And as I reflect on these last few years, well there are many so exciting moments in our journey: the launch in 2009 (Oh my god it really is happening!), the 1st year anniversary (Oh my god we are still going!), the 2nd year relaunch, the new notes and our new Pay by Text service (Oh my god, it works!).

And many things I have loved, and still love, about being involved with the B£, including:  being part of such bold and visionary bunch of people who decided that it was high time we reclaimed some control over our money; the empowering feeling you get when you are able to decide where your money goes and who it benefits;  getting to know for the first time the community in which I have lived for many years, and the realisation of the amazing wealth of talent which is right on my doorstep! Discovering quirky new places and interesting businesses; seeing the evolution of some incredibly worthwhile social enterprises and community initiatives (e.g. Brixton Energy, Transition Town Brixton, Cycooldelic Revoutions, the Remakery, Velocal, IRMO, Makerhood, the Market Traders Federation, Brixton People’s Kitchen, the Vida Walsh Centre, to name only but a few) and ultimately feeling part of something important, bold and bigger than myself.

And I never cease to be amazed by the commitment and drive of the many people I have come into contact with through the Brixton Pound, and who often voluntarily embark on initiatives that seek to better the community in which they live, to create connections, to engage, to support local enterprise and skills, to help promote a more inclusive and sustainable way of life. Truly inspiring stuff, and necessary, and it is all happening right here! Times are achangin, and it’s not all doom and gloom.

So there is much to celebrate you see. I hope you’ll be able to join us on Thursday 3rd May for some drinks and also introductions of new B£ team members and to find out the latest exciting developments and partnerships ahead.

The venue: Kaff Bar, 64 Atlantic Road. The time: from 6pm till late. It is election day of course, so get your votes in and come join!

And if you can’t make it, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all and I wish you the best of luck in all your pursuits.

With love, respect and admiration.

Annalisa

This Ain't Rock'n'Roll creations and nominees of the D&AD Awards 2012

This Ain’t Rock’n'Roll, aka the designers behind the Brixton Pound’s new look, were last night recognised at  the D&AD’s Awards for their creative talents in the design of the the Brixton Pound second edition’s notes.

In case you are wondering, the D&AD are the creative industry Oscars, and a Nomination is the equivalent of a Silver.

Indeed the awards attract entrants from all over the world, including household names  agencies/clients with mega-budgets, so  MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to This Ain’t Rock’n'Roll! This is no mean feast and we are absolutely thrilled for them!

And should you need yet another reason to love our notes, well there you have it: they are Oscars’ material, and they deserved to be seen.  Do circulate them, healthy glow guaranteed.

Brixton Energy Team

Last week saw the launch of  inner London’s first co-operatively owned solar power station, and it is right here in the heart of Brixton!

“Brixton Energy Solar 1 is a new Co-operative set up to enable local people to invest in renewable energy generation in Brixton and raise funds for energy efficiency initiatives. By investing in Brixton Energy Solar 1, your money will be put to work straight away to finance the installation of a major solar power station on the Loughborough Estate in Brixton and a Community Energy Efficiency Fund .”

The project will reduce the area dependence on far away energy sources and their volatile prices, helping reduce energy costs and fuel poverty, and helping cut carbon emissions. Genius.

Are you interested in investing? What would your investment mean in a nutshell?

• Be at the start and a part of community owned renewable energy in London;
• Help set up a Community Energy Efficiency Fund that will run for 25 years;
• A return for your money.

So have a look at the website, read the prospectus and support Brixton Energy. To take action and invest, visit their share offer page.

Last but not least:  tell the world!

These are very much the concerns of Move Your Money, a new campaign launched last week , at the onset of the banking bonus season.

Move Your Money UK seeks to use consumer power to both raise awareness around and support mutually owned, ethical and socially useful banking providers, such as credit unions, building societies, community development finance institutions. It wants to see a financial system that works for people and society, it seeks to engage the public with the financial system and to promote an open and constructive dialogue between the two.

