Activities

2023

Community Talk - How we tackle climate changeat The Strand Centre on Tuesday 11th April 2023 to get involved in creating a healthier and safer future for everyone.

Sustainable Dawlish Clothes Swap 22nd April 2023 We held a Clothes Swap at the Manor House, Dawlish from 9.30 a.m. We received a grant from Recycle Devon and borrowed Clothes Swap equiplent. We worked with Dawlish Fair Trade Friends.

Tree Planting on Monday March 13th Together with the Dawlish Wildlife Wardens, Dawlish Water Rotary and volunteers 150 whips and saplings were planted at the cemetery. Planting trees helps with biodiversity and will help make Dawlish more resilient in the face of Climate Change.

Neighbourhood Plan We submitted comments to the consulation as we have done since the first Plan in 2011.

2022

Dawlish Walking Festival 24th Sept - 2nd October The Dawlish Walking Festival 2002 ran from 24th September to October 2nd 2022. We had 401 walkers despite having to cancel two walks due to adverse weather conditions. We are very grateful to our sponsor Oakcliff Holiday Parkand and to all the walk leaders and local groups who volunteered to lead the walks. We have had a lot of positive feedback by email and verbally. One repeated feedback is from people new to the area who found the walks an excellent way to get to know the area and local people. We distributed 2500 programmes and there were 703 downloads of the programme.

Turn the Tide Event 2022: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Our stand highlighted the recycling facilities available at the kerbside and around Dawlish.

Refreshers Fair 2022 Our stall at the Refreshers Fair enabled us to meet up with other groups and raise awareness about our activities.

Dawlish Swifts We publicised the efforts of a local resident who is an expert on Swifts to help find suitable sites for nest boxes, to try and increase their numbers as they are on the BTO Red list as a bird of conservation concern.

The Home Energy Saving Forum, The Strand Centre, Dawlish March 12th
We estimated that we had over 60 people drop in for free Energy advice. Among them were some people who were really struggling already - even before April when the energy price cap will go up by 50%. Devon Communities Together who help people in fuel poverty were pleased to have 7 contacts to follow up. As a result, Exeter Community Energy are going to hold drop in regular free Energy Advice sessions at The Strand Centre in the future. For more information see here

2021

The AGM was held in the Mayor's Parlour at the Manor House on 30th November 2021. The Chair's report and minutes are available using these links: Chair's Report and Minutes of the 2021 AGM

Great Big Green Week:
The Great Big Green Week Dawlish Lawn Event organised by Sustainable Dawlish (Transition) was successful in achieving its aims to bring the need for positive climate action to the forefront of people's minds. Reports, videos, pictures and presentations can be viewed here

Teignbridge Local Plan Consultation
We reviwed the Teignbridge Local Plan which was up for consulation and registered our concerns about over development and its affect on biodiversity and the loss of Grade 1 Farm land for food production

Dawlish Walking Festival
Normally in early March each year the dates for the Dawlish Walking Festival are published from mid-April to early May. Having reviewed the recent Government roadmap guidance the organisers have decided it is not possible for the event to take place in April/May 2021. The roadmap guidance from 12th April to the 17th May (at the earliest) indicates that whilst outdoor events can take place people cannot mix beyond groups of 6 or two households. In addition, many of the local community groups and organisations who help the Dawlish Walking Festival run so successfully are not currently operating with activities and group walks are suspended in lockdown. We hope to bring back the Dawlish Walking Festival in 2022 when conditions allow

2020

Dawlish Walking Festival
Dawlish Walking Festival April 18 - May 3 2020 Sustainable Dawlish, Scott Richards and Dawlish Town Council took the decision to cancel the Dawlish Walking Festival given the government guidance on Coronavirus, together with the Ramblers and Walking For Health suspension of all walks until the end of May. We did not plan to rearrange the festival for later in the year due to the time it takes to organise the walks. We really appreciate the efforts of all our volunteer walk leaders, all the walkers who support the festival and to Scott Richards for their generous sponsorship.

2019

Dawlish Walking Festival April 27 - May 5 2019
The Dawlish Walking Festival 2019had 720 walkers taking part in the 38 walks on offer. More informatin can be seen here

2018

Sustainable Travel Forum: Andrew Turpin and other members have organised a Sustainable Transport and Tourism Forum. with presentations from key speakers and a question and answer session.

Dawlish Walking Festival: Dawlish Transition have taken over the organistaion of the Dawlish Walking Festival 2018 from Sustrans. Over 35 walks have been organised. The festival will run from April 20 - 29th April

2017

Neighbourhood Plan: Carolyn Ballard continues to be involved in the Neighbour Plan Steering Committee

Permaculture: Chris Marsh is a member of Dawlish Transition group and also a trustee of the charity Plants For A Future (www.pfaf.org ). She is currently working with another trustee, Wendy Stayte from Transition Town Totnes, to identify and then visit sites in Devon where combinations of unusual edible perennial plants are being grown.

