Meet the Transition Exmouth
Core Group
Transition Exmouth is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Each year a Core Group of trustees is elected. It's role is to help direct the organisation and support it achieve it's aims. If you have skills, experience or ideas and enthusiasm to get involved , or want to be involved in an existing project then chatting to someone on the Core Group is a really good place to start.
Chair
Lou Doliczny (she/her)
I have been active in the community all my life and have consciously worked for climate justice over the last few decades. Most of my career has been in education and had the challenge of leading an educational charity through the Covid years. I have also been active with the Green Party and have lived in a cohousing community where we worked together to build resilience and reduce our carbon footprint.
Having visited Exmouth to come sailing for many years, we finally moved here as a family in 2022. I am loving living by the sea as well as getting more involved in the local community. I am delighted to have my own allotment and to be involved in Transition Exmouth since October 2023. My intention is to enjoy my work with Transition Exmouth and support others to take positive actions.
Treasurer
Matt Waldron (he/him)
Born and raised in Exmouth, the local ecosystems and community were fundamental to my childhood. From water-sports on the Exe, to exploring the local woodlands of Withycombe Brook valley, nature was a key part of my life. I carried this passion into my studies at the University of Exeter, specialising in
environmental and development economics. During this time, I had my first experiences in
community engagement, supporting a range of student and local initiatives with a particular
focus on the circular economy and waste management.
Moving back to Exmouth to complete my accountancy chartership, I sought out opportunities to use my newfound financial literacy to support causes I am passionate about, and I look forward to continuing to offer financial stewardship to those working to bring about positive change in Exmouth’s community and environmental credentials.
When I am not updating spreadsheets and sorting invoices, you’ll find me camping on
Dartmoor, surfing or training Muay Thai!
Trustee
Adrian Toole (he/him)
I first lived in Exmouth in about 1990 and have stayed connected ever since. At that time, I was running a paper recycling business in Tiverton. I spent a lot of time working abroad, later settling into conventional employment in Hertfordshire where I was heavily involved in Friends of the Earth, the Green Party, and similar local activism. On returning to live permanently in Exmouth in about 2006, I became involved in Transition Town Exmouth as it was then, joining the Umbrella and eventually becoming Chair. These days I find myself occupied full-time with running the Joanna Toole Foundation, a charity set up to continue the work of my daughter who died in 2019.
Trustee
Sarah Ward/Crossland (she/they)
I grew up in Cornwall surrounded by water and the natural environment - and a pioneering industry of renewables generation and climate-conscious educators; wind turbines and Rio's Agenda 21 were part of my childhood. These experiences shaped my life - I've studied and worked in the water & environment sector ever since, in various organisations across academia and the private and charitable sectors. I'm also a Chartered Water & Environmental Manager, Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of CIWEM. When I first moved to Exmouth in 2007 I joined the Avocet Line Rail Users Group, as I'm also a passionate advocate of sustainable mobility. I then joined the original Transition Exmouth Umbrella Group with my RainShare initiative. After taking some time out from local volunteering from 2017-2023, I joined the Core Group in 2023 hoping to support Transition Exmouth's work with the many local environmental initiatives.
Trustee
Carol Jay (she/her)
My previous environmental credentials include being Devon Local Agenda 21 Co-ordinator and a Friends of the Earth local Group Chair. I was Secretary of the Recycling in Ottery group when it was set up back in 1992. At that time the Council refused to believe that people would separate their waste! Community groups showed the way forward, and now we take kerbside collections for granted. I'm looking forward to the day when we take all the planet-friendly lifestyle choices on OurPlaceOurPlanet.org for granted!
Trustee
Florence Lock (she/her)
I moved to Exmouth in 2022 and feel incredibly lucky to live by the sea for the first time in my life, enjoying being in, on or next to it as much as possible. I work in Public Health and over recent years have increasingly incorporated climate and health into my work. Whilst doing this, and making personal changes in order to live more sustainably, I began to seek out local community groups related to climate and sustainability in Exmouth.
Through attending a Climate Café and some events at the Sideshore hut and then becoming involved in the local Green Team, I started to understand all the fantastic community action related to climate and nature taking place in Exmouth and meet some of the amazing people involved. I feel grateful to be able to be a part of this by becoming a trustee with Transition Exmouth in 2025.
I have previous experience of being a Trustee for Active Women and Girls Foundation and volunteering for other local organisations such as Exmouth Rowing Club and Good Gym.