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Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks

Interesting article and below on The Guardian website about the book by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler about the power of social networks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/01/connected-nicholas-christakis-review

Co-Production 2.0

Edgar Cahn, the founder of timebanking updates his concept of co-production.

Click here to read Edgar's article on co-production

Time Bank Coordinator Wanted in Croydon

Depression Alliance is the leading charity for people with depression in England. We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed person to join our small team based in Croydon. The project coordinates non medical support for people with depression and anxiety. You will coordinate a Time Bank (skills exchange) and a range of social events.

You will have:

Awareness of depression through personal or professional experience
At least one year’s experience of working with vulnerable adults.
The capacity to work some evenings and weekends

1 year contract
21 hours p/week
Salary: NJC pt 26: £14,273 (pro rata £25,487)

Closing date: Monday 10th May (9am)
Location: East Croydon Medical Centre, 59 Addiscombe Road, Croydon
Application pack: email hannah@depressionalliance.org

Housing and the new mutualism - The role of timebanking

Tenant and Resident Participation has become a mainstream principle of housing associations in the UK. In Wales, some housing associations are starting to take this to the next level by reinventing the culture of Mutualism.

If you'd like to hear more about the work in Wales, there is a seminar on 12th May in Tonypandy with guest speakers Jocelyn Davies AM (Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration), Dave Adamson (CREW), and Becky Booth (Spice)

For more information and booking, click here

Time Broker Training - 24th May

Due to a significant amount of request for Time Broker training, from both Scotland and south of the Border, Tam Cassidy will be running a one day event on the 24th May in Stirling from 9am until 5pm. This is a first come first serve basis (only 25 places) and will be free with lunch provided.

Not only will this be an opportunity for time broker training, this will be a tremendous networking opportunity and Tam is hoping to try and take forward ways of working together between Scotland and the north of England.

To book your place on this course, please contact Tam directly: Tel: (01786) or email: Tam.Cassidy@vds.org.uk

Lets Make Money

The second webinar series for local currency designers runs Thursdays from April 22 to May 20.

Week 1 is at no cost to you if you decide NOT to continue.

Course content:

Week 1

Around the world in local currencies: a guided tour of the history and geography of community currencies; reasons for local money.

Week 2

People factors: working with your local conditions for setting up a currency; the community development process; gathering allies; creating ownership; finding good organisers.

Week 3

Systems and processes: matching local assets to problems, needs and goals; researching appropriate mechanisms for the currency; governance and management.

Week 4

Designing a circulation system: pros and cons of different currency design features.

Week 5

Putting it all together: walk through a model design process; revision of all materials; sharing of experiences and designs in progress.

For more information and booking, go to: http://www.valueforpeople.co.uk/letsmakemoney

A "thank you" from the founder of timebanking on his 75th birthday!

Thanks so much for your birthday greetings. It made me feel wonderful that you chose to remember. It made me feel so blessed to have such an incredible extended family.

I thought you might want to know that although I celebrated, I remained on mission: fighting Galactic Villains (at Disney World) See below (with my son, Jonathan)

- Edgar

edgar cahn

Lewisham in the spotlight

A time bank member in Lewisham has recently been on the BBC 2 show "Trust Politics" after she won the prestigious Majors Award at the The Lewisham Make A Difference awards on 4th March. Our congratulations to Danielle Menezes Heath from the MC4ALL Time Bank.

You can watch the BBC program via their iPlayer - click here to see the programme.

No regulation for unpaid childcare arrangements in timebanking

Unpaid childcare arrangements between friends (and therefore timebanking) will be legally exempt from Ofsted registration and inspection under new legislation the Government announced today. Children's Minister Dawn Primarolo welcomed the move which will mean that from April this year, friends caring for one another's children without payment are no longer included within the remit of Ofsted.

Dawn Primarolo said:

"I am pleased that following a positive response to our consultation, and overwhelming public support, friends supporting one another with unpaid childcare will be exempt from the registration and inspection process. This amendment has been made to ensure that hard-working parents are not penalised for supporting their friends with unpaid childcare.

"Formal childcare from childminders, nurseries and children's centres across the country provides an invaluable service to millions of families. It is right that we ensure formal childcare is of the highest possible standard and that this is backed up by thorough inspections by Ofsted to ensure every child has the best possible start in life.

"This move strikes the right balance between ensuring the quality and standards of formal childcare whilst protecting informal arrangements between friends."

The amendment to an Order under the Childcare Act 2006 will be supported by revised Ofsted guidance which will highlight where and when childcare arrangements are considered to be formal and within their inspection remit.

