Timebanks - people matter

At the end of 2014 we saw the launch of Kings Heath Timebank

'Kings Heath Timebank is a skills and time-sharing co-operative set up and run by people who live and work in the Kings Heath area of Birmingham, England. We use time as a currency – so that people can get things done without money.'

A fabulous alternative means of sharing your skills and expertise locally, which could really benefit indiviuals, smaller businesses, everyone, and it doesn't have to cost a penny.

There are, of course, financial reasons to be involved, but there are also social ones, opportunites for 'co-production', and a wonderful means of building a real, co-dependant local community, with all the rather harder to measure, but easy to see, benefits.

It is one of a number of measures recommended by NEF - The New Economic Foundation  :

'The UK's leading think tank promoting social, economic and environmental justice. Our purpose is to bring about a Great Transition – to transform the economy so that it works for people and the planet.'

NEF are politically independent, and have conducted long term and sustained research, making both accurate economic predictions and suggesting measures we can take (both as individuals and collectively) to really transform our economy.

The Time bank is just one of them, and well worth investigating!

Here's my local:

https://www.facebook.com/KingsHeathTimebank

Counting blessings

The barn dance in the next room

In the room next to the Barn dance at Jess & Simon's 20th wedding anniversary I met Tony who had been a part of  'the livestyle movement' apparently pretty much since it started in 1972.  I wasn't familiar with the group, but something he said (which is also their strapline) got me interested:

'Live simply so all may simply live'

On their website I found Livestyle movement 'guidelines' , the first of which is:

'Recognise that there is a connection between the affluence of some and the poverty of others'

At first this may seem like common sense - afterall, we live in a finite world.  Yet it has been the basis of economic arguments throughout the 20th century, within 'microeconomics' and 'macroeconomics', and the relative value of 'value adding' to raw materials.  And that's before you get into politics.

The day after the barn dance I went to a book launch at Queens College.  On a wet night in a small classroom in the college John Hull was launching a book all about a 'prophetic church' - asking tough questions challenging Christians to 'act more, pray less'.  Looking around the room I recognised many of the faces.  I'm not a believer, but these were the faces of people I respected because of the social action they are involved in, locally, and through the wonderful local Kings Heath 'All Saints' social action group I go to far too rarely.

It made me think about Jess and Simon 'counting blessings' in their anniversary speech, looking to friends and family - 'the other people in their marriage'.  For me, confidence to act must come from the people immediately around me more than from any 'inner compass' I have trouble finding.  I only hope I can help others a fraction as much as I feel inspired by my inspiring friends.

Useful links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_inequality
• http://www.lifestylemovement.org.uk/
• http://www.johnmhull.biz/

Children in Birmingham's Libraries

Spring Hill Free Library, now Tescos/Library

Many of the libraries in Birmingham still have 'FREE LIBRARY' printed clearly over their entrance - reference to our proud tradition as part of the free library movement, dating back nearly two centuries now.  It must have been an exciting time, bringing reading and 'enlightenment' to the masses, who had not had access to reading on such a scale before.

Birmingham Library Service delivery plan 2010-2011 still begins boldly:

'A free comprehensive, universal enquiry service using hard copy, electronic, and on line resources, staff expertise and highly specialised (sometimes unique) resources.'

However, with the Council looking for value for money, and reduction in costs overall, the council will be looking closely at how library provision is provided, not least because of the spectacular building of a new Library of Birmingham.  Looking to statistics of library usage nationally, there has been a gradual reduction in the total number of people visiting libraries,the number of library staff, and libraries.  But a closer analysis reveals some more promising stats:

• Children's participation remains buoyant
• Children's issues remain high, fiction even growing by 10%
• Visits to library websites show huge growth year on year 

See Taking a closer look at Library Statistics

Even in the Strategic design brief for Library of Birmingham in 2008, it was recognised:

'Birmingham in the 21st century is ambitious and dynamic, youthful and diverse. It is the economic powerhouse and regional capital of the West Midlands. Home to more than1 million citizens, it has the youngest age profile of any European city and by 2020 it will be the UK’s first predominantly black and minority ethnic city. The Library of Birmingham will symbolise Birmingham’s identity as a global city with a local heart.'

Kings Heath Library Reopens, earlier in 2011

Not surprising, given Mike Whitby's involvement and Brian Gamble's leadership and award winning expertise in marketing, that the new library should prioritise improving use of ICT and services for young people and children.  Birmingham Library Services also continues to support projects like Children's Lives - working to engage more people to explore our archives.

