Meet the retired women who built their own community
Certain cities – no matter how much we may love them – simply aren’t cutting it when it comes to creating age-friendly communities and providing services for the elderly. So, dissatisfied with their options in London, a group of retired women have banded together and taken action, creating their very own co-housing retirement community.
Maria Brenton, a vocal proponent of older people maintaining their independence for as long as possible, was inspired to create her own community after reading about similar projects in the Netherlands and Denmark.
“I ran a workshop for women [on co-housing] in London at the end of the ‘90s, and a small group afterwards said, ‘Let’s do it,’” she recalled to the Telegraph. “And I have been working with them ever since.”
Almost two decades later, and with 25 women by her side, Brenton has finally seen her vision come to life. The New Ground development, located in Barnet, north London, is the first of its kind, providing accommodation for 26 independent women between the ages of 50 and 87.
“It’s a very active group,” Brenton explains. “Some are still working – including the oldest member.”
While she herself does not live there, Brenton hopes more cities will take cues from New Ground and start creating modern, age-friendly communities, where each resident pitches in and everyone gets the support they need.
“Most of the older population do not wish to have everything done for them,” she believes. “Now we have shown the way, we are a living, breathing example, it will encourage people enormously.”
Does co-housing sound appealing to you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Image credit: Tim Crocker and Joe Okpako/The Telegraph.