Transition Town Tooting

Author: Transition Town Tooting

  • Sew it, Show it – picnic and parade!

    Sew it, Show it – picnic and parade!

    Saturday 24th June 20

    All Saints Gardens

    Come dressed in something you’ve made yourself, or repaired or bought in a charity shop, get ready to parade or support; join a sewing workshop or watch expert knitters and don’t forget to bring a picnic.

    Our Share & Repair group are thrilled that the team behind Fixing Fashion in Tooting Market are back to present Sew It, Show It .

    A celebration of slow fashion. If you sew or fix your own, or shop in charity shops, come along and  join in our PARADE, or pose from the sidelines.

    If like me you’re not quite there with the sewing we’ll have local people on hand to teach you to sew, local shops selling their upcycled clothes and the culmination will be a Big Lunch supported by the Eden Project, so we’re asking everyone to bring their favourite food and something to sit on for a Big Community Picnic.

    Supported by Transition Together with thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund

    Saturday 24th June – 1-4.00pm

    All Saints Church Gardens, Brudenell Road, London SW17 8DQ

    For all details, please contact us here and if you like Facebook we have an event page so you can keep up to date with everything as it unravels (like what I did there).

    Find out more about our Share & Repair project including our regular Restart fixing and mending parties.

  • Living with the climate crisis / carbon conversations

    Living with the climate crisis / carbon conversations

    Would you like to join local residents for a programme of facilitated workshops exploring our responses to the climate crisis -personally and collectively?

    Living with the climate crisis is a programme of workshops which offer a mix of psychologically-based groupwork and experiential learning which support people in managing their feelings, experiences and actions towards this complex issue. 

    Anxiety, distress, burnout and despair are common responses to struggling with climate change. The workshops provide a space for people to talk, to share, to express what they feel and to reflect, but they also offer tools, ideas and skills for action. They focus on:

    • support and understanding
    • communication
    • finding pathways to carbon reduction and community and political action

    The programme was designed by the same team who designed Carbon Conversations, which we ran in Tooting for several years – you can read more here.

    We will be running a programme of these workshops in the Tooting area during June and July 2023.

    If you are interested in taking part please email Ben Cuddon to learn more: bencuddon@gmail.com

  • Carbon Conversations

    Carbon Conversations

    Between 2011 – 2018 Transition Tooting led several rounds of Carbon Conversations – involving over 80 local residents.

    The facilitated workshops enabled individuals to explore the areas of our lives where we can reduce our own carbon emissions: travel, food, domestic energy, consumption and waste.

    A quote from a participant: “The beauty of Carbon Conversations is the optimism, creativity and shared ideas”

    10 of those who attended went on to get trained and to co-facilitate ongoing groups.

  • Sewing and Sanctuary – spring update 2025

    Sewing and Sanctuary – spring update 2025

    The group is really flourishing with about a dozen of us meeting above Oxfam every Friday morning.
    Alongside variously themed sessions, for a few months we have been working on a commission from
    Wandsworth Carers to make a banner for their new Iris Cafe, a group for people with dementia and their
    carers which meets monthly in the community hall of St Luke’s church, Ramsden Road. The completed
    banner was delivered to the group on 21st January and they were delighted with it. They particularly wanted the banner to be made from re-used materials and our group was well placed to deliver this. The strong backing fabric was sourced from the Work and Play Scrapstore and all other materials used were rescued from the recycling bags at Oxfam. Jeni visited the Iris Cafe in October to find out about the interests and memories of the attendees and she fed these back into the sewing group. This inspired the appliqué motifs made by individual members of our group, for example the tomatoes which one man used to grow in Jamaica, an artist’s palette and brush, for a man who was an artist, a cricket bat and ball and to represent music, vinyl records made from crochet! Nicola then visited the Iris Cafe in November to run an activity session making pom-poms and felt flowers. This was very positive as it encouraged the attendees to talk about their hobbies and interests. These items were brought back to Oxfam and added to the banner. Various skills were learnt by the group during the making of the banner such as using machine embroidery and how to appliqué. It was a truly collaborative project.

