Time Bank