2016

Neighbourhood Plan: Carolyn Ballard is representing our Transition Group on the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG). Dr. Chris Marsh wrote the paper‘The Case for a Local Food Strategy as Part of the Dawlish Neighbourhood Plan’, it was presented to the NPSG on 3rd March and received an interested response. More information on the Neighbourhood Plan can be found here

2015

Coastal Communities Bid: The Coastal Communities Bid ‘Destination Dawlish’ was successful and has secured £1.3 of funding to complete the Exe Trail into the centre of Dawlish

2014

Sustainable Travel & Transport: Devon County Council have produced a detailed design of the cycle route into Dawlish Town Centre. At the end of April a bid was submitted by Sustrans to the Coastal Communites Fund for funding. Members of our group have assisted with inputs to Sustrans to help with the bid.

Garden Share & Community Orchards Our Garden Share scheme was relaunched, the Westcliff Primary school garden is flourishing thanks to the efforts of Max & Julie. We are hoping to establish a commmunity orchard and are discussing potential sites with Teignbridge District Council with help from Cllr Graham Price

AGM
Our AGM took place at the Swan Inn in Dawlish at the end of April. We discussed ideas for future iniatives ranging from increase awareness and our membership, an Energy Saving Exhibition, Community Orchard and Sustainable Tourism.

2013

Newsletter Our first newsletter is now avaiable. Topics covered are: Ceilidh Oct 18th, Sustainable Travel Cycle Trail, Garden Share scheme, Permaculture, Transition Training and Climate Change
It can be viewed online or downloaded here

Sustainable Travel & Tourism Update: Dawlish Transition Ambition and Dawlish Community Trust are working in partnership and have submitted an application to the People's Post Code Lottery Dream Fund for for part funding towards our dream for Dawlish is for the Exe Estuary Cycle Trail to be completed so that cyclists, including families, children and young people, can reach the town centre by a safe route and return via a ramp up steps from the station area.

AGM
Our AGM took place at the Swan Inn in Dawlish at the end of April. Our constitution was passed and the positions for Chair, Treasurer and Secreatary were voted on.

Ceildh
February 9: A Social evening held at St Marys Church Hall, Dawlish Warren to raise awareness and funds for the group. Live Music by Spinach for Norman and caller, the evening was well attended and dancers enjoyed home made locally produced food and local ale.

2012

Sustainable Travel & Tourism Forum
November 11: The forum brought together key players to enable Dawlish to take advantage of the benefits of the Exe Estuary Trail.
Full details of the forum including presentations by the speakers can be seen here

Sustainable Travel & Tourism Grant Awarded
October: Our application to Dawlish Town Council Regeneration Fund for funding a Sustainable Travel & Tourism Forum for all interested parties in the community was successfull. The aim to enable Dawlish to take advantage of the Exe Estuary Cycle Trail and ensure that the last section of the route comes safely into the centre of Dawlish. We believe the cycle route will bring economic benefits to the town centre, promote sustainable tourism and a healthy lifestyle for both local residents and tourists.

Delicious Dawlish: Community Feast
September: A celebration of local food growing. People brought a donation dish made from a home grown or locally produced ingredients to share. and learn about local food producers and what they offer.

Delicious Dawlish: Plant Swap & Sale
June: Vegetable plants exchange and sale of young food plants at bargain prices

Delicious Dawlish: Seedling Swap
May 25th: Spare vegetable seedlings exchange and sale of young food plants at bargain prices.

Garden Share rejuvenates Westcliff Primary School
Early May: We have started a Community Garden agreement with Westcliff School and we hope to set up more Community gardens and Orchards in different areas of Dawlish. Dawlish Transition have set up a garden share with Westcliff Primary School to rejuvenate their garden. We would like Dawlish to have a Garden share scheme as the allotment waiting list is so long but we need more volunteer garden owners to come forward to set this up.

Dawlish Transition “Delicious Dawlish” launch
March 8th : A social and information evening to help everyone reduce costs by growing food in whatever space is available. Toby Buckland, well known BBC Garden Live presenter and a local online garden nursery owner, talked about growing edible plants anywhere and everywhere. This was followed a short film about the successful “Incredible Edible Todmorden” initiative. The evening was attended by experienced and new gardeners who swaped seeds and put their gardening questions to Toby Buckland and local experts Shirley Tamblyn and Jo Hooper.

2011

Home Energy Saving Exhibition, Strand Centre
October 15th: Exhibitors from local businesses providing and installing a range of sustainable and renewable heat capture systems and energy saving solutions for the domestic market.
The Teignbridge Affordable Warmth Home Energy Officer gave information about grants and low income loans to help with installing energy saving technologies such as loft insulation.

Dawlish Transition Ambition launch
24th February: Screening of ”Power of the Community” and “Message in the Waves”, with guest speakers: Antony Turner, Carbon Sense Foundation & Teign Estuary Transition, and Ben Bryant, Teignbridge Recycling Officer (Dawlish Bag Campaign) at the Red Rock Skills Centre
The winning design for the Dawlish Reusable bag competition was announced following the successful launch of the Dawlish Bag Campaign by Teignbridge Recycling Officer, Ben Bryant The winning designs were numbers 3 (Black Swan, Re-cycling) and Number 11 (Dawlish is Fantastic…) with the first prize being shared as both entries received exactly the same number of votes from the public. Second place went to entry number 13 ‘Save The Sea Life’.