Two years ago, Transition group Zero Carbon Guildford moved into a former New Look high street store and transformed it into a buzzing community climate hub.

Volunteers set up a library of things, community fridge, zero waste shop, baby clothes library, business network and a vertical farm growing salad crops.

They ran cinema, quiz and open mic nights, a food waste feast along the high street, and a climate conversation group.

They trained energy advisors and citizen scientists to test the local river’s water quality, and hosted dozens of groups from other communities who wanted to create a hub just like theirs.

In two years, they reckon their projects have saved a whooping 583 tonnes of CO2 emissions from their community.

It shows how people who are concerned can come together, and have a real, tangible impact and engage whole new audiences with some volunteer power and a meantime space. It’s why they won innovative UK climate project in the Climate Coalition’s annual awards this year.

Now their lease is up, and they want to take Zero Carbon Guildford to a new home and the next level. They’ve set up a crowdfunder, hoping to find out what they could achieve with great capacity and a more permanent space.

Find out more and their advice for anyone else setting up a similar community climate hub: https://transitiontogether.org.uk/building-community-action-through-climate-hubs/

#climatehub #communityhub #guildford #libraryofthings #zerocarbon #babylibrary #communityfridge #zerowastecafe #terracycle #citizenscience #climatecoalition #communityaction #transitiontown #crowdfunder

Transition citizens scientists have found one of Britain’s rarest bats, the Barbastrelle. 🦇

Transition Woodbridge has been helping their community to monitor local bats, putting up 190 detectors in gardens, care home grounds and at the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo. University of Suffolk researchers are using the audio recordings gathered to learn about the health of local eco-systems and how to protect bats' roosts.

Jane Healey (pictured in action) from the group said: "It's nice for people to feel they are contributing to the national or international picture, even though it seems like 'just my garden'.

"I have all sorts of conversations about it. Having had the Covid pandemic there's still a wish to be a community, so it's real 'citizen science'.”

The rare bat was one of 10 bat species found, and it’s helping to generate more interest locally on how to protect roosts, insect populations and the habitats bats rely on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66706612

#transitiontown #rewild #bats #citizenscience #suffolk

Autumn events 🍂Transition groups doing brilliant things, upcoming events, training and more...

Check your inbox, our newsletter has just landed🦅

https://mailchi.mp/transitionnetwork/ttnewssept23

Join our mailing list here: https://trnuk.us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=54a12ae0dbc8dc98546e16d7f&id=b25afd8a91

#transitiontown #goodnews #climateaction #training #localaction

“It’s not too late. It’s not fine. It’s exactly the time to demand a better world.”

Love this by @ClimateAdam and Rosemary Mosco (Bird and Moon Comics).

The news and our anxiety about it can seem devastating and overwhelming - but there's more to the story. The action we take now will and is making a difference, and, at the same time, much more needs to be done, by more people to make the difference that's needed.

And you don’t have to do it on your own, find or start a local Transition group and together reshape your community to be more resilient, fairer and thrive for the future.

https://transitiontogether.org.uk/groups/

#climateaction #community #itsnottoolate #transitiontown #climate #climatechange

It's Transition Skillshare time again - and we are excited to be bringing you four hot topics this autumn!

First up, Together We Can... Map Networks for Change. Explore from four Transition groups that captured and connected the wealth of activity going on in their local area, how these maps created new opportunities for collaboration and their advice for others starting on a mapping project.

With Transition Liverpool, Mersey Green Map, Transition Town Worthing's Sustainability Map, Green Durham and Transition Cambridge's Resilience Web.

Wednesday 13 September at 7.30pm, online, all welcome. See you there? https://vive.transitiontogether.org.uk/content/perma?id=29440

#transitiontown #mapping #climateaction #community

What if... street weren't just for cars? Transition Liverpool is showing what more space for community, greenery and art could do for their city after unveiling their first city centre parklet.

With high rates of air pollution and pedestrian accidents in their city, they worked with local designers and materials to make the modular pop-up structure that can be adapted to many spaces and uses.

