أخبار ستريت بانك

Short of cash - but not of Shortbread!

Our friend Taz from the Nehemiah Foundation called us from Burnley with a lovely story the other day. Taz has been promoting Streetbank in her neighbourhood and was excited because good things had started happening.

One of Taz’s neighbours, Richard, had recently signed up when he had moved into his new flat.   

The first thing he did was to offer his baking skills, computer skills and even his hypnotising skills! He couldn’t offer any physical things because he didn’t really have any. In fact, Richard was so tight on cash that he couldn’t afford to buy any furniture. His purse strings had got even tighter when he finally found a job because his benefits stopped and his first pay check hadn’t come through. Richard found himself sleeping on an airbed with only a radio for entertainment. 

Because of his lack of funds, Richard posted a request for furniture on Streetbank. He quickly got a handful of generous responses. One from a local called Alison, who dropped off a pine table for Richard. Another lady called Prue offered Richard an armchair. Prue kindly arranged to get the armchair delivered to Richard’s. On a later occasion Prue went to visit Richard who had baked his famous shortbread for her as a thank you.  Prue was surprised to see how little Richard had, and how much difference the armchair would make! Richard was very grateful as now he could to sit and relax in his chair enjoying listening to the radio with a coffee.

Prue and Richard explained that it brought them both a lot of happiness meeting and helping each other. Richard wrote to us saying “I am grateful for all the things I've been given but also the people I have met, who seem community minded. I appreciate that.” Richard has been so inspired by his experience that he is now planning a coffee morning to bring his neighbours together and treat them to some of his cake.