How to Build How to Build a Communitya Community

Turn off the TVTurn off the TV

Leave your HouseLeave your House

Know your NeighboursKnow your Neighbours

Use your localUse your local

Be Kind to PeopleBe Kind to People

Turn Up/Down MusicTurn Up/Down Music

Fix it…Fix it…

Even if you didn’t break it!

Ask for Help when you Ask for Help when you Need itNeed it

Pick Up LitterPick Up Litter

Start a TraditionStart a Tradition

DanceDance……

Whenever you feel like it

Help Carry Help Carry Something Something

HeavyHeavy

Listen to the BirdsListen to the Birds

And Feed And Feed Them!Them!

Bake Extra Bake Extra and Shareand Share

Plant ThingsPlant Things

Know that Know that No One is No One is Silent …Silent …Though Though many are not many are not HeardHeard

Work to Work to Change Change ThisThis

Enjoy Enjoy Yourself!Yourself!

Strangers are the friends we haven’t yet met – they

are simply UNDISCOVERED

Timebanking is a Timebanking is a structure that helps structure that helps achieve all of these achieve all of these

thingsthings

• People are assets The real wealth of any society is its people. Every individual has valuable experience, skills and connections to contribute to the wellbeing of others in their local community.

• Redefining work Activities such as bringing up children, caring for people, keeping communities safe, fighting injustice and making democracy work have to be recognised and rewarded as real work.

• Working together We need each other. Giving and receiving are the basic building blocks of positive social relationships and healthy communities.

• Improving our communities Belonging to a mutually supportive and secure social network brings more meaning to our lives and new opportunities to rebuild our trust in one another.

• Empowerment The voices of those we are helping must be respected, amplified, responded to and acted upon.

What do communities that include people with

disabilities and older people look like?

How a Timebank worksHow a Timebank works Local people list all the skills and activities that they are happy to share

with others

Time credits are used as a medium of exchange; an hour’s activity earns each person one time credit

Everyone agrees to ‘give and take’, to both earn and spend time credits in their community

The time credits that people earn are deposited in their individual timebank ‘accounts’, at the time bank

People can spend their time credits on the skills and activities on offer from the community, or donate them to a ‘community pot’

Details of everyone’s skills and of the exchanges that take place are recorded on the time bank computer and used by the ‘time-broker’ to match people up with the tasks that need to be done.

Everyone is an equal and valued member of the time bank

How a Timebank worksHow a Timebank works

To think about.......To think about.......

• What do you want to get out of a time bank?• Who can help you get started?• What groups already exist in your area? • Where will you base yourself?• What resources have you got? (Telephone, computer,

information, people)• How will you tell people about time banking and get them to

join?• Have you got some basic rules for exchanges that

everyone can agree to?• What action do you need to take now?