    Late last year we held a celebration ‘bring and share’ lunch. During the session we used the ‘five ways
    to well-being’ principles to review our first 6 months as a group (Connect, Keep Learning, Take Notice, Be
    Active, Give). We made gifts and decorations from our lucky dip of pre-prepared craft kits. Members of the group brought in things they had sewn and we put lots of our work on display around the room. We were joined by Nelly Buscardini from Oxfam and Mary Hargreaves from Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees, and have since heard that our group has helped Oxfam become Wandsworth’s first ‘Shop of Sanctuary’.

    The group also discussed what they would like to do in future sessions. Suggestions included learning about pattern cutting and clothes making. We also plan to do some visible repair sessions and upcycling of clothes. Other ideas are embellishing prints with embroidery and making cushions and tote bags.

    The group is very mixed with a small number from our connection with CARAS, some of whom
    have introduced friends of theirs. Some women have been referred via Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees and others through connection with an art group held at Ascension church, Balham. Other members of the group are local women, many of whom got to know us through the Tooting Tapestry project. It is wonderful to see women learning together, sharing skills and helping one another. Women find companionship, a calm environment, creativity and a sense of achievement.

  • Fantastic Fixing at our 1st Balham Restart!

    Fantastic Fixing at our 1st Balham Restart!

    What a fantastic afternoon of fixing we had in our new Balham venue – St Mary’s Church.

    Our trusty fixers tackled coffee machines and grinders, toasters, amplifiers, radios, hedge trimmers and even a keyboard!

    Check out these fantastic pictures of some of the day’s successful fixes….

    We were especially thrilled as three new fixers joined us to help out and we enjoyed lots of great conversation over tea and cake thanks to our new host Paula!

    We’d particularly like to thank Berni Excell and all at St Mary’s who made us so welcome at this, our first event in Balham. We hope to alternate our sessions between Tooting and Balham from now on, extending our efforts to keep local e-waste out of landfill and giving broken objects a new lease of life!

    Thank you to Stuart who helped me with my laptop and ps4 – unfortunately both need replacement parts so couldn’t get them entirely fixed today, but I feel much more confident in opening them back up and replacing the broken parts now, and I now know which parts I need and how to install them. This is a really great initiative!

    Keep an eye out on our Share & Repair Page and our Facebook page for booking details of our upcoming sessions on 16th July and 24th September!

    He was so interested in the way the PlayStation was being taken apart. I loved seeing him asking questions and trying to understand the whole process. He had fun and even made a friend.

  • All are welcome at our April Tooting ACE*!

    All are welcome at our April Tooting ACE*!

    A warm invitation to join us at our 2022 *Annual Celebratory Extravaganza

    Saturday April 30th – 2 – 4.30 pm

    Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17 9LN

    Our last ‘in-person’ ACE was held back in March 2019 – how much has happened since then in your life, our community and the world – a lot!

    Join us to join the dots in local change-making, exchange experiences, catch up with all kinds of projects which have flourished and grown and explore future possibilities. The afternoon will mix practical activities with listening, talking and sharing news.

    There’s something for everyone, whether you want to know about our community garden and plant for Spring; hear about the Tooting Tapestry; find our more about our fixing and repairing projects; hear about Tooting’s new ‘Green Way’ or explore together how we respond in Tooting to the latest IPPC report from the world’s climate scientists.

    It’s a chance to find out about the good changes happening on your doorstep

    Come along and get involved. Everyone one is welcome.

    Timings:

    2.00 – 2.45 – Marketplace of Projects – meet and chat with others running projects and groups around Tooting.

    2.45 – 3.00 – TTT update – hear the latest from Transition Tooting

    3.00 – 3.45 – What can we do together in Tooting? Explore with us how we can work together locally to meet our climate committments and help our commmity thrive and flourish.

    3.45 – 4.30 – Carry on chatting and sharing ideas – check out any projects you might have missed – have a cup of tea.

    4.30 Close

  • Our first ‘live’ seed swap event!

    Our first ‘live’ seed swap event!

    On Saturday 5th February the Seed and Vegetable swap group had it’s first live seed swap event.

    This event was to enable local gardeners to meet, have a chat with each other, bring seeds to share with others and pick up seeds they would like to grow. They were also able to have a go at making newspaper seed pots. Most people had a go at this, and were able to take these home filled with the seeds of bee friendly wildflowers.  

