Skills Exchange is making our lives a little easier!
Some testimonies of recent 'jobs' done:

Since spending lots of gems when I was sick in the Autumn, I've earned and spent a few more, for example: Earned by English conversation and helping out with form-filling
Spent on a beauty treatment with Clara,

All the best. T

I used our electrician to fit a new pond pump; the plumber to sort out a problem with a tap at my daughter's house; and spent time weeding Karina's allotment; then making her chutney and plum sauce to earn the gems back. T.


I have been very busy of late, but have managed to sort a few 'jobs' out with the skills exchange, including fitting a new pond pump and replacing a window pain (fun & games with an out of square frame) but the job got done. I have also had the opportunity to get out running with Kate & Debbie, which we are currenty trying to make a more regular thing. Not to mention the great box of fruit and veg supplied by yourself a Trishia. All in all it's been a really good experience and I'm looking forward to continuing my participation.

Thank you
P.


I spent my first gem with Barbara H. to talk about changing career. It was very helpful as I am more likely to do something positive after discussing it with a neutral person. Also I probably would not have received the personal attention if I had gone to a Job Centre. This is a long-term plan so I won't know how successful it has been until next year.

regards,
I.

Re skills exchange ... I have a great story although not nec what you'd expect. Zena J. sent an email out saying that she'd seen a cat hit by a car, taken it to the vets and as yet (1 week?) no one had claimed ownership and did any of the skills exchangers know anything relevant. Well, our neighbours very friendly cat had been missing, we told them and within 24 hours the cat and family had been reunited!! A happily ever after story.

All the best
M Xx


The Skills Exchange is so much more than just a way of making each penny earned go further. It has a huge impact on the social aspect of modern life. In a world where in so many families both parents have to work to cover the bills we soon end up with an extremely small social circle and the concept of neighbourhood friendships can be non existent.

That's where the Skills Exchange makes such a difference. Yes we get things done that we might have put off for lack of finances, but much more than that we are rediscovering how good it is to make the time to meet the people who are physically right next to us.

Probably the most common comment is about finding how friendly people are, once the initial barriers are broken. Even more interesting is the willingness of people to put themselves out for their fellow Skills Exchange members. Quite honestly we are only just rediscovering the real benefits of building strong communities - a rarity especially in the middle class suburbs!

M.

Hi Karina
I’m taking Mike to Manchester Airport
J. xx

Good morning Karina I hope you had a wonderful holiday

for me this SE has been great - home grown veg and my feet being done have been just the half of it have had jobs done and done simple things for others it works well.
T.


Rachel and I looked after a cat - Henry- for a week while its owner went on holiday. We used gems to get Nick to sort out our boroadband connection. He identified that the router was broken and as it was still under guarantee we had it replaced. He is coming round tonight to install the new router.

R.

Now that everything is arranged I wanted to tell you all how happy and touched we have been with the response to our request for help for Dexter..
We had 8 offers of help from folk who were able to look after him for the whole time, part of the time, walking him.. it really was overwhelming as every time we put on the computer there was another email about Dexter!
We took up the first offer, visited Julie and her lovely family, introduced Dexter.. oh and us! and sorted out the finer details.
As I said in my individual emails, it's lovely to have a bank of people we could ask for help at other times.

Many, many thanks to you all.. it's an amazing community and thanks again to Karina for starting and maintaining the Skills Exchange.

L&N

Normally I look forward to an holiday but dread coming back. Laundry, over grown gardens, who will be looking after the hens, what will happen to all the fruit and vegetables, will it all go to waste. Start cooking straight away.... Now I am in the Skills exchange all is sorted and made my week away bliss, knowing that Kate and Liz would do the ironing, Trish would do some weeding in the gardens, Joe and Andrea would look after the hens, Gren will cut the lawns in the allotments and to top it all Carol will cook a meal on our return. As this needed a fair few Gems, in the week prior and the week after coming back, I made up fruit and vegetable boxes, with some fresh eggs. No waste of eggs or produce for me and good bio dynamic vegetables for my friends. A win, win situation! What a wonderful group of people we have on our doorstep!
K.

Just to update you, Rich and I have recently asked Maureen to help us with our garden design. She has come over to visit us and has has a prelimiary look at the garden with a view to giving us a few ideas. We are also going to visit her garden this week. When we have sorted this out we will be asking people if they would help dig the borders and general sorting out of the garden!

I have also been running with Kate and Paul, although no gems were exchanged just a lot hard work and talking in between puffing and panting!

Love D. & R