Who are Inclusive Totnes

Inclusive Totnes is a community advocacy group established in 2018 to promote access and inclusion across all areas of life in our town.

While our main focus is improving the inclusion of people with disabilities, we are keen to promote a broader agenda of inclusion for everyone. We believe that fostering an inclusive culture benefits the entire community and creates a ripple effect of positive change for all.

Totnes is a diverse and welcoming town known for celebrating differences, but there are also many barriers in our community, both physical and social, so there is always more to do to ensure that everyone—regardless of background or needs—is actively included in all areas of town life.

Our work builds on the town’s strengths while identifying challenges and raising awareness and seeking action to address key barriers to inclusion. We began as an informal group of interested individuals who saw the need to address some of the barriers to inclusion that exist in our own community. We now have a management group made up of local people who oversee our work, many of whom live with disabilities.

What We Do

We try to raise awareness, promote best practices, and hold public authorities accountable for upholding their responsibility to make inclusion a priority across many aspects of life in Totnes, including:

Public spaces, and travel and transport: advocating to improvements to make shared spaces accessible to everyone and address barriers to mobility.

Shopping and hospitality: Promoting inclusivity in local businesses.

Council policies: Embedding the equality duty and inclusive practices in decision-making.

Social life and wellbeing: Supporting initiatives that strengthen community connections.

Health, education, and social care: Advocating for accessible statutory services.

Employment: Championing equal opportunities for all. We have made progress in several key areas:  Town Council Engagement: We have successfully changed the mindset of the Town Council to consider inclusion and equality duties in all its policies and plans, including the Neighbourhood Plan.

Pedestrian access and safety: We participate actively in the Totnes and District Traffic and Transport Forum to identify accessibility priorities for the town, and we have stepped up engagement with Devon County Council as part of an ‘Inclusive Streets’ initiative to inform highways officers and councillors on their duty to prioritise the needs of disabled people, children and older people in maintaining and improving pavements and roads.

We are continuing to advocate for future improvements needed, particularly in high-risk locations such as The Lamb and the Old Bridge. Accessible shopping and hospitality: We have encouraged high street traders to improve accessibility for people with disabilities through a ‘Purple Tuesday’ campaign, and we will step up this initiative in 2025.

We also raised funds for a new bench outside the Mansion to provide a place for people to sit and chat, and for those with restricted mobility to be able to sit and rest when out shopping in Fore Street. Totnes Station Lifts: We campaigned for the activation of disability access lifts, which had remained non-functional for over a year after installation. Air pollution: We have highlighted the issue of air pollution and its disproportionate impacts on vulnerable groups to decision-makers in the context of planned land sales for mass development . Ordinary Extraordinary Art Festival: We partnered with Lifeworks to organise an arts festival with and for young people with learning disabilities at Dartington Hall.

Voter Registration for Homeless People: Promoted an initiative through social media and local partnerships, enabling homeless individuals to register.

Get Involved

Our Facebook group is a hub for dialogue, advice, and collaboration on local inclusion issues. Inclusive Totnes welcomes anyone who wants to get involved, contact us at hello@inclusivetotnes.org.uk.