See also SAP for management experience in a commercial environment
For a while in 1994/5, I managed a team of part time marketing specialists working for local charities and voluntary groups. Our clients included local community development agencies, religious charities and drug advisory services. Between us we provided a full range of marketing skills including graphic design, copy writing and typesetting. I was also able to offer more general advice and assistance on promotional techniques and opportunities, including writing press releases to local newspapers, radio and TV Companies.
From 1995 to 1997 I did the bulk of the work starting HempLETS, the Local Exchange Trading Scheme (LETS) for Hemel Hempstead and the Langleys. LETSchemes are community groups set up by local people with the intention of trading goods and services amongst the membership without the use of normal money. Each LETScheme sets up its own local currency, in Hemel Hempstead called Hemps, which the members trade with each other by the use of a special cheque book and a directory of services. The accounts are recorded locally on a computer and issued in full to all of the membership on a regular basis.
From 1996 to 1997, I also co-ordinated Hertfordshire Letslink, disseminating information to and about LETSchemes in Hertfordshire. My skills with documentation came in very useful in this work, as there is a great deal of promotion and explanation required to do the job. On July 6th 96 I organised the first Hertfordshire Letslink Conference in Hemel Hempstead, in partnership with Dacorum Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council. The conference was chaired by the Leader of the local Borough Council, and funded in LETS currency with the local authorities paying for that which could not be paid for in local currency units. This was done with the support of Hertfordshire County Council's Strategic Planning office and Dacorum Borough Council's Community and Leisure department. Dacorum Borough Council are supporting the project locally with contacts that I have nurtured throughout the Borough Council to director level.
I have now taken a back seat in LETS as HempLETS is now run by a Core Group that arose from the membership. Occasionally the Core Group contacts me on some matter of policy or to do with the underlying economic system of LETS, but even that level of understanding has now percolated through the more interested members. My part was to create the organisation and support it until it was able to become an entity in itself. That has now happened and hopefully HempLETS will now continue on in its own right.