June 24th, 2017: The Brixton Pound Cafe throws festival for local and refugee communities
Jun 23, 2017
'Turning shoppers into activists' since 2009 and proudly emblazoned with the beloved face of the late David Bowie and other Brixton-born heroes, the Brixton Pound (B£) - dispensed from special local ATMs - has now set its sights on doing more. This weekend, they'll be reaching out to refugee children in need with a free-admission event for all.
Tomorrow, Saturday 24th June 2017, The Brixton Pound Cafe will be throwing a festival hosted by Help 4 Refugee Children. The cafe can be found on 77 Atlantic Road, SW9 8PU London and will be open from 11.30am-5pm.
Excerpt: Event Page
'To celebrate Refugee Week 2017 Help4Refugee Children presents the Refugee Week Family Festival at the Brixton Pound Cafe! In collaboration with Refugee Children's Centres, Raw Material and the Baytree Centre.
'Come and hear from these organisations and learn more about the work they have done with refugees in the UK and abroad. The day will include music performances, face painting, creative art workshops...'
"This currency is cool, alternative and — like the rock star — local"
Excerpt: How does the £B work?
'The B£ makes money work for Brixton by supporting smaller shops and traders who are under threat from the recession and larger chains. It stays in Brixton and circulates, increasing local trade and community connections. Money spent with independent businesses circulates within the local economy up to three times longer than when it’s spent with national chains, research by the New Economics Foundation has shown.'
'The B£ encourages people to think about where their money is going and commit to spending a proportion of it locally. On the environmental front, the B£ supports local businesses in sourcing more goods and services locally, reducing their carbon footprint.'
Excerpt: When did it all start?
'It was launched in September 2009 as a physical paper-based currency and was followed in September 2011 by the launch of the electronic B£ pay-by-text platform. Around 250 businesses currently accept paper B£ and around 200 have pay-by-text accounts.'
Why Brixton?...click here to continue reading.