Susan Murray, a director of The Lewes Pound, said: “It started as a way to support local independent businesses and we haven’t really been able to measure that. We feel in the end it’s probably only had a small impact.
“But we extended it beyond that, into celebrating Lewes and I think it’s been quite successful in that respect.”
In the past eight years, £12,700 worth of Lewes pounds were donated to people using foodbanks.
The Lewes Pound is donating its £10,000 reserves to charities tackling climate, energy and environmental issues – The Climate Hub, Lewes Friday Food Market and Common Cause.
A thermal imaging camera has been donated to Ovesco, Lewes’s community energy company.
Lots of people were “incredibly proud” of their independent currency, even if they never used one, Ms Murray said.
“If we were going to continue, we’d have had to produce another issue which would run for five years like the last ones,” she said.
“That was a long time to carry on, we felt, and we didn’t have much left to give.”
