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

Red Earth Dub – The latest CD release from local band The Soothsayers, giving us ‘authentic-sounding, vintage roots reggae with jazz, funk and afrobeat influences’. The album includes homage track to the Brixton Pound, aptly named The Brixton Pound.  Read their album review here, and click here to find out more about the band and to listen to the track. And if you like what you hear, get yourself a copy of the album from our Community Shop, for a very decent B£8, or £10.

The new B£ reusable cup

The B£ reusable cup is the latest addition to our products range – a barista standard cup, light to carry, easy to wash, and sleek in design. You can use this cup pretty much at any cafe you like (in Brixton and beyond) and help reduce the amount of packaging we produce. However, use it at designated Brixton Cafes (see blog below), and you can also get yourself a lovely discount on the price of your hot drink.

The B£ reusable cup is available for sale at our Community Shop, and also at: Rosie’s Cafe, Wild Caper, Café Sitifis, C@fe Brixton, Viva Café (next to Brixton Recreation Centre), Azmarini Café, Opus Cafe,  Bellantoni’s and Duck Egg Cafe. However do keep an eye on our website as this list is growing faster than you can say Espresso! Yours for B£6, or £6.50.

B£ t-shirt

Brixton Power t-shirt – all seasons and never out of fashion! This t-shirt is ethically traded and made of soft organic cotton. Designed by a local resident, and produced by a local business, it comes in natural white with black design, women and men’ sizes, and is available from our Community Shop.

Yours for a very affordable B£13, or £15.

Or perhaps you are looking for a stimulating read?

Funny Money, by David Boyle, offers a very accessible fresh take on our monetary system, and on the possibilities that various alternatives can offer. Buy if from our Community Shop for a bargain B£5, or £6.

The Wizard

Also by David Boyle, The Wizard, a whole new kind of Oz for our times. The novel is a modern wizard of Oz for the days of derivatives,sub-prime mortgages and Goldman Sachs.

A century ago, Dorothy and Toto set off down the Yellow Brick Road to encounter the Wizard.  Or was it the money system, as some critics claim? This Wizard is a tale for our own times of beauty, love and courage – and small dogs.

B£5 or £7.

Last, and by no means least, why not treat your friends or your family (or yourself) to a little bit of history, by giving them a B£ collector’s set this Christmas? Each set includes 1 of each of the four B£ notes denominations, all uncirculated, as well as a letter from our Mayor.

Collectors sets can be normally purchased online at £65 (UK), £67 (Europe) and £70 (Rest of the World), including postage.  However place your order by 6^th December and you can bag yourself a set for £55, £57 and £60 per pack respectively.

All orders received  under this offer will be fulfilled the w/c 6th December, and delivered on time for Christmas.

So what are you waiting for? Get those presents sorted early, and then kick back and just watch the mad scramble…

All proceeds are reinvested into the development of the B£ – a community interest company led by local volunteers.

Our Community Shop is at: Unit 6, Fifth Avenue, Granville Arcade, Brixton Village.

Stallholders will be accepting Brixton £s on the day so it’s a great opportunity to pick up the last (or, in my case, the first) of your Christmas presents. Shopping in the Dogstar – it’s got to be less stressful than Oxford Street!

On that note, we’d love to hear from anyone who’s decided to buy all their Christmas presents using Brixton Pounds. Simon Woolf did it last year and you can watch a video of him Christmas shopping here.

Watch this space for more hints and tips about how to support independent businesses in Brixton over the festive period…

The B£ Reusable Cup

We are very proud to have now launched our very own B£ reusable cup!

Designed and manufactured by KeepCup, light, sleek and environmentally friendly, this is the first barista standard reusable cup.

Not only you will be able to use our B£ cup in Brixton and get a lovely discount, but you can literally use it in any other coffee place you fancy, and help reduce the amount of packaging going to landfill.

The following cafes in Brixton are offering a discount to B£ cup users – please check in store for details:

Cafe Tana, 96 Brixton Hill, SW2 1QN

C@fe Brixton, 8 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PD

Cafe Viva, Brixton Station Road, SW9

Cafe Sitifis, 11 Rushcroft Road, off Coldharbour Lane, SW2 1JS

Rosie’s cafe, 14E Market Row, Brixton Market, SW9

Wild Caper, 11-13 Market Row, Electric Lane, SW9 8LB

Rahel Cafe & Bar, 16 Acre Lane, SW2 5SG

Azmarino Cafe, 2 Atlantic Road, SW9 8HY

Opus Cafe, 89 Acre Lane, SW2 5TN

Bellantoni’s, 81 Fifth Avenue, Granville Arcade, SW9 8PS

Duck Egg Cafe, 424 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LF

Also, keep an eye out for ‘Use your B£ cup here‘ posters, which will alert you to any new coffee places on the scheme.

The B£ cup makes a stylish and handy gift, it comes in three colour combinations (see picture), and is available from the Community Shop (Unit 6, First Avenue, Granville Arcade, Brixton Market, SW9 8PR), as well as: C@fe Brixton, Wild Caper, Rosie’s cafe, Cafe Sitifs, Viva Cafe (next door to Brixton Recreation Centre), Bellantoni’s, Azmarino Cafe, Opus Cafe, and Duck Egg Cafe.

Yours for B£6 or £6.50.

I’ve pledged to do all my christmas shopping this year in Brixton Pounds, so this Saturday I went off round Brixton to do just that. Not only did I manage it with ease, I also found a whole load of wonderful new shops I didn’t know existed until a few weeks ago. Many thanks to Wild Caper,  Gruff and Tackleton’s Winter Menagerie, Bricolage, Brixton Cornercopia, No. 1 Village Bakeries, Remade in Brixton and Bookmongers for providing such great gifts. I also got my wrapping paper at Pound & Plus taking advantage of their 5% B£ discount.

You can watch a short film of the whole experience right here – I hope it inspires you to reject the west end, chain stores, supermarkets and big name brands and get down to Brixton to spend your money where it matters. You won’t be disappointed.

Secondo, Coldharbour Lane

B£ offer = 25% off exclusive designer Rock U Later head scarves & scarves

as modeled by Abu

HQ Brixton, Market Row

B£ offer = 10% off all products
including exclusive HQ Brixton T Shirts

Original Products Ltd, Market Row

B£ offer = 10% off selected scented candles.

Empress Bellydance @ Brixton Lido, Dulwich Road
Give someone the chance to dance their way into 2010:

B£7 – A voucher for a Bellydance class (usually £8)
B£10 A BellydanceT Shirt AND voucher for Bellydance Class
B£20 A Bellydance hipscarf AND Bellydance Class.
info@empressbellydance.com

House of Bottles, Coldharbour Lane
B£ offer = Spend over £10 receive 10%
off. Spend over £100 and received a free bottle of bubbly! Sale and return service for your Christmas party!

Sesami, 307 Railton Road

B£ offer = Make up a Christmas hamper
worth £10 or more and get 10% off

Bambinos, Brixton Station Road

B£ offer = 10% off childrens seasonal party
wear in the lead up to Chistmas

Stuart the Watchman, Popes Road

B£ offer – spend over
£10 and receive 5% off

Pound and Plus, Popes Road

B£ offer = 5% off all
Christmas decorations; trees, lights,
tinsel etc.

Brixton Café/ Phones4Free, Brixton Station Road
B£ offer = buy a 10 hour internet voucher for B£8
plus receive discounted tea and cake

ANS Furnishings, Electric Avenue

B£ offer =  5% discount on all carpets, curtains, bed
linen, cushions and soft
furnishings.

If you’re up joining us in pledging to do all your Christmas shopping in B£s, please get in touch.