Pennine Camphill Community

Pennine Camphill Community is situated on the first rise of the Pennines, in Chapelthorpe, on the outskirts of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. It comprises a 35-acre site with a rural aspect and surrounded by trees, although it is close to the local community.

Pennine is part of the Camphill Movement. We work as a non-profit-making charity, with help from volunteers both locally and internationally.

Life in the Community

Pennine Community is not just a college for young people with learning difficulties and special needs. It is also very much a Community.

Life at Pennine revolves around the five households which provide a home life for residential students, giving them a secure and stable background during their time with us, and allowing a lot of social learning to take place. Day students are affiliated to one of the households where they have lunch and join in with the household activities during the day.  Each house has a different character, depending on the blend of people living in the household at any one time.

Most of the vocational co-workers live on site and Pennine is their home. Residential students live in extended family groups together with vocational co-workers and their families and volunteer co-workers. Everyone plays a part in the running of their household. Day-to-day tasks such as washing up, laundry and cleaning become ways of learning about responsibility and accepting each other's abilities. Students benefit greatly from the sense of stability and security created by this living arrangement; they learn increasing self-reliance and gain maturity in an environment where their contributions are valued.

Social Life

Students are encouraged to try new things as well as following their own interests and hobbies, and are also encouraged to participate in planning leisure activities. These may include dancing, singing, music, outings to concerts, plays, exhibitions and places of interest, walks, swimming and other sports, and weekend shopping.

Pennine has a programme of cultural events, and concerts and other events are held in our hall.

Facilities

As well as the five houses (Boyne Hill House, Hibernia, Birch, Ruskin and Old Colliery House), there are several other buildings which are used by both the Community and the College. In New Elmet there is a small hall, a classroom, a well-equipped ICT room, a bakery and a small library. There is also a large hall (Aulis), several craft workshops, farm buildings and stables.

We are constantly developing and improving our facilities. It is hoped that work will start soon on the Rural Craft Centre, our exciting new project; it will replace several temporary buildings and smaller workshops.

Environment

Caring for the environment has always been an important part of life at Pennine. We follow organic and biodynamic principles in the management of our garden and farm, keeping in tune with nature. By growing much of our own produce, and through our purchasing policy, we try to provide a healthy, organic diet.

As far as possible we attempt to create a non-polluting environment. For example, we try to be careful in our use of natural resources, and we recycle as much as possible.