Topics & Themes Community-Led Economic Development Sustainability in action: Margaret Jefferies and Anneleise Hall talk about Project Lyttelton
Sustainability in action: Margaret Jefferies and Anneleise Hall talk about Project Lyttelton |
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June 2009
Lyttelton is attracting people from all corners of the globe. This is not just because every new resident is welcomed with a cloth shopping bag full of home baking and helpful information. Rather it is due to the way Project Lyttelton has built on local strengths and skills to help make this small community of 3000 people a desirable and dynamic place to live. People really care about each other in Lyttelton. Everyone has the opportunity to be heard and this has led to a focus on possibilities and creative thinking. Since it was established over six years ago, Project Lyttelton has encouraged community connections and drawn on the many and varied skills and resources that already exist within the community to get things done. The belief that everyone has something to contribute of equal value is reflected in the "time banking system" which is one of the highlights of Project Lyttelton. The time bank encourages people to share their skills in the community, and the time donated, rather than the specific skill, is valued as a 'time credit'. So someone who walks a dog for an hour may be paid by getting an hour's worth of legal advice, for example.
Margaret, the Project Lyttelton Chair (pictured left), and Anneleise, a board member, are proud of the holistic approach of Project Lyttelton. There is an emphasis on sustainability, energy efficiency, waste minimisation, and growing food. As Anneleise says, the community is ecology, where everything is interrelated and complementary. An example of this is the extremely popular Farmers Market which draws crowds from far and wide every Saturday. This not only supports the local economy in a variety of ways, but it provides a source of fresh food, while generating an income for innovative projects that might otherwise not be funded. Margaret and Anneleise refuse to allow a lack of money be a barrier to creativity. They prefer to ask themselves, 'How can we make this happen and what resources do we have available in the community?' As Margaret says, "It is amazing what can be done on a shoestring". As proof of this, Project Lyttelton won a Bronze Award at the 2009 Ellerslie Flower Show in conjunction with Canterbury Soil and Health, with little money but large community effort. Project Lyttelton offers some of the most diverse activities under one organisation. This proud achievement has at times drawn international interest. However, in spite of this success, there is still an emphasis on learning and growing as an important part of the project's philosophy. To find out more about this project and the people of Lyttelton who give their time and energy, paid and unpaid, to the diverse range of activities that it inspires, visit www.lyttelton.net.nz Helen Wilson |
