The Bristol Pound offers new local currency for Bristol
Howard Lake | 19 September 2012 | News
The city of Bristol today launches its local currency, the Bristol Pound. A Bristol Pound is worth the same as £1 sterling, but can only be used at local shops that are not part of a national chain. The aim is to support local and independent businesses.
The printed notes come in £B1, £B5, £B10 and £B20 denominations.
Will charity street collectors start finding these new notes in their collecting boxes or charity shops accept them? At launch it is unlikely, as amongst the 300 or so businesses that today accept the currency there are only two charities – The Salvation Army (via its five shops in Bedminster, Kingswood, Redland, Knowle West and Stokes Croft) and theatre company St Paul’s Players of Southville.
But it is possible that the currency might be taken up by local charities keen to stress their roots in Bristol, in contrast with national charities.
Anyone can use printed Bristol Pound notes. You can also set up a Bristol Pound account with Bristol Credit Union: this lets people manage their account and make online payments with electronic Bristol Pounds. Payment can also be made via text.
http://bristolpound.org/
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.