Merry Christmas to you and yours from Timebanking UK!
4TH WORLD REPORT OF TIME BANKS Now published
4TH WORLD REPORT OF TIME BANKS
“What is at stake with time banks — as exercises in the ‘economy of favors,’ as defined in Spain, or alternative transformative collaborative economies, or any other adjective used to describe a time-based exchange mechanism — is breaking the illusion that only money can generate wealth.”
– Humberto Salazar, Asociacion Ibero-Americana de Bancos de Tiempo (ASIBDT)
This powerful insight is shared in the 4TH WORLD REPORT OF TIME BANKS, published by ASIBDT to celebrate 25 years of British Time Banks. ASIBDT President Julio Gisbert writes:
“The report is presented in three languages—Spanish, Portuguese, and English—where Time Banks from around the world have collaborated, foretelling what I hope will be a productive and fruitful collaboration among all of us in favor of this philosophy and this unstoppable movement for social and community cohesion and citizen empowerment.”
The report can be found with our other research publications here
TBUK CEO letter to the Guardian: Timebanking: A Practical Tool for Rebuilding Community Trust and Supporting Social Mobility
Timebanking: A Practical Tool for Rebuilding Community Trust and Supporting Social Mobility
In light of the recent unrest and the acts of violence that have shaken communities across the country, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. The events have brought into sharp focus the importance of community cohesion, mutual support, and the need to rebuild trust amongst neighbours and across generations.
I recently penned a letter to The Guardian highlighting how timebanking can serve as a powerful tool in this rebuilding process. In that letter, I emphasise that timebanking offers a practical and sustainable way to foster mutual support, trust, and opportunity, particularly for our young people who have been deeply affected by the recent turmoil.
I call on policymakers and community leaders to consider timebanking as part of a broader strategy to rebuild our communities, proposing the launch of a Social Mobility Programme that leverages timebanking to create equitable opportunities for youth. This initiative would aim to break down barriers and provide young people with the skills and support they need to thrive, thereby contributing to a more just and cohesive society.
As time bank coordinators, you are in a unique position to play a pivotal role in this effort. By encouraging the exchange of time and skills within your communities, you help to create networks of support that can bridge divides, reduce isolation, and foster a renewed sense of trust and solidarity. This work is more important now than ever.
We also encourage you to help spread this important message. Feel free to edit and share the letter with your local news outlets, community newsletters, and via your social media channels. Your voice can amplify the impact of timebanking in rebuilding trust and supporting social mobility in our communities.
You can read and download the full letter here, and it is enclosed below:
Dear Editor,
The recent unrest has highlighted the fragility of our communities and the strength that can emerge when people come together. As we reflect on how to rebuild in the wake of these events, it is essential to focus on practical, sustainable methods that foster mutual support, trust, and opportunity for all, particularly for our younger generation.
Timebanking offers a proven approach to achieving this. By allowing individuals to exchange time and skills on an equal basis, timebanking strengthens community ties and empowers people to contribute meaningfully to their neighbourhoods. As these exchanges take place, people from diverse backgrounds come to see the humanity and inherent value of others in their wider communities. This creates networks of reciprocal support that are particularly resilient during times of crisis.
Importantly, timebanking values everyone’s contributions equally, regardless of background or circumstance. This is especially powerful for young people, many of whom have faced significant challenges in recent years. Disruptions to education and the emotional toll of these events have had a profound impact on their academic attainment and overall well-being. Reduced social mobility among young people undermines societal cohesion, economic prosperity, and the principles of fairness and opportunity, while stifling innovation and under-utilising talent.
Timebanking UK proposes the launch of a Social Mobility Programme designed to create equitable opportunities for young people through the principles of timebanking. By facilitating the exchange of skills and services, timebanking fosters a sense of community, reduces isolation, and improves well-being. This model is perfectly placed to enable young people to overcome barriers and realise their full potential, contributing to a more just and cohesive society.
