Newly elected District Councillor Shrobona Bhattacharya (above, centre right) helped to launch the roll-out of timebanking in South Cambs at a presentation at SCDC's offices last week.

It follows the initiative by the SCDC Conservative leadership last year to include two new pilot timebanks in the 2018-2019 corporate plan, which the new administration at SCDC has picked up and is now rolling out.

It is part of a proposal to help parish councils start their own local schemes based on several years' experience of Cambourne Timebank, which was founded in 2012 and is a member of Timebanking UK.

Timebanking is...
Timebanking is an exchange-based work trading system in which hours are the currency.

With timebanking, a person with one skill set can bank and trade hours of work for equal hours of work in another skill set instead of paying or being paid for services.  Everyone's time is equal, irrespective of whatever they choose to exchange.

Timebanking also helps to build social networks of people who give and receive support from each other, enabling those from different backgrounds, who may not otherwise meet, to come together and form connections and friendships – generating 'social capital' in this way can be important to peoples' health, wellbeing and resilience and can prevent 'needs' from arising.

Thus timebanking can help some of the most marginalised people feel a sense of self-worth and belonging.   And because it defines people by what they are prepared to do for others rather than what or who they are, it also helps to bridge previously unbridgeable divides: race, class, gender and national origin.

Helping others to help oneself
By making use of assets and resources, such as gardening for decorating, the free use of a spare meeting room or an individual's ability to spend time with someone else, timebank members gain equal access to resources which might typically be beyond their means or capabilities.  It also allows people to learn new skills or take advantage of training opportunities.

Members can be part of a team or offer their own practical help, such as looking after someone's guinea pigs while they are away or give an elderly neighbour a hand to sort out their cupboards.

Other examples from Cambourne include being sociable – organising weekly coffee mornings, an annual Christmas lunch and holding a film night.

Key to reducing loneliness
Timebanking also takes forward a strand of the anti-loneliness work developed last year by Conservative councillor Sue Ellington when she held the health and wellbeing portfolio for South Cambridgeshire District Council.

"As Portfolio holder for health and wellbeing I believed then – and still do – timebanking can be key in reducing loneliness," said Sue, who is District Councillor for Swavesey.  "It increases social contacts and builds new relationships in a community."

Charity involvement too
Cllr Shrobona Bhattacharya is one of two Conservative councillors representing Cambourne on South Cambs District Council and founder of CamCare UK – Cambourne's local registered charity.  She said "We run 12 to 15 different community projects engaging people of all ages and work closely with Cambourne Timebank.

"As our timebank coordinator does not live locally, I've picked up many jobs and visited elderly people, fixed their computer or mobile phones and taken patients to the hospital for an appointment."

Cambourne Timebank is particularly active.  Madhuparna Dutta – Madhu – moved to Cambourne last year without knowing anyone except her colleagues at Cambridge University.  "I met her at a car boot sale at The Hub parking lot," said Shrobona.  "Then I invited her for tea at our house – afterwards she became a member of our Cookery Club and the Cambourne Timebank."

"Thanks to being involved with our local timebank scheme, I've met more people and made friends in various social occasions," said Madhu.  "I now have a very busy social life in Cambourne."

Two other Cambourne Timebank members are mother and daughter Darcy and Flo Simpson.  "We love being timebank members because we can earn time credits doing things we find fun, like baking cakes, helping at community events, litter picking, editing the Cambourne Crier and looking after pets," said Darcy.

"We feel part of a community of kind and interesting people among whom there is a wonderful spirit of equality.  It's a great way to socialise and help locally – and we can spend our time credits on free visits to the cinema, the swimming pool and exciting outings."

More joining
At the timebanking launch were parish chairs and councillors from across the district.  Kevin Cuffley, chair of Sawston Parish Council and a County Councillor, was one of them.  He said: "It was an excellent presentation, very well attended and showed many of the benefits timebanking can offer to all within their community.

"Timebanking is helping people with mental health issues as well as helping to prevent isolation.  It's good to create cohesion and resilience within our communities.

"As the chair of Sawston Parish Council, I am pleased to say Sawston will be looking at how timebanking can work for the village and what it can offer to our residents."

A spokesman for South Cambs District Council said "The Council is committed to helping kickstart timebanks within the SCDC area.  We are more than happy to help parishes with advice and support to set up rural timebanks in their village."

The contact e-mail at SCDC is duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk.

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South Cambridgeshire District Council

T  03450 450 500
F  01954 713 149
E  scdc@scambs.gov.uk
T  @SouthCambs
W www.scambs.gov.uk

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