The Government is clear that the amendment does not affect the tens of thousands of professional childminders who provide a valuable service to parents

The proposed changes were put to parents, childcarers and other organisations through a short consultation in December 2009 and January 2010. Over 250 people responded with the majority in favour of the amendments, along with overwhelming public support through a petition on the No.10 website

The plans to change the regulations were confirmed: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0183

Funding Bulletin - March

Please click below for an extremely useful funding bulletin courtesy of Emily and her St Austell TB.

Funding Bulletin - March (99Kb PDF document)

Also worth a look is Santander: No good for London but may be beneficial to others:
http://www.santanderfoundation.org.uk/whatwefund.aspx

Have you got a great idea for an intergenerational project? Click here for more details (deadline March 26th, so be quick!)

Also worth looking at are Funding Alerts which allow you to specify search criteria and then receive email alerts highlighting new and updated funding and finance opportunities, along with upcoming deadlines that match your requirements.

To setup or change your alerts, simply login to Funding Central using your username and password at www.fundingcentral.org.uk then run either an advanced or a guided search.

New Project to tackle poverty and discrimination

The Institute for Public Policy Research has launched a new project looking at local-level work to tackle poverty, discrimination and disadvantage, improve job opportunities and protect the environment. We would like to find out about the work currently being done by local organisations across the UK.

They are keen to hear from all types of organisations, including trade unions, local authorities, charities, social enterprises, campaign groups and service providers - anyone who is involved in tackling poverty, improving job opportunities or protecting the environment at a local level.

The survey can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MXRWRQC.

Royston Time Bank Review

Royston Time Bank look back at acheivements and learning from August 2002 - March 2009 and reports on how the time bank and Volunteer Centre worked together.

Click here for the Royston Time Bank review (2Mb PDF document)

In Control

In Control is a social enterprise that was set up in 2003 to transform the current social care system into a system of Self-Directed Support. It's mission is to help create a new welfare system in which everyone is in control of their lives as full citizens.

In Control NOW! (the regular publication by In Control) is out with a full page on time banks.

Click here to read the full document (8Mb PDF document)

Social Capital and Community Empowerment

New writings from the Chief Executive of Timebanking UK, Martin Simon

Social Capital (699Kb Word document)

Community Empowerment and Timebanking (692Kb Word document)

Précis of a speech by john mcknight about Caring (32Kb Word document)

New Disertation Available from The University of East Anglia Student, Katherine Devitt

"Defining a Framework for Sustainable Time Banking To Assist Developing and Established Time Banks in Strengthening the Core Economy" is the tite of Katy Devitt's disertation. A lot of the research has come from the Time Bank Sustainability Task and Finish Group set up in 2006, which time banks may remember taking part in.

Click here to see the disertation (1Mb PDF document)

Latest Timebanking Evaluation

We are very pleased to be able to bring you the first evaluation report by the University of Salford on Salford Time Bank.

Salford Time Bank are speaking with the University about continuing the evaluation, in order to get more evidence for the impact of Time Banking in Salford.

For more information about the evaluation, contact Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential chris.dabbs@unlimitedpotential.org.uk

Click here for the evaluation (607Kb Word document)

Twenty fouth e-bulletin

To save trees, reduce costs and to embrace the world of technology, Time Banking UK has gone digital and is now outputting a short e-bulletin every month instead of a quarterly paper newsletter. You can sign up on any page by putting your email address into the yellow box that says "E-bulletin" and then click GO! To see the twenty fourth e-bulletin click here (135Kb PDF document)

To see past e-bulletins, please go to the document archive.

If you have anything of interest that you'd like to see in the next e-bulletin, please contact sarah@timebanks.co.uk

Wealth of Time

With the impact of the financial crisis yet to play out in full, government should invest now in timebanking to enable us to exchange the skills, knowledge and resources that we all have. This recession-proof means of exchange should be embedded at the heart of all public services, says a new report from think-tank nef (the new economics foundation)

This report marks the tenth anniversary of the timebanking movement in the UK and assesses the potential of timebanks for improving public services and strengthening communities.

Click here to read the full report (990Kb PDF document)

Impact of Time Banking in Scotland

Volunteer Development Scotland was commissioned by Time Banking UK to undertake research to investigate the impact of Time Banking in Scotland. Read the summary or the full report at the link below.

Full report on the impact of time banking in Scotland (92Kb PDF document)

Summary report on the impact of time banking in Scotland (370Kb PDF document)