Community action/Plymouth

The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Plymouth.
News
[edit | edit source]
Plymouth’s iconic Millennium Building set for community ownership, thenews.coop (Sep 09, 2025)
Digitally mapping fertile spaces, teaching deep permaculture, all becoming co-stewards: Plymouth’s special social power at work, Daily Alternative (Mar 13, 2024)
“I am a window of opportunity”: Plymouth’s innovative social enterprise sector comes up with Vacancy Atlas, redefining the high street, Daily Alternative (Feb 08, 2024)
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
Village facing 'existential' threat from climate change, BBC News (Jul 05, 2026)
How community projects are building a brighter future for British farms, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Nov 11, 2025)
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
Ardingly Reservoir falls below 20% as drought persists, BBC News (Oct 14, 2026)
A growing movement for perennials could play a key role in future food security, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Oct 08, 2026) — In the wake of this summer’s drought and rising energy costs, there is renewed interest in perennial crops
Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
Hunter Valley community group wins landmark high court climate change case over coalmine, theguardian.com (Oct 07, 2026) — Ruling on Mount Pleasant coalmine shows ‘we cannot continue to dig up coal … and pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us’, group says
Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
Fifty Billion Seedlings: Can Ethiopia Replant Its Ravaged Forests?, e360.yale.edu (Oct 01, 2026)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- The Village Hub, "providing opportunities that enable anyone in our community (the Electoral Wards of Stoke and Devonport) to connect through learning, signposting, cultural activities and having fun in a safe and caring environment." added 10:25, 15 November 2022 (UTC)
- Plymouth Octopus Project, cosmolocal CAN in action, combining local practicality and global perspective
- Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, added 15:17, 19 December 2020 (UTC)
- Environment Plymouth
- Sustainability with Plymouth University
- Transition Plymouth
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/United Kingdom/Cycling activism, Community action/South East England/Saving water / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Plymouth video
[edit | edit source]UK and international events
[edit | edit source]UK events
Oct 1 - 7, 2026 (Thu - Wed) — National Vegetarian Week, discover delicious dishes and see how a veggie diet is a great choice for the planet, nationalvegetarianweek.org
Oct 04, 2026 (Sun) — Homeless Sunday, housingjustice.org.uk
Oct 18, 2026 (Sun) — Church Action on Poverty Sunday, taking place each year on the Sunday closest to the International Day for the Eradication on Poverty, church-poverty.org.uk
Global or international events
Oct 01, 2026 (Thu) — World Vegetarian Day, Oct 1 each year, bringing awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle, worldvegetarianday.navs-online.org
Oct 02, 2026 (Fri) — International Day of Non-Violence, observed each year on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, un.org
Oct 07, 2026 (Wed) — World Day for Decent Work, October 7 is the World Day for Decent Work, ituc-csi.org
Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Mental Health Day, Oct 10, annually, wmhdofficial.com
Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Homeless Day, Oct 10 each year, drawing attention to homeless people’s needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, worldhomelessday.org
Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Migratory Bird Day, worldmigratorybirdday.org
Oct 13, 2026 (Tue) — International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Oct 13, annually, promoting a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including prevention, mitigation, and preparedness, un.org
Oct 16, 2026 (Fri) — World Food Day, celebrated every year around the world on 16 October, often with a focus on food security, fao.org
Oct 17, 2026 (Sat) — International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Oct 17 each year, honouring victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear, with participation by the poorest of people an important aspect of the observance of the Day, un.org
Oct 17, 2026 (Sat) — International Repair Day, annual celebration for everyone who makes repair happen in their communities around the world. "Repair for Everyone"., openrepair.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Community and voluntary action
[edit | edit source]- Whitleigh Big Local, added 15:12, 19 December 2020 (UTC)
Food activism
[edit | edit source]- All Ways Apples, community apple festival held in Devonport, Plymouth, in the Autumn of each year
