The scheme is run as democratically as possible, but it still needs guidelines to keep everything running smoothly!

Joining the scheme

FULL MEMBERSHIP (£6 per year):  Anyone aged 18 or over can apply for membership. You will have your own account number and cheque book, which only you can sign.

14-18 YEAR OLDS (£6 per year):  If you are aged 14 to 18 you can apply for full membership as long as your parent or guardian gives their consent. You will have your own account number and cheque book, which only you can sign.   Parents / Guardians please note: If you allow 14 - 18 year olds to take part in the LETS scheme it is your responsibility to ensure that they understand and abide by the Rules of Wallingford LETS, and remain within the Law.

CONCESSIONS (£4 per year):  This allows unwaged adults aged 18 or over (e.g. retired, unemployed) and full-time students aged 18 or over to join the scheme at a reduced rate.

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP (£2 per year):  If you would like to join the scheme because you believe in the idea, but you don't want to participate in trading you can join as a social member. Social members can join in all the social activities and are welcome at any meetings.

What will I receive?

You will receive a copy of the Skills Directory and the Rules, together with a book of Wallingford LETS ‘credits’ - a cheque book.   You will also get a regular newsletter, updated copies of the Directory and invitations to LETS meetings and social events.

About the Skills Directory

What exactly is the Skills Directory?  It is a booklet which gives the names, addresses and usually telephone numbers of all the members of Wallingford LETS, together with lists of the skills they can offer. There is also a ‘wants’ list, of things members are looking for.

How do I get in to the Directory?  As soon as you join the scheme, you will be sent a form asking you to list the skills which you wish to use and for which you will accept Castles as payment.  When offering skills you should be aware of the the appropriate safety procedures and insurance implications.

Can I only advertise skills?  No - you can use LETS to trade using things like unwanted items, crafts and home produce. Instead of receiving payment in £’s sterling, members of the scheme will pay you in Castles. You may choose to charge using a portion in Castles and the rest in sterling.

How do I know how much to charge?  This can be tricky, but the basic rate is C6 (6 Castles) per hour, which we would encourage members to use. However, if you feel your professional skill warrants a higher rate you are free to negotiate and it is up to you and your client to agree the rate.

What about the cost of the materials I may use?  You can charge in LETS for your time, but the person for whom you are doing the work buys the materials needed to do the job, or pays you in sterling to cover the cost of materials. For example, if you are going to build a rabbit hutch for someone, they could buy the wood, nails and chicken wire, but would pay in CASTLES for someone to construct the hutch.

What do B, C and P stand for?  Beginner, Competent and Professional. While LETS allows and encourages people to try their hand at different things, disappointments or more significant problems could arise if the quality of work turns out to be a lot less than expected (especially if costly materials have been used). As a way of preventing misunderstandings, we use the symbols B,C and P.  If you are professionally qualified in any particular area, you may like to abbreviate your qualifications to display in the Directory, although of course qualifications cannot be assessed by the Core Group and LETS itself cannot be held liable for the quality of what is offered.

Is the Directory confidential?  Yes, in the sense that it should only be shown to Wallingford LETS members. Keeping the Directory confidential to members only will act as a security measure. As it will include details such as first names, addresses and phone numbers,  we don’t want the Directory to be passed on to anyone who is not a member of Wallingford LETS.

My phone number is ex-directory and I don’t want it shown in the Directory. What do I do? 

Please notify the Directory Compiler of the number. Instead of showing your number, the Directory will read ‘ex-directory’. Anyone wishing to contact you to organise a trade, will have to get your number from the Directory Compiler.  You might also wish to include your e-mail address in the directory.

Trading

Can I ask for work to be done even if my account is at zero?  Yes, yes, yes! You don’t have to earn Castles before you can spend them. Castles are issued by you and they are not in short supply. You create them when you buy something and from then on they are available to help other people do the same. You don’t have to have Castles before you spend them, you can have an interest-free ‘overdraft’. You are just expected to pay the Castles back whenever and however you are able.

