Have a little time on your hands?

Why not invest it in Timebank?

I have a LOT of time on my hands, as you know, and much of it is wasted in front of the TV. I decided that I wanted to feel a little more useful, and wondered if I could volunteer. I made some enquiries and, obviously, it’s hard to find a place for someone who is unreliable (albeit through no fault of my own). I thought I could maybe become a telephone ‘Befriender’ as even I can talk on the phone for a short while, once a week. Nope, that involved going to an office to make the call, making it out of my reach. The scenario was the same for everything I tried…until Age Concern contacted me about a project called Timebank.

Timebank is a way of volunteering within your local community. Basically, you offer any skills that you think may be of use to someone ie decorating, typing a letter, gardening, walking a dog, returning a library book. Anything! Your time is logged and then you can use your banked hours to use other volunteers’ services: maybe you want a haircut or a cake baked. It really is as diverse as that. It’s ideal for people who want to help others, but need flexibility. You give a little, you get a little back – sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? You can do as much or as little as you want and members receive support from their co-ordinator.

I’ve added a link to the right of this Blog page, if you’re interested in seeing what it’s all about.