THE organisers behind a “ground-breaking” initiative to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis say their inaugural event went beyond any of their expectations.

Volunteers have praised the community spirit of people who participated in the first ever Lydney Exchange event on Saturday (November 19).

The event saw a wide range of goods, services and ideas swapped with others or gifted to those who need them most, in a bid to ease the financial pressure on people in the lead up to Christmas.

No money was exchanged at the event, the success of which was instead driven by the generosity and appreciation of people in the local community.

There was an array of toys and games, houseplants, books, ornaments and clothes on offer at the event, as well as skills and services such as basic bike repairs and arts and crafts.

Organiser Caroline Moor said of the day: “It was a vibrant event in many ways.

“People had donated so much that we were quite overwhelmed when we started setting out the tables, working out the logistics of the day and making choices about where we should hang all the lovely clothes we had been given.

“And when people started arriving, the atmosphere was so light and easy, it was fun.

“It felt like a working example of a real community spirit. Very meaningful.

“Many people couldn’t actually believe they could take things without payment, so they were extra delighted when we pointed out where the free tea, coffee and cake were!”

Caroline said the enthusiasm that attendees had shown for supporting each other through difficult times was “inspiring”.

“One man said to me that it all felt really different to his usual shopping experiences,” she continued.

“He hated crowded shops and the grabbing of stuff but said that The Lydney Exchange felt like fun, there were people chatting and laughing and it all felt really casual.”

She added that the event proved so popular that plans are already being put in place for hosting the next one.

“We’ve had offers of help and donations for the next one, we will probably make a decision this week on when the next one could be.

“And people also approached us to ask if there were going to be others throughout the Forest and that they’d like to be involved.

“That was very encouraging and had been one of our original aims.”

She added that the FODDC Community Builders Team would love to hear from anyone who would like to set up an exchange in their own town.

Anyone interested should email [email protected] or call 01594 810000 to find out more.