How do I go about getting a job done?  Simply look up in the Directory and find someone who can offer the skill or service you are looking for. Contact the member and explain what is you would like.  Be aware of the necessary safety measures and insurance implications, and discuss these with the potential service provider.  If you are unsure about a person’s qualifications to do the job, or the risks associated with the work, discuss this with them directly or contact a member of the Core Group. Make sure you are clear about details such as how long the work will take, the price and standard of workmanship being offered.  REMEMBER : A TRADE IS BASED UPON AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES.

Do I have to trade when someone calls me?  There is never any obligation to trade, it is entirely up to you whether to respond to a particular request. If someone contacts you requesting your service - be honest. If you can’t do it - say so. If you haven’t got the time, don’t arrange to trade until you have.

How do I pay for the work?  Write out a credit note from your cheque book - you should have received full instructions on how to do this. Send any Castles credit cheques you earn to the Recorder towards the end of each month. Pay any agreed sum to the worker in sterling - the Recorder does not need to know the details of any sterling transactions.

What if I’m not satisfied with someone’s work?  LETS as an organisation does not take responsibility for the cost and quality of any trade that members make. An entry in the Directory is no guarantee of quality and you must try and make sure that the person you are employing is up to the job. If you run into problems which you need help sorting out, contact a member of the Core Group, so that your concerns can be discussed at its next meeting.

Accounts

When I join LETS, will my account be at zero?  No - you will be credited with 10 Castles at the start of your membership.

Who keeps the LETS accounts?  Keeping a record of all the Castles transactions carried out is the job of the Recorder, who is a member of the Core Group. Keeping a track of sterling transactions involved in the running of LETS e.g. membership fees coming in and postage fees going out, is the job of the Treasurer, also a Core Group member.

Are the LETS accounts complicated?  As the LETS accounts must be accessible to all members, the intention is to keep them as simple as possible. The Recorder will maintain the member’s accounts, as well as an account for the system itself. The system is run on a non-profit-making basis but must cover its own running costs.

How will the Recorder know what I have spent or earned?  When you trade to buy a service, you write out a cheque to cover the total number of Castles you are paying and give the cheque to the worker. Sometime towards the end of the month, all cheques will be sent to the Recorder. The Recorder can then take the relevant number of Castles out of the account of the member paying for the work, and add them to the Worker’s account. Because all this information is taken form the completed cheque, it will make the Recorder’s life much easier if all the details have been entered correctly!  Always keep a record of what you are spending and earning, by using the two cheque book stubs. That way you can check your account when the statements are published.

Can I find out about another person’s account?  Yes. Any member can find out from the Recorder the state of another member’s account at any time - members agree to this when they join the scheme. In addition, a regular update of accounts will be published and circulated to all members.

What if I go ‘overdrawn’?  No need to worry - no interest is charged on accounts and there is no repayment time. You simply earn Castles when you can, to bring your account back to zero. To earn Castles, see if someone is asking for what you can offer. If no-one calls, look in the wanted sections of the Directory and call up someone wanting a job done.

Taxes and benefits

This is a fairly large topic which is covered more extensively on the LETSLINK UK website (click here). If you are self-employed or unemployed or have other business concerns about LETS, please contact the Core Group for the most up-to-date details.

Briefly, the vast majority of LETS trades are non-regular activities of different kinds e.g. gardening, fixing a bike, or occasional neighbourly services such as shopping, baby-sitting. When the total personal turnover all these is small, well below any tax thresholds, they are not of concern to the taxman and are loosely regarded as ‘favours for friends’.

As a general rule, individuals may be liable for tax on profits if they are providing in volume regular commercial services.

Benefits and LETS is a grey area, and Benefits Agency advice indicates that local officers can use their discretion. LETS may be ignored as payments in kind. Currently the availability of goods, services and trading opportunities on LETS are well below levels which should affect benefits.

Remember that the Wallingford LETS organisation cannot be aware of, or responsible for, individual members tax positions, liabilities or returns, or any claims related to Social Security benefits. All such claims and declarations must remain the personal responsibility of each member concerned.

The Core Group

What is the Core Group?  The Core Group is a group of members who are responsible for organising the LETS scheme. They are all members of the scheme and between them they do jobs like recording details of accounts, organising social events, compiling the Directory, maintaining membership records....to name but a few!  Click here to see the current team.