The B£ is delighted to support the Move Your Money campaign, as it is very much in line with our own aims of empowering people to reclaim control over their money through their spending decisions (a local currency enables just that!), and through supporting ethical banking providers (such as the London Mutual Credit Union on Acre Lane) who will reinvest into local communities, small businesses, and those who are financially excluded.

You can check out the Move Your Money campaign here, and also see a very funny video about some high street performers…Lastly, you can read more about our Brixton based ethical bank, the London Mutual Credit Union, right here.  (Place your cursor over any of the bold text and a link will appear).

Will you move your money?

And this year, and against a backdrop of failing economic recovery in the UK and pretty much in most Western societies, the Brixton Pound managed its own cameo appearance at Davos! See here (scroll forward some 4 minutes and 30 seconds) the interview with Stewart Wallis, Executive Director of the New Economics Foundation (the Lambeth based think thank that has nurtured the B£). Pretty amazing stuff!

And while it may not rock mainstream global economic thinking just yet (soon, soon…), well we are chuffed! Alternative solutions that empower communities to regain some control over local trade, production, supply-chains, and which promote consumer behaviour for the benefit of the most, initiatives such as complementary currencies, transition towns, time banking, community energy projects, credit unions, all deserve a proper shot on the menu of economic development tools. And current times, for all their gloom and doom, may just mean the beginning of something new. We live in hope.

Kaff's cool counter's mural

So with Christmas now really and truly out of the way…well we decided to postpone our Christmas party until mid-January when we thought we would be in serious need of cheering up.  But let’s just remove the ‘Christmas’ and focus on the ‘party’!

We hope you and your friends and loved ones can join us on the night, Thu 19th January from 6:30pm at Kaff Bar.

Kaff Bar are both on our paper and electronic currency schemes, so plenty chance to play with your phones on the night.

There will be DJs and some finger food, and more importantly a great crowd of Brixton residents and businesses to socialise and network with.   We shall also be  at hand to sign up any newbies onto our amazing Pay by Text service, for which you get a 10% automatically added to your account every time you top it up.

Other than that, it’ll be an informal evening of drinks, nibbles, chats and DJ’s spinning their tunes.

We look forward to seeing you then!

Photo by Allerleirau - Flickr photostream

Starting to panic about Christmas, finding the right present, being on a budget? You are not alone. However, no need to worry. The Brixton Pound is here to help remove all this stress from your festive season. ‘But how!?‘ I hear you say…

Brixton Pounds make perfect gifts for all the family, friends and colleagues. They are in fact vouchers which you can spend in some 200 independent businesses, amongst them: great eateries, pubs and cafes, numerous gift shops, complementary therapy centres,  second hand shops, books stores, a well established shoe shop, and of course Morley’s department store!

B£s make not only extremely practical gifts, but also very beautiful ones – after all who wouldn’t want to flash a Bowie or a Szabo every now and then? Or maybe a Len or a Deng? To get hold of these beauties, simply visit one of the B£ issuing points. Or for those with a particular predilection for all things collectable, these lovelies are also available as collector packs, which can be ordered online, and which also make for interesting gifts.

By giving Brixton Pounds as a gift this Christmas, you can also avoid embarrassing moments and ensure your loved ones get something they truly like, indeed with such a variety of participating businesses, they will be spoilt for choice. Of course if you actually enjoy going on the hunt for something unique, then why not check out all those independent businesses yourself, B£s at the ready of course!

And beyond simplicity, practicality and flexibility, in case you needed one more reason for giving B£s as gifts this Christmas… just think of our great independent businesses, and the support you will show them. Think of our local area and how much it needs those independent businesses, in order to remain a buzzing and thriving place for us all to enjoy.  And by the way, have you seen how beautiful our second edition notes are? Ah yes, I may have said that…

Photo by TahoeSunsets - Flickr photostream

You will be able to register and set-up an on-line Brixton Pound account from Tuesday 6th September 2011. Once set-up, you can top-up your Brixton Pound account via standing order or transfer from your current account. You will then be able to pay for goods either by text or on-line in an instant at any of the local independent shops that are taking part in the Brixton Pound Pay by Text or On-line pilot.

