Do us a favour (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Do us a favour

A NATIONAL website that allows people to swap favours is being launched in Swindon because of the town's community spirit.

If you hate doing the ironing but are pretty nifty at potting up plants, the new website could allow you to swap with someone else.

James Senior, 23, believes Swindon is the perfect place to launch www.favourXchange.co.uk a site that allows people to post messages describing the job they would like someone in the community to do for them.

Each request includes a list of tasks they could perform in exchange. The service is free.

James, who lived in Bishopstone for two years and will soon be starting work at Intel in Swindon after studying computer science at Nottingham Trent University, said: "It's the perfect way to get that job done that you can't or won't do yourself or need some help with.

"All you have to do is offer a favour in advance. It's community friendly you do something for someone near you and they return the favour. And it is a great way of making new friends. This is a brand new idea that draws on the old fashioned concept that we all need good neighbours."

And James says he chose Swindon for the launch of the site because of its reputation for having a strong sense of community.

"It also has good demographics and is representative of the rest of the country.

"I hope that people in the town will log on to the site and have a look at what skills they have, even if they consider them run-of-the-mill. Being able to plant up hanging baskets or clean an oven, walk a dog or paint a fence may be very valuable to someone who can't do that."

James came up with the idea for the site after a discussion with a friend about how expensive it was to pay for jobs to be done around the home.

Although the tasks performed by those taking part are free, if payment does become involved then the Inland Revenue must be informed and normal tax rules would apply.

Around 500 people have signed up to be registered for free on the website so far.

James said: "I'm hoping this will really build up relationships within communities. It's a great way for people to make friends as well as giving and receiving favours."

Diana Milne