The Vale of Leven Credit Union is a front-runner in recycling cash within the community at source. Their members live in the area and usually shop in the area. Everyone in the area benefits from this.    Home

Consider this, if all of the income of a Community was spent outside of that Community, then it would be only a matter of time before all the local providers of business and services etc would go out of business. There are Communities here in Scotland where this is the case. The people who live in these areas usually work in places like Glasgow and Edinburgh and make all their purchases there. The Village Shop, the School, The Post Office, The Bank etc has all but disappeared in some areas, even the local pub in some cases. Even considering the high per capita income of these Communities, they must be considered poor indeed! Successful Communities need balance, and Community Facilities, but there is no parity across the board, as some areas provide better or more services than others. It is not unusual, for people living within a Community to be completely unaware what facilities are available to them. Years ago, whilst engaged in a Community Project in Livingston no less than 2000 community groups were computer logged, and few people outside of these groups knew of their existence. Community Initiatives such as Credit Unions, Food co-operatives, Furniture Recycling Projects, Self-Build Housing Projects etc are essential for any Community. These projects 'recycle' cash, goods and services and therefor futures. On another front, people working for themselves within a community, create jobs for themselves and others, thereby enhancing the wealth of a community.