Billie Smith and her family adore camping. Living in the pretty Scottish seaside town of North Berwick, she, her husband David and three young sons love nothing better than heading off on wild adventures in a tent or on the beach, and over the years they’ve collected a mountain of kit.
Getting ready for a camping trip a few years ago, Billie, who is passionate about living a low-cost life, realised just how much stuff they’d amassed, from tents and sleeping bags to paddle boards and wetsuits, much of it from giveaways (North Berwick has a very active and high-quality Buy Nothing Facebook page) or charity shops. It occurred to her that even if you use that stuff regularly, you don’t use it all the time, so why not share it?
‘Carrying it down from the attic, I was thinking about friends who were keen to go camping but didn’t have the gear, so I came up with the idea of putting it out on loan,’ she says.
So, in the summer of 2021, she set up a Facebook group called North Berwick Adventure Kit Lending, initially to share her own stuff with others. But then more and more people got involved, responding to calls from members asking to borrow anything that the Smiths didn’t have in their storage.
‘It grew arms and legs to include all our toys like surfboards and wet boots,’ says Billie. ‘So now when people have family members coming to visit – or friends who live in the city and don’t have that sort of stuff – they can borrow wetsuits and join in.’
The group now has almost 400 members, and has been really well used, says Billie, adding that people have donated walking poles, hiking boots and other handy bits and pieces. There’s even a fold-up stroller for anyone taking a small child on a plane.
‘The aim was that there’s no contract; nothing’s written up. It’s all about good will. The rule is that if things are broken they should be replaced, but nothing’s ever been damaged or lost and people have always got their stuff back on time. We’re such a lucky community in that we’re quite generous and caring and everyone’s up for sharing. You know your things are going to be safe.’
Given that you’d have to invest hundreds, possibly thousands of pounds into buying camping kit, it’s the kind of idea you can see catching on nationwide, especially as we should all be working hard to reduce our consumption for the good of the climate and environment.
‘It’s a free adventure and nature costs nothing,’ says Billie. ‘I want anyone to be able to access that without having to fork out what can be a large sum of money for just one or two nights, especially if the weather takes a turn or the kids aren’t feeling up to it.’
Sharing initiatives to check out
Some (though not all) of these might involve a small fee, but they’re all a whole lot cheaper than splashing out to own things.
Library of Things
These guys, who have locations all over London, have a huge selection of DIY tools, from drills and jigsaws to sanders and moisture meters, to hire by the day. There’s also loads of stuff you can hire for parties, including speakers, movie projectors and ice-cream and popcorn makers. There are even air fryers if you want to see what all the fuss is about but can’t decide if it’s worth buying your own. They also have gardening and cleaning equipment, as well as adventure kit and more. Libraryofthings.co.uk
Share Salisbury
This organisation has a really wide choice of items to rent. In addition to gardening, DIY, camping and party stuff, they’ve got a folding wheelchair and ramp, donation buckets, a green screen, engraving kit, sewing machine, a telescope and a metal detector. sharesalisbury.co.uk
Seed libraries
These are groups or organisations that mostly have the aim of nurturing ‘heritage’ plants and edible produce that have been saved over many generations and aren’t necessarily available to buy any more.
They’re often organic, and you either get seeds by subscription or on an ad hoc basis, and you’re encouraged to return seeds to the library to keep the system alive and healthy.
Good examples include Garden Organic, the Glasgow Seed Library,and the Incredible Seed Library. Some local authorities, such as Leicester, operate seed libraries for easy-to-grow produce such as lettuce, beans and radish.
Men’s Sheds
This is a wonderful initiative for men (and some women) who want to develop their workshop skills and spend time with other people.
They take place in all kinds of community spaces, and can involve anything from mending electronics and building models to learning metalwork, woodwork and general repairs.
The equipment is provided, and the groups often become a galvanising force for good, helping improve local community areas such as parks, schools, buildings or helping individuals. Menssheds.org.uk
Garden shares
Are you desperate to grow your own food and flowers but don’t have a garden? Or perhaps you do have outdoor space but don’t have the time or physical ability to make the most of it.
Maybe you want to get started but don’t yet know anyone who can give you advice. All over the country you’ll find variations on initiatives that connect people with common intentions.
Great examples include Lend and Tend, Land Share, (championed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) and Edinburgh Garden Partners.
Similarly, look for a community orchard near you; you can help out tending the trees and then reap those fruity rewards. Home-made cider, anyone?
Have stuff to share? Set up your own
Kids’ football boots
Those little ruffians grow out of their kickers fast, but you can still get plenty of use out of them. Organise a regular session in the local community centre or garage at which people can drop off a used pair of boots and take away the next size up.
Kids’ fancy dress
Considering Halloween only happens once a year a lot of us sure do spend a lot of money panic-buying costumes. Why not create a local Facebook group listing costumes you’re happy to lend out or swap?
Home office equipment
Everyone knows a cheap printer is a crap printer (admittedly, expensive printers can also be crap printers, but that’s for a different conversation). If you know and trust your neighbours, you might consider sharing the costs of essentials that you don’t necessarily use all the time.
Fancy shoes, coats and handbags
If you and your friends have similar taste it might be an idea to chip in to buy a good-quality item together, then take turns wearing it for special occasions. This elegant £495 Aspinal bag would be out of reach for most of us, but £100 between five pals makes sense, doesn’t it, particularly if you take care of it and sell it when you fancy a change.
Hobby kit
Whether you’re into knitting, woodwork, video games or old-fashioned board games, or playing a musical instrument, setting up a sharing network on your local Facebook group couldn’t be easier. Unless these are items or products that you need to use every day, or even every week, there’s little sense splashing out and keeping them all to yourself. This idea is particularly useful if you or a child wants to try something out before making a big financial commitment.
Professional servicing
This is more about sharing an expert’s time. If you need your carpets shampooed, your washing machine serviced or your gutters cleaned, for example, find out if your neighbours need the same and ask a supplier if they’ll do you a deal on a block-booking. That way the professional saves time and money on travel, and you might all get a discount.
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