Off Grid / Homestead Learning Centre - Somerset, UK

[@paulmaryon9088]

This lady deserves an OBE thank you Jackie you are surely an inspireation to all us all,God bless you

[@staciehicks4883]

What an absolute powerhouse of a woman❤

[@ivoryesther5576]

Lovely lady. preparing people for the future to cope when the power goes off.

[@dawnross2514]

Are you an SO?!

[@ivoryesther5576]

​@@dawnross2514 SO meaning what? System Operator, Significant Other, Standard Oil, Security Officer, Safety Officer, System Operator, Staff Officer or another of the dozens of SOs? :-) Yes, I am one of these - a Significant Other!

[@freespiritnufc5661]

What a sweet kind lovely person who cares what is going on around us,, very inspiring and useful and wonderful, I'm sure your positive attitude will get things off and running again, good luck with your future plans darren

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thanks again for commenting Darren, I'll make sure Jackie gets to see your comment :)

[@michaelreynolds81]

This is such a good idea. I've been looking into this exact same thing. Two years ago I lost my son, became very depressed and socially anxious. It was by far the most difficult hurdle I've had to cross. I found a small plot on the local allotment, enquired about it and secured the plot on a yearly basis. I spent almost all of autumn and winter preparing the land ready for growing this year. I found being outdoors and having a goal to work towards helped me massively overcome my social anxiety. The plot now looks amazing, i always have nothing but compliments about how I changed a waste plot into a beautiful garden in hardly no time at all. I now feel I've reached where I want to be on the plot but have so much more to do and more importantly offer people so I went searching for more waste land. I've found an amazing plot of land, enquiries were made and I've found out it belongs to the local council. It's used as a "storage" by the council but after Observing it for over a year now I've noticed no one ever uses the land even the council? I would like to set up a couple of small wooden buildings for workshops, one for woodwork and one for metal work. Only recently I've started making my own tools from scraps of metal I've found laying around. I melt the metal down and make pitch forks, axes, small knives and anything else my imagination lets me. I'd love to incorporate all my skills I've developed into this plot of land and like minded people but I've found I don't have a clue how to obtain the land or even where to start??? I would love to acquire the land to do this exact same thing for people like me who suffer with mental illness but I'm stuck in a rut and do t no where to go from here. It's a shame because all the skills I've learned helped me battle my mental illness and I truly believe it could help others do the same thing. They would learn new skills, combat their mental health triggers, grow they're own fruit and veg, make tools and shelters the benefit list goes on and on. I would love any help or advice jacky may have to help me complete my task and secure the land from the local council. I just want to say well done to jacky, she understands the needs of others and made a legacy to help them all whilst fighting cancer!! Truly a humble strong lady x

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for the comment and sharing your inspirational story Michael. We're so glad to hear you've overcome so many extremely difficult challenges and would love to put you in touch with Jackie. If you can either drop us a message through our Facebook group or via the www.lifeswap.co.uk website I'll pass on your details. Thanks again

[@michaelreynolds81]

Thank you for your speedy response, I have attached my email address to my reply on your site and I hope to hear from you in the future. Many thanks for making this inspiring video it's amazing

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thanks for coming back to me, as soon as I get back I'll check the messages and forward your details :)

[@michaelreynolds81]

Life Swap that's brilliant thank you, if I manage to get together a battle plan and work starts to commence I will be in touch with yourselves as I would be delighted to have you come and take a look round the progress. Thanks again

[@gallopingg1]

GOD BLESS YOU, MAY YOU STAY WELL FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. MICK FROM SURREY.

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for the comment Mick, we will pass on your kind words to Jackie :)

[@saturninc3786]

what an inspiring woman, and such wise words - wonderful!

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting, we'll pass your kind words on to Jackie :)

[@squidlings]

Saw an opportunity to be the first troll to dislike a video but this lady is gold. Hats off to ya.

[@dianehall5345]

Wonderful project that Jackie took upon herself to accomplish her dream. She overcame the challenge of the UK local Council and the challenge of her health. I have noticed that these Life Swap videos were mostly taped a year ago. I would love to see an update as to how these groups are doing. I lived in the UK for three years and can appreciate the challenges to undertake this type of community. During this serious time in 2020 in The States, I would like to see folks take on like minded projects in farming and self-sufficiency as a community. I agree that we would benefit from like minded, tight knit groups banding together. Folks with the same dreams & goals, networking and exchanging information. All willing to perform the amount of work required to accomplish the collective goal. We have one such farm in TN called THE FARM. It has been around since the 1970s and has around 200 members. They happen to be a vegetarian community. There is no reason why capable folks can not get together and make this happen.... in whatever format they decide upon...especially in the United States!