Who can join the Core Group?  Anyone who is a member of Wallingford LETS. The Group meets fairly regularly and if you feel you would like to become more involved in the running of LETS, please contact any of the existing Core Group members who will be able to give you more details.

Do they get paid?  Wallingford LETS is non profit-making and costs are kept to a minimum. All members of the Core Group are paid in Castles deducted from member’s accounts on an annual basis. They are also reimbursed in sterling for any costs such as buying stationery, photocopying, stamps etc.

What if I disagree with the Core Group?  Wallingford LETS is intended to be informal and democratic. The Core Group welcomes comments and suggestions. If you disagree with something which is happening in the scheme, contact a member of the Group and discuss your problem with them first.  If you are still dissatisfied, the Core Group does have two independent Advisors whom you can contact.

Rules of the Wallingford LETS Scheme

In paying a membership fee to join, members agree to abide by the rules:

(a) Wallingford LETS is a non-profit making membership group.  It is organised by the Wallingford LETS Core Group, which acts on behalf of the members.

(b) Wallingford LETS provides an information service through which members can exchange goods and services, and maintains a central account of that exchange for the benefit of members.

(c) Members agree that Wallingford LETS may hold their details on computer and may distribute to other members those details relevant to the purpose of exchange, in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

(d) Members may give or receive from one another credit in the Wallingford LETS unit called the Castle.  The Castle unit transactions are recorded centrally on the Wallingford LETS accounts.

(e) Only the account holder can authorise the transfer of units from their account to that of another (except for essential service charges, which may be transferred by the Recorder to the system’s administration account).

(f) No interest is ever charged on accounts.  The Core Group is authorised to charge joining and renewal fees in sterling.  It will also levy service charges on member’s accounts in LETS units.  These are on cost-of-service basis.

(g) All accounts will start with a credit of ten Castles.  Members are not obliged to be in credit in order to trade.  ( A debit limit may in future be set by the Core Group).

(h) No sterling is deposited into or issued from the Wallingford LETS accounts.  Members may engage in any transaction entirely in Castles, or pay for materials in sterling, but only LETS Castles are recorded on LETS accounts.

(i) No one is obliged to accept any particular invitation to trade, or to engage in any transaction with another member.  On leaving Wallingford LETS, however, members with commitments outstanding are obliged to balance their account back to ten Castles.

(j) Any member is entitled to know the balance and turnover of another member’s account.  To ensure accountability, the Core Group will publish the balances and turnovers of all accounts from time to time.

(k) Wallingford LETS gives no warranty or undertaking as to the value, condition or quality of services or items offered.  LETS as a group has no insurance cover, therefore members offering or seeking skills should be aware of the safety and insurance implications of the individual services offered.  Members should seek to determine for themselves the quality or standard of workmanship offered before agreeing a purchase.  Wallingford LETS publishes a directory of resources and services made available by members but, as with any directory or newspaper, it cannot be held responsible for the quality of goods or services on offer or any consequences thereof.

(l) Members are individually responsible for their own personal tax liabilities and tax returns and social security benefits.  Wallingford LETS has no liability to claims of tax or benefits on participants, and has no obligation or liability to report to the Tax or Benefits authorities or collect taxes on any payment on their behalf.

(m) The Wallingford LETS Core Group may decline to record an account or directory entry considered inappropriate for legal or other reasons.

(n) Members have the right and are encouraged to attend any meeting of the Core Group and to participate on decision-making.  Members have the right of appeal to the Core Group or its Advisors* ( appointed by the Core Group for the purpose of advice and/or arbitration) on any management decisions.                                                                                 *These Advisors may be drawn from other LETS groups or interested people in other organisations.

(o) The Core Group reserves the right to deny membership to an applicant or organisation in exceptional circumstances at its discretion.  The Core Group may act on behalf of Wallingford LETS in seeking an explanation or satisfaction from a person whose activity is considered contrary to the interests of the membership.  The Core Group, in consultation with its Advisors, may suspend membership in the case of delinquent accounts and in the last resort may remove members from the system.

(p) Members agree to be bound by the Rules of Wallingford LETS.