As we look towards national renewal, I urge those in positions of influence to consider timebanking as part of the solution. It is a model that has worked in communities across the UK and beyond, and it could play a vital role in helping us rebuild trust, solidarity, and opportunity in these challenging times.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Bird
CEO, Timebanking UK
‘Potential merits of Government support for Timebanking’
Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, talks about initiatives and fresh ideas in an article published in advance of a Westminster hall debate on Tuesday the 27th February.
Here is the link to the lovely piece of writing:
TBUK news
It is with great sadness that Timebanking UK announces the death of Bethan, youngest daughter of our CEO Sarah, at age 21. Bethan had fought a long battle with the very rare ‘grey zone’ lymphoma, defying expectations to live many months longer than doctors predicted.
Our thoughts are with Sarah, Bethan’s sister Hannah, and all her family and friends.
Please send any cards to TBUK’s office, and if you would like to contribute to a memorial fund for Bethan, please visit https://www.collectionpot.com/pot/651850/
Time to speak up
Timebanking UK has been working with partners across the country to give a voice to people who have been hit hard by the pandemic, whether because of mental health issues, low income, unemployment or other challenges. The European Social Fund (ESF) has funded training and support to help TBUK work with Creative Lives, Richmond Fellowship, Coventry and Warwickshire Cooperative Development Agency and the BBC on a series of projects… and they’re seeking participants for the latest training programme, Sound Ideas to Share.
Sound Ideas to Share will equip those who take part with the skills they need to find employment in the creative or broadcasting area, and will include a set of training sessions from BBC Radio Merseyside’s Ngunan Adamu. The sessions are fun and interactive, and people will learn how to write a compelling trailer and intro, how to find and brief guests, and how to record, upload and promote their podcasts. They also have the chance to find out about timebanking and share their skills with others through a time bank.
Last year, TBUK worked with Richmond Fellowship’s Vicki Pritchard, who runs Our Time time bank in Liverpool, and producer John Offord, along with a group of enthusiastic trainee podcasters, to produce It’s About Time, a series of podcasts exploring their own lived experience of mental health issues. One of the participants, Aaron Mckenna, a member of Mencap Liverpool and Sefton, has gone on to make further podcasts.
Earlier in 2020, another crew of amateur broadcasters, this time in Coventry and Warwickshire, got together to create three more broadcasts, as part of the Sound Ideas stable of podcasts, again working with John Offord (see below). The team were joined at the celebration to mark their success by Mick Spicer, who runs Time 4 Warwickshire.
If you know someone in the Liverpool area who might benefit from learning a set of new skills – as well as making new friends and gaining self-confidence – please call Vicki Pritchard on 07901 517336.
Kickstart vacancies at TBUK
Timebanking UK has two part-time positions available as part of the Kickstart Scheme, which aims to support young people at risk of long-term unemployment into work.
To find out more about each of the roles, click on the links below.
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Sarah Bird at sarah@timebanking.org, stating which role you are interested in. All roles are for 25 hours a week, Monday to Friday.
A FAB effort!
Since the onset of the pandemic, Ann Holloway of Fauldhouse and Breich Valley (better known as FAB) Timebank has found she’s had to change the way she works.
FAB Timebank is part of the Community Development Trust, and Ann explains that her timebanking work paused at the first lockdown as she took on a lot of anti-poverty work helping people most in need. With food hampers, teas, Christmas bags and welfare packages, Ann and her team have ensured no one in their community has been left isolated.
However, Ann is now looking forward to getting back to timebanking again, as so many of her members would rather meet up in person than online. And, with the new post-Covid roadmap now in place, time bank members can begin to think about resuming the activities they so enjoy.
Despite the challenges the pandemic has thrown at them, FAB Timebank has found a number of silver linings, including closer work with community partners.
Ann told us, “HMP Addiewell worked with us over Christmas, with residents and staff giving us help with hampers and afternoon tea – we’re now one of their chosen charities. We also have a local Masonic lodge with a large garden that can used by a local school for children with complex needs special needs to grow food for cookery classes.”
As Ann explains, Easter is always a busy time for FAB Timebank, and she’s not going to let the pandemic stop her this year: “We plan to do an Easter Hunt around the village using catchphrases with local shops participating. The phrases are printed out for children to find in shop windows – and I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I’ll make sure everyone who does the trail gets an egg!”