Forming networks of Transition initiatives

As Transition initiatives spread and their effect increases, regional networks have emerged. They usually do some or all of the following:

• Share what works and what doesn’t.
• Nurture emergent Transition groups.
• Facilitate communication and sharing of resources between these local groups.
• Create a body that can interact with the local authority and other bodies on different issues.
• Identify good speakers and other resources.
• Help newly forming initiatives learn what has already been done and where they can find support.

Some of these networks hold regular events and send out regular communications, while others are less formal and come together just to present occasional events. London has nearly 40 Transition initiatives that have formed at the neighbourhood scale across the city, so it was inevitable that a network emerged to support their efforts. Transition London was initiated by the emerging Transition Town Stoke Newington group, who saw it as a good way to tap into the expertise across the various Transition groups in London. Transition London helps group members to feel part of a bigger movement, and enables the sharing of ideas, successes, failures, events and so on. They run a simple website,[i] which offers links to all the London initiatives, and ran a city-wide gathering in April 2010. They produce two regular email mailing lists: the first, ‘ltn-news’, is a monthly summary of newsworthy events “which might plausibly be interesting enough to travel across town for”. The second, ‘ltn-talk’, is a more focused sharing of resources for those involved in the core groups of different initiatives.

NETTAN is the North East Transition Town Activist Network,[ii] and supports Transition initiatives across the north-east of England. It began in 2008, and now links 20 Transition initiatives. It enables groups to connect with each other – to offer support, especially to new and emerging groups, and to share information about events.

The South East Transition Initiatives network (SETI)[iii] was formed by Mike Grenville (Transition Forest Row) and Adrienne Campbell (Transition Town Lewes), initially as a way to get funding to allow them to better support the many Transition initiatives emerging in the south-east. Their funding bid was unsuccessful, but an active network has appeared. They have created a website and an occasional newsletter, and at the time of writing have held three regional gatherings, the most recent in Brighton in 2010.[iv] The group also interfaces with regional bodies when the need arises. The network defines its role by stating that it “does not try to be a Transition initiative, but rather a catalyst and supporter of initiatives in specific places”.

The genesis of Transition Support Scotland[v] is a little different. At the time it was formed there were 20 embryonic Transition initiatives across Scotland. A successful funding proposal was put to the Scottish Assembly. Until early 2011, Transition Support Scotland held annual national gatherings, produced a monthly newsletter, ran an interactive website and provided advice and support for initiatives. It also provided a very useful networking service. In early 2011 it lost its core funding and produced an excellent report reflecting on the lessons from its activities,[vi] and it is hoped now that a more informal Scottish network will pick up some of its activities. 

Sometimes, networks just come together for one-off events. Transition North was the name of a one-day conference in Slaithwaite in Yorkshire on 6 November 2009, which brought together Transitioners from across the north of England. The event was presented in partnership with the Cooperative Group and Cooperatives UK, and was a galvanising day for Transition in the area.[vii]

Transition Somerset was formed by members of Transition Glastonbury as a way of showing Transition growth in the county. In March 2008 a one-day conference was held, which led to the formation of local groups. Another event was held in May 2009, with talks by Jeremy Leggett, Shaun Chamberlin and Rebecca Hosking. A Google group was set up to allow the different groups to communicate.

When Somerset County Council (SCC) passed its Transition resolution in July 2008 (see Building 4: Strategic local infrastructure, page xx), the need became clear for one body to speak on behalf of the county’s initiatives. Transition Somerset met various council members to help shape how a Somerset council in Transition might look. This worked well, as the council found it much easier to work with one representative group than dozens of individual ones. Transition Somerset also organised a day of Transition Training for the council in April 2009. This role, however, raised concerns about accountability. Who are these representatives? Should they be elected? Transition Somerset exists now as a Google group, and has been active in lobbying SCC into formally renouncing their Transition status in the light of their downgrading, in February 2011, of their climate change work.[viii] (see page xx [5.1, Policies for Transition]).

Transition East[ix] is an informal network for Transition initiatives in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. At the time of writing they have held two regional gatherings. For the 2009 event, they produced an exemplary document: ‘Transition in the East: co-operation, collaboration, support and influence’.[x] This illustrated what each of the groups had done and appraised very honestly the challenges each faced. Transition networks in Cornwall,[xi] North Cornwall,[xii] Suffolk and North Somerset[xiii] mostly function as email lists.

US regional networks are starting to emerge. In September 2010, the first regional gathering was held in Seattle for Transition initiatives across the north-west US, under the banner of the ‘Transition Cascadia Regional Summit’. Groups represented included Village Vancouver (Vancouver, British Columbia), Transition Whatcom County (Bellingham and surrounds), Methow Valley Community Preparedness Committee, Transition Port Gardener (Everett, Washington) Sustainable NE Seattle, Transition Whidbey, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, Transition Seattle, Transition Olympia, Port Townsend, Sandpoint Transition Initiative, Transition PDX (Portland, Oregon), Salem, Eugene and Transition Reno.[xiv]

Regional networks work best when they emerge naturally when initiatives feel the need to join forces. Modern internet resources make this relatively easy, allowing the network to do what it feels useful and possible. For Charlotte Du Cann of Transition Suffolk, networks are important because they “help to break everyone out of small town thinking (and thinking it is only your initiative that experiences challenges!)”. However, Bart Anderson, of Transition Palo Alto in the US, argues for networks to have a different role. Rather than being groups of strong local initiatives, he sees that in some places they can support new Transition initiatives. His community initiative is vibrant, but in surrounding settlements people feel more isolated. Networks can help support their work and give it a context.  

The emergence of these networks marks an important step for Transition in an area. Realising the value of collective action can be a huge boost to morale.