As Britain loses faith in its banks and feels shockwaves from the euro crisis, one city is trying to keep local wealth in local pockets with the launch of its own currency.

The Bristol pound — usable only with member businesses in the city in southwest England — is to launch in September, and organisers are deluged with local firms wanting to sign up.

"The perception of banking and money is that it's a very ruthless system: people are out for what they can get," co-founder Ciaran Mundy told AFP.

"This is about saying yes to something new. It's tapping into a different set of values about money."

The scheme has "captured people's imaginations", he added, in a recession-hit year when British banks have been beset by scandals and ministers talked openly of a possible euro collapse.

More info at link....
[link to finance.ninemsn.com.au]


Wow. This is so awesome.
I can see this catching on big time not only in the U.K but here in Oz. Could even be a good idea in the U.S too.

Forget GLOBAL. The solution to the current world monetary crisis is going LOCAL.