A little bit About Us…
We started in 2009 as Transition Chipping Norton – a community initiative to help local people transition away from fossil fuels and towards a more sustainable way of living. Some of our early projects involved setting up the Chipping Norton Community Orchard, campaigning for better cycling provision and a community allotment.
Fast forward to 2023, we constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to better meet the needs of our community. We are still part of the worldwide Transition Network, but in 2025 we rebranded as Sustainable Chipping Norton, in line with many other Transition Groups.
We are also part of Community Action Groups Oxfordshire, a network of over 50 Oxfordshire groups at the forefront of community led climate change action, organising events and projects to take action on issues including waste, transport, food, energy and biodiversity. The network runs over 1,000 events per year, attended by over 60,000 local residents.
Our Most recent impacts
Take a look through our recent Impact Reports which capture how these projects have strengthened resilience, enhanced the environment and connected people.
2025 Age-Friendly Award winner
Youth work and connected communities continues to be at the heart of our ethos, and we were delighted to win an award from Incommon for our Intergenerational Youth Social Action in April 2025.
There was a joyful atmosphere at our Repair Cafe on Saturday, with many groups coming together to help make a fun evening, supporting each other and reducing what goes to landfill.
Huge thanks to our amazing repair team who fixed a table full of items including 2 bikes, a projector, some dungarees, a gramophone, and gave advice on loads more. We had over 60 people through the doors of Over Norton Village Hall
And to Siobain and co from Home-Start Banbury, Bicester & Chipping Norton – thank you so much for running the crafts area. We loved seeing how many people came and took part and hope a few more will join you as volunteers.
And thank you to our community of volunteers who were amazing at helping with set up, pack down and offer welcome refreshments. We like having the reputation of offering our repairers the best spread of any repair cafe, thanks to your donations, pastries from MOR Bakery & Kitchen, and funding from Oxfordshire Communities Foundation.
You are all brilliant!
#CircularEconomy #repaircafe #sustainability
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A cosy home for hedgehogs and invertebrates was one step closer to being finished this week – just the living roof to go on top.
Many thanks to the staff of Chipping Norton Lido for this enjoyable project and space to connect – we hope it will bring lots of people joy this winter and inspiration to create their own wildlife patches.
Made from upcycled pallets, pine cones, bits of fallen wood, broken pots and some dry leaf mould we could see one critter was already keen to move in!
We have been sharing tips for how to keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter as the temperature is starting to feel must more like autumn, and the lido is open for cold water swimming and hot saunas – proven to help our bodies adapt to more extreme changes in weather too.
With grateful thanks to Oxfordshire Communities Foundation for funding this project.
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It was fun connecting Martha form the Healthy Space Shaping team at West Oxfordshire District Council with Calum from the Health Centre to see the impact that the community art gallery at the Health Centre is having.
A colourful way to welcome people into to a place with themes of nature, connectivity and sustainability. The Theatre's artwork that has joined the display gives space for people to tell their stories, as being able to feel heard in a healthcare setting is so vital to being supported.
Our Craft Cafe session brought the autumn inside with leaf art, as well as upcycled magazine pots, finishing the Big Butterfly Project, bird-painting, upcycled bead projects and of course space to knit and natter.
Thank you to Whispering Willows Bistro for hosting us and @MOR Bakery and Kitchen for the yummy treats.
We don't have formal sessions running until after half term when you will be welcome to join us at Willow Gardens.
Check out https://facebook.com/people/…
to keep up to date with sessions.
Thank you to West Oxfordshire District Council for enabling this project to get up and running, for all your support and funding.
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We had a great time out in nature around Chipping Norton this morning, with Genista from @bewithnature and Martha from WODC who are joining forces to offer parents and carers retreat from stresses and strains in some of our lovely green spaces.
From William Fowler Woods, to the Community Orchard, the Common and Pool Meadow we enjoyed seeing how much plant and animal life was thriving, new paths laid, and couldn't resist removing some pretty but invasive Himalayan Balsam.
If you or a parent/carer you know would benefit from joining in with a Be with Nature session please get in touch with Genista at info@bewithnature.org.uk or 07884 584334.
The next session is on Wednesday 4th November from 9:30 – 11:30
It is free, so please do come along if you can.
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Our Hope! Series of films have been creating a huge sensation with everyone who has come to see them so far – 6 episodes detailing 40 solutions to the climate crisis. As we travel the globe to explore the possibilities, we discover that if these could be scaled up we could end global warming.
Knowing that we are in time, the solutions are already out there, and all we need to do is embrace these – locally, nationally, globally….that gives us a chance to have Hope with our sleeves rolled up!
On our own we can't make much of a difference, but through joining together our impact is enormous.
Great to hear feedback that other groups want to show these, that they are a great inspirer of positive action, and an antidote to feelings of #ClimateAnxiety
With over 30 people in attendance at our last one, we plan to reach even more through our next one showing online on the 17th of November.
To join us (free) follow this link to sign up as a member:
Many thanks to El GatoVerde Producciones, CAGPOL Community Action Groups – CAG Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire County Council and Chipping Norton Town Council for their amazing support.
#climatechange #hope #transition
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It's all happening this weekend – start your Saturday with some fine tuning or basic repairs for your bike, followed by a guided road ride at 10:30…Bring a bike and a helmet
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