Local Hero: Sam Stephens
Sam Stephens founded Streetbank website with Ryan Davies in 2010, a “people’s bank” for more sustainable existence.
The average household drill is used for less than 15 minutes in its entire lifetime. Our houses are full of other items just like this, from power tools to camping equipment. Clearly it would make more sense for us to share.
Streetbank.com connects neighbours who want to borrow, lend or share possessions, which means users do not need to buy items they would hardly ever use. In its busiest area, West London, Streetbank has 300 members per square mile.
Co-founder Sam Stephens is passionate about the site, funding it from his ‘day job’, and over the past two years everything from pianos to microwaves has passed through Streetbank.
Russell Beard meets Sam in London’s Fullham to find out how it works.