2025: Suvana’s busiest and most exciting year

Suvana cocreators came together in good numbers on 19th October 2025, to celebrate huge progress in making the UK’s first cohousing grounded in Buddhist values become a reality.

The day started with a visit (pictured) by 12 cocreators to the land in Northstowe where our community will be built by developer TOWN and their partner Hill Residential.

After a lively shared lunch at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 25 cocreators participated in an afternoon of discussions about the project. (Pictured below.)

Our chair, Tejasvini, delivered a report on the year, and a treasurer’s report. Read both below.

A copy of one of the presentations is available to cocreators on request.

It’s always joyful to be part of cocreator gatherings. This occasion was no exception - with a tangible sense of an engaged community.

Chair’s Annual Report, 2025

This has been Suvana’s busiest and most exciting year to date, and it is now probable that Suvana Cohousing will be built and welcome its first residents in 2027. 

The design process had started in November 2024 with a day at Cambridge Buddhist Centre led by our partner developer TOWN looking at communal areas, and this design process continued throughout 2025. 

The sessions were a combination of larger consultative events with TOWN and Mole Architects, some of which were in person and some on Zoom, and also the opportunity for us to give further feedback and respond to questions which had been unresolved at those sessions. 

Final planning is due to be submitted on 7th November [details of the planning consultation here], and all being well work should start on site in the third quarter of 2026, with full Suvana completion likely to be 2028. 

So overall we have had many opportunities to shape what our community will be like and we have influenced the facilities and layout of our unique development.

Numbers of Suvana cocreators grew over the year to 67, comprising 52 households. We expect numbers to continue to fluctuate, especially as we approach the point at which commitment fees are required. 

Some people who joined earlier have decided not to continue, but we expect interest to be greater than the number of homes available once word is out more widely that Suvana is actually being built. 

This is a pioneering project in the Buddhist world as well as Triratna, and attracts many people who are drawn to community living. Cocreators are asked to spread the word, especially to under 40s and families, so that we have a good range of ages living in our inter-generational community.

A Co-ordination Group meets weekly to manage the project, plus we have a weekly meeting with TOWN.  There are a number of working groups which look at communications, the joining process, writing a community agreement, and considering the legal situation and whether we should bring back from dormancy the limited company we formed a few years ago. 

We started a Slack channel to facilitate communication between members of the co-ordination group. The communications team (two cocreators) has been very active on Instagram, YouTube, and have produced frequent newsletters and website additions. They have also liaised with TOWN’s comms team to produce videos (including this latest one), leaflets and cards for publicity, and display boards for events.  

Everyone in the co-ordination group is giving their time freely and no one is paid. 

We urgently need more people to help us with this so if you are a cocreator please consider coming to the Thursday evening meetings, and become willing to pick up a suitable task. 

Decisions are being made about such things as the service charge and the decision making process itself; these are all a good way of getting to know our future neighbours and community members, and contributing to the project as a whole. 

Big thanks to all those who have put in time so far!

Another way of getting to know each other is at the monthly supper at the homes of different cocreators - we have had three so far and each have been friendly social events, everyone bringing a contribution to the meal. 

Over the next few months purchasing cocreators will be able to apply to informally reserve a property of their choice. Details about this will come out shortly, but cocreators wishing to purchase will need to have funds of about £4,000 available over the next six months in order to do that, starting with £750 in December.  

Tejasvini
Chair, Suvana Cohousing
17th October 2025

Treasurer’s Report 2025

We are very grateful to cocreator Anthony Turner for preparing our accounts for the year to 31st May 2025. These are available on request.

There are three bank accounts, one of which is associated with the limited company which is in dormancy. That is the Triodos account and it has a small surplus in it. The other two are NatWest accounts - a current account and a savings account.  

In January 2025 the cocreator fees were increased to £75 as an annual payment, to allow cocreators to participate in the design process and in view of the actualisation of the project.  We also received a generous donation to update the website and provide associated accounting functions.  Most of our funds are spent on maintaining the website and the admin associated with taking and making payments.  Some will go on legal fees.  If there is anything left by the time of completion it will contribute to furnishing the common house.

Tejasvini
Chair, Suvana Cohousing
17th October 2025