April 26th, 2024Transition Clunes to hold clothing swap event

Newly formed local group, Transition Clunes, is preparing to hold its very first public event this
month – a women’s clothing swap.

Taking place from 1pm-3pm at the Clunes Neighbourhood House on Sunday April 28, the upcoming
clothing swap is in keeping with the ethos underpinning this new group that’s aligned with the wider
international Transition Town movement.

The group’s co-founder, Clunes local Sandra Nichols says the Transition Town movement aims to
foster more resilient communities with minimising waste, decreasing carbon emissions, achieving a
circular economy and enhancing environmental health outcomes all main aims.

“We had our first get-together in January and I’d canvassed the idea last year with a few people,
says Sandra, now one of five core group members.

“Two of us are both on the Sustainable Hepburn Advisory Committee and we’d noticed that Clunes
is one of the few towns in the Hepburn shire that didn’t have a sustainability group as such, so I thought it was time we jumped on board,” she says.

“Transition Clunes is based on the transition town movement that started quite a few years ago by a
noted permaculturalist in Ireland.

“Totnes in Devon is the world headquarters of Transition Towns. There’s a ten minute YouTube
video of what the movement has achieved over 20 or so years and it’s worth watching,” Sandra says.

With the dumping of huge volumes of serviceable clothing, and wastage rife in the fashion industry
a far-reaching societal problem, this first clothing swap event is an apt one for this new group.

“It looks towards a better future where everyone works towards less waste,” says Sandra who is
originally from Sydney where she personally trained with one of founders of the Transition Towns
Movement in Australia, Janet Millington.

Sandra has solid experience on which to draw as she also co-founded a successful Transition Town
group in her former home Sydney suburb of North Epping.

“We did things like build a community garden in a shopping centre car park,” she says.

“We established a herb garden that is still going.”

Ahead of Transition Clunes’ inaugural community event, Sandra says local women or girls who have
items of clothing or fashion accessories that they’d like to swap are invited to bring along up to eight
different items which they can then swap for tokens.

They can then use the tokens to exchange for any of the items that catch their eye that others have
chosen to bring along and swap.

“So if you bring along four items, for example, you can then use the tokens to choose four items
yourself,” Sandra says.

“And if you haven’t brought along anything to swap you can pay $1 per item instead.

“We will also be having a free raffle of beauty products from the Body Shop.”

Those who wish to participate can bring along clean clothing or accessories – such as costume
jewellery, hats or bags – to swap. The items can be any size or style. They just need to be clean and in
good repair.

The new Transition Clunes group is already planning a second event for later this year as well.
Sandra says members are currently meeting on a monthly basis, with anyone interested in finding
out more about the group welcome to phone her on 0438415715.

Words: Eve Lamb