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.
Our Parent Wellbeing Wildlife group has been adding to the natural feel of the Lido…Last Spring and Summer we helped landscape and sow wildflower seeds to help create food and habitat for a variety of creatures. In the autumn we added some native bulbs to give colour and food to early insects. Eynsham Nature Recovery Project gave us some wildflower plugs to give things a boost, and they have been planted on the mound.
It has been great to see the flowers popping up this year – starting with snowdrops coming out on the 1st of January, bringing feelings of hope and optimism.
This year so far we have added a new wildflower patch, some grasses to soften new buildings and storage and transplanted a few native plants that will help provide food and shelter.
We are also planning some willow weaving sessions.
If you are a parent of children with SEND, autism, mental health challenges or anxiety, you would be very welcome to join us. We have a variety of different meet ups at different times and different places, so drop us a message if you'd like to know more.
07517 144828
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This Friday is our monthly Fireside Gathering, where all adults are welcome to join in conversation around a fire in the spirit of our ancestors.
We meet in Enstone from 8- 10:30 pm. Please bring whatever you'd like to drink – many people bring nibbles to share too, but only if you want to!
If the weather is cold, wet or windy we'll be indoors around a woodburning stove, but otherwise bring warm layers.
Please drop us a message if you are thinking of coming, and we will send you the address.
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Our group walk this weekend headed over to Little Rollright, enjoying an abundance of wildflowers and birdsong. We shared ideas of ways to eat different edible plants, apps to learn more abut different birdsongs, how to collect wildflower seeds in the future.
We noticed there is a marked increase in the amount of red campion in varying shades of pink, maybe partly due to reduced roadside mowing…
Several stayed on for the Cotswold Order of Druids celebrating Beltane including traditional Maypole Dancing.
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Reminder that it is the Rusty Riders Bike Clinic this coming Saturday – dust off your saddle and bring your bike and a helmet along to the Leisure Centre for a warm welcome, basic bike repairs and opportunities to ride with others…
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Our last Repair Cafe was the place to be on Friday night – with over 50 people through the doors, 18 children, it could have felt a bit hectic! The beautiful grounds, evening sunshine and ambience from the gramophone records donated this month created a calm, fun place to be for people of all ages.
Yoghurt pots were decorated and sunflower seeds planted, seeds and pot plants swapped, and around 250kg of clothing swapped, with a similar amount being donated to charity at the end.
Items repaired by our volunteer repairers included a jumper, dress, robotic spider, hair-drier, toy train, secateurs, a vacuum cleaner and a lawnmower.
Everyone was kept well fed by our youth team, and there was a sneaky peak at their new logo.
Thanks to Nicola Schafer who came and captured some filming footage on the night, and huge appreciation to our brilliant volunteers. With 12 of us helping it really did make the evening fun and enjoyable.
If you'd be interested at helping at the next one, please get in touch: 07517 144828
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Choosing to hold Blossom Day 2 weeks earlier than usual definitely paid off – we were treated to perfect weather, a profusion of pink blossoms and all the home baked goodies, music and delicious atmosphere you could hope for. "Quintessentially English" was a phrase that seemed to fit in the most positive sense.
There were plants to swap, hand made walking sticks to buy, a chance to help make a shrink pot from a piece of birch, tie a ribbon on a tree to make a wish, make a nest out of cleavers and flowers or decorate a pot to plant a sunflower in…
Lovely to see so many newcomers as well as the usual characters who help to make this event so special.
Huge appreciation to the Community Orchard team and Chippy Green Gym who put in all the hard work.
If this sort of thing is up your street, put Sunday 27th September in your diary, Apple Day will be at the Orchard 12 – 3.
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