Our Green Living Project has created the FXUNC (FXU Currency Token) to support local, sustainably minded businesses in Falmouth and Penryn. Essentially a local currency, students that work for the FXU Green Living Project, a sustainability initiative funded by NUS via the EU, are paid in FXUNC, which they can then spend in 20 participating local businesses.

The initiative, which so far has invested over £9,500 into the local economy, was designed with multiple aims. It introduces students to the idea of alternative currencies and asks questions about the unsustainable nature of our wider economic system. It ensures that money invested by the EU into a Cornish project stays local and paves the way for a local Falmouth currency.

The various GLP roles that students can earn FXUNC for are:
• Wasters – weekly food waste collection in halls for composting
• Keep your Kool and Gotta Hottie campaigning – plastic waste reduction campaigns on campus
• Resistance is Fertile Farmstall – local organic on-campus farmstall
• Team Cosy – trained home energy assessors for private rented accommodation

Stephen Murphy, Project Co-ordinator for the Green Living Project, is receiving a portion of his salary in the FXUNC as an added incentive to ensure its success. He adds: “Predatory and inherently unstable economic systems keep us locked in destructive, environmentally damaging behaviour.  Relocalising our economies to support independent local businesses is probably the most important factor in combating climate change. At a time when high streets nationally are struggling, we should be doing all we can to support them.”

‘Such schemes are invaluable for helping to pull focus away from corporations back to small business and ultimately to bringing the power back down to the grassroots level, to local economies and ultimately to the individual person.’
Rob Kneebone, Manager, The Natural Store Falmouth

"The FXUNC scheme has driven an income of between £50 and £100 a week into our business and also added to our customer base. If we can drive money back into the local economy at the same time then what's not to like?"
Craig Cawson, Manager, Hand Beer Bar

Participating businesses:
• Miss Peapods Kitchen Café
• The Natural Store, Falmouth
• WESUP Paddleboard Centre
• FXU Resistance is Fertile Farmstall
• Jaxon Surfboards
• Zest Food
• Truly Crumptious
• Esspressini Artisan Coffee
• Good Vibes Café
• Stones Bakery
• Jam Café & Record Store
• Falmouth Fish and SeaFoods
• Wildebeest Vegan Café
• Freeriders Surf Shop
• Elixir Soup and Juice Bar
• Falmouth & Porthtowan Surf School
• Howl Coffee House
• Black Dog Haircutters
• Earth and Water Deli and Café
• Falmouth and Exeter Students Union