Seeders celebrate their success

The community space known as The Lighthouse, behind the Bush Fairy Dairy on Oruru Rd, Peria, celebrates its first birthday this weekend, with the original vision - to create a community healing space- as true as it was a year ago.

The founding members of the group, the 'seeders' as they are known, are overjoyed the space has succeeded to the extent it has and are excited about the future.

"It is exciting and inspiring, really positive. Really diverse groups use the space. It is busy every day," Donna Lee said - from sessions with various health practitioners, meditation, yoga and qigong classes to baby/mummy days and more.

Along with the daily activities, the space has provided a venue for many workshops, garden days, shared meals and meetings, as well as showcasing various local artists.

The Lighthouse also runs a stall at the Saturday morning market at Taipa Area School, selling produce and products sourced from the Lighthouse garden.

The space operates on the gift economy principle. No money changes hands, visitors and patrons contributing what they can in monetary form, and it's working well.

"In this past year, we have never missed our rent. We think that is pretty impressive, running on a gift economy, especially in an area like the Far North," Donna said.

More than 25 home-schooled children to gather every week at the space.

The community garden provides produce for the market stall and also Lighthouse visitors and guests.

Work has begun on establishing a seeding shed in a large glasshouse, where people in the community can grow seedlings and where seeds will eventually be harvested for sale.

"It is a connecting place for the valleys.

"It can be quite isolating up here, so this space is a great place for the community to connect and gather," Janika Brown said.

"It's bringing people together in a positive way. Without the need for a party, or drugs and alcohol," Donna said.

Polly Greeks said, "It feels like it runs itself.

"We do things, rather than just sit around and talk about it."

Hypnotherapist and fellow seeder Maureen Love saw the space as a window into the future.

Donna said several tour groups had been through the place, as well as many "out of towners," and all had been impressed with what was being done.

"We are inspiring other communities to do similar," she said.

Saturday's birthday celebrations will include a showcase starting at 2pm, with many of the groups who call The Lighthouse home taking part. Special guest Gary Cook will share stories from 4pm before the screening of his documentary film, Voices from the Forest, at 6.30pm. (Gary is a leading writer on the special nature of the mystic realms that are to be found in New Zealand and the South Pacific).

A shared meal will be served at 5.30pm, while an art exhibition, practitioners' sessions, demonstrations of yoga and qigong and more will also be on the agenda.

For more information, contact Donna Lee or go to The Lighthouse Facebook page.