Belong locally
Find the people and places that make a town feel alive - and see where your contribution can matter.
A new community movement
One World.
Local Communities.
Common Hearts brings people, independent local food and services, volunteers and practical community projects together - town by town.
Early preview This first page introduces the idea. Membership, payments and the full directory will follow in the MVP.
Free to joinEveryone receives the same member benefits.
Local by designOne shared platform, shaped around real towns.
Independent firstHelping local growers, makers, shops and services be found.
Privacy respectedNo advertising trackers and no sale of personal data.
About Common Hearts
Stronger places begin with people who care.
We are building a practical way for people to discover what is nearby, lend their time and skills, and help local communities become healthier, fairer and more connected.
Common Hearts is not a collection of separate town websites. It is one shared home where every town can grow its own Patch: a living local page for people, independent places, events, useful stories and mutual support.
Keep trade human
Help independent growers, makers, shops, carers, practitioners and services become easier to discover.
Turn care into action
Volunteer in ways that fit your life, from sharing a story to helping a whole local network take root.
How it works
Five simple steps. One growing network.
Start with one action today. As more people join, each town gains the energy and information it needs to open its own Patch.
Join
Create a free membership and tell us which town feels local to you.
See membershipVolunteer
Choose one or more roles and offer the time or professional skills that suit you.
Explore rolesDiscover
Find independent food, useful services, projects and local stories close to home.
Meet Food FindersConnect
Meet people with shared interests through events, town teams and practical action.
Understand PatchesGrow
Help your Patch move from an idea to an open, visible and active local community.
Put your town forwardMembership
Same welcome.
Two ways to join.
Free and supporting members receive exactly the same benefits. A contribution simply helps us build more local communities, sooner.
Secure online sign-up and recurring contributions are part of the forthcoming MVP. You can register early interest today.
Membership
Join free
Become part of the movement and access every member feature without a fee.
- Discover local food and services
- Save your town and local interests
- Volunteer or support a community project
- Receive news from your Patch
Monthly support
Support the mission
Receive the same benefits, while helping the network reach more communities.
- Everything included in free membership
- Help launch more town Patches
- Support independent food networks
- Be part of lasting local change
Volunteer
There is more than one way to make a difference.
Offer a little time, a practical skill or the spark that helps a whole town get started. You can choose more than one role.
Steward
Put your name to a town and help its local network form. Stewards welcome volunteers, connect activity and keep the Patch moving.
I am interestedLocal Reporter
Find and share the people, places and useful local stories that deserve a wider audience.
I am interestedHospitality Team
Help people feel at home at community gatherings, training sessions and Harvest Festivals.
I am interestedTown Volunteer
Give hands-on help with local outreach, listings, events or the small jobs that turn an idea into a real network.
I am interestedProfessional Skills
Offer knowledge in design, technology, communications, finance, training, wellbeing or another field.
I am interestedFood Finders
Find independent food and services nearby.
Food Finders will be a local search for growers, makers, independent shops, cafés, markets, trades, practitioners, carers and community groups.
- Search naturally. Look for what you need by town, postcode, distance or “near me”.
- See the whole place. Move between a clear list and a local map.
- Meet the people behind it. Listings can include photographs, video, useful details and Local Reporter stories.
- Trade directly. Common Hearts introduces buyer and seller, with no basket, commission or public rating system.
Growers
Local market
Makers
Our projects
Practical work already taking shape.
Each project keeps its own home for now. Common Hearts will introduce the work, connect it to local Patches and make it easier to find.
Local discovery
Food Finders Hub
Connecting local food, people and independent businesses - and growing into the wider Food Finders search.
Learn moreA listening ear
Farmers Support Line
Practical help and human support for farmers and growers, with numbers made easy to find and call.
Learn moreReal conversations
Food for Thought Radio
Conversations and recordings about food, community, the people behind it and what can change.
Learn moreLearning by doing
Growing Skool
Hands-on learning that helps people understand food, soil, growing and a healthier shared future.
Learn moreTowns and Patches
A shared platform with a local heartbeat.
Every town can have one page that brings its people, independent places, needs, events and stories together.
Named
People have shown interest and the town has a place on the map.
Forming
A Steward and local volunteers are bringing the first network together.
Open
The Patch has reached its starting numbers and its full local page is active.
Built for trust
Public knowledge should be resilient. Personal information should stay private.
Useful community information
Listings, stories, events and public results are designed to be open, portable and hard for any one host to silence.
People, consent and payments
Names, contact details, consents and payment records stay encrypted in a private UK or EU store - never on a public network.
Clear control and open standards
Members will be able to see and download their data, update their choices and close their account.
Questions
A few clear answers.
Common Hearts is being built in stages. This page introduces the direction; the full MVP will add secure sign-up, payments, volunteer applications, project pages and the first working community tools.
Ask something elseWhat is Common Hearts?
A movement and shared platform for local communities. It helps people discover independent food and services, volunteer, follow useful stories and build a visible network around their town.
Is it really free to join?
Yes. Free and paying members receive exactly the same benefits. Supporting members simply choose to help fund the mission with a recurring contribution.
What is a Patch?
A Patch is the Common Hearts community around a town. Its page will bring together local listings, board posts, events, stories and progress in one place.
Can I volunteer before my Patch opens?
Yes. Early volunteers are exactly how a Patch begins. You can register interest as a Steward, Local Reporter, Hospitality Team member, town volunteer or professional-skills volunteer.
Will Common Hearts take commission from local businesses?
No. Food Finders is designed to introduce people to independent local businesses and services. Buying and selling remains directly between them.
Will every town be a separate website?
No. Every Patch is part of one Common Hearts platform, sharing one account, search and set of standards while keeping a clear local identity.
How will personal data be used?
Only for the choices a person makes, such as membership, volunteering and agreed communications. Personal data is planned for encrypted storage in the UK or EU and will not be published on Nostr.
Stay close to the beginning
Tell us what part of Common Hearts speaks to you.
Register early interest in joining, volunteering, suggesting a local business or helping your town become a Patch.
General enquiries
[email protected]