Streetbank

Sharing in your neighbourhood

This page has been written by Streetbank, read on to find out what it’s all about.

Keen to save money, time or resources? Tempted to learn a new skill? Want to get more involved in your neighbourhood or have unwanted goods to donate to your community where they’ll be put to good use? Whatever your motivation, Streetbank is the site for you.

There’s nothing new about sharing – whether it’s your best friend’s Mad Men box-set you’re currently borrowing or the weekend you spent showing your sister how to take brilliant photos, sharing skills and items with those around you comes as second nature to many of us.

But what about sharing beyond that? What happens when you suddenly realise you only have 8 plates but 14 people about to arrive for supper; the drill’s broken and you’re mid-fixing the shed; your kids are on summer holidays and but new books and board games are beyond your budget; you’ve just moved into a new flat but the garden’s a mess and you’ve no idea where to start…?

That’s where Streetbank comes in.

Streetbank is a not-for-profit website that gives neighbours the opportunity to lend, give away or offer items and skills to anyone living within one mile of their home. It works like a giant garden shed, tool-kit, fancy dress chest, DVD library and skills bank all rolled into one.

Simply sign up with your postcode, add one item or skill you would be willing to share or give away, and see everything offered by your neighbours. All for free. So far, Streetbank users have lent each other lawnmowers, bikes and batman costumes; they’ve given-away microwaves, sofas, pianos, hedge-trimmers and freshly baked bread, and helped each other to move house, grow vegetables, learn French and hula hoop… And that’s just the beginning!

Streetbank has spread rapidly across the UK since its launch in West London in April 2010 and is growing daily, with fourteen and a half thousand members worldwide today. It’s members are in no doubt about the positive impact Streetbank is having on the way they interact with their community:

Kerryn Johnson, Fulham-based mother of two: ‘I use Streetbank extensively. I was looking for some lego for my four-year old and did a call out to my area. A neighbour I didn’t know got in touch and ended up giving me three huge bucketfuls! We had so much we ended up passing on half of it to my son’s school. I love that – spreading things around your community to where it’s going to be best used.’

Streetbank, although practical, fun and economical is, at heart, about reconnecting community, alleviating loneliness and making society a little less independent. It’s free to sign up and takes less than two minutes to do so, so check it out here and become part of it today.