Lewes Pound donates more than £10,000 to sustainability groups as currency comes to an end after 17 years
The Lewes Pound, one of the UK’s best known local currencies, has come to an end after 17 years in circulation.
The team behind the currency announced in April that the current issue would be the final one.
They said that since launching in 2008, the Lewes Pound had celebrated major town events like the 750 year anniversary of the Battle of Lewes, the opening of the Linklater Pavilion and Depot Cinema, and Lewes joining South Downs National Park. They said the currency also marked the ten year anniversaries of Transition Town Lewes and local energy company OVESCO.
Susan Murray, a director of The Lewes Pound, said in April: “While this chapter is closing the values The Lewes Pound represents – supporting local businesses, sustainability and community collaboration – will continue to thrive in Lewes.”
One of the goals behind setting up the Lewes Pound was to keep money in the local community and more than 100 businesses accepted the currency. These included: The-Stitchery, Riverside; Bonne Bouche, St Martin’s Lane; Lewes FC (The Rooks), The Dripping Pan; Oxfam Shop, Cliffe; The Runaway Café, Lewes Station; and many more.
The Lewes Pound’s Facebook page announced on Monday, September 1, that the project had been able to donate more than £10,000 to local sustainability groups.
The post said the currency is helping four organisations that support Lewes and tackle the climate, energy and environmental crises. It said the Climate Hub, Lewes Friday Food Market and Common Cause, who run the Farmers Market, will receive donations. Ovesco has received a thermal imaging camera for its energy saving work.
The announcement said this money is in addition to the £13,000 that has been raised and donated to Lewes food banks via Lewes Pound’s Donate-a-Drink scheme.
Susan Murray said: “We are delighted to support local organisations that celebrate Lewes and work for all our benefit. Their work is essential and becoming increasingly important.”
The post explained that Lewes Pounds were backed ‘one for one’ with UK Sterling, so people could confidently use them with independent businesses in the area. The post said this ‘reserve money’ can now be released with the expiration of the currency’s last issue, adding that this had been held in the credit union Wave Community Bank, which aims to help the ‘financially excluded’.
The post said: “The Lewes Pound was more than just money – and highlighted that our choices matter.”