Project starter-pack

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Please respect our request that this page and its downloads are only for the use of the people listed below, who are setting up their own version of the Transition Together project for their own transition initiative(s).

If you would like to join this group of projects, please email fiona.ward@ttandc.org.uk and register your interest first. We can then connect you with the other projects and share our learnings and outcomes in a mutually supportive way - we are setting up a web space where we can do this.

Current Transition Together projects and contacts

Please see listing near the top of general rollout info page.

Project overview - the best place to start!

A presentation that explains the project aims, principles, main project activities, content and intellectual property status, events and trainings, awareness-raising (marketing) approach, support & motivation aspects and evaluation. This has been updated to reflect how we are running the project here in Totnes, what we have tried, and have yet to try, lessons learned etc. This is in powerpoint as we originally created this for internal communication - so it's simple and not very slick.

Workbook sections for you to revise as you see fit, and with local info

You may find that you get formatting errors if you try to print straight from the powerpoint version (even though you don't see these in print preview). Some combinations of ppt version and operating system seem to cause some problems. I'm on vista and ppt version 2007 and I don't have a problem, but others do. So here's both formats:

So far we have had 100 copies of the workbook printed by a professional printer (alternate colour then black & white double-sided pages to reduce costs and resources) on recycled paper using veg-based inks. We sent every section in a PDF format. You can download PDF converters for free e.g. www.cutepdf.com.

We sourced 100 recycled cardboard ring binders online, which are lovely! Printing the workbooks using our own office laser printer was not a viable option for time and cost reasons. The pilot groups loved to have the hardcopy binders (rather than have to download and print their own). We only give out 1 per household.

We also have a page on the website where relevant discounts are listed and also items of equipment (energy meters, low-energy light bulb sample kits etc.) that can be borrowed from the project office for a nominal fee.

Project evaluation tools - for recording and analysing outcomes

Participants complete part of the form at the beginning, and the rest at the end of the programme. We are still revising these to be inline with the requirements of the BGC+ and so we can use the web backend (same as the one for Act on CO2) that will convert these into credible carbon saving estimates.

  • Evaluation form in word - still need to add some demographics data e.g. age of house, type of heating system etc so this will be updated soon
  • Analysis spreadsheet (also being re-worked)

Project plan  

  • Original project plan in excel - this included all the time to research and create the materials, create marketing materials, build the website etc. which hopefully means your effort in these areas is significantly reduced. 

Marketing materials used in Totnes 

  • A5 colour double-sided flyer - with our contact details - used at events, emailing a PDF version around etc
  • A5 colour double-sided flyer, no contacts  - with empty space for contact details - used by people  who want to start a group who can post these through their neighbours doors, once they've added their own contact details. Much more powerful than the generic one!
  • A4 poster
  • Bookmark - this was done by a local designer including all the logos and images. He's happy to help any other projects with design work contact Greg Newman at gregn@oxmed.co.uk his rates are very reasonable. If you like the bookmark and just need some tweaks it may be quicker and cheaper to use Greg. We then had the bookmarks printed profesionally on lovely thick recycled fibrous card. We hope these are less likely than the flyers to just be thrown away, and they're small enough to easily carry around and distribute. We even gave them out to all the local reading groups via the local library, who also have a stash.
  • First press release for our local paper

 Logos and images

Info about our project finances in Totnes

We pay people working on the project a standard £110 per day (or £14.68 per hour). This is the standard across our TTT projects. Pro-rata it is £25k pa for 227 x 7.5 hour days.

Original funding bids - note that the project today is different in some ways to these original bids. We changed the name from Transition Teams, removed competitive elements, not doing public events, focused on community not schools/workplaces (for now) and so on... basically it has been become a much simpler programme. But here they are in case they're of use:

  • Funding bid to Calouste-Gulbenkian - awarded £12,500 -  initial inquiry   full application
  • Original application to the Big Green Challenge (BGC) - we got through to the last 20 and then rejected at the last hurdle (the judges on the day thought we weren't innovative enough) - this was to compete for a share of a £1m prize. Luckily though this meant we could then apply for this 1 year later...
  • Subsequent application to the BGC+ - which awarded us another £20k without the horrible competitive pressure of the original competition, which was a great result.

Optional workshops sessions

Please see the presentation for more background information about these:

Website template and how-to guide

(still working on this) 

Our website is at www.transitiontogether.org.uk. You can copy and adapt this for your own T-Tog project, providing you have the right Drupal web development skills and hosting platform available to you.

Sorry but we cannot provide you with any website support due to our own website resource constraints. In fact our whole website was done by a wonderful local volunteer (thanks Nick!).