Community action/Totnes
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 Totnes.
News
[edit | edit source]- World's first mobile library of things is on its way, Jan 30, 2020...@shareable
- Totnes pound: Currency killed by 'cashless economy', Mar 6, 2019...bbc.co.uk
- ShareFest brings people together to share, repair, swap and make, Dec 7, 2018...Network of Wellbeing
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)
- 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."
- Plans for major overhaul of councils halted, BBC News (Sep 07, 2026)
- 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)
- 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 I choose to build commons, rather than being an ‘activist’, growingcommons.substack.com (Sep 06, 2026) — And why I think you should, too, Dil Green
- What Brazil’s supercentenarians can teach us about living to 120, positive.news (Sep 02, 2026)
- How a South African town cleaned up its polluted river using stones, wood and sand, theguardian.com (Aug 31, 2026) — Scientists say system to treat contaminated wastewater offers a model for ensuring food security in a fast-warming climate
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Transition Town Totnes, Video: Transition Town Totnes: where we've come from, 2016, youtube.com, TransitionTownTotnes channel on youtube.com
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
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
Totnes video
[edit | edit source]
Food activism
[edit | edit source]- How to set up a squash growing co-op, Shareable, Feb 25, 2019
- Food in Community, rescues and sorts surplus fresh fruit and vegetables, and delivers boxes to charities and community groups in and around Totnes
Community energy
[edit | edit source]Totnes Renewable Energy Society
Land activism
[edit | edit source]Past events
- March 21, 2015, A Land Conference, Totnes
Towards sustainable economies
[edit | edit source]- REconomy centre Totnes, a workplace for a strong local economy. Home of the Totnes REconomy Project, and a Local Entrepreneur Forum, added 15:19, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
- Atmos Totnes, first project to be led by Totnes Community Development Society, an Industrial and Provident Society committed to pioneering community-led development in a way rooted in local economies.
- Local Economic Blueprint highlights potential of community resilience, March 28 2013
Community resources
[edit | edit source]Share Shed, a 'library of things' based in Totnes
Health and wellbeing
[edit | edit source]- Caring Town, local network of public, voluntary and private organizations and groups working together for health and welfare in Totnes & District
- Network of Wellbeing, organisation based in Totnes
Community currencies activism
[edit | edit source]Funding community action
[edit | edit source]Totnes Wellbeing Fund, networkofwellbeing.org
Video: Totnes Wellbeing Fund, 2015, youtube.com
Ethical consumerism
[edit | edit source]Sustainable transport activism
[edit | edit source]Totnes railway station is situated on the Exeter to Plymouth line, and has trains direct to London Paddington, Penzance and Plymouth, and as far north as Aberdeen. Nearby, Totnes (Littlehempston) railway station is at the southern end of the South Devon Railway Trust which runs tourist steam locomotives along the line that follows the River Dart up to Buckfastleigh. Since the River Dart is navigable to seagoing boats as far as Totnes, the estuary was used for the import and export of goods from the town until 1995, and there are still regular pleasure boat trips down the estuary to Dartmouth. Bus services connect the town to Dartmouth, Plymouth, Torbay and Newton Abbot. W
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]Community Electric Bikes available! Transition Town Totnes
Education for sustainability
[edit | edit source]Bioregional Learning Centre, located in Totnes
About Totnes
[edit | edit source]
Totnes ( TOT-nuhss or tot-NESS) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England. It is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Paignton, about 7 miles (11 km) west-southwest of Torquay and about 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Plymouth, adjacent to the South Devon National Landscape. It is the administrative centre of the South Hams District Council. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 8,241.
Totnes has a long recorded history, dating back to 907, when its first castle was built. By the twelfth century it was already an important market town, and its former wealth and importance may be seen from the number of merchants' houses built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today the town has a sizeable alternative and New Age community and is known as a place where one can live a bohemian lifestyle, though in recent times it has also gained a reputation as being a UK hotspot for conspiracy theorists.
News archive
[edit | edit source]2018-2020
World's first mobile library of things is on its way, Jan 30, 2020...@shareable
- Totnes pound: Currency killed by 'cashless economy', Mar 6, 2019...bbc.co.uk
- ShareFest brings people together to share, repair, swap and make, Dec 7, 2018...Network of Wellbeing
- Community potlucks: Shared meals help build deep ties among residents in Totnes, Dec 5, 2018...Shareable
2017
- How the Share Shed in the UK is Building Community, Jul 5...@Shareable
- Earth.Food.Love Puts UK On Map Of Zero-Waste Grocery Stores, May 30...progrss.com
- "I'm welling up just talking about it": the marvel of Totnes LEF6, May 16...Transition Network
- Caring Town: Fiona Ward, May 3...farnearer.org
- How 'Grown in Totnes' are reimagining the local food economy, May 2...Transition Network
2013-2014
- Atmos Totnes creates national precedent, September 26, 2014...Transition Network
- Calling all local food growers and processors to join a new outlet in for local producers in Totnes, July 2, 2014...Transition Town Totnes
- Totnes to Trial New Electronic Currency, May 21, 2014...Totnes Pound Blog
- Frances Northrop on 'Healthy Town Totnes', May 12, 2014
- Simple steps towards local prosperity, March 28, 2013...Living with rats
Near you
[edit | edit source]See also
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2017–2025). "Community action/Totnes". Appropedia. Retrieved September 13, 2026. |