All it took was a real estate advertisement and a spark of inspiration for it all to begin. Three hundred women from all over the world pooled their savings to buy an 800-year-old castle in southwestern France - and transform it into a holiday camp reserved for adult women.<\/p>\n
The story of "Camp Ch\u00e2teau" begins like an unlikely scenario. Philippa Girling, a former finance executive, and her daughter Leah Lykins stumbled upon an online advertisement: the Ch\u00e2teau de B\u00e9duer, in the Lot region of France, was for sale. A 13th-century medieval fortress, perched above the C\u00e9l\u00e9 Valley, a few kilometers from Figeac. "We were captivated by the building. We were looking for any excuse to buy it,"<\/em> Leah Lykins told People magazine<\/a> .<\/p>\n The problem was that the two women couldn't finance such a purchase on their own. The idea then emerged of a novel model: a collective co-ownership, open to other women sharing the same dream. More than 300 responded to the call, joined by the third co-founder, Lynda Coleman. "We brought all these women together, some we knew, others not at all,"<\/em> Coleman recounts. In total, the group raised approximately $2.3 million to buy the castle, plus an additional $325,000 for its renovation and bringing it up to code. <\/p>\n A novel co-ownership model<\/h2>\n
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