Billie Smith and her family love camping. Living in the beautiful Scottish seaside town of Berwick, she, her husband David, and their three young sons love nothing more than going on wild adventures in their tents and on the beach. I've collected tons of kits over the years.
When preparing for a camping trip a few years ago, Billy, who is passionate about low-cost living, realized how much they had saved up, from tents and sleeping bags to paddle boards and wetsuits. I realized that it was. Many of them were prizes. (North Berwick has a very active and good Buy Nothing Facebook page) or a charity shop. She wondered if she really wouldn't use it, even if she used it regularly. all Would you like to share your precious time with us?
“As I was transporting it from the attic, I was thinking about friends who wanted to go camping but didn’t have the equipment, so I came up with the idea of renting it out,” she says.
So in the summer of 2021, she founded a Facebook group called North Berwick Adventure Kit Lending. Initially, it was to share her own work with others. But then more and more people started fielding calls from members asking to borrow anything the Smiths didn't have in their warehouse.
“Arms and legs grew to include all the toys, including the surfboard and wet boots,” says Billy. “So now when we have family coming over or we have friends who live in the city and don’t have something like that, we can rent a wetsuit and participate.”
The group now has about 400 members and is very well-used, Billy said, adding that people have donated walking poles, hiking boots and other useful accessories. There are also collapsible strollers available for those flying with small children.
“The purpose was that there were no contracts. Nothing was written. It's all in good faith. The rule is that if something breaks, you replace it, but nothing was ever broken or lost, and people We always get our belongings back on time. We are a very lucky community in that we are very generous and considerate and everyone is willing to share. I know there is.
Especially given that buying camping kit requires investing hundreds and even thousands of pounds, especially as we all try harder to reduce our consumption for the sake of climate and climate. This is the kind of idea that we're going to see popularized across the country because there's a need. environment.
“It's a free adventure and nature doesn't cost money,” says Billy. “We want to make it accessible to everyone without having to shell out a fortune for a night or two, especially if the weather suddenly changes or the kids aren't in the mood.”
Share initiatives to check
There may be a small fee for some (but not all) of these, but it's much cheaper than shelling out a fortune to own them all.
library of things
With locations across London, they rent a huge range of DIY tools on a rotating basis, from drills and jigsaws to sanders and moisture meters. There are also plenty of things you can rent for your party, including speakers, projectors, and ice cream and popcorn makers. If you want to see what everyone is talking about but can't decide if it's worth buying for yourself, there's also an air fryer. We also stock gardening supplies, cleaning supplies, adventure kits, and more. library stuff.co.uk
Share Salisbury
This organization has a huge selection of items available for rent. In addition to gardening, DIY, camping, and party supplies, we also have folding wheelchairs and ramps, donation buckets, green screens, carving kits, sewing machines, telescopes, and metal detectors. sharesalisbury.co.uk
seed library
These are groups or organizations whose main purpose is to grow “heritage” plants and edible produce that have been preserved for generations but are not necessarily available for purchase anymore.
They are often organic and seeded on a subscription or ad hoc basis. Returning seeds to the library is recommended to keep the system viable and healthy.
Good examples include Garden Organic, Glasgow Seed Library and Incredible Seed Library. Some local authorities, such as Leicester, run seed libraries for easy-to-grow produce such as lettuce, beans and radishes.
men's shed
This is a great initiative for men (and some women) who want to hone their workshop skills and spend time with other people.
Held in all kinds of community spaces, they include everything from electronics repair and model building to learning metalworking, woodworking, and general repair.
Facilities are provided and the group often becomes a galvanizing force for good by improving local community areas such as parks, schools, buildings, and supporting individuals. Menssheds.org.uk
garden share
Do you want to grow your own food and flowers but don't have a garden? Or maybe you have outdoor space but don't have the time or energy to make the most of it.
Maybe you want to start but don't have anyone to give you advice yet. Across the country, you'll find variations on efforts to bring people together with a common purpose.
Great examples include Lend and Tend, Land Share (championed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) and Edinburgh Garden Partners.
Similarly, look for community orchards near you. You can help take care of trees and get rewards like fruit. Homemade cider, anyone?
Have something you'd like to share?Make your own settings
kids football boots
These little villains quickly outgrow the kicker, but can still be put to good use. We organize regular sessions at local community centers and garages where people can drop off their used boots and have the next size boot picked up.
kids costume
Considering Halloween only happens once a year, many of us must have panicked and spent a lot of money buying costumes. Why not create a local Facebook group to list costumes you're willing to rent or trade?
home office equipment
We all know that cheap printers are shitty printers (sure, expensive printers can be shitty printers too, but that's another story). If you know and trust your neighbor, you may consider sharing the cost of essential items that you don't always use.
luxury shoes, coats and handbags
If you and your friend have similar tastes, consider spending money to buy high-quality items together and take turns wearing them on special occasions. This elegant £495 Aspinal bag would be out of reach for most of us, but between five friends it makes sense for him to pay £100 for it. Especially if you treat it with care and sell it when you want to change your mood.
hobby kit
Whether you're interested in knitting, woodworking, video games or old-school board games, or playing an instrument, setting up a sharing network with a local Facebook group couldn't be easier. Unless it's an item or product that you need to use daily or weekly, it doesn't make much sense to keep it out and all to yourself. This idea is especially useful if you or your kids want to try something out before shelling out big bucks.
professional services
It focuses on sharing professional time. For example, if you need your carpets shampooed, your washing machine fixed, or your gutters cleaned, find out if your neighbors need the same thing and make a bulk booking deal with them. Please ask if you can give it to me. That way, our experts save time and money on travel, and you may even receive a discount.
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