It includes seating, planters for pollinator-loving plants and space for events, art or workshops, all in the size of a parking space.

In other cities, parklets have boosted local businesses, air quality and sense of community, and the sPark It project hopes this will be the first of many, with businesses, the council, charities and communities getting involved, and sparking conversation about how street space could be used.

Local architect Ross Neal, who volunteered as a designer on the project, said: “sPark It is all about community. The Transition team wanted to find creative ways to combat climate change, and in Liverpool that means tackling air pollution, making our streets safer for walking, wheeling and cycling, supporting small businesses and finding ways to bring nature and community back into the city.”

Big congrats to the team at Transition Liverpool who’ve been working towards this for years, with funding from the public and a Transition Together seed funding grant.

#transitiontown #carfree #climateaction #activetravel #sparkit #parklet #liverpool #community

Last weekend, Transition IG3 and residents of Talbot Road in east London organised a ‘Play Street’.

Children with scooters, bikes, bubbles and chalk took over the street as the road was closed to cars for the day, and residents of all ages shared food and chat, pedal powered music and made a mural of what their street could be like in 2030.

One of the organisers, Rakesh, said: “was great to see so many kids enjoying playing on the road, and neighbours talking to each other.”

Ever wanted to try a #playstreet in your neighbourhood? Get more inspiration from Sustainable St Albans, a Transition group helping communities throughout their district organise Play Streets, and from get support and advice from national organisation Playing Out.

#playingout #transitiontown #communityaction #climateaction #carfree #street
#pedalpower #bike

Congrats to Transition Kentish Town on the launch of their new retrofit project and website!

As well as offering info and advice to residents and businesses, they aim to form groups of neighbours to develop projects and progress energy saving measures together.

Check it out: https://retrofitkentishtown.org/

#transitiontown #community #retrofit #energy #costofliving #climateaction

Um die Ideen der #solarpunk zu realisieren, braucht es Initiativen, die heute schon etwas erschaffen. #transitiontown ist ein Weg. Hier gibt es Infos
https://www.transition-initiativen.org/transition-gruendungs-leitfaden

Help us and our movement explore and build a just transition from the ground up.

We’re recruiting a Just Transition Lead to make justice core to our project – recognising we can’t adequately tackle the environmental and climate crises without also addressing the inequality, exclusion and injustice in our world.

We want to play our part in unlocking the potential and power of communities to shape a just transition to a more equitable, more resilient, more inclusive future.

This is an exciting new, part-time, remote-working role – and we’d love you to help us find the right person to shape this important work. Find out more and apply: bit.ly/jtrolefb

#CharityJobs #greenjobs #JustTransition #transition #transitiontown #climateaction #climatejustice

They were queuing up at Wilmslow Community Market Gardens first ever stall at the town’s market last month! 🥕🍅🥦

Transition Wilmslow is working towards a ring of gardens around the town growing much of its fruit and veg, and this gave them a new outlet to get the fresh, local, organic food to people.

They also have a stall at their Oakenclough garden at a local children’s centre, and this month, they’re working with a local chef to run ‘plot to plate’ sessions with local families – harvesting straight from the allotment and cooking it up in tasty dishes on the day.

It’s funded by a Transition Together seed funding grant, made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

#marketgarden #localfood #slowfood #growitourselves #communitygarden #wilmslow #cheshire #wilmslowartisanmarket #oakenclough #buylocal #growourown #transition #transitiontown

Indien hat coooole Projekte für Schulen in der Wüste ohne dass Klimaanlagen verbaut werden müssen. #transitiontown https://www.baunetzwissen.de/sonnenschutz/objekte/bildung---forschung/schule-bei-ras-7260895

Um einmal #transitiontown und #solarpunk in das richtige Verhältnis zu setzen. Wie soll das in der Realität umgesetzt werden, wenn meine Heimatstadt #BergischGladbach alleine für Genehmigung und Bau einer einzelnen Boule Bahn alleine im demokratischen Prozess 5 Jahre gebraucht hat. Die Abschaffung von 5km Radweg aber nur eine Woche :mastocold:

