Introduction

Moment of gifts sharing and bonding
Moment of gifts sharing and bonding
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

Personal gifts (or assets) turn into a real gift when shared. Time bank is an exchanging scheme based on people's assets and which currency is time. You can trade your time, typically one hour, doing something you are good at, passionate about or keen on for the sake of another member of the community. That time is credited into a system and entitles you to receive a service that you are in need of from another member. It seems to be a good fit for… each and every one! Those who are skilled and would like to share their talents, those who are community’s newcomers and would like to connect with community members, those who are lonely, those who would like to get help, those who would like to volunteer, those who travel and can’t commit to a fixed volunteer activity, those running on a tight budget… those who want to support their communities. 

Task

Time
Time
Photo by Stas Knop via Pexels

You will create opportunities for people of your community to increase their sense of ownership, security and belonging and reliability on people from a diverse range of backgrounds, through a skills sharing system. 

You’ll start a time bank.

Process

1. To get introduced to the time banking concept and learn how it works, watch the Youtube video “What is a Time Bank?”, which is on the right side, in the "Resources" section. 

2. If it sounds like an exciting idea to make happen in your community, meet up with some friends or neighbours and read through the short handbook “A Time Bank: How to Guide”. The handbook is structured in 7 parts: 

  1. Building shared values and approach;
  2. Community engagement and outreach;
  3. Starting a coffee afternoon;
  4. Supporting individual members;
  5. Support for group activities;
  6. Governance and learning;
  7. Embedding sustainability.

3. Together with your friends and acquaintances, consider and answer the questions presented in the handbook, which will help you navigate through the time bank’s creation, deployment and sustainability. If you’re running out of ideas for the section 2 “Community engagement and outreach”, please check the Quests “Discover all you share with your community” and “Create a 'Love Notes’ installation'" and (re)discover your neighbours’ gifts under this topic (if you haven’t completed them yet), especially the latter one, which is dedicated to asset mapping.

4. Discuss the answers with your friends and acquaitances and take notes of the main talking points that come along.

5. Start off with the activities and tips suggested in the handbook. If you feel like needing extra guidance and support, get in touch with national agencies in your country, that will help you with training and good practices’ exchange, resources and special events on time banking management and related subjects. Check the national websites under the heading “Links” on the “Resources” section.

 

Conclusion

Your community's strengths start blossom and are more visible and more visible, the more the community members are able to discover, value individual talents, build (new) relationships, generate (new) connections, explore, trade them and share with the community any sort of asset.

The resources embedded in this quest will help you to learn how to be a time banking organiser. Hope you have an enriching experience, enjoy connecting and inviting people to come together and that this experience lasts over time.

Lastly, hope you learn the importance of connecting, creating a sharing culture and how it can be nurtured in your community. Don't forget to create fond experiences and memories!

Evaluation

Learning Objectives

  • Propose your skills/talents to the community members who need them;
  • Develop a network of volunteer services;
  • Create opportunities through their involvement in community actions.

Knowledge

  • Understand Asset-Based Community Development principles in Action;

Skills

  • Build a network of volunteers;
  • Plan and organise the delivery of volunteer services to bridge the skills’ gap within my community;
  • Share my skills within a volunteer network;
  • Take advantage of the various opportunities offered by the support network;
  • Satisfy the community wants and supply the community demands;

Attitude

  • Value each person’s gifts and time equally;
  • How to support individual members;
  • How to support group activities;