ABOUT US
In 2009 a handful of local people sat down together to learn more about climate change and think about ways we could respond. We started to hold events so we and others could learn more, to raise awareness about climate issues and to develop practical community projects. Over the years we have organised events, films, discussions and produced a monthly newsletter. We’ve done bird walks and stream clean-ups, planted fruit and nut trees together, built leaky dams in the woods and rain gardens in the park. We researched and produced a Really Local Food Directory of food producers within a 10 mile radius, held an annual Seed Swap and a BioBlitz to identify wildlife. We started a not for profit to build renewable energy projects. We have lots more projects coming up.
About 15,000 people live in the villages of Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Keymer and Ditchling along the foot of the South Downs. We are linked together by transport, shopping and schools as well as by our shared environment. We are lucky to have thriving communities with many active organisations. Creating the transition to a more sustainable future is a task that needs people with many different interests. HKD Transition works with other groups that share our concerns.
WHAT IS TRANSITION?
Transition is a movement that has been growing since 2005. It is about communities stepping up to address the big challenges they face by starting local. By coming together, they are able to crowd-source solutions. They seek to nurture a caring culture, one focused on supporting each other, both as groups or as wider communities.
There are one of over 1,000 Transition initiatives around the world. Each is a community-led response to climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy. Each is different but with common ideas:
Resilience – a community’s capacity to adapt in order to sustain itself, especially in the context of external shocks (like energy shortages, extreme weather events, economic shifts). We don’t know what lies ahead but by building resilience we can be better prepared
Localisation – rebuilding local economies to shift the balance away from globalisation. Our communities can be revitalised by local green enterprises, creating employment, producing locally to meet local needs, reducing carbon emissions, making more efficient and sustainable use of resources
Acting together – communities together can do things that each of us alone can’t achieve
Achieving a more sustainable future will take everyone’s best ideas and efforts. Governments have to act (and we have to make sure they do). Individuals have to make changes in how they live their lives. Community groups like Transition initiatives can build awareness, inspire action, and promote enthusiasm for creating a new future