Reimagine our town, rebuild our world

Taking action on climate change is now critical. At Transition Town Lewes in East Sussex, we believe that, by working together as a local community, we can find brilliant and inspiring ways to reduce our contribution to global warming, manage our impact on the planet – and help our town to thrive.

‘Transition Town Lewes’ simply means we’re working to transform our town into a community that isn’t reliant on fossil fuels and that can live, work and feed itself in ways that support, rather than damage, our natural world.

We run projects, provide information and host talks and workshops to enable everyone do their bit to tackle the challenges our world faces. Check out what we’re doing – and come and join us!

News

Making sense of Local Plans

Making sense of Local Plans

Making sense of Local Plans Baffled by the fact that Lewes is being invited to consultations on not one but TWO Local Plans this month? Don’t understand what a Local Plan is or what you should be commenting on? Then read on as local planning specialist Andrew Simpson...

Improved bike parking at Foundry Healthcare

Improved bike parking at Foundry Healthcare

Improved bike parking at Foundry Healthcare Cycle Lewes announces new bike parking facilities at two Lewes GP sites, River Lodge and St Andrew’s, following collaboration with Lewes Town Council and Foundry Healthcare Lewes – and is keen to hear from other...

Survey: Share info on your energy use

Survey: Share info on your energy use

Survey: Share info on your energy use to help the move to green energy Help the UK’s energy grid make a smooth transition to a cleaner, cheaper energy by completing this quick survey from Community Energy South about your household energy use. You could receive a £10...

Lewes Retrofit Forum

Lewes Retrofit Forum

Lewes Retrofit Forum Thursday 30 January 2025, 7.30pm-9pm, Lewes Climate Hub (Ovesco Energy Room), Lewes House, 32 High Street, FREE Following the successful launch of the Lewes Home Retrofit Guide in autumn 2024, the authors have set up a Retrofit Forum to support...

Urge MPs to support the Climate and Nature Bill

Urge MPs to support the Climate and Nature Bill

Urge MPs to support the Climate and Nature Bill The critical Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill is scheduled to get its second reading in Parliament on Friday 24 January. Well over 100 MPs from across the political spectrum have confirmed they will vote for it – but...

Lewes Greenpeace Group successfully relaunched!

Lewes Greenpeace Group successfully relaunched!

Lewes Greenpeace Group successfully relaunched!   At a meeting at the Climate Hub in early November, 14 people came in person or on Zoom and agreed the Lewes Greenpeace Group should be relaunched, reports Debbie Annells. This is great news – thanks to all who...

Get into nature at Lewes Railway Land

Get into nature at Lewes Railway Land

Get into nature at Lewes Railway Land   The Railway Land Wildlife Trust has got lots of seasonal activities for anyone wanting to connect with and work with nature this winter. Leah Dennison highlights what’s on offer for all ages and abilities. There are loads...

Events

Are we there yet? Imagining travel in Lewes 2030

Are we there yet? Imagining travel in Lewes 2030

Are we there yet? Imagining travel in Lewes 2030 Saturday 17 June – Saturday 1 July, 11am-3pm Lewes Climate Hub, Lewes House, 32 High Street Lewes, BN7 2LX Join Lewes Climate Hub for three weekends of thought-provoking talks, displays and interactive sessions asking:...

Bees & Bugs Day at the Hub

Bees & Bugs Day at the Hub

Bees & Bugs Day at the Hub Saturday 22 July, 11am-3pm, Lewes Climate Hub, Lewes House, 32 High Street Lewes, BN7 2LX Join Lewes Climate Hub for guided mini-wildlife safaris and pollinator counts in the gardens of Lewes House and School Hill Surgery. You’ll be able...

The Big One

The Big One

The Big One: The environmental protest for everyone (yes, everyone!) Friday 21 April – Monday 24 April, Houses of Parliament ‘The Big One’ – set to be the largest single environmental protest in UK history - will take place at the Houses of Parliament 21 to 24 April....

Lewes’s favourite green podcasts

In lockdown, podcasts are proving a great way to be inspired, get new ideas and learn from others’ real-life experiences – especially when it comes to taking action on climate change. So we asked seven of Lewes’s environmental movers and shakers what they’re listening to.

