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LETS
are revitalising communities throughout Britain. As grassroots
initiatives they are open to everyone - people of all ages,
skills and abilities; local clubs and associations; voluntary
groups, charities, community initiatives; housing co-operatives,
small businesses and local services - helping everyone to
give and take, connect to new resources, and find a genuine
community identity.
LETS
offer equal opportunities to all - whether employed or unemployed,
financially secure or on low income, black or white, able
or disabled. LETS use a system of community credits, so that
direct exchanges do not have to be made. People earn LETS
credits by providing a service, and can then spend the credits
on whatever is offered by others on the scheme: for example
childcare, transport, food, home repairs or the hire of tools
and equipment.
Research
in the mid-nineties indicated that at least 40,000 people
were involved in some 450 LETS schemes, most of them established
according to the democratic and co-operative LETS model developed
in Britain by LETSLINK UK, which began work in 1991. Our current
contact list of over 300 indicates that their has been some
shrinkage - if we say that membership averages 100 per scheme,
this means about 30,000 or fewer members in the UK.
However,
this has been accompanied by an increase in related initiatives,
such as Timebanks, Freecycle, Commercial Barter, Fairtrade Campaigns,
and Community Networks of all kinds, which attest to the continuing
interest of people in making things happen in their community.
Our
ongoing research project, launched in September 2003, has
the aim of establishing the current state of LETS in the UK,
and the needs of LETS organisers. We are now seeking major
funding to reinvigorate and support our organisation so that
we can provide better resources to our members, and will report
progress on this page - watch this space.
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