"We are unique, but we don't want to be."

PTE welcomed residents, housing professionals and co-housing advocates to celebrate ten years of New Ground, the UK's pioneering women-led senior co-housing community in Barnet. The event brought together many of the people behind the project's success to reflect on its legacy and explore the future of community-led housing.

The evening featured a screening of filmmaker Louisa Rechenbach’s acclaimed documentary about New Ground, followed by a lively discussion with residents and industry leaders. Residents spoke movingly about the security, friendship and sense of belonging that the community provides, describing how shared living has enabled them to age independently while remaining connected and supported. As one resident put it: "I live in a beautiful flat surrounded by people I know." Another reflected: "I feel in control of my environment. I am not lonely at all."

A key theme throughout the evening was New Ground's continued relevance as the UK faces an ageing population and growing concerns around loneliness and social isolation. Speakers highlighted the community's role as a model of preventative care, demonstrating how resident-led housing can improve wellbeing, strengthen social connections and reduce pressure on health and care services. One participant described it as "a self-funded preventative care system that will delay the need for social care", while another observed simply that "it keeps you alive being part of a community... it is empowering."

The discussion also explored the realities of creating and managing a resident-led community. While residents acknowledged that taking responsibility for the communal aspects of the project could be challenging, they agreed that the rewards outweighed the effort. One resident noted that it could be "quite frightening at times, running the communal aspect, taking control of everything," while another reflected that New Ground had "fulfilled things in me I didn't know I needed - a sense of belonging, understanding and tolerance."

The conversation then turned to the future of co-housing. With growing public interest, new schemes in development and increasing recognition from policymakers, there was cautious optimism that New Ground's pioneering approach could finally be replicated more widely.

Ten years on, New Ground remains an inspiring example of what can be achieved when residents are placed at the heart of housing design, development and stewardship. As several speakers concluded, the question is no longer whether co-housing works, but how we can create more communities like it. In the words of one resident, "It is real living."