What is Camphill?

Each community is different. Some are large; some are small. Some cater for a specific age range or for people with specific needs. There are around 40 communities in the UK, including independent residential and day schools, specialist colleges of further education and adult residential communities. Some are in towns and cities, some in quiet rural areas, some on the urban fringe where town meets country. Some are independent charities; some are part of larger charities.

The Camphill movement was started in Scotland in 1940 by Karl Konig and a group of refugees from Nazi Europe, and based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy. Anthroposophy looks at each person as an individual, encouraging everyone to develop their own human and spiritual potential, and this focus on individuals and their development has always been a key feature of Camphill.

Camphill communities are traditionally life-sharing places, with meaningful work at the heart, where the contribution made to community life by each person is valued. In addition to caring for each other and their community, those who make their lives in Camphill places care for the land and the environment around them by following organic and biodynamic principles in their gardens and on their farms, recycling and using environmentally-friendly products and services whenever possible.

Camphill Families and Friends recognises that recent UK changes in funding, regulation and legislation have put great pressure on Camphill communities, and some communities have changed greatly as a result. We welcome new initiatives which, while giving people with learning disabilities more control and say over their lives, innovate to address the changing regulatory and financial landscape, while maintaining key Camphill values.