Plans for the Potteries Pound has received significant backing from three major organisations representing business, charity, and academic sectors in the north of the county. 

The innovative community currency has secured support from the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, YMCA North Staffordshire, and Keele University, whose Business School are providing backing.  

Now local companies are being asked to pledge their support for the people powered community revolution at a meeting at the Chambers’ headquarters on Festival Park set for the morning of Friday, December 6. 

North Staffordshire’s MPs are also being invited to attend the event at Commerce House.   

Community benefit company #BeKind want to get key companies from the area to become Potteries Pound sponsors. 

They have received strong backing from Chambers of Commerce Deputy Chief Executive Chris Plant who said: “We are fully behind this unique initiative which will support local people into work through volunteering and will build a bridge between the business and voluntary sector organisations in Staffordshire. This provides significant opportunities through which companies can get involved in a new kind of community focused Corporate Social Responsibility programme making a tangible difference to people’s lives.” 

Organisers want to develop the Potteries Pound concept to develop volunteers, greatly improving their future prospects provide. 

This will be kick-started with 125 young people recruited from the area with support from YMCA North Staffordshire, gaining experience though voluntary work on exchange for Potteries Pounds, with a view to them becoming the social entrepreneurs of the future. 

#BeKind Director Dave Proudlove said: “The untapped potential of volunteers is huge. In business, they term work done to support the community CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), but we want local companies to think of it as Corporate Social Opportunity. 

“One example, where support is vitally needed is children leaving care. According to recent figures from the Department for Education, 41% of care leavers aged between 19 and 21 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), compared to 12% of young people generally.” 

Dave added that #BeKind want to build on the benefits for volunteering, working with local businesses to stage events and workshops helping to get volunteers work or business ready. 

Keele University has also recognised the potential of the Potteries Pound movement with the university’s Business School giving full support to the project. 

Professor Ghulam Sorwar, Head of Economics, Accounting and Finance, believes the Potteries Pound model is a blueprint for a national movement bringing together volunteers and the business community for collective community good. 

Plans for the ‘Potteries Pound’ form part of an ambitious plan to regenerate Stoke-on-Trent through the exchange of community action for spending power, spearheaded by a community benefit society called #BeKind. 

Mike Riddell, lead developer, explained that the concept allowed people to bank a wide range of community actions on exchange for Potteries Pounds. 

One hour of community work will be equal to one Potteries Pound and this will be able to be spent with local companies who sign up to the scheme.   

People volunteering will be able to “bank” their efforts on an app which could then be used to purchase goods and services. 

Activities covered by volunteers will be diverse, examples could include volunteering at community projects, caring for elderly relatives, getting involved in health and fitness activities, work to improve the local environmental, and cultural activities.  

“There are potential benefits for everyone,” said Mike. “The benefits for volunteers are perhaps obvious but there’s many opportunities for local charities and Community Interest Companies to harness the power of mass volunteerism, and for companies to ‘sell’ spare capacity for public good as well as boosting their Corporate Social Opprtunities. 

“Put simply, we see this as a winner for all parties involved and a chance to invest in society. 

Companies are being asked to register for the event at Commerce House, Festival Park, from 9am to 11am on December 6. Please go online to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-the-potteries-pound-tickets-1079178224119?aff=oddtdtcreator to secure a place.

ENDS

 For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle. Telephone 0776 2043436, email [email protected]