Comments on: REconomy Roadtrip – Transition Town Lewes, Sheepshare and L&OVE

By: Admin (Shane Hughes)

Admin (Shane Hughes) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:33:51 +0000

Hi there, we’re getting closer to a newsletter but haven’t started one yet. In the mean time we write a small piece each month for the Transition Network news letter and for the Transition culture monthly round up.
thanks
Shane

By: Lewes Solicitors

Lewes Solicitors — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:06:44 +0000

Has any progress been made in regards to the newsletter? I am only just reading this thread now, but I’m hoping this did happen.

By: Devilsadvocate

Devilsadvocate — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:25:31 +0000

Wow and Wowzer. Can anybody see the even bigger huger larger exceedingly great irony. You’ve clearly picked out what I’ve had to say and discovered my annoying tone – yet my valid points seemed to have landed on your small runway. Perhaps it is you who should revisit your condescending communication skills. Maybe this post has now communicated the interest it deserves. BTW, please don’t take any of my comments to heart – the clues in my name.

PS: I am a recovering annoying person and you have just set my treatment plan back 2 months

By: Admin (Shane Hughes)

Admin (Shane Hughes) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:30:28 +0000

Wow… can anyone else see the huge irony here? Devilsadvocate you have some valid points about good communication but it’s really difficult to pick them out from behind your annoying tone. I hope you continue to comment and spread your thoughts on here but for you message to land your communication skills have to be considered.

By: Devilsadvocate

Devilsadvocate — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:09:33 +0000

Get your own ideas not Earl Nightingale’s. Anyway, I disagree with him, – everything starts with observation.

But, well done Mr Carter. I hope you don’t think I was having a go at you…so no requirement to feel the need to justify yourself.

A quick google search and matching of evidence indicates you are referring to http://www.acommunity.co.uk? If that’s your website – I like it. But that’s not the issue. I only commented regarding your mish-mash of interlinked ideas on this post. If you still think your concepts are understandable by the man on the Clapham Omnibus then therein perhaps lies the problem. If you wish to have any chance of implementing them quickly and successfully the suggestion is to re-read my 1st post again.

PS: Having just glanced thru some articles on the aforementioned website, you seem to have adopted a more focused, unequivocal and balanced style of presenting your ideas….maybe this is not your website after all?

But who cares, and what do I know, and maybe I’m wrong… and maybe that’s where we differ

Good Luck with your venture

By: Simon Carter

Simon Carter — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:12:34 +0000

Everything starts as an idea. Thanks for the encouragement. Just for the record, the charity is up & running & has donated over £1000 to local good causes, thus far in sterling. The newsletter, also once an idea, is on issue 6. Our website, with the potential to morph in to something appropriate for the idea also exists, with about 120 pages of community information, including a business director for which businesses are already paying £120 per annum. I’m very happy to redirect that income stream to REconomy to kick start the proposed TCE. I have nothing against the FSB, except that it was born out of a different time when profit was the only mantra of business. There is a new kind of socially aware enterprise these days that needs a whole different kind of representation, some of which will run contrary to that which the FSB might promote. I have earmarked an appropriate shop for the charity & have been shown round by the commercially letting agent. I’m very focused on all of this now, but previously build a window cleaning business to 10 operatives with 6000+ clients. That involved a few decisions. If power was a concept that interested me, I suppose I’ve had some of that also.
As far as the idea being complicated, it is in fact very simple, & very holistic. It’s the fact that each part complements the others that gives it mileage. Having said all of that I accept that it’s a big challenge & may well never happen. If it does however, it will only be with encouragement & support, which thankfully is already forthcoming, mostly.

By: Devilsadvocate

Devilsadvocate — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:18:44 +0000

Oh dear, oh deary me…. far far far too complicated. I’ve a headache just assimilating that. I’d be surprised if anyone else responds to your post. Hopefully this may spark some interest.

Can I guess you’re an ideas man. You are not in a position of power, a decision maker or doer; you’ve spent your life harbouring ideas or trying different projects. I suggest that’s all that will ever happen – unless you change your modus operandi. Don’t get me wrong – your ideas are fantastic – but so are all ideas until they get implemented.

I’ve found more success by adopting the following:

1. Don’t upset the existing apple cart – if something works leave it alone. U don’t like the FSB, yet you are still a member and so are 2m other people – it would be fairly easy 4 them to adopt a transition type arm thereby usurping your model.
2. Concentrate on ONE aspect of an idea. I like the newsletter one to start with. Simple, understandable, historically workable with a built in existing transition following. Complicated, interlinked plans give people a reason to say no and at the very least to think about it.
3. Feed your concepts surreptitiously to the people that can act on them! Make them feel it was their idea – you’ll see stuff happening much quicker.
4. Try to test your one idea before telling others and give simple facts, examples, ROI, stats,costs etc about your trial. Sometimes a catch 22, cos you need others, but dont expect us to buy the suit if we’ve only seen the trousers

But then again, I’m just a simple ideas man

By: Simon Carter

Simon Carter — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:14:04 +0000

May I suggest we launch with a nationwide ambition the CTE (Community of Transition Enterprise) as a serious competitor to the FSB (Federation of Small Business). I’m sure we could make this value at £10.00 a month, not £10.00 per year.
The FSB from launch had 25 000 members inside nine months & was growing at 200 new members per day. Currently their membership is about 2 000 000. A rough calculation would indicate their income to be in excess of £25 000 000 per annum. It’s true members rallied round a national insurance issue at the start, but Transition has a far more compelling justification for a new representative organisation.
As a member of the FSB I don’t believe it represents my concerns & I know numerous other members who question it’s value. I believe we could put together a much more attractive membership package, & in a way that the FSB could not respond. Even if they did it would have to be by adopting a Transition agenda, which in itself would be a success. I don’t believe however, as an organisation that they truly understand the issues. Far better that we start something new & fresh.
I could leave it at that, but this is my bigger picture that I look forward to exploring on REconomy Day in September. I want to start a local currency like Lewes, but I want to address predominantly the money supply side of it by funding it from a local charity initiative. Local donations will be in exchange for a credit denoting a stakeholder interest in the town. The local currency will be fed into circulation via donations to organisations in the charity sector who need to make local purchases. Meanwhile the plan is to invest the principal in community assets, predominantly renewable energy projects designed to produce a ‘return on investment’ for those supporting the charity.
I then plan to open a charity shop from where I want to coordinate a community newsletter. We will pay for donations in local currency that then has to be spent with local businesses. We will pay the printer in local currency, & the sign writer for the shop etc.
The newsletter will be not for profit, which means we can offer local businesses inexpensive advertising that they can pay for with local currency taken through their till. This could be a major membership benefit of the CTE. We only need to save them £10 on their monthly advertising spend to pay for their membership with just one benefit.
A similar newsletter produced by every community would carry the Transition message far & wide.