Our Pet Projects
There are several areas we wish to focus on as a business going foreward. These are not entirely of a business nature, but are aimed a the well being of both our staff and the wider community.
If you wish to get involved, then find our project group on Linkedin.
We don't think we could cope with all our desired projects running simultaneously, but we'd certainly like to have two running concurrently as it would mean two graduates could each run a project whilst helping one another with any area which needs a second person.
Letslink & Timebanks
A LETS system is based on true wealth - the availability and exchange of goods and services - whereas money has become an abstract concept.
The World Bank estimates that money transactions on a world-wide scale are up to 20 times greater than necessary for financing world trade.
The LETS system is immune from both local and international recessions, interest on debts, thefts and money shortages. The world money system may collapse, and unemployment may rise, but the LETS credit units would still be valid, because it is 100% guaranteed by work and good, and only functions if people co-operate in direct exchanges. Its main strength is that it cannot be used for the purpose of speculation or one-sided enrichment.
LETS fills a gap in the market left by an economic system which is always searching for the cheapest production location in the process destroying the local autonomous production system. In every village, every city, and every region there are people with abilities and resources which are not used in the established economic system. Yet there is demand for such abilities and resources.
Because LETS systems do not charge interest on negative (or positive) account balances, they offer the potential to support new business ventures, allowing people to draw on local resources instead of having to rely on bank loans. Over-production and over-consumption are driven by the need for high capital returns among businesses who are repaying interest on loans. LETS systems are non-profit-making organisations, which are owned and run by their members solely for the purposes of trade and mutual benefit.
Experience shows that people who are often excluded from the normal economic system turn out to bring unusual talents when they join LETS. Contributing their services to the community enables them to reclaim their sense of purpose, self-esteem and belonging. And others who need these services can afford them when they need them. The vision, then, is one where quality of life for all members of the community is significantly improved.
http://www.letslinkuk.net/index.htm
http://www.timebanking.org/index_previous.htm
Ramsgate West Cliff Living Environment
The local area surrounding our new offices has huge potential. The focus of a large part of the shops for the Thanet area has moved to the Westwod Cross shopping centre, which in turn may allow the revevelopment of both the central business disrict (CBD) or Ramsgate, but also allow return to residential and mixed office use of many roads.
The particular streets we would like to focus on and which we believe can bring the most benefit to the community are from East to West;
Leopold Street
Queen Street
Princes Street
Cliff Street
Rose Hill
Albert Street
Nelson Crescent
Royal Parade
Hertford Street
Liverpool Lawn
Paragon
Addington Street
West Cliff Road
Priory Road
Royal Road
St Augustines Road
Car and Lift Sharing Schemes
Other Universities
Friends in Oz and sons
Going from A to B
Official methods
Credit Union
What is a credit Union?
The modern credit union movement traces its origins to Germany and to Friedrich Willhelm Raiffeisen, the Mayor of a small town in southern Germany, who in 1849 formed societies, which later evolved in to credit unions. The purposes of these credit unions was to enable people to help themselves in relieving debt and poverty.
Credit unions in the UK were in existence for some time before the movement gained momentum in 1979, when the Credit Unions Act was passed.
Since then, the credit union philosophy of mutual self-help has proved very popular, and there are now over 500 credit unions throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
In the UK over 360 thousand members have recognized the value of credit unions, and have savings approaching 300 million pounds with their credit unions. There are thousands employed in the sector and many more thousands are volunteers involved in the movement.
There are currently two credit unions covering Kent. Kent Savers has a very professional web presence and is mor focused on the North and West of Kent.
Wantsum savers is focused purely on the Isle of Thanet at present and currently has more of an office based method for delivering their services, which reflects the less affluent nature of this part of Kent.
We hope to help to a greater extent with the latter and focus on what can be done here as it has implications for our local environment and polulation.
http://www.wantsumsavers.com/
http://www.kentsavers.co.uk/
Sharia Based and Compliant Investment Research
Phil Castle our CEO is currentluy studying the CSSI's Islamic Finance Qualification, which has simply identifed for him problems with how the UK systemn is structured if as a firm we are to offer a truly "Ethics" based service.
This project would involve;
1. Looking at the issues around what is needed to enable Sharia based rather than compliant services to florish in the UK and emerging "Arab Spring" countries.
2. Identifying what barriers exist for Sharia Compliance with "WRAP" services and
3. Most importantly brainstorming potential soluctions which a firm could work with to ensure it can run parralel services where possible without using multiple wraps.
For an explnation of WRAPs google "Transact or Fidelity" who are the two systems we use the most at present. There are some "SIPP" porviders who claim to offer/operate Sharia compliant SIPPs, but we have our doubts as to just how these work in practice.
Company Branding, Marketing & Website
As we have never really chosen to advertise as a firm, our website and use of social media has been very minor. If we are to expand, then we may need some fresh thinking here which a graduate may be able to provide.