Transition Edinburgh South

Transition Edinburgh South (TES) is part of the transition movement created by people working together in local areas towards transformative change that significantly reduces carbon emissions, meet social needs, enable sustainable lifestyles, and create new forms of collaborative democracy and decision-making.

The most successful examples of transition projects tend to be in small towns. The most famous example is Totness in Devon. Cities like Edinburgh provide a more difficult challenge and our approach is to work on a more local level while remaining in touch with national and city wide organisations including the umbrella group that formed after Transition Edinburgh South had been running for some years, Transition Edinburgh.

Since 2013 our main focus has been on the less affluent areas of Edinburgh South, particularly Gracemount, Burdiehouse, Southhouses and Moredun.

Transition Edinburgh South (TES) works with local people and community organisations to regenerate greenspaces and community buildings

WE DO THIS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS:

Running community health, learning, food growing and volunteering programmes and events that reduce social isolation, mental ill health and poverty, improve health and community connections, increase bio-diversity and reduce carbon pollution

Increasing opportunities for volunteering and supporting local grassroots projects

Working with local residents and community organisations to develop the buildings and greenspaces where we are based and in surrounding communities

Working to improve the environments where we are based, by tackling the impacts of climate change, reducing carbon pollution, increasing bio-diversity, and promoting sustainable development and regenerative horticulture.

We are based at the Gracemount Community Garden and have been developing it since 2013.

We work with the Friends of the Mansion to develop the buildings and greenspaces surrounding the garden, as well with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies to support local community greenspace projects across South Edinburgh.

We have built up strong connections with local schools, community organisations and health and social care services.