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.
Swap Shop is still going ahead this Friday, as the forecast is looking slightly cooler and we can be in the shady garden area.
If you have any of the following items you can help with promoting Sustainable Fashion. Please bring items along on Friday for collection by the Cherwell Collective, CIC for their Sustainable Fashion Show at Blenheim
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This Friday is our next Swap Shop Social evening –
Come along and help save things from landfill…This is a general swap shop with any items you feel could be happily rehomed being very welcome.
Please take large items home with you if they haven't been taken before you leave – a photo of bulky items with your number might be easier than bringing everything!
We will have plants and seeds swap, crafts to join in with, the makings of a Herman friendship cake, pizza, bring and share food table…
And probably perfect weather for being outdoors.
We will have some camping items to give away too, thanks to the guys from the Barter Barn at The Bushcraft Show for donating equipment.
Please help spread the word – helpers welcome from 4, doors open at 5
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Big shout out to the Cherwell Collective, CIC for their Grand Opening of Fashionhouse last night. What a brilliant event, with food supplied by the Climatarian Kitchen, ceremonial ribbon untying by Calum Miller and some wonderful impromptu cat walk displays.
This will be a space for sustainable fashion designers to create and develop their brand, with access to equipment and repurposed materials.
We learned that there is currently enough clothing in the world to clothe every human being on the planet 6 times over, with most of it ending in landfill.
If you want to help change this – come along to our Swap Shop on Friday 26th June at Over Norton Village Hall from 5pm and repurpose clothing and other items.
Fill in and share a petition like this one from Greenpeace https://action.greenpeace.org.uk/fast-fashion-equa…
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It was a wet Wednesday for our Willow Weaving at the Lido as part of our wildlife wellbeing project, but we stayed dry under the stretch tent, and were treated to "possibly the best soup ever!" from the cafe.
Huge thank you to Rowan from the Evenlode Catchment Partnership for leading the session and being game enough to try our ambitious vision of a large bee sculpture for the wildlife area, as well as encouraging us to make smaller dragonflies…You were brilliant!
The willow sculptures will help raises awareness that we have been tending that area for wildlife and encouraging pollinators to come and feed…(and a reminder that there might be wasps and bees sunning themselves in the grasses so take care with bare feet).
It was fantastic to see the different flowers coming through, especially on the mound where ox-eye daisies, red knapweed and an abundance of yellow rattle signalled that out planting last year was successful.
The yellow rattle will serve to weaken the grasses, and enable more wildflowers to take hold over time, so that was great to see how well it has germinated.
Thank you to Nature Recovery Network – Eynsham group for the plugs that are now in flower, and to Cotswolds Glorious Grasslands / Cotswold National Landscape for the wildflower seeds.
Thank you to Liz and the team at the Lido, and to our willing volunteers – such an enjoyable day. We are looking forward to seeing our "bee" finding her place in the wildlife area.
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Delighted to see The Theatre are now hosting wellbeing walks on Fridays – please do share this information with anyone you know who might like to take part:
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Thank you to all who came on our walk to Pool Meadow on Saturday – it was an enjoyable and interesting time, with some great conversations and unexpected surprises along the way!
Thanks to Mayor Sandra and John for joining us and sharing their historical knowledge and plans to upgrade the footpaths….And to Diana for bringing along a page of Chippy News from 36 years ago – fascinating to see!
To the three artists who joined us, it was brilliant to hear you discussing and sparking ideas – thank you Carol Harvey for sharing your Pool Meadow Project pieces and allowing us to handle bits, and to Luke and Lizzie sharing what inspires you.
And to the gentleman who treated us to the thrumming engine of a 1939 Wolsey along the way – that captured all of our imaginations!
Thank you Laura from Earthwatch Europe for your clear explanations and water quality testing – great to see more people signing up as Citizen Scientists.
And to the people who came to the Hope The Series film on Tuesday – it is great to hear you are still feeling inspired for Creative Activism!! Looking forward to where things go next…
Our next walk is planned for 11 am from Glyme Hall on Saturday the 11th of July.
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