Community action/Devon
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| Location | Devon, South West England |
| Coordinates | 50° 16' 59.52" N, 3° 46' 42.75" W |
The gift of climate and ecological emergency is that we all get to work together. Ordinary citizens and community groups naturally share what they learn, and what they know of what helps. Everyone can help, everyone has something to offer, everyone is welcome. We all need to design, make and grow a better future for ourselves, our communities and our world. Together we CAN. Yes we CAN.
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism across Devon. It's an introduction to local networks, groups, events, community resources and assets.
- Devon community climate action and ecological restoration is a separate page.
News
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How community projects are building a brighter future for British farms, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Nov 11, 2025) - As pine martens are reintroduced to south-west England, a new study shows why local people need to be involved, theconversation.com (Sep 09, 2025) — "...more collaborative relationships can be developed when people are involved in making plans for reintroduction."
- ‘They’re beautiful’: 13-year-olds lead audacious project to save harvest mice in Devon, theguardian.com (Aug 28, 2025)
- Sheep are destroying precious British habitats – and we taxpayers are footing the bill, Chris Packham, theguardian.com (Jul 15, 2025)
- Drone tree-seeding trial could ‘revolutionise’ the expansion of rainforests say exponents, positive.news (Mar 18, 2025)
- White storks: why introducing non‑native species in rewilding projects can be a good idea, theconversation.com (Jun 05, 2026)
- Citizens’ Assembly to invest £100,000 in West’s culture, westofengland-ca.gov.uk (Jan 16, 2026)
- ‘We found 23,000 worms!’ The soil project bringing life back to the land, positive.news (Oct 22, 2025)
- Sardines are having a moment but could this humble fish turn the tide for the UK’s local fisheries?, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Sep 03, 2026) — Can the UK learn from Iberian traditions and turn its booming love for tinned sardines into a lasting win for coastal communities?
- Andy Burnham announces thousands of new homes, but is the government much closer to its target?, theconversation.com (Sep 02, 2026)
- 'Social supermarket' to take over vacant shop, BBC News (Aug 26, 2026) — A "social supermarket" offering low-cost food and support to escape financial hardship is to open at a third location in Kent: the Pentagon Shopping Centre in Chatham in October
- European farmers face ‘unprecedented crisis’ after successive heatwaves, theguardian.com (Aug 17, 2026)
- Europe’s rivers are running dry, and the knock-on effects are disastrous, Yiannis Baboulias, theguardian.com (Aug 05, 2026)
- How Australia combines modern tech and Indigenous knowledge to fight wildfires, BBC News (Aug 01, 2026)
- Why We Sat Out RAMICS Rio, grassecon.substack.com (Aug 30, 2026) — Moving beyond the currency frame, Grassroots Economics and Njambi Njoroge, Programs Director, Grassroots Economics
- A Global Gathering to Tackle the Planet’s Soil Crisis Is Underway in Mongolia, insideclimatenews.org (Aug 22, 2026) — This year’s Convention to Combat Desertification focuses on rangelands and attempts to address an overlooked solution to climate change. By Georgina Gustin
- The everyday guardians: Rana Tharu women’s implicit roles in Nepal, globalvoices.org (Aug 21, 2026) — Rana Tharu women embody unspoken care, cultural continuity, and living memory across generations in Nepal, Civic Media Observatory, Samanta Azpurua, Bikram
CDC video
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/Moray, Rewilding Scotland, Community action/Wiltshire / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Green Futures Newton Abbot, community-based initiative involving a network of local people making a wide range of contributions. added 16:12, 20 April 2025 (UTC)
- Torbay Together, helping you find and share activities in Torbay, added 13:49, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
- Torridge Common Ground, non-party-political platform that puts the shared values and practical vision of the community at the heart of local governance, empowering communities across Torridge to transform their local economies and wellbeing for the benefit of all
- Bideford Sustainability Group
- Buck the Trend
- Chagford Hub
- North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
- PL:21, Ivybridge
- Sustainable Crediton
- Sustainable South Brent
- Transition Tavistock
- Transition Exmouth
Organisations working with communities
- Community Action Groups (CAG) Devon, "support and empower community groups to act towards a more sustainable future." added 10:50, 20 November 2023 (UTC)
UK and international events
[edit | edit source]UK events
Sep 7 - 11, 2026 (Mon-Fri) — Zero Waste Week, zerowasteweek.co.uk- Sep 11 - 20, 2026 (Fri-Sun) — Heritage Open Days, celebrating our fantastic history and culture. Your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore, heritageopendays.org.uk
- Sep 18 - 27, 2026 (Fri-Sun) — Great British Beach Clean, mcsuk.org
Global or international events
