Community Living’s launch in 1987 followed the first closure of a long-stay institution for people with a learning disability, Starcross Hospital in Devon.
History of Community Living
The new era of “community care” services over 35 years ago was the backdrop to magazine founder Elinor Harbridge’s aim to create a magazine championing the rights of people with learning disabilities.
It was a groundbreaking concept.
Harbridge, a social affairs journalist, appointed social worker, academic and advocate David Brandon as editor.
Over the three decades since, more long-stay hospitals have been closed down. But institutional approaches remain, and full citizenship for people with learning disabilities is still not a reality.
Our drive for equality has been upheld by past editors including David Brandon, Elinor Harbridge, Andrew Holman and Simon Jarrett, the latter developing the magazine’s online and social media presence.
Saba Salman took over editorship in late 2022, our fifth editor since launch, with a remit to further develop the title. Her changes include bringing new contributors, a major, full colour redesign with production editor Christy Lawrance and recruiting digital producer Steph Gray for an ambitious website launch and to progress the online strategy. The addition of editorial administrator Christine Mottley to Community Living in 2022 is a further boost to development plans.
Author and ex-Guardian journalist Mary O’Hara joined the team as a freelance columnist in 2023, winning a prestigious journalism award for her Community Living articles. George Julian came on board as court reporter in late 2024.
We have been fully digital since January 2024, with individual articles on our website free for anyone to read, and a free newsletter too. The current digital magazine is accessible to subscribers and sponsors; our back issues are free to view.
We are funded by our charitable sponsors, individual supporters and subscribers.
Charity Elfrida Society became publisher in the early 2000s before independent publisher and campaigner Rose Trustam took on the role. Today, Community Living is published by a charitable board, CL Initiatives, headed by publisher Jo Adshead, chief executive of LinkAbility. We are also supported by an editorial advisory board.
The founding principles of inclusion and equality remain at the core of our editorial ethos.