[@Itsahardknocklife9690]

Seems very relevant today. X

[@eddiebaby22]

Great story. More of it, yes please

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting and the support :)

[@robertskolimowski7049]

Best of luck dear lady, God bless you👏👍🤞🏻✌🙂

[@kevinandrews4651]

We need more programmes like out of town and Jack Hargreaves , I loved his easy ways and he taught me a lot (much of which i have forgotten ) but easy to find on the internet . My very best wishes to you Jackie.

[@jayman8464]

Absolutely brilliant! Love this concept! Also really resonated when she spoke of how just cos active treatment (chemo etc) is over doesn't mean "it" (cancer) is over .... Something people unaffected by cancer don't get ...it's hard during and it's flipping hard AFTER also :(

[@daviddaniel609]

Good for you I wish I had a place like this one when I was growing up. I noticed you mentioned cabin building, if you are interested I could help on that front by teaching others how to build a log cabin on a budget.

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for the comment and offer of help. If you can drop us an email on the www.lifeswap.co.uk website or through our Facebook page I can pass you details on to Jackie. Thanks again :)

[@ianwimbles1440]

Would love to be a part of this,if you ever need help it would be a dream come true for me, anyhow all the best and hope you’re safe and well peace love Ian!

[@julierebornmummy9542]

would love to come and live with you to learn and teach were do we sign up

[@danielandrews3690]

Like many i have this dream. I often look at land and woodland for sale but have my dreams smashed when i read all the restrictions. It should be your human right to own a small plot of land and have the chance to live off it.

[@LifeSwapTV]

We absolutely agree with you Daniel. We just want to highlight and tell the different stories of people that have managed to achieve this goal. Thank you for commenting :)

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Kiss goodbye to all the woodland then as it will be taken over by shanty towns, piled up with rotting caravans and broken down vehicles.

[@alexhorn5577]

any chance Jackie is still on site? I want to learn and get involved have a basic knowledge of taking care of an allotment and would really like to be living in balance within the next 5 years

[@nickuk911]

Your point about the environment is bang on. I'm not sure why but these days the lack of respect for the environment is saddening, from flytipping to vast amounts of litter all across the UK. I do feel this is because people are out of touch with nature probably because of technology & everything being done "online". There also seems to be a great lack of education with regards to teaching kids not to litter. Anyway i love the videos i am currently spending a lot of time watching all these off grid videos as over the last couple of years it is definitely the future i want to build for myself.

[@HalfQ]

Have you considerd contacting community service? I bet they would have people that would come and clean that place up and help get it ready . Just a thought, good luck.

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting and I'll pass on your advice to Jackie :)

[@Svernon2k41]

I would also like to recommend The Burzynski Clinic in TX - as they cure 'incurable' cancers.

[@andrewcutting7675]

Love what you are doing Jackie How do l contact you to discuss being a volunteer? All the very best in making this a success

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting. If you drop us a message through our Facebook group or via the www.lifeswap.co.uk website we'll pass you're details on to Jackie :)

[@bakerd773]

I got a problem in that I can only get a 100k mortgage and can't afford a house with that where I am. Also land with planning permission is expensive and hard to find. Agricultural land you need to have atleast 10 acres to try and start a farm which cost a lot for each acher. So I dont get why you can't just get 1 acher and build on that. I really hate how the uks housing market is so messed up.

[@byroncudworth6918]

Have you seen maximus ironthumpers channel. He goes through his process, he lived in a wooden hut secretly on land he bought for the number of years required without complaint from the neighbouring landowners and applied to build a more permanent structure.

[@caelanbooth9116]

Andrew Saul PhD has loads of good info on KZbin and .com to help with cancer's and many other diseases. Hopefully this helps some. Great job thanks again.

[@jaynematthew319]

Hi Jackie, can you offer me a first few steps to Homesteading? and how to get there.