    The event was well attended and people enjoyed the opportunity to meet other gardeners. People enjoyed having a cup of tea and biscuit and chatting to other gardeners. Some of the comments that participants made of the day were: 

    ‘an enjoyable afternoon, with a bunch of friendly people happy to share useful tips and knowledge’

    ‘really enjoyed meeting people yesterday at the seed swap’

    ‘my best part was meeting so many warm people who are also very knowledgeable and experienced gardeners whom we can learn a lot from’

    It was great to see people mingling so easily and having discussions about gardening. People were enthusiastic about having further events, so we may well be holding a summer or harvest party. Watch this space! 

    To join, please contact us transitiontowntooting@gmail.com with your phone number so that you can be added to the WhatsApp group. 

  • Sewing Box Workshop

    As part of Repairfest, on Friday 12th November, TTT hosted an enjoyable sewing box workshop for women refugees from CARAS, in the hospitable surroundings of Mushkil Aasaan. Most of the materials for the workshop were sourced from the Work and Play Scrapstore. Supplies included a variety of small boxes, fabric, ribbons, braids and felts, as well as the contents of each box: scissors, needles, spare buttons, threads.

    First we decorated each box, gluing on fabric, trimmings and feathers. Then we had fun making dome-shaped pincushions for the inside of our box lids and little needle books.

    Feedback from the women was that they really needed a safe social space like this to gather together and share their worries. It was great to see them visibly relaxing as they took on these creative tasks. They were laughing and chatting and helping one another.

    Each participant took home a beautifully decorated box filled with all the sewing necessities for future mending and repair projects!

    At the request of the participants we are working with Oxfam, Tooting on a plan to host regular sewing workshop for the group.

  • The Fixing Fashion Show

    We had a fantastic time at Tooting’s very own Fashion Show and Parade – Fixing Fashion – celebrating fashion that is pre-loved, upcycled, mended or handed down and kinder to our planet.

    Read all about it and check out the images below (thanks to photographer Bryony @findmeintooting!)

    It was a fantastic celebration of Tooting, the market and a signal to the wider community that it’s more than acceptable to buy your clothes from a charity shop, to repair rather than throw away and to celebrate the brilliant community of Tooting. It was all that we wished for and more.

    We collaborated with the local Oxfam Shop who provided the majority of the outfits worn down the catwalk.  The models were mostly traders from the market, locals into the market and supporters of the Share & Repair project.  For many it was a personal journey to take that walk and the look of triumph after they had will be remembered for a long time.

    Local bar and distillery Graveney Gin provided us with a brilliant up and coming DJ and Becky really set the right pace and mood.  Transition Tooting’s own David Thorne acted as compere, sharing details of the models and outfits.

    We were also joined by pupils from the local primary school Franciscan Primary School to display and discuss all of the recycling projects they were involved in.  Their earnestness and excitement was enough to melt even the coldest heart.

    We’d also like to thank local secondary school Lambeth Academy whose students assisted in the styling.  One is hoping to become a fashion journalist and the majority of her personal statement for university applications was about her experiences on the day. 

    What really stood out was that the crowd watching represented the community of Tooting, we clearly spoke directly and there have been many cries for more of that please!

    How about another show next year???

    The evening also saw the launch of our photography exhibition – celebrating the individuals and small businesses who fix and mend in Tooting

    All part of our Transition Town Tooting Share & Repair project.

  • Broken Assembly with Furzedown Primary

    Local community experimenters Gemma and Jeni trundled the Listening Cart back to school to capture the inner thinking of The Children (whom they believe are indeed our future). Together they looked at repair, what it means to different people and how it might connect us to others through the shared need to fix, not throw away our often immense collection of stuff.

    As Gemma explained  – we liaised with the art teacher and through her instruction the children from Year 3 brought in toys and objects from home that were broken.

    We were amazed that every child had brought something in.

    We introduced the session and ourselves and approached each object as a scientist would.  We divided each class into small groups and asked each group to examine the broken object and come up with solutions as to how they could be fixed.

    We were astonished at the extensive knowledge that the children already had on repairing.  They came up with brilliant ideas with many regularly engaged in repairing with their parents and siblings.  Perhaps we had considered they would be entrenched in the throwaway culture – but they really weren’t and had a really good understanding of the merit of repair and reuse.

    This understanding would be gold dust for manufacturers.  One boy said his trainers had broken three times already and he wasn’t very impressed.   Perhaps they would take more note if they heard his opinions on something deliberately being made not to last.