About MASTT

Welcome to the home of Marsden & Slaithwaite Transition Towns. MASTT is a community-led initiative which is taking proactive steps to deal with the twin threats of Peak Oil and Climate Change.

Marsden and Slaithwaite are villages based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Both villages have a rich culture and the community benefits from a range of activity. Events such as the Jazz Festival, the Moon raking festival and the Imbolc Fire Festival ensure that there is a strong sense of belonging within both Marsden and Slaithwaite. MASTT plan to take these two vibrant communities and help them build food security and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. 

MASTT is based upon the concept of 'Transition Towns' that was made popular by Rob Hopkins around 2006 when it was applied to the town of Totnes in England. This concept has quickly become widespread and as of January 2009 there are 126 communities that are recognised as a Transition Town. These include Kinsale (where the movement began) and Totnes (where it was first applied), the list can be found at the bottom of this page.

Rather than feeling guilty about Climate Change and worrying about the end of cheap oil, let’s do something now to make our communities strong, prosperous and great places to live over the coming turbulent years!

 

MASTT strives to be inclusive, imaginative, practical and fun. We rely on input from people within the community to make this group successful and we are always looking for new members to contribute to projects we have in the pipeline.

What are we doing?

We’re looking for a diverse range of people to join our group and welcome anyone who wants to ensure a better future for Marsden and Slaithwaite. We also support existing groups to carry out their projects.

If you are unclear on any of the issues associated with climate change and peak oil, we organise events such as film screenings followed by discussions for anyone wanting to learn about them. However if you already know about these issues and just want to get involved you can come along to our meetings and help us run the projects you are interested in. Alternatively you could come along to our meetings, bringing along your ideas for projects and we’ll try help you get them going.

 

Action: You could inform us of existing projects you think we could work together on or if you would like to get involved with projects we are involved with.

 

Information: If you would like to know more information about MASTT you look for the answer on our website, if you can't find the information you are looking for you could send us an email at info@mastt.org.uk. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter you could pick a copy up at one of our meetings or let us know your email address/home address and we’ll send you a copy.

 If you just want to know general information about the transition town movement you could visit their website on www.transitiontowns.org

 

Membership: Everyone is welcome to come along to any of our meetings and if you decide you would like to get involved with MASTT you can do as much or as little as you like. Once a month we have a casual meeting about MASTT in general, also known as ‘Collective Genius’ in the New Inn in Marsden (On the last Monday of every month). We are planning to hold a more formal meeting once a month in Slaithwaite where more of the decisions will made and smaller groups can meet up together (On the 2nd Tuesday of every month at Slaithwaite Community Centre).

 

 

Please click here if you would like to see some of the Jargon (Peak Oil, Resilience etc) explained

 

In order to add content on to this website you will need to register your details with us which is quick and easy to do.

 

Want to get involved? Why not join a MASTT project or start a new one? It's fun and easy, you don't have to be an expert,

you will meet lots of interesting people, strengthen your community and learn new skills......... What could be better?

 

Here is the list of Transition Towns, in order in which they joined -

  1. Totnes, England
  2. Penwith, England
  3. Kinsale, Ireland
  4. Ivybridge, England
  5. Falmouth, England
  6. Moretonhampstead, England
  7. Lewes, England
  8. Stroud, England
  9. Ashburton, England
  10. Ottery St. Mary, England
  11. Bristol, England
  12. Brixton, England
  13. Forest Row, England
  14. Mayfield, England
  15. Glastonbury, England
  16. Lostwithiel, England
  17. Forest of Dean, England
  18. Nottingham, England
  19. Wrington, England
  20. Brighton&Hove, England
  21. Portobello, Scotland
  22. Market Harborough, England
  23. Sunshine Coast, Australia
  24. West Kirby, England
  25. Llandeilo, Wales
  26. Bro Ddyfi, Wales
  27. Whitstable, England
  28. Marsden & Slaithwaite, England  (Us!!!)
  29. Frome, England
  30. Brampton, England
  31. Isle of Wight, England
  32. Waiheke Island, New Zealand
  33. Orewa, New Zealand
  34. Dunbar, Scotland
  35. Rhayader, Wales
  36. Seaton, England
  37. Bath, England
  38. Exeter, England
  39. Isle of Man
  40. Canterbury, England
  41. Kapiti District, New Zealand
  42. Carbon Neutral Biggar, a Transition Town, Scotland
  43. Presteigne, Wales
  44. Wolverton, England
  45. Leicester, England
  46. Holywood, Northern Ireland
  47. Westcliff-on-Sea, England
  48. Isles of Scilly
  49. Liverpool South, England
  50. Norwich, England
  51. Tring, England
  52. Crediton, England
  53. Boulder, CO, USA
  54. North Howe, Scotland
  55. Lampeter, Wales
  56. South Petherton, England
  57. Armidale, NSW, Australia
  58. Chichester, England
  59. Bell, VIC, Australia
  60. Bellingen, NSW, Australia
  61. Berkhamsted, England
  62. Forres, Scotland
  63. Sandpoint, ID, USA
  64. Opotiki Coast, New Zealand
  65. Newcastle, NSW, Australia
  66. Chepstow, Wales
  67. Coventry, England
  68. Bungay, England
  69. Nelson, New Zealand
  70. Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia
  71. Dorchester, England
  72. New Forest, England
  73. Mersea Island, England
  74. Maidenhead, England
  75. Ladock & Grampound Road, England
  76. Leek, England
  77. Horsham, England
  78. Tynedale, England
  79. Stafford, England
  80. Chester, England
  81. Exmouth, England
  82. Cambridge, England
  83. Hereford, England
  84. Kingston-upon-Thames, England
  85. Buxton, England
  86. Taunton, England
  87. Eudlo, QLD, Australia
  88. Kildare, Scotland
  89. Ketchum, ID, USA
  90. El Manzano, Chile
  91. Sydney, NSW
  92. Lyons, CO, USA
  93. Whanganui, New Zealand
  94. Langport, England
  95. Sidmouth, England
  96. York, England
  97. Katoomba, NSW, Australia
  98. Louth, England
  99. Santa Cruz, CA, USA
  100. Fujino, Japan
  101. Monteveglio, Italy
  102. Arran & Holy Isle, Scotland
  103. Ely, England
  104. Monmouth, Wales
  105. Sampford Peverell, England
  106. Berlin, Friedrichshain Kreuzberg, Germany
  107. Tunbridge Wells, England
  108. Hastings, England
  109. Deventer, Netherlands
  110. Brooklyn, New Zealand
  111. Kilkenny, Ireland
  112. Wingecarribee, NSW, Australia
  113. Kenmore, QLD, Australia
  114. Newton Abbot, England
  115. Peterborough, ON, Canada
  116. Montpelier, VT, USA
  117. Portland, ME, USA
  118. Belsize, London, England
  119. High Wycombe, England
  120. Lancaster, England
  121. Sebastopol, CA, USA
  122. Bassingbourn, England
  123. Leamington Spa, England
  124. Sevenoaks, England
  125. Chesterfield, England
  126. Sheffield, England

(as of 9th January 2009) Taken from the Transition Towns website.

MASTT is supported by