A Review of Local Exchange and Trading Schemes (LETS) and Time Banks in Scotland

Abstract

The Employment Research Institute at Napier University, Edinburgh, carried out a review of Local Exchange And Trading Schemes (LETS) in Scotland during February and March 2004. Time banks were also considered. This involved a brief literature review of existing research, informal telephone interviews with a number of organisations who had an interest in LETS and/or Time banks and a survey of LETS and time banks currently operating in Scotland. The umbrella organisation, LETSLink Scotland, provided a list of 25 LETS in Scotland, of which 22 were interviewed. Of these, five were currently dissolved or dormant. A couple of schemes were in the process of start-up at the time the survey was carried out, while many had been in operation for a number of years (including four that had been trading for 10 or more years). A list of five time banks in Scotland was obtained from Time Banks UK and four were interviewed (one was a recent offshoot from the Gorbals time bank and is included under their responses). The longest running was only three years old while one was currently starting-up.