this project, there are a number of resources to support that:
Further Steps
All welcome to find out more about this project, join the mailing list at lifehouse@transitiontowntotnes.org or Signal group at
https://signal.group/#CjQKINuQzisq0F8AayQRD1bAiQqNQfj12KvFzfVNCudMZrUtEhD65X80jYLHVbqHNapgyx7S
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