- Sep 15, 2026 (Tue) — Free Money Day, Global invitation for people to explore, in a liberating and fun way, what it might be like if our relationship to money was a little different. Sep 15, annually, freemoneyday.org
- Sep 18, 2026 (Fri) — Park(ing) day, global, public, participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener, and more equitable streets for people, myparkingday.org
- Sep 21-27, 2026 (Mon-Sun) — Global Week Of Action For Peace And Climate Justice, climatemilitarism.org
- Sep 21, 2026 (Mon) — International Day of Peace, Globally shared date, Sep 21 each year for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace, internationaldayofpeace.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Devon video
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Bioregioning
[edit | edit source]- Bioregional Learning Centre UK, Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2017 to serve the people and place of South Devon. Video: Bioregional TV on youtube.com. Blog: bioregion.org.uk, UK Bioregional Community of Practice, bioregion.org.uk
Food activism
[edit | edit source]Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially. W
- LOVE Food CIC, community-based organisation that aims to increase access to, and raise awareness of the benefits of, Local, Organic, Vegan, Ethical Food for animals, health and the environment. added 17:18, 31 March 2025 (UTC)
- Barnstaple Pannier Market
- Bovey Community Garden
- Home Grown Community Owned
- Landmatters Co-operative Permaculture Project
- Real Food Store, Exeter's first community owned food store
Community energy
[edit | edit source]- Teign Energy Communities, "Our vision: To achieve the widest possible community engagement with energy use and energy generation. We want people in the local area to become more aware of, and engaged with their use of energy, so that energy becomes as familiar as money." added 14:36, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
- exeter community energy
Land activism
[edit | edit source]- Broadhempston Community Land Trust, Community Interest Company set up in 2012 to enable local people, in housing need, to develop affordable eco-housing.
Towards sustainable economies
[edit | edit source]- Local Spark Torbay, Community Supported Enterprise CIC, added 17:35, 9 August 2022 (UTC)
- Devon Doughnut, Exploring Doughnut Economics in Devon, added 09:55, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
- New Prosperity Devon, Towards secure livelihoods and wellbeing for all, added 16:58, 7 May 2020 (UTC)
Social inclusion
[edit | edit source]- Be Buckfastleigh, make good things happen. Community project aiming to address health, social and economic inequalities. added 16:28, 23 July 2021 (UTC)
- Exeter Community Initiatives, charity working in Exeter and across Devon, helping people facing poverty, inequality and homelessness to get their lives back on track by involving them in community projects to improve their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, increase their sense of belonging and provide skills to help them succeed in life. added 13:29, 12 November 2021 (UTC)
Community resources
[edit | edit source]Citizens data inititiative
- Devon Doughnut, Collective asking, "Could a dashboard of some kind help to provide a picture of how Devon is faring ecologically and economically? Would this be useful to people living and working here? If so, how, and to do what?". added 09:39, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
Community currencies activism
Visions
[edit | edit source]Health and wellbeing
[edit | edit source]Neighbourhood Health Watch, connecting trusted community support for health
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
[edit | edit source]Devon Community Composting Network - Devon Community Recycling Network - Proper Job, Chagford - Recycle Devon
About Devon
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Devon ( DEV-ən; historically also known as Devonshire -sheer, -shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement.
The county has an area of 2,590 mi2 (6,700 km2) and had an estimated population of 1,254,506 in 2024. The south of the county is more densely populated than the north, with Plymouth in the south-west and the city of Exeter in the south-east. The seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton are adjacent to each other in the south. The largest town in the north is Barnstaple. For local government purposes, Devon comprises a non-metropolitan county, with eight districts, and the unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay. Devon County Council and Torbay Council collaborate through a combined county authority.
Devon archive
[edit | edit source]Video archive
- Off Grid Festival 2016: Switch Off, Turn On, Off Grid Festival, 1.29 mins. 2016-05-17 on youtube.com
- Devon Convergence: Forum for New Local Economies, REconomy Centre, 5.27 mins. 2015-02-25 on youtube.com
- Exeter Pound Design Competition, Exeter Pound, 1.15 mins. 2015-01-31 on youtube.com
Past events
- August 11 - 14, 2016, Off Grid Festival
- February 23 - April 3, 2016, Save Stewart Wood, Wray Valley
Near you
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Phil Green |
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| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2014–2026). "Community action/Devon". Appropedia. Retrieved September 6, 2026. |