'Peas and Love'. A case study in kindness and the power of small actions: Incredible Edible, Todmorden

Incredible Edible Todmorden is a community enterprise which arose out of grass-roots community activity and promotes a radical approach to community building, embracing the core values of kindness, inclusion and mutuality. This paper explores the evolution of this innovative initiative, highlighting the way in which it has been driven and shaped by its commitment to these core values as it transforms public spaces and the lives of those it touches along the way. Using food as the focus of their activities, Incredible Edible Todmorden is an exemplar of translating sustainability goals into action, and the paper explores how this approach has impacted on the community and individuals who have engaged in their activities. Drawing from interviews with activists, other local sources and evaluations of Incredible Edible, the paper clarifies how their radical approach to community work exemplifies elements of Freirian philosophy of informal education and human development, centring love and kindness as the foundation for all dialogue.