Visiting Transition in Totnes

Just to clarify:

- Transition Network is the charity based in Totnes that is helping communities to connect to eachother, inspire new ideas and expand the Transition activities all over the world

- Transition Town Totnes is the local initiative that is using/developing the transition ideas to transform itself into a more resilient, relocalised, lower carbon community

If you think you need to visit, please be aware that these two are distinct organisations and, depending on your needs, you may need to communicate with us separately.

Visit or "pilgrimage"?

Our worry is that some of these visits are looking increasingly like pilgrimages. Individuals want to "feel or touch" the "magic of Totnes" and the "wellspring of ideas".

We'd like to encourage people to look for that "wellspring of ideas" in their own community or in other transition initiatives closer by, and to look for that "magic" in their own capabilities and potential. We're hoping that part of transition thinking is learning to see how wonderful we can be as individuals and collectively if we look the facts squarely in the eye, take responsibility for action and then unleash the creative genius that resides within us personally and collectively in our communities.

Transition is truly a "self-build" and ideas are emerging all over the world, not just Totnes. We're further ahead here in some ways because we started a little earlier, but all other groups are bringing the genius of their own local communities to the initiative and we're learning from them too.

You may therefore get far more inspiration by talking to initiatives near you rather than making a "pilgrimage" - take a look at the Initiatives Directory and find people in your vicinity.

Other options

If you're wanting to find out answers to key questions relating to Transition, the new forums will be getting active soon. There's a forum for all key areas and groups and a trip to your computer screen may be all that it takes.

You can take a look at transitioners nearer to you - go here: www.transitionnetwork.org/nearby/

You can contact other transition initiatives that are welcoming visiting transitioners: www.transitionnetwork.org/media/

You can trawl through the projects database for inspiring examples of what you might be able to do in your own locale: www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/

Try calculating the carbon footprint of your journey here: www.travelfootprint.org/

Group visits

We've seen visits from university students, exchange students, sustainability courses attendees and gangs from other transition initiatives. Typically, these have involved plenty of organisation and coordination, sometimes with inadequate notice.

If you're planning a group visit (more than 3 people), please contact Hal Gilmore - he's our outreach person for TTT.

In the meantime, it's worth you knowing that, depending on the effort involved, TTT and/or Transition Network may request a financial contribution to cover the work and time involved.

Planning a personal visit

Reasonable expectations

We're all massively busy here in Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes and it's difficult to attend to the slightly alarming number of people wanting to visit. You may well end up being a bit disappointed if you've travelled a long way and just get to have a couple of superficial conversations with people who are plagued by ringing phones and email bombardment.

Some people come to Transition Network expecting to see a significant organisation. It comes as a bit of a shock to find out that it's just two full-time and three part-time people. That's why we find it hard to find the time...

Visible manifestations

If you want to see visible manifestations of Transition in Totnes, the best option is to visit the page on the TTT website and create your own self-guided tour that might include: Totnes pound, allotments, food guide, local suppliers and others.

Please be aware though that TTT is still in the early stages of a 20 year (and beyond) project, so don't expect to see a transformed community. We don't want a repeat of a very disappointed German visitor who said,

"I am dismayed to see that you still have cars on the streets. And not only do you have no living roofs in the town, but also there are no goats living upon them".

Events

If you want to attend an event, such as a talk, please take a look at the Transition Town Totnes website calendar and make contact with the organiser if it's a pre-booked ticket affair.

Meet a group

If you want to talk to a particular group or coordinator of a group, please be aware that these people have jobs, families and commitments that get in the way of any outreach activities. You can find more information about the groups at the bottom left of this page.

You may well be better off going onto the forums or making direct contact via email to a group coordinator. And don't forget there are groups all around the country with just as much, and more, creativity and practicality as the Totnes groups. You can get those details from the pages of those from the Initiatives Directory.

Attend a meeting

If you want to attend one of the meetings, eg Heart and Soul or Economics and Livelihoods group, please again refer to the calendar and make contact with the group coordinator. Some groups are happy with drop-ins, others not.

Lunch with Transition Network/TTT

We're often so busy that we don't stop for lunch, so here's an idea for you... There's usually at least 3 of us in the office:

- Ben Brangwyn (co-founder of Transition Network and part of TTT local currency group)
- Steph Bradley (Transition Network training administrator and coordinator of Transition Tales for TTT)
- Rob Hopkins
- Sophy Banks (co-founder of Transition Training and part of TTT Heart & Soul group)
- Naresh Giangrande (co-founder of Transition Training and part of TTT Energy group)
- Frances Northrop (TTT "transition in action" project coordinator)
- Lou Brown (TTT admin, food group maven, garden share and Transition Together)
- Jacqi Hodgson (TTT EDAP coordinator and part of Transition Tales)
- Fiona Ward (co-founder of Transition Consulting and part of TTT Business and Livelihoods group)
- Jo Coish (Transition Network office manager)
- Amber Ponton (Rob's PA)

If you provide a couple of weeks' notice, tasty bread, cheese, fruit, elderflower fizz, gerkins and something tasty from Riverford Comes to Town (and mebbe a cake!) we'd be delighted to take a break from the madness, brew up a big pot of tea and have a relaxed and talkative lunch with you in the office here.

Contacting us

Contact details for Transition Network are here. And you can get hold of TTT contact details here.

Visiting Transition in Totnes