Totnes community action
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
- 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
The Guardian view on the planning bill: new towns must be for people who need them, Editorial, theguardian.com (Mar 11, 2025) - Six climate change activists sentences reduced by appeal court, BBC News (Mar 07, 2025)
- Dramatic fall in London’s levels of deadly pollutants after Ulez expansion, theguardian.com (Mar 07, 2025) — People in capital breathing much cleaner air, with significant improvements in capital’s most deprived areas
- ‘Global weirding’: climate whiplash hitting world’s biggest cities, study reveals, theguardian.com (Mar 12, 2025)
- Only seven countries worldwide meet WHO dirty air guidelines, study shows, theguardian.com (Mar 11, 2025) — Governments could clean their air with policies such as funding renewable energy projects and public transport; building infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling; and banning people from burning farm waste.
- Many cities are banning ads for airlines, SUVs and fossil fuels – and yours could be next, theconversation.com (Mar 10, 2025)
Video
Networks and sustainability initiatives
- 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.
Wales community resources, Climate action Scotland, London community resources / ...This week's Global videos
Food activism
- 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
Land activism
Past events
- March 21, 2015, A Land Conference, Totnes
Towards sustainable economies
- 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
Share Shed, a 'library of things' based in Totnes
Arts, sport and culture
Health and wellbeing
- 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
Funding community action
Totnes Wellbeing Fund, networkofwellbeing.org
Video: Totnes Wellbeing Fund, 2015, youtube.com
Ethical consumerism
Sustainable transport activism
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.
Cycling activism
Community Electric Bikes available! Transition Town Totnes
Education for sustainability
Bioregional Learning Centre, located in Totnes
About Totnes
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, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Paignton, about 7 miles (11 km) west-southwest of Torquay and about 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Plymouth. It is the administrative centre of the South Hams District Council.
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, known as a place where one can live a bohemian lifestyle, though has in recent times also gained a reputation as being a hotspot for conspiracy theorists within the UK.
The 2021 census recorded a population of 9,214, a 14% increase from the 2011 census which gave a population of 8,076.
Totnes archive
News
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