Local Community at the Trade Shack © Running Duck Studio (https://rds.ink)
Postcode Communities © Trade Shack

Postcode Communities are defined by their shared postcode and their ability to function as a self-sufficient and cohesive unit, providing for the needs of its residents and fostering a sense of community spirit and pride. 

Postcode Communities
What is a postcode community?

A Neighbourhood network

News and Information

News and Information

Know your neighbours and local area.
Step 01
Plan and Advice

Plan and Advice

Plan for events that impact your community.
Step 02
Networking

Networking

Create a network of trusted people with different skills
Step 03
Postcode Communities
Where to start?

Lets start here

The goal is self-sustainable communities, people who know each other and can rely on each other. We group people and resources by postcode, called Postcode Communities. You can read more about it on the Postcode Communities Page. It comes down to that postcodes are well established and create a picture of size and location without giving away street addresses. 

Self-Sustainability is an important aspect of postcode communities because it helps create residents’ sense of independence and resilience. This can include access to local amenities such as shops, schools, healthcare facilities, public services, and a strong social network promoting mutual support and cooperation.

The “hive” menu you see throughout the site has meaning. It is a symbolisation of how all parts are needed and that they are connected, and each part on its own will not work. It is to represent the life cycle of sustainability. 

  1. Sustainability is preparing for what your goal is and what you see as potential issues that impact your Postcode Community and your lifestyle. 
  2. Community, get people together. As said, we group by postcode, but it is not restricted to that. A community can be any group of people that have a common goal. 
  3. Seed To Plate, we believe growing your food is more realistic than foraging or hunting. Foraging and hunting supplements growing your food is not an alternative.
  4. Business listing local businesses that source their raw materials within a 50km radius.
  5. Trade Anything, establish trade, exchange and bartering parallel to the existing system without using digital tools like crypto or other self-made currency.
  6. Local Exchange is like the farmer’s market. The Trade Shack functions as an edible exchange. 

Teaching and learning support all of the above. 

Sustainability Community Seed To Plate Local Exchange TradingAnything BlogArticles
Postcode Communities
HOW DO WE START

START SMALL, START LOCAL

Local Communities Connecting

Distance is important. We do not know what the future brings, perhaps a CME will hit, and the power will go out. Perhaps we end up with a fuel crisis and must walk everywhere. For that reason, we recommend having smaller groups. Each community should consider its footprint and the ability to meet and communicate without modern technology. 

There is no need to buy a large block of land and hunker down with a group of people. Growing food in your backyard can be productive and support a thriving community. Setting up a backyard growers network, trading, communicating and rotating. 

Ideally, you will only use this site to get it started and then take everything offline. This site should be seen as consumable. Of course, we love you to stay a paying member, but the end goal is to be able to sustain yourself without the need of this website or the internet. Like back in the 50sh or even further back, when people were healthy and happy. 

The goal is to have postcode communities with their backyard growers share local news and trade offline with other communities postcode communities with their backyard growers share local news and trade with other communities offline. We hope you learn from the mistakes made by others. Being prepared is different from what you see on the telly. ABC garden shows make growing food look easy, and it is NOT. 

The doomsday preppers show makes it look like you need to be in the middle of nowhere, gunned up, and bunker down. That works for some but not for 99.9% of us.

It is about community, uniting people and knowledge and, above all, stuff that grows, something easily forgotten and underestimated. Each area has its unique herbs, weeds and cultivated food production. It is time to pull that all together without the noise, factual to-the-point information that works for your postcode community. 

Postcode Communities
PRIVACY IS KEY

SECURE DISCUSSIONS

Privacy is important to us, so we do not link to social media sites for logins. Sure it is handy to click a button, and you are registered to the Trade Shack, but it is also dangerous. It needs communication from this site back to the social media sites, and that communication is not something we can control, nor do we know what information is relayed. So we decided not to have one-click account creation or social media integration. We do not trust it. 

Online collaboration is still the main way of interacting. Unfortunately, many still rely on Facebook and other data mining platforms. We can understand you are ok with that. For us we set up a secure discussion forum. This forum is set up in such a way that you can discuss: 

  • General discussion, this is where everybody participates regardless of location
  • State-wide discussion is where you can discuss what applies to your state. 
  • Postcode, this is the discussion forum for your postcode community ONLY. Nobody other than your community members will be able to see this discussion. 
Postcode Communities
10 REASONS

WHY TO DO THIS

  1. Building community cohesion: Postcode communities help to build a sense of belonging and connection among residents who share the same postcode. This can lead to stronger community cohesion and a greater sense of social support.
  2. Promoting local businesses: By supporting local businesses and encouraging residents to shop locally, postcode communities can help to boost the local economy and create job opportunities.
  3. Improving access to services: By providing access to local amenities such as healthcare facilities, schools, and public services, postcode communities can make it easier for residents to access the necessary services.
  4. Fostering social connections: Postcode communities provide opportunities for residents to connect, build friendships, and create a sense of community spirit.
  5. Encouraging civic engagement: By encouraging residents to get involved in local initiatives and community projects, postcode communities can help to promote civic engagement and strengthen local democracy.
  6. Enhancing safety and security: By working together to promote community safety and prevent crime, postcode communities can help to create a safer and more secure neighbourhood for all residents.
  7. Reducing environmental impact: By promoting sustainable living practices and encouraging residents to reduce their carbon footprint, postcode communities can help reduce the neighbourhood’s environmental impact.
  8. Supporting vulnerable residents: Postcode communities can provide support and assistance to vulnerable residents, such as the elderly or disabled, helping to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need.
  9. Celebrating local culture: By promoting local traditions and cultural events, postcode communities can help preserve and celebrate the neighbourhood’s unique character.
  10. Fostering a sense of pride: Finally, by promoting a sense of pride in the neighbourhood and encouraging residents to take ownership of their local community, postcode communities can help to create a more positive and engaged community that benefits everyone.

In summary, postcode communities play an important role in fostering a sense of community spirit, promoting local businesses, improving access to services, fostering social connections, encouraging civic engagement, enhancing safety and security, reducing environmental impact, supporting vulnerable residents, celebrating local culture, and fostering a sense of pride in the neighbourhood.