Transition Brighton & Hove is part of an international network now in 30 countries (www.transitiontowns.org) that originated in Totnes, Devon in 2006 with the aim of generating a positive and practical community response to the challenges and opportunities of climate change and diminishing oil supplies: the one threatens human and all other life, and the other brings with it oil price increases or fluctuations and subsequent economic crises – unless we leave oil before, or as, it leaves us.

In doing this we bring together the collective skills and creativity of people in Brighton & Hove to evolve a positive, sustainable future, and develop the resilience locally to survive effectively in the uncertain times ahead. We combine a sense of urgency with hope and realism – awareness raising with vision building. Planning and action that leads to positive examples that encourages others. We seek to include everyone interested and to help the most vulnerable. We aim to empower and inspire them to make their own plans and carry out actions based on the best information available on risks and on practical, affordable solutions, drawn from our own and other networks. In return we share with others our local successes and learning.

We currently have around 600 people on our mailing list locally, and are linked to other transition movements across Sussex and the South East as well as around the country (nearly 200 in the UK, not counting other groups not formally part of us). Our active members are involved in city-wide project groups (in the areas of energy, transport, food, buildings, housing, waste as resources, local economic resilience, and personal resilience and quality of life). These often require the co-operation of other community groups, centres of knowledge in our universities, our city council officers and members, and local businesses. We also work with local groups in streets, apartment blocks, schools, colleges, work organiations and residents associations, to support them with their concerns, aims and plans. We run workshops and public talks as well as DVD showings.

Our next public talk is on food security: why we need a plan by Patrick Holden, Director, The Soil Association, Wednesday 21st October, 7pm for 7.30 start, till 9.30pm at Brighthelm Centre, North Road , Brighton BN1 1YD. Tickets £4 at door. Come along and invite your friends to join you. This is an increasingly relevant issue for us all.

On the 24 October the West Hill Hall is hosting the AGM and second birthday party of Transition Brighton and Hove, a local group which aims to provide a grassroots community response to the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil. “The AGM will start from 1pm and has been set up to deal with some of the big decisions. TB&H needs to make – electing people into roles, deciding how to spend our new grant and deciding goals for the year ahead. Following this, our 2nd Birthday party will start from 7pm. Join us as we celebrate our success with music, dancing and good food.”