
A sad day for timebanking
Sadly, the world has lost a wonderful pioneer and trailblazer to the Timebanking movement early Sunday morning.
Dr. Edgar Cahn, age 86, One of the founders of timebanking, author of Time Dollars and No More Throw-Away People, embodied the highest ideals of both mobilizing communities to come together to express their strengths and to restore mutual care. He created a new way to link untapped social capacity to unmet social needs and for communities to come together to help promote trust, reciprocity, and citizen engagement.
In the most beautiful way, Edgar moved people from his heart. He made each person feel that their problem is important and that he has all the time in the world for them.
Thank you, Edgar.
On behalf of the timebanking movement in the UK. Our deepest sympathies to not just his family but everyone that has been touched by him.
“We have what we need – if we use what we have” – Edgar Cahn
London-wide time bank set to launch
A new London-wide time bank is hoping to make it easier for people across the city to help each other. Timesight London has been started by Timebanking UK (TBUK) with support from Vision Foundation, with the aim of forging connections between visually impaired and non-visually impaired Londoners. The project has earned the endorsement of TBUK’s patron, Lord Low of Dalston, a former chair of the RNIB and a passionate advocate for removing barriers to access; you can hear Lord Low explaining the concept of timebanking in this clip.
Timebanking is distinct from traditional volunteering because it doesn’t label people as ‘those who help’ and ‘those who need help’ – in a time bank, every member can both give and receive time. That means that people who have been isolated, out of work, or suffering from ill health can rediscover their own skills and talents and develop a renewed sense of self-worth. It also makes it easy for people with differing abilities to find ways to keep their skills sharp – even at times of reduced employment.
Timesight London has been started up to facilitate an active and symbiotic relationship between people who might otherwise never meet. The time bank is fully accessible for people with visual impairments, with software designed for text-to-speech applications, and support on hand to help people create and fulfil requests.
“Like all time banks, Timesight London starts with its members,” explains John, TBUK project leader for Timesight London. “The time bank makes it easy for visually impaired members to request some one-off support negotiating post-Covid changes to a tube station, for example – and it also enables them to share their own skills and to support other members.
“One of our most active members is Ian, an IT expert who’s registered blind, who has been earning timebanking hours by showing other members how to use specialist software. Over 30 people are already signed up to the time bank. Exchanges can take place in person or in groups, or online, and the TBUK team are on hand to walk people through the process and ensure they feel comfortable and safe.”
The time bank uses TBUK’s specialist software Time Online 2, which acts as a ‘shopfront’ for members’ offers and requests and makes it easy for people to arrange exchanges. Timebanking UK host a FREE session to demonstrate the software on Friday 14 January 2022 at 2pm – you can register here. If you’d like to reap the benefits of being part of a time bank or know someone who would, why not join Timesight London? Email john@timebanking.org to find out more.
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/
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.
International Timebanking Day

Timebanking is a truly international phenomenon, with roots in Japan and the UK. The first ‘time banks’ appeared in the USA in the 1980s, thanks to Edgar Cahn, the ‘father of timebanking’.
To mark Edgar’s birthday on Tuesday 23 March, our friends and partners at Timebanks.Org are hosting the third International Timebanking Day, with events spread across Sunday and Tuesday that stretch from New Jersey to New Zealand and tap into the experience of time bank members of a range of ages and backgrounds.
To find out about the events that are going on and maybe take part, click here.
Timebanking for beginners

If you’d like to find out more, come along to one of our FREE online sessions and find out how timebanking makes people feel happier, healthier and better connected. You’ll also discover why timebanking is great for communities – and for companies or larger organisations.
Each stand-alone Zoom session explains how timebanking works in practice, and how Timebanking UK can help you start a time bank in your neighbourhood or workplace.
Please click on the relevant session to register. We look forward to seeing you there!