For New Members
Welcome to the Clonakilty Favour Exchange!
Below are some suggestions to help you get the most out of the scheme. We suggest you read this thoroughly – hopefully it will answer any questions you might have. If not, email the coordinating group anytime for information or help: - clonfavour@gmail.com- - or phone any of the contacts given below.
1. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING – ASK FOR FAVOURS!
The very best way to make CFE work for you and to begin enjoying its community is to jump right in and ask for a favour.
CFE works best if everybody is asking for favours. It also makes it more likely that everybody is doing favours. So, please don’t think that you have to earn favour credits before you can begin asking for some yourself – everybody in the scheme is expecting to be asked for favours.
There are a few ways you can explore what is on offer:
* Browse individual member pages to see what skills they are offering (click on Members tab at top of website)
*Search for a key word (or any term or name) in the search bar (click search bar on the top right hand side of the website or go to the offers page)
*Click on any category in the labels directory in the right sidebar and see a list of members offering that skill
*Check the ‘Offers’ pages on the website to see who is offering what!
*Can’t see what you need? Email us your ask at clonfavour@gmail.com and Liz will search for you and send a list of names and skills that best fit what you are looking for.
Contacts:
Membership registration, website admin - or to register favours done/received
Bev: 089 435 2675 clonfavour@gmail.com
Membership coordination and support – helping to put people in touch when needed. Need anything special? Olive: 087 239 8471
Annie Asks: Ann - email requests for help or particular skills to clonfavour@gmail.com
Outreach/media and event planning - Miriam: - 087 295 3838 clonfavour@gmail.com
Bookclub: Jo: - 087 902 4571
CFE Libraries (DVDs, Books and CDs): Sara Kubiak cfelibraries@gmail.com
Coordinating Group/Members Meetings: First Tuesday each month – all welcome. Items for agenda – email clonfavour@gmail.com. Minutes of previous meetings in Members’ Area at the bottom of each website page.
2. GETTING TO KNOW OTHER MEMBERS
In addition to asking for and receiving favours, there are several ways to meet people in the Favour Exchange:
Monthly Coordinating Group/Members meeting– First Tuesday every month. All members are encouraged to attend these and to participate as much as possible in coordinating the Favour Exchange – it belongs to every member equally. Coordinating roles are not permanent. CFE operates on an egalitarian, equal participation basis. Attending meetings and contributing your ideas and becoming actively involved helps to ensure this principle is upheld.
Coffee meet-ups take place weekly at the Friday Farmers’ Market, in the seating area behind O’ Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty. Just turn up and see who’s there – the crowd usually congregates anytime between 12.00pm and 3.00pm.
Speed Exchange Evenings: These are a fun, effective way of introducing members to each other – dates will be notified by email and text.
CFE classes/groups: yoga and pilates eg – please email clonfavour@gmail.com for up-to-date info. Details will be emailed to members regularly and posted on the website.
The Book, Film and DVD/CD clubs. See info on the website (Members’ Area at the bottom of the website.)
First Sunday Swap Days: A goods exchange event held on the first Sunday of each month where members can swap goods or barter goods for favours. Venue: behind O’ Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty 2-4pm. Email clonfavour@gmail.com for more information.
3. GENERAL
Favour Credit/Debit Limits
A favour is the equivalent of 15 minutes – the smallest unit of time that can be recorded for work undertaken. All members begin with a debit and credit limit of 100 favours (25 hours) each. From time to time, members may have a big project they need help with – doing up a garden or house for instance - which may take them over their limit. Email your request in advance to clonfavour@gmail.com and the coordinating group will ask for agreement at the next members’ meeting (first Tuesday each month). Every effort will be made to support people who need favours like these within the limits of what members can realistically offer.
To ask for a favour – contact the member/s directly via the contact information on their membership page. If you are being asked for a favour, check the membership page if you would like to know more about the person. When requesting a favour, satisfy yourself that the person you are requesting a favour from is appropriately experienced. Again, see individual membership pages for details of skills, training and experience. The CFE coordinating group are happy to put people in touch with one another – thereafter the exchange is between members themselves. Responsibility for registering favours done lies with the person who does the favour – by email (clonfavour@gmail.com) or by text to Bev 089 435 2675.
Materials or other costs beyond the labour/skills offered are borne by the person requesting the favour.
Administration Levy
Time given to administering the scheme by coordinators is reclaimed via a levy of 5 favours from each member every three months. The coordinating roles require more time than this levy covers but it helps to recoup some of hours of dedication and hard work involved!
***Please Note***
The Clonakilty Favour Exchange is an online, website-based scheme
All administration is done online – there is no paper based communication or record-keeping. Most communication with members by the coordinating group is via email - and by text message or mobile phone calls too. We suggest checking your email boxes and visiting the website regularly to ensure you are not missing CFE news or notices.
Finally, we hope you will enjoy the many community, social and practical benefits of the Favour Exchange.
Cheers!
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