Local Exchange Networks - any experiences?

[Digger-07]

Heard a bit about this scheme some time ago and just been looking it up on the web and wondered if any grape has experience of it?

Basically it's local and it exchanges things. These things may be time, services or goods and someone keeps a tally of what you are getting and offering so that it all balances up eventually but costs you nothing in � & pence.

[mandyballantyne]

I haven't but it does sound intresting??

I will be watch this thread with intrest, Good luck Digger.

Mandy

[lainey lou]

I like this idea very much indeed Digger, have heard of it before but not local to me.

[shirlthegirl43]

Have heard about it but don't know of anything local to me.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I think that Bartercard is similar, but not heard of keeping the scheme local.

[TonyF]

We tried this down here on a time swap basis but it fell apart - one person was taking the whotsit and the admin became too much.

So now a group of us have an informal way of doing things, anybody has a big job, rings round and the gang turns up - if it's a morning or all day job, the caller provides tea (drinky stuff) and lunch, if it's an afternoon lunch, lunch and tea.

That way we all exchange our time for each other, get fed, keep in touch with other people and have a seriously good time usually.

We also have an informal tool loan scheme and swap/give stuff that's surplus to each other, old tools to the new or non-gardeners, all of that.

And it works well.

[Squirrel]

Seem to recall that they run something like this in Bury St Edmunds - you do something for someone and get 'credits' and then ask for something to be done for you, thus using up your 'credits'. Not necessarily the same person is involved each time from what I can gather, but have not looked into it, as I don't live in the town but about 11 miles away. Not many people are prepared to travel to volunteer their services!

[rustylady]

We have one in Suffolk, but it seems mainly to be firms trying to get rid of stuff that no-one wants (in large quantities). I've found Freecycle to be much better, there are sites covering most of the country - try googling Freecycle plus your town.

[NOG]

We have this in croydon we call it Money. We have small gold colored tokens. That we call One Pound Coins.

If you want a baby sitter for the night you give her say 10 of these tokens each hour.

If I fix someones PC I take 40 of these tokens from them..

Its a good scheme everyone I know takes them.

[Snadger]

We have this in croydon we call it Money. We have small gold colored tokens. That we call One Pound Coins.

If you want a baby sitter for the night you give her say 10 of these tokens each hour.

If I fix someones PC I take 40 of these tokens from them..

Its a good scheme everyone I know takes them.

Sounds sort of familiar NOG?

[nick the grief]

Seem to recall that they run something like this in Bury St Edmunds - you do something for someone and get 'credits' and then ask for something to be done for you, thus using up your 'credits'. Not necessarily the same person is involved each time from what I can gather, but have not looked into it, as I don't live in the town but about 11 miles away. Not many people are prepared to travel to volunteer their services!

I think you're thinking of the LETS scheme ( Local exchange Trading Sceme) thats where you gain credits & can use them to buy goods or services ..... I let you add your own punchlines

LENS - is that a bit like the seedswap schemes?

[SarzWix]

If you want a baby sitter for the night you give her say 10 of these tokens each hour.

Cor, can I be your baby-sitter NOG? 10 'tokens' an hour sounds good to me!!

[NOG]

Cor, can I be your baby-sitter NOG? 10 'tokens' an hour sounds good to me!!

Arr but down here all the babay sitters have babies of their own to look after

[Percy T]

hi nog quite local to you too am in Croydon, N. Addington I have heard of this running in this area called time bank or something. Mainly skills and time I think.

I think it works like this one person offers babysitting services but needs a plumber to fix a leaking tap, if you fix the tap you can keep the agreed hours babysitting till a future time or use them to get another service with someone else, you swap your babysitting hours with an someone to bake a birthday cake.

I think its along those lines but have never used this myself.

If you do get round to using it let me know what you think.

[NOG]

There is also CROYS where one CROY is equla to one pound and you can bank them....blah blah....why go to the trouble. If I want a babysitter I pay the girl over the road if I need a plumber I pay throught the nose like everyone else....