Der Traum neuer Lebensorte wie im #solarpunk gewünscht hat im #transitiontown schon Realität bekommen. Diese Transition Town Projekte zeigen, wie lokale Gemeinschaften in Deutschland gemeinsam daran arbeiten, nachhaltigere und widerstandsfähigere Städte und Gemeinden aufzubauen.
Beispiele und Gruppen gibt es dazu in Bielefeld, München, Bonn und mehr

https://www.transition-initiativen.org/
Ich berichte über die kommenden Entwicklungen

"Another person has their eye on a row of warehouses with huge roofs that they spotted from the train (top tip: trains & buses offer a great vantage point for solar roof-spotting)."

A day in the life of a roof spotter with community energy group, Lambeth Solar and Repowering London.

https://www.repowering.org.uk/look-up-london-a-day-or-so-in-the-life-of-a-solar-energy-roof-spotter/

#solarpower #solar #solarpanels #communityenergy #transitiontown #Lambeth #London #communityaction #climateaction #renewables

Top summer reading from the latest Permaculture Magazine!

Enticing articles on "The Unstoppable TransitionTown", time travelling tales from Rob Hopkins, a regenerative brewery, community fruit rescue and lots of practical advice for growing and sharing.

Find out more: https://www.permaculture.co.uk/issue/autumn-2023/

#transitiontown #permaculture #regenerative #growyourown #forestgarden #foodwaste #brewery

This new community electric car took it's first trip in the Llandrindod carnival parade earlier this month. 🎉💃

Llandrindod Transition and Tripto Car Club worked together to raise funds and public support for the project. Public transport in their part of mid-Wales is limited - now people can now join the car club and borrow for trips without having to own their own vehicle.

It's one of three community cars Tripto look after in the area - and interest is certainly growing: "More and more people are feeling empowered in the fight against climate change and air pollution by driving one of our shared electric vehicles."

The solutions we need aren't just about individuals making different choices - there's lots to be done to give people new alternatives in the first place.

Well done to everyone at Llandrindod Transition and Tripto for making the idea a reality and opening up access to greener travel in your area!

#carclub #greentravel #EVcar #electriccar #Llandrindod #transitiontown #communityaction #communitycar #borrowdontbuy #Walesclimateaction

It's your monthly open space to connect across the Transition movement in England and Wales.

Bring your questions, joys, news and struggles to share with folks doing the work of community-led change in their place. Next Tuesday, 7pm, online.

Join us! https://vive.transitiontogether.org.uk/content/perma?id=24794

@transitionfalmouth @TransitionTelford #transitiontown

Join us in wishing Clacton Community Transition Group a happy first birthday!

They've already started a grow group, energy group, a podcast, held community film nights, collected items to address the cost of living crisis and explored local wellbeing. Lots to celebrate at this evening's party

#Clacton #essex #transitiontown #community #climateaction #growyourown #energy #localaction #wellbeing #costoflivingcrisis

Kiwis, Szechuan peppers, bamboo for building and herbs.

A team from Transition Town Wellington had a visit to one of the country's oldest forest gardens at Dartington in Totnes with it's creator, Martin Crawford, inspiring plans and dreams for their own fledgling site.

The Wellington forest gardeners reflected: "Our forest garden has been designed for the community, so to attract people to come and use the space we chose fruits that people would recognise, alongside some more unusual but tasty varieties. One aim is to make our town more self sufficient and reduce our reliance on supermarkets, but also to provide a place that people would like to spend time relaxing."

At our recent London gathering, we saw a the grassy corner of an Ilford park which will soon be transformed by the community into a forest garden, and a few miles away, one that's been planted and shaped over two years.

If you're thinking of starting something new in your area, it's brilliant to be able to see it in action somewhere else, to learn and explore what it difference it could make locally. One of the joys of being part of a network!

Jump on our Vive platform to find out if another Transition town is already working on a project you have in mind, or give us a shout if you can't find what you are looking for.

#transitiontown #forestgarden #community #communityaction #climateaction #somerset #devon #communitygarden #growyourown #collaboration