Tuesday, 16th September 2008

Town launches its own Lewes Pound

A historic county town in East Sussex has officially launched its own currency.

More than 70 local traders in Lewes have agreed to accept the Lewes Pound as a complementary currency to the pound sterling.

Up to 10,000 one Lewes Pound notes have been designed and were unveiled at the launch at Lewes Town Hall on Tuesday evening.

Organisers say the initiative will increase a sense of pride in the community, help cut CO2 emissions and boost economic resilience amid the global economic downturn.

Oliver Dudok van Heel, of the Lewes Pound Group, said: "The Lewes Pound was introduced to give people a reason to shop locally and to boost the town economy. It can only be used with local traders, not chain stores.

"Money spent in local shops will be used again and again. It will also have a positive environmental impact at a time of increasing climate change."

The pilot scheme in Lewes will run until August next year, when a review will take place to determine whether it will continue into its next phase.

Lewes mayor Michael Chartier, who officially launched the local pound, said: "The idea behind it is to encourage as many local people as possible to shop locally.

"Lewes has a tradition of small shops and hasn't got a large number of major chain stores that a lot of other towns have. It has traditionally been the small shops that have given Lewes its unique appeal."

The Lewes Pound, which was drawn up by Transition Town Lewes, is worth a pound sterling and will only be redeemed at locally-participating stores.

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