Eastbourne community currency to go live

Eastbourne's own community currency is going live very soon.
Andrew Durling and Dietmar Schoder of BourneCoin (Photo by Jon Rigby)Andrew Durling and Dietmar Schoder of BourneCoin (Photo by Jon Rigby)
Andrew Durling and Dietmar Schoder of BourneCoin (Photo by Jon Rigby)

BourneCoin began as an experiment, when a tiny group of Eastbourne residents decided to create a town money.

The idea was to stimulate the local economy and encourage wealth to stay in the area.

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Months of research and experimenting followed, with volunteers organising meetings, workshops, and presentations – and even launching an online app at www.bournecoin.uk which has attracted more than 100 users.

Artists, initiatives, businesses and ordinary people registered and made their first transactions with BourneCoins.

A spokesperson for the initiative said, “Eventually a flagship workshop with designers and users in the Towner Art Gallery reflected and celebrated the birth of something new in town: a local currency with the potential to facilitate all sorts of formerly hidden and isolated activities in the community.”

The project aims to create a local community currency in Eastbourne and surrounding areas, stretching to Brighton, Uckfield, Lewes, and Hastings.

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Organisers say it will be in digital form and in printed notes, and being a local platform, they argue it will allow people to ‘take back control’ of their data.

BourneCoin is planned to go live at the end of May.

There is also to be a meeting on Thursday, April 19 at Eastbourne Town Hall from 6.30pm to discuss the project.

Everybody in the area can register at www.bournecoin.uk to get regular invitations to these events.