What is Kind Currency?

Kind currency is a bit of a personal mission born out of my desire to ensure that good things happen to good people. I want to specifically help a group of individuals that we really depend upon in society - and that's the individuals that make up the voluntary sector. They're delivering kindness through their actions every day. I wanted to create a resource that celebrates good people and good causes whilst also providing a helping hand. Kind Currency is a membership club which celebrates kindness, for those that wish to be more conscious, want to create good and live their life with more value and purpose. A club that unites the conscious consumer with businesses for good, creating several acts of kindness every day to remove barriers, provide opportunity and create a kinder inclusive vibrant society.‍

What events led to you coming across this problem and being so empowered to create a solution?‍

Life is a series of experiences. Some of them are challenging, some of them joyful. In my teens my health started to play up, and by the age of 20 I spent a lot of time in hospital. I was hit with something I never expected to experience, having chronic illnesses and invisible disabilities. I went on my own journey to accept these challenges, and learn to live a life with chronic illness, not of chronic illness. I started to give back more, paying kindness forward, which gave me a sense of purpose. This started to form a little niggle in the back of my mind, about building something that created a world where nice and kind people experience a nice and kind life themselves.‍

What actually inspired you to take that leap?‍

For some time I had the idea to create a fund to help people, and I wanted the fund to be created through the concept of kindness. It was an itch that I needed to scratch. Then lock down happened, and everything changed. My voluntary roles went from being in the community and creating opportunities, to having to be really reactive in the moment. I could also see some of the national projects I was involved in wiped clean. The lightbulb came whilst watching the Netflix show Afterlife, at the end of the first series the main character left  thank you note to one of the other characters, which had such a powerful effect. I realised that all we’d need to do to readdress the imbalance, is say thank you. That night I didn’t go to bed, I stayed up all night writing the first pitch deck. ‍

How does the platform work?‍

Kind currency will provide consumers easy and direct access to businesses to help them make kind lifestyle choices. You pay a small charity donation to the kindness fund for access to those businesses. Those businesses then provide offers and discounts to shop with them. So as a consumer, you benefit from gaining easy access to businesses for good, and you can also make financial savings - all while helping people. The charitable donation to access the platform will go towards helping those who are spreading kindness, and also need it the most. For example, I work with a lady called Jane who provides event services to charities. She operated on very low margins so that her charity clients can benefit, which leaves Jane on the poverty line. Jane also is a volunteer - she's already given back through her business but she also uses her own time and energy to help others. Jane is also a cancer survivor, struggles with mental illness and a carer, and the one thing Jane needs is a helping hand. We can support her through the fund and help her achieve a better quality of life.
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What's your vision with kind currency in five years?‍

I want kind currency to be providing consumers the opportunity to be kind every day.