What is more questionable is how library services for children and young people will be delivered as a whole, across Birmingham. How will Community Libraries relate to services provided in the Library of Birmingham?  Anecdotally from my work in schools, most children in Birmingham have visited their local library, and very few have visited the Central Library.  Those that have gone to town, will almost certainly have regularly visited local libraries first.

Recent changes we have seen have not been promising - Early in 2011 Birmingham schools library service was closed.  BCC figures suggest staff costs represent over half the total cost for our library service, so not surprising it has been targeted for cuts.  We now have only one constituency library per constituency, with at least one qualified librarian.  The other libraries face even more severe staff cuts and significant reduced hours of opening - particularly pressing at weekend and after-school hours.  With the closure of many other community venues, like youth clubs (3 out of 4 in my local area), across our city, libraries are one of very few safe places there are for young people to meet, study and learn.

For school groups visiting libraries, if there are staff available to assist the visit, the school is likely to be charged for this service.  Reduced staff also means libraries will be under pressure to reduce family events and outreach, like visits to nurseries, playgroups, and stay and plays - a good first introduction to reading for many children.

These are significant barriers to children and young people accessing reading and libraries, particularly from poorer families who are less likely to have regular access to computers.  Charges are likely to continue creeping into our libraries and increase these barriers, as does a more centralised library service making it harder for people to walk to their own library.  It may be tempting to charge more, but how risky a strategy is it to move away from Free Library principles?  It may increase revenue, but at what cost to the people who most use and need our libraries?

Useful links:

• Birmingham Library Service Delivery Plan 2010 to 2011
• Taking a closer look at Library Statistics
• Birmingham City Council’s library cuts: from world class city to mediocrity
• http://martinmullaney.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-libraries-letter-that-bham-post-wont.html
• New Library of Birmingham
• Children's Lives
• School Library Service Closed

When is spam spam?

Not ham, or spam

Just come back from inspiring switchboard event at Mac - a new currency - multiplatform storytelling & social capital.

As I am one of millions of amateurs in the field of digital technology, I feel in a position to express an opinion just about as good as anybody else, and post it our to anyone I know, and some others.  Is it spam?  It could be.

For me, Chris Unitt made interesting comment on networking - Natalie Carlish might be able to tweet and get £3,500 of lighting for a day for free: Chris's Gran could probably use her network to find a nice piece of antique bric-a-brac.  The quality (all our networks have qualities) of our networks determine a lot about what we can do.

Could this be beginning to sound like Helga Henry's 'dark side'? - just another old boys network?

Is this where technology, in the hands of individuals and organisations like Switchboard, Nick Booth from Podnosh, Dave Hart, Nikki Getgood, all present and presenting at this event, can make a difference?

Getting back to spam, no one likes it  - I don't think anyone intentionally sends it.  I want people to read something I send and find it interesting, fun, supportive, and most important, useful.  If you are trying to reach out to new people, recognising when you are sending spam is hard.

Send spam, expect spammy digital network.  The question worded differently by various people, how do you turn your network into gold (money, power, influence, social change, whatever you're looking for)?  Seems the answer today was hard work, effective collaboration and a lot of luck - anyone know any short cuts?

Don't let the bankers get you down

I've just received a letter from Birmingham City Council announcing a doubling of allotment costs to £40 a year.  We will carry on, and in the grand scheme of cuts and so on, will largely go unnoticed.  Costs haven't doubled in the year since the last rise.  I guess, if anyone was bothered, the right wing press would have broke news days before like, 'Winging middle-class allotment holders don't dig over plots', or 'Lousy layabouts need to pay more'.  But what about encouraging healthy living? People on low incomes encouraged to feed themselves cheaply?

A little earlier I had a chat with a Tory relative about pensions, public sector cuts, so on, and got the 'Well you've got to realise there's a pot of only so much money, and we can't keep paying out more than there is' argument.  Thing is, if there's only a small pot, why is it the bankers always seem to get first dibs?  If you think it's complicated and hard to understand, it really isn't - try here.

It's a recession - recession hits everyone?  So how come sales in luxury goods are up? (try googling luxury goods boom)  Why is there a worldwide boom in yacht sales and luxury cars?  It's pretty clear those with bags of money are picking up the bargains, and those with a little less money are squeezing those with less, and so on (the trickle down effect), so those who are poorest, with least are paying the most.  And what is the government doing?  Protecting the most vulnerable?  Nope.  Cutting services and raising taxes for the poorest, while at the same time cutting taxes for the richest.

If it make's you mad too, try Tony Benn's Coalition of Restistance, try listening to Divine Comedy 'Complete Banker'.  It's not going to end allotment cost hikes, but maybe we should try to protect those who most need it.