An encouraging 40 people came to the Boniface Centre to celebrate the group's achievements over the last seven years, think about what comes next, and stayed to eat a delicious lunch.

Founder member Dee Ross said: "When a few of us started Crediton Climate Action, as we called it then, at the beginning of 2007, of course we hoped something would come of it. But we didn't know what. To see so many people with lots of new ideas is really encouraging. It's surprising what can happen when people get together."

Among the new ideas and campaigns which found strong support at the meeting were a local energy company, the Boniface Trail campaign for a safe cycling route to Exeter, and suggestions for helping local trade thrive.

Read all the ideas from the workshop and open space sessions here.

View a slide show of the event here.

Attendees were encouraged to come forward with ideas for making Crediton a better and more sustainable place to live over the next five years. As well as new ideas for the Food, Waste, Energy, Transport, Woodfuel from Hedgerows and Core Groups, a whole new range activities was proposed.

Possible new groups are: Local Trade, Skill Sharing, Community Supported Agriculture, Campaigning, Schools, Water Saving and Fracking.

Can all this enthusiasm be turned into action? "That's the big question, and one the Core Group has already discussed", said John Skrine. "My own experience of getting the Plough and Share Credit Union service point going is that if you just make a start with a good idea, it's surprising how it can snowball, even if it seems to be just you to start with."

What did others have to say? "We are thinking of generating power from Solar PV panels, and our research suggests that large roofs belonging to businesses, or public buildings, would be a good place to start," said Linda Lever, a member of the Energy Group. "One interesting suggestion in our group was that we should put solar panels in the supermarket car parks, high enough so that all the cars can park underneath them!"

Other people discussed ways to stimulate local trade and support the High Street. "There were some great ideas, and not just about shops on the High Street, but through the whole supply chain including local service providers and wholesalers too," said group facilitator Sarah Green.

"Why not set up a Town-wide co-operative loyalty card scheme, so all traders and customers can take part and benefit? Or a shared delivery service, so that local shops can offer the same delivery service as the supermarkets and other big companies?"

Sustainable Crediton's (then Crediton Climate Action) first event in 2007 was a showing of Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth. Since then, achievements have included saving over eight tonnes of plastic from landfill through the waste plastics collections, which now extend to Cheriton Fitzpaine and Sandford, and the launch of the Crediton Local Produce website promoting local seasonal food through recipes, shared suppers, fruit and vegetable gardening. Regular community markets and seed swaps continue.

Energy saving has been another theme. The solar panel project had installed 72 sets of solar panels by April 2012, and hundreds of people attended open house events to learn more about renewable energy and sustainable living.

Gerald Conyngham, Chair of Sustainable Crediton for most of the last seven years, said: "I think the group has also had an influence on local policy makers. We have run seminars for Councillors and senior officers at Mid Devon District Council. Our joint evening event with the Town Council in January 2012 attracted 80 people, and enough ideas to fill a 19 page report."