Join the South Leeds Skill Swap

Whilst for many people the Covid-19 outbreak has led to a massively increased workload as key workers respond to the crisis, for others the virus has meant life has slowed down considerably as life under lockdown has curtailed many of the things people are usually able to do.

This has presented opportunities to do all the things that have been put off for another day – all the mundane things that have needed doing: the filing, the decorating, hoovering under the bed and behind wardrobes.

But it also presented opportunities to be creative, to learn new skills and try out new things. Sales of baking ingredients and craft items have soared, bits of junk wood have been made into treehouses and planters for the garden, seeds have been sown, and, in the case of one local young person, the time has been spent learning British Sign Language.

The crisis has opened up opportunities to do the things we’ve always wanted to do.

So, here are two questions:

Is there something you would love to be able to do? I’m desperately needing help with fixing a puncture on my bike – I just can’t get the tyre back on and would love someone to show me how to do it. What about you? What would you really love someone to give you some pointers on?

Or, do you have a skill or talent that you could share with others?

You might think, “I have nothing to share”. That’s simply not true – we all have gifts and talents that could help others.
Whether it’s potting plants, baking bread, learning sign language, knitting, making a birthday card, computer coding, making a cushion, playing the guitar, putting up a shelf, I am sure there is something you can do that could help someone else.
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then the South Leeds Skill Swap is for you.

We are looking to develop a community of, initially, online skill-sharers – people who are willing to offer advice and help so that others might be able to learn something new.

How does this work?

Well, this is more than simply a ‘how-to’ shop. This is about forming a network of relationships through posting videos, offering advice, answering questions and building community here in South Leeds.

And this is for everyone of every generation – we believe passionately that our young people have much to learn from people of older generations, but also have skills that they can teach us. It was wonderful to watch my daughter recently teaching my Dad how to set up a Powerpoint presentation.

So, we have created a facebook group called South Leeds Skill Share and we would love people to join the group and begin sharing skills.

If there is something you can show someone else how to do then let us know and we can help you share your skills. Likewise, if you want to know how to do something, post your requests or questions in the group and hopefully someone can help you to get started in learning your new skill.

 

This post was written by Mark Hodgkinson

We encourage anyone living or working in South Leeds to use this website to tell their news. You can either use the Create an article for South Leeds Life page, or email us at: info@southleedslife.com

 

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