Community action/Tonbridge
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 Tonbridge.
News
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'Not enough water supply' for planned housing, BBC News (Mar 12, 2026) — There is "insufficient" water supply for the number of houses planned in a Kent borough, South East Water has claimed.- Ambitious plans to redevelop town centre unveiled, BBC News (Jul 06, 2025)
- Town to get new 'central' leisure hub, BBC News (Feb 02, 2025)
- West Peckham residents buy The Larkins historic pub, BBC News (Jan 04, 2025)
- Hedgerows the 'unsung heroes of the countryside', BBC News (Feb 16, 2026) — A group of Kent volunteers is aiming to provide vital habitat for wildlife by planting about 3,800 yards (3,500m) of hedgerows in the countryside this year.
- ‘To live a normal life again, it’s a dream come true’: UK’s first climate evacuees can cast off their homes and trauma, theguardian.com (Feb 09, 2026)
- Behind the scenes as GPs face 'tidal wave of demand', BBC News (Jan 22, 2026)
- Met Office issues rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday, theguardian.com (Jun 22, 2026)
- This city had a flooding problem. So it turned to an animal that had been extinct there for 400 years, edition.cnn.com (Jun 18, 2026)
- Rights of Nature movement grows, with the Wye and Ouse subject to new protection charters, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Jun 18, 2026) — Nature sits at the heart of several new sets of rights and charters; it’s even headlining a festival this summer. Is the way that we view and value Nature within our political and cultural frameworks at a turning point? asks Hannah Marsh
- Amsterdam, along with other major European cities, bans public adverts for meat and fossil fuels [BBC], Daily Alternative (May 22, 2026)
- How reindeer herds, nature and Sámi culture can thrive when forests are restored across northern Europe, theconversation.com (May 15, 2026)
- Rewilding giants: captive elephants rehomed in Europe’s first sanctuary, theguardian.com (May 07, 2026)
- Collaborative Finance (CoFi): rethinking finance for the commons, growingcommons.substack.com (Jun 07, 2026) — What finance looks like when communities build and govern it themselves, Michel Rauchs
- Radical change can lead to a fairer and greener world, says new report, positive.news (Jun 04, 2026) — A major new study argues that rising living standards, shorter working hours and a liveable climate are not competing dreams, but parts of the same future – if the world is willing to tackle extreme inequality
- Dutch kids declared the world’s happiest (again). Here’s why, positive.news (Jun 02, 2026) — Dutch children are consistently ranked the happiest kids in the developed world. What is the Netherlands getting right? And does the humble bike have something to do with it?
Events
[edit | edit source]Tonbridge hosts numerous community events, including a Christmas festival when the high street is closed to traffic, a firework display in November organised by Tonbridge Round Table, a dragon boat race and a summer fete in the castle grounds (which is also the location of numerous musical performances in the summer months). W
UK events
Jul 1 - 14, 2026 (Wed - Tue) — Community Energy Fortnight, communityenergyengland.org- Jul 02, 2026 (Thu) — Cycle to Work Day, cyclescheme.co.uk
- Jul 17 - Aug 9, 2026 (Fri - Sun) — Big Butterfly Count, bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
- Jul 19 - 25, 2026 (Sun - Sat), The theme for 2026 is JOY — Community Centre Week, octopuscommunities.org.uk
- Jul 24 - Aug 2, 2026 (Fri - Sun) — Love Parks Week, Keep Britain Tidy
Global or international events
- July 2026 — Plastic Free July, plasticfreejuly.org
- Jul 04, 2026 (Sat) — International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay), 1st Saturday of July. The celebration aims to showcase co-operatives’ role in building ‘inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities’, coopsday.coop
- Jul 18, 2026 (Sat) — Mandela Day, global celebration 18 July annually, to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. A call to action for individuals, communities, and organisations to take time to reflect on Mandela's values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities, mandeladay.com
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Tonbridge and Malling Friends of the Earth on facebook
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Rural sustainability UK, Community energy UK, Community action/Argyll and Bute / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Food activism
