Our Stories

“I have no wish to be gifted a house, or given a leg up on the property ladder. The fact that the property would go on to somebody else in a similar position to me is a wonderful idea”.
Carpenter, Stoke Gabriel. SGCLT member.

”A house of our own would take the financial pressure off my mum, it would help me to go to university. It would be a place I could always come back to”.
14yrs, Stoke Gabriel, SGCLT member

“My family go back over 150 yrs in the village. I have so many great memories here and I can’t imagine anywhere else feeling like home. I recently had to move out of the village, because the rents are so high. There is such a great community within the village and because of this I’d love to be able to come back and one day maybe raise a family of my own here.”
Tiler, SGCLT member

“I’ve lived in the village my whole life and need to be here to care for my Mum who is registered blind. In order for me and my partner to live together and start a family we need our own home in the village, but we’re not in a position to rent or buy here as prices are too high.”
Retail Delivery Driver, SGCLT member.

“I was born here and went to school in the village. I love the idea of working with a similar group of people who want to shape their futures. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m prepared to put in the effort to enable me (and others like me) to have a permanent home in the village that has been “home” for most of my life.”
Events Manager. SGCLT member.

“For the first time in my life I feel part of the community and would love to be able to afford my own home and not be exposed to the rental market”
Village Shop and Village Pub employee, SGCLT member

“Having rented in Stoke Gabriel for 10 years, it feels very important for us, if we can, to invest our time, energy and money in a secure home for me and my child”.
Card Designer, SGCLT member

“Renting is hard, you don’t really feel it’s your own home, and me and my son always fear that we could be told to leave with only one month’s notice. Creating the Stoke Gabriel Land Trust has given me real hope for a more secure future. I have met so many great people along the way, we are building community as we strive to build homes.”
Self-employed, SGCLT member

“I was born in Stoke Gabriel, grew up here and my parents run the village pub. I’ve had to move away because we found it too expensive to rent in the village. Then we had to move out of the place we were renting because the landlord wanted to sell. We feel with the affordable properties, this would offer us security that we own our own property and can make it a lovely home, in a beautiful village”.
Student, SGCLT member

“My fiancée proposed to me in the village orchard and we got married in the village church, and we now have our first child here in Stoke Gabriel. Unfortunately a lack of affordable housing means that our dream of life as part of this community will not be possible without paying high rents our whole lives and leave us unable to provide financial security for our children.” The Community Land Trust may allow us to fulfil our dream.”
Teaching Assistant and Bricklayer SGCLT member

“To be involved in a community housing project and help others in a similar situation secure a future and create affordable homes for other generations is something that inspires us, and will feel extremely satisfying at the end”.
Student, SGCLT member