The Brixton Pound pay by text and pay on-line pilot is an exciting new scheme supported by the latest mobile phone and on-line technology. It will make transactions easier for customers and businesses, opening up more opportunities for local trade and strengthening our local economy and community in the face of recession.

A dedicated webpage on the Brixton Pound website will be available from Monday 5 September 2011. It will give you all the details on how to register, how it works and the businesses that are signed up to the Brixton Pound Pay by Text or On-line pilot. So watch this space!

The Brixton Pound is a Community Interest Company (CIC 07635113) that supports local independent businesses and a stronger and more sustainable local economy.

The local businesses and residents coming on board in support of the Brixton Pound has been nothing short of revolutionary: it shows their tremendous dose of good will and vision, and a desire for a fairer economic system in which the diversity of our high street is defended and encouraged.

This is a little piece of history which we are humbled to be part of, but the sort of thing that often still goes on unrecognised, and which is at risk of fading away in the aftermath of the recent sad turn of events which saw riots and looting within (but not only) our local community.

But, just as before, the Brixton Pound is still hard at work highlighting that Brixton is a thriving, creative and progressive place to live and work in. And luckily our beautiful Brixton Pound notes, featuring important people in the history of Brixton as voted by the public, and designed by a local artist, still offer a stunning reminder of all things great about our local area.

So if you haven’t got your Brixton Pound notes yet, this is your chance to own the Brixton Pound First Edition collector’s set, before the notes expire at the end of September and our second edition is unveiled. You can purchase our First Edition collector’s  set on line by clicking here.

Please make your order by Friday 30^th September 2011 – and guarantee yourself a little piece of history!

All proceeds are reinvested in the Brixton Pound, a Community Interest Company (CIC 07635113), that supports local independent businesses and a stronger and more sustainable local economy.

Lunch for a Fiver at Lounge Bar

Today sees the launch of the Brixton Pound ‘Lunch for a Fiver’ deal. Local independent shops and market stalls in the Brixton area are offering a lunch deal for just five Brixton Pounds or less.

You can experience the wonderful and diverse array of local produce that Brixton has to offer while supporting your local shops and community. Using your Brixton Pounds, you can get oodles of noodles in Satay Bar, juicy jerk chicken from Refill, delicious ciabattas from Rosie’s Café, fresh sandwiches from Duck Egg, Fish and chips from Olley’s or  falafel and hummus salad from Lounge Bar & Café…the list goes on! All for just five Brixton Pounds or less!

Download the ‘Lunch for a Fiver’ flyer here to find out all the deals and local shops in the offer.

“The Lounge Bar and Restaurant is proud to be part of the ‘Lunch for a Fiver’ deal. It is a great scheme which benefits local shops and traders by bringing in more trade to the local economy and at the same time providing a delicious bargain for the local community. The Brixton Pound scheme has supported local independently owned shops in Brixton for the past two years and has helped preserve the independence and much loved diversity of the Brixton.” Clover, Manager, Lounge Bar & Restaurant, Brixton.

The Brixton Pound is money that sticks to Brixton. It helps to support local shops, traders and

B£ Issuing Points

the local community to ensure a diverse and vibrant local economy.  You can exchange pound sterling into Brixton Pounds at the B£ issue points listed – or simply ask for your change in Brixton Pounds when you visit one of over 200 independent shops and market stalls in the Brixton Pound scheme. Look out for the Brixton Pound sign in shop windows.

The Brixton Pound works like a gift voucher, acting as an incentive for people to spend their money locally in any of over 200 independent shops and market stalls in the Brixton Pound scheme.  So take advantage of this generous offer and support your local shops; get your Brixton Pounds and bag a tasty bargain!