- Diggin it! organic gardening project in Plymouth
- Food Plymouth, city-wide food partnership which works to support the aims of the Plymouth Food Charter and Sustainable Food City Plymouth Action Plan, promoting a vibrant and resilient local food economy for a more healthy and sustainable city...foodplymouth.org
Maps: Plymouth Good Food Map, foodplymouth.org, link not found
Past event
- June 10 -14, 2014, Plymouth Big Food Event, foodplymouth.org, link not found
Community energy
[edit | edit source]Plymouth Energy Community, charity and a social enterprise, with a cooperative ethos. "We empower our community to create a fair, affordable, zero carbon energy system with local people at its heart." added 10:49, 12 November 2021 (UTC)
Towards sustainable economies
[edit | edit source]- Plymouth Social Enterprise Network, added 19:20, 19 December 2020 (UTC)
Community resources
[edit | edit source]- Plymouth FabLab
- Borrow Don't Buy, 'library of things' in Plymouth
Citizens data initiative
Arts, sport and culture
[edit | edit source]- Fotonow CIC, Visual culture for social change
- Take a Part, arts project for Plymouth communities
Climate action
[edit | edit source]- The Climate Hub, "flagship Climate Hub in the old Waterstones building (New George St) will be one of the first city centre Climate Hubs in the world." added 16:30, 4 August 2022 (UTC)
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]Plymouth is at the southern end of the 99-mile (159 km) long Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route (National Cycle Route 27). The route runs mostly traffic free on off-road sections between Ilfracombe and Plymouth. The route uses former railway lines, though there are some stretches on public roads. W
Urban sustainability
[edit | edit source]- Nudge Community Builders, set up in 2017 by local people living in Stonehouse, Plymouth.
Open spaces
[edit | edit source]Parks, nature and green spaces, information from Plymouth City Council
Plymouth is home to 28 parks with an average size of 45,638 square metres (491,240 sq ft).[66] Its largest park is Central Park, with other sizeable green spaces including Victoria Park, Freedom Fields Park, Alexandra Park, Devonport Park and the Hoe. W
Community river action
[edit | edit source]- River Keepers, information from bioregion.org.uk (South Devon / Plymouth)
News archive
[edit | edit source]
The climate crisis leaves students feeling helpless – what universities can do to empower them, theconversation.com (Jul 24, 2023)
A CAN at work... Look at the convening of energy and initiative going on in the Plymouth Octopus Newsletter, The Daily Alternative (Jun 06, 2023)
The Guardian view on Plymouth’s lost trees: an act of vandalism, Editorial, The Guardian (Mar 27, 2023) — The protesters are right. Felling more than 100 trees at night was disrespectful to both local people and nature
‘A disgrace’: more than 100 trees cut down in Plymouth despite local opposition, The Guardian (Mar 15, 2023)
Plymouth residents fight to save trees, Wicked Leeks (Feb 08, 2023)
Plymouth Octopus is a cosmolocal CAN in action, combining local practicality and global perspective, The Dailty Alternative (Dec 01, 2021)
"The State of Us" event revealed the mulitple forms of agency within municipalism, Daily Alternative (Nov 12, 2021)
The Political Opportunity, Alternative Editorial (Jul 25, 2021)
- Ocean rewilding: England's largest seagrass restoration project begins, Apr 21, 2021...positive.news
- Building on "a foundation of self-managing enterprise", Plymouth's empowered communities ask: What is "The State of Us"? Apr 6, 2021...thealternative.org.uk
- A "fab city" aims to produce everything - energy, commodities, food - that it consumes. And Plymouth is one of them. Nov 25, 2019...thealternative.org.uk
- Plymouth becomes the UK's first Fab City, Jul 1, 2019...University of Plymouth
- What kind of space can welcome a diverse community? Apr 28, 2018...The Alternative UK
News sources
- Posts in PLYMOUTH LAB, from The Daily Alternative, thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative
About Plymouth
[edit | edit source]Plymouth is a city situated on the south coast of Devon, England, approximately 37 miles (60 km) south-west of Exeter and 190 miles (310 km) west-south-west of London. Enclosing the city are the mouths of the river Plym and river Tamar, which are naturally incorporated into Plymouth Sound to form a boundary with Cornwall.
The city is home to 262,100 (mid-2019 est.) people, making it the 30th-most populous built-up area in the United Kingdom and the second-largest city in the South West, after Bristol. It is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and home to the University of Plymouth. It has ferry links to Brittany (Roscoff and St Malo) and to Spain (Santander). W
Near you
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2018–2026). "Community action/Plymouth". Appropedia. Retrieved October 18, 2026. |