[@Svernon2k41]

Her kitty looks like my Kabuki. This video was posted 8 months ago, I'm wondering how it's going. In response to what she's discussed - I'm thinking to help her get her project going - like minded people who might be interested to help or advise from the UK Ruth Goodman (Edwardian Farm & Victorian Farm TV series among others), may've been filmed near there. Ruth's 'Fan' page is on my Facebook, she's a wealth of skills and information. Also Alex Langlands was in the series and is on my Facebook. In the US bushcraft is growing in popularity (kind of how to live on/off the land skills) is popular in real time and supported on youtube. Brook Whipple has 73,000 subscribers on 'Girl In The Woods' and her husband Dave 'Bushradical' (700,000 views on a video) they live in 'Alaska and MI and did two seasons of "Alone". Brooke does many things, including teaching young people survival type skills. There are many other off-grid homesteader youtubers in the US especially in NC and one I watch from Sweden, Mathias does wood carving, timber frame home, sheep, rabbits, chickens 'Talasbuan'. It wasn't clear to me if people could stay longer than a weekend. As easy start would be to open up some area for locals to start a community garden and invite children's groups (from neighboring classes) to spend the day gardening or camp over the weekend.

[@alsyville]

We've got people sleeping in doorways with no hope. Yet there is wasted land where schemes like this could help people learn new skills and help their mental health. Nothing local near me like this. I'd join. I need help with mh.

[@paulb3092]

I would love to help on this project. I have mental health problems and am looking in to other way of give to grip with this illness. So please pass my information on thanks

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thanks for getting in touch Paul. If you send a message to us on the www.lifeswap.co.uk website we'll pass your details on to Jackie :)

[@rogerfaulknershomefromhome4458]

I wish the best of luck for the future, should be more small holdings like yours, the government is always going on about your 5 a day or how many it is now why aren't they encouraging people like you moore. With the amount of waste land and green fields site's not being used. There must be lots of people like you say who would love to do this given the chance.

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting and we completely agree :)

[@kellynash8097]

This is awesome, I'm also in Somerset, where exactly are you based?

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thanks for commenting. Jackie is based in North Somerset. If you drop an email to us at www.lifeswap.co.uk or on our Facebook group is be happy to connect you with her. Thanks again :)

[@julianblight4840]

Hi I would love to be involved I have longed for a off the grid life x

[@jactucker6636]

Anybody know the average cost of lets say 10 acres? in the somerset area uk

[@snowflakemelter1172]

£10,000 an acre for agricultural or woodland land that you will NOT get planning permission to like on.

[@jactucker6636]

@@snowflakemelter1172 ah thanks buddy I'm only 18 but was brought up on a farm my whole life until my grandfather passed I always promised him that one day id make my dream come true n own a small homestead/ self sufficient farm but prices here are insane I'm better looking in Scotland average is £3000 and Ireland about £5000 per acre but your right planning permission is the worst thing so better of buying 10 acres of dense woodland hide it in the middle until you've owned it for 5years then you have the right to stay there I think it's called the five year rule or something like that 👍😀

[@oakashthorn5714]

Is this channel finished now, nothing posted for months

[@herenow2895]

How can anyone interested in helping Jackie get in touch ?

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting and your advice, ill pass that into Jackie. If you send us a message via the www.lifeswap.co.uk website I'll forward your detail onto Jackie for you :)

[@mrgrumpy5116]

So ... what's happening Jackie? .. I went to the website and .. nothing, what you really need is to set out the project so that it can be managed, then it can become sustainable. It's a good idea and one which actually has a big following but the reason it almost always fails is because the drivers of these projects don't put enough effort into managing them, and they don't have a viable plan. The project needs a project manager and a source of funding, you then need a way of measuring the benefit to society as a whole so that you can show that it is cost effective, then maybe you're underway, but first you have to share the dream with the people who can make it happen. Whenever you propose a project the people you are targeting will ask the question .. 'what's in it for us .. what are we going to get out of it?' .. be ready with the answer to that question.

[@nicolarodgers7228]

What’s the name of the facebook group?

[@snafusnafu7409]

I was going to do this in the 80s going to buy 25acres north east but life is cruel .

[@LifeSwapTV]

Thank you for commenting. We completely agree with you, life can be very tough.

[@MsSamangel]

Can I come down and help?

[@dailyrapture2759]

can i play???

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Is there any off grid property that's not just a collection of rotting sheds, broken down vehicles and people that require a bath ?

[@jerrymarshall2468]

Would you like a ld you like a helping hand.

[@carolhodson6353]

She definately needs help out there and get this comunity centre off the ground so to speak.