[edit | edit source]Social inclusion
[edit | edit source]- Donate Tonbridge Vouchers, Tonbridge Town Team, added 15:14, 3 October 2020 (UTC)
- Poverty Map from the Church Urban Fund. (Enter location then zoom out to see whole and neighbouring parishes)
Community resources
[edit | edit source]In 2014 the Angel Community Garden was created to eliminate eyesores in the area, and encourage bees which are declining. The garden was put along the edge of Sainsbury's car park. It was formed in collaboration with Tonbridge Friends of the Earth and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council. The project also received some support from some local shopkeepers and residents. W
Citizens data initiative
- Thriving Places Index, Tonbridge and Malling, 2020 summary scores, thrivingplacesindex.org added 17:53, 19 March 2020 (UTC)
- Automatic search suggestions for TheyWorkForYou, FixMyStreet, and WriteToThem, when you enter your postcode on www.mysociety.org. eg mysociety.org
- Census data 2011, use drill down menus for ward and Census Output Areas
- Search all grants, Tonbridge and Malling, The National Lottery Community Fund
Health and wellbeing
[edit | edit source]- Right to Know, Learn about the systemic and environmental trends that could be impacting your health. right-to-know.org, enter your postcode for local results, added 10:26, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
[edit | edit source]Climate action
[edit | edit source]- Tonbridge Climate Strikes on facebook
- Near-you: Tonbridge and Malling, takeclimateaction.uk, Friends of the Earth sourced data, added 09:43, 15 October 2021 (UTC)
- Place-Based Carbon Calculator, "Why we built a Place-Based Carbon Calculator", Aug 25...climate.leeds.ac.uk Very helpful graphics for communities to... "know why footprints vary and what we can do about it", "use the map to zoom to your area of interest" eg local communities in Malling, Philralph (talk) 14:24, 2 September 2021 (UTC)
- Extinction Rebellion Tonbridge and Malling closed group on facebook
- Setting Climate Committments for Tonbridge and Malling, Quantifying the implications of the United Nations Paris Agreement for Tonbridge and Malling, Feb 2020 carbonbudget.manchester.ac.uk
- Opportunities to reduce energy use, stimulate economy, cut bills & reduce running costs of buildings, transport & industry thereby creating a happier, healthier, more prosperous place, & tackling climate change. pcancities.org.uk
References
Sustainable transport activism
[edit | edit source]- Journey planner, kentconnected.org
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]- Tonbridge Bicycle Users Group, public group on facebook, added 16:24, 25 September 2020 (UTC)
Urban sustainability
[edit | edit source]Pedestrian Action for Tonbridge High Street (PATHS) on facebook
Community safety
[edit | edit source]Environment quality
[edit | edit source]Tonbridge Litter Catchers, on facebook
Open spaces
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Haysden Country Park is a 64-hectare (160-acre) country park and Local Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Tonbridge in Kent. It is owned by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Environment Agency, and managed by the council.
About Tonbridge
[edit | edit source]Campaigns
- Keep River Lawn Green on facebook.com
Environmental concerns
Parts of Tonbridge are at risk of flooding and a significant flooding event occurred in December 2013. The Environment Agency introduced a 320-metre long flood defence running parallel to the River Medway, along Avebury Avenue, in 2015, as a response to the flooding seen in 2013. Despite these measures, significant flooding occurred again in December 2019. W
Tonbridge ( TUN-brij) (historic spelling Tunbridge) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, 4 miles (6 km) north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles (19 km) south west of Maidstone and 29 miles (47 km) south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population of 41,293 in 2019.
Near you
[edit | edit source]Maidstone - Malling community action - Sevenoaks community action - Tunbridge Wells
See also
- Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England
- London and South East England
- Saving water in South East England
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2022–2026). "Community action/Tonbridge". Appropedia. Retrieved June 24, 2026. |