Anyone used LETS (Local Exchange & Trading System)?
Many years ago I used to belong to a LETS scheme in the West Midlands in the UK.
It was really quite active and a great community builder.
LETS scheme are in essence community bartering systems.
They originated in Canada in the 1980s. Their popularity probably peaked in the 1990s and have since rather faded away.
The LETS Wikipedia page shows there are still some active schemes around the world...
In Britain the few remaining local schemes are coordinated by LETSLinkUK.
You will see from the website that they not quite as bubbling as they used to be...
There is currently a little stirring to revive LETS in Wales that has caught my attention.
The concept still attracts me, as like Steem, LETS presents an opportunity to operate an alternative local community economic system.
And I suspect many of the people that appreciate LETS would also appreciate Steem.
I'm exploring.
Anyone used LETS schemes in the past? Or still involved in one?
[ penguin image from unsplash.com ]
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We had quite a vibrant LETS scheme in Leicester a number of years ago, and one where I lived in London about the same time. I think they've been taken over a lot by time banking - Leicestershire County Council, for example, has invested in the software licence and insurance to run a timebanking scheme as part of their public health activities. You can find out more at Timebanking UK. Other aspects of LETS schemes eg food sharing have been taken over by apps like ILIO.
I've come across Timebanking. There were plans for a scheme here in west Wales but I don't think it got off the ground.
Not come across ILIO - have you used it at all?
One of the aspects of LETS I liked was its versatility - it could accommodate both services (time) and actual products/things. And it was quite low tech so accessible to everyone even if they weren't smartphone/app users.
I agree. Time banking is quite versatile and can cope with things with room bookings. It grew out of a non-tech approach (very dimilar to LETS), so has much more of that kind of feel. Pre-digital, records were kept in a ledger and the (voluntary) co-ordinator knew everyone personally.
I joined (that's an olden word for onboarding) OLIO, but I've not used it. I have thought about putting a little free kiosk at the end of the drive.
I think all these thinks are great but in my experience people just meet and talk about more meetings. I have joined many; Transition Group, Green Groups and put forward ideas which just develop more meetings. This is why I lost faith in these systems. It seems like another Facebook page to be set up and then people to slowly loose interest. This maybe a negative approach but personally I think we such just get out there meet up and take some action or do something. Just theses day society has lost it's sense of meeting and trying new things we seem to need approval from the majority or social media which will never result in change. 💯🐒
That is one of the things I liked about LETS - it wasn't a meeting / group type operation.
A listing of who was offering what and who wanted what was publishing periodically and circulated to members. It was then left to members to connect with each other as needed.
Sounds like a good system. I guess Steem kinda does that now? Just need to make more meetups but they are coming we are growing. Still think a Steem music festival / conference would promote it well 💯🐒
It would be great to get more of a local economy around here. We have a neighbour who sells various things from their garden, but I have not checked if they are up for barter. I shall have to look into it some more.
LETS can definitely be useful for building local community economy.
I'm hoping something will come of the new moves to revive them in Wales.
I'm not sure of the status of LETS activity over your way...