Oundle Local Exchange

OUNDLE LOCAL EXCHANGE

OLE is a project masterminded by Tony Hodgson.  It will be a network of local residents who will exchange skills, services and products using a ‘local currency’.  It will be a Local Exchange Trading System’, an alternative to conventional money, supporting those on low income and helping people of every ability to develop their talents.  LETS exist all over the UK and are worldwide.  It will be open to everyone who wishes to join.

What does OLE do?

You will get things done for yourself and earn ‘credit’ by doing things for other members.

Members list their ‘offers’ and ‘wants’ in a directory which includes everyone’s phone numbers – and also email addresses if they have one.  A £10 membership fee (£5 concession) will pay for all the costs of the scheme.

A ‘local currency’

We use a unit of currency called the ‘nene’ and one hour’s work is worth 6 ‘nenes’.  You can, for example, earn ‘nenes’ for teaching someone Spanish and use them to pay someone else for a lift to the station.  If you do something that involves some sterling costs (materials, for example) you can charge for these in ordinary money.  .

What skills, services, products can be offered?

Anything you like doing.  Or anything you’re good at.  It doesn’t have to be something you normally do for work.  Your directory entry can be as long or as short as you wish.

Get carpets laid, have music lessons, mend bicycles, learn Italian, walk a dog, solve a computer problem, hire a trailer, find freezer space, help in the garden, read to the partially sighted, shop for others  …..

…. As well as car share, loft insulation, camper van hire, space for hanging out washing, looking after plants when people go away, mending, lift from station after last bus, loan of shredder, train timetables and bookings, environmental audit, weeding, vegetarian recipes, baby sitting, ……….  

Cutting hedges, teaching French, decorating kitchens, cleaning patios, house sitting, feeding cats, finding bus timetables, giving advice on basic health tips and diets,  cooking, cake making, shopping for others, searching internet for info…….

Members are free to take part in the system just whenever they want to ……