Helen Meade - Programme Manager, Railway Land Wildlife Trust

Mothers of Invention – episodes 55 mins
One podcast I have been really enjoying recently is Mothers of Invention. It covers everything from the crucial role of indigenous communities to how microbes can help in carbon capture, with great humanity and a good dose of humour.

The Wild – episodes 10 mins-30 mins
I’ve never been very good at picking favourites, so would also mention The Wild with Chris Morgan, especially the fabulous soundscape episodes, which are like a balm for the soul.

Tim Rabjohns - Plastic Free Lewes and Lewes Open Eco Houses

 

How To Save a Planet – episodes 45-60 mins
I really like this podcast partly because the two presenters are very personable but also because they look at climate issues in a very human way.  For example the episode called ‘Trying To Talk To Your Family About Climate Change? Here’s how.’ – is something that I struggle with and they illustrated the point by interviewing a US senator and his son.  The former is very conservative and was anti climate change at first and his son talks about how he won him over, over time.  They also give practical tips in the show notes

There are many good episodes, including Breaking Building’s Addiction To Fossil Fuels, where a business man retrains to offer financial products for the greening of buildings affordable to low-income households in New York

People Fixing The World – episodes 25 mins
This show is not only about the environment, but many of the episodes are about solutions people have found to specific environmental issues e.g. saving Dolphins in Cape Cod, new solar technology, solar railways, building with fungi etc.  I always come away having learnt something and feeling better because I know the solutions are out there. Friendly, no nonsense style that you’d expect from the BBC!

Mark Engineer – Organiser, Extinction Rebellion Lewes

The End Of The World Has Already Happened – episodes 28 mins
Don’t be put off by the title! This BBC three-parter is a lot more positive that it sounds. Actually, that’s not true. It pulls no punches about the fact we’re in deep trouble. Which is fine – because we’re in deep trouble. But it’s not without hope, and is particularly interesting on dealing psychologically with the scale of the crisis and the helplessness we all feel. Plus some William Blake poetry.

Lesley Healey – Director, Common Cause Cooperative

What Planet Are We On?episodes 60 mins
This series presented by Liz Bonnin talks about solutions. Not pie in the sky, far in the future things (though they often get a mention), but practical actions on lots of different fronts that will make a difference to our planet and our ability to occupy it kindly and carefully. More to the point, things that individuals can achieve.

English Pastoral – episodes 14 mins
I also recommend listening to ‘English Pastoral’ by James Rebanks, farmer and author of the best-selling ‘A Shepherd’s Life’. I was just about teenaged when the farmer ripped out the hedges and trees along the field behind our house to make one enormous field. Sitting crouched under piled up straw bales, listening to the mice is a cherished childhood memory and one that I hope future children may experience.

Matthew Bird - Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Lewes District Council; Climate Lead at Sussex Wildlife Trust

The Climate Question on the World Service is wide ranging and very listenable. I listen to Costing the Earth regularly which picks some really interesting subjects and Crossing Continents has the odd climate change episode from a Finnish perspective or something!

I’m really interested in climate adaptation as I don’t think there’s enough public examination of what we need to do now to deal with locked-in climate change. Listened to a few episodes of America Adapts which annoys me in style as much as it interests me in content! Generally I watch/listen to Ted Talks especially the two Georges, Monbiot and Marshall!

Audrey Jarvis - Chairperson of Friends of Lewes Trees Committee, Lewes Urban Arboretum

Tweet of the Day – episodes 5 mins
I enjoy Tweet of the Day, BBC Radio 4 and available on Sounds as a back catalogue. I like it because it reminds me of how good it is to be out and about in Lewes and hear and see the birds singing.

Dinah Morgan – Management team, Lewes Climate Hub

George Monbiot – The invisible ideology – Part 1- Consumerism, capitalism and neo-liberalism – 47 mins

Not a podcast per se, but I strongly recommend this talk by George Monbiot recorded in February 2020 exploring the forces that have led to the dire state our world is in.  In three-quarters of an hour, it explained so much that was just an unclear shape in my mind and turned it into a coherent form. As usual Monbiot was eloquent with loads of interesting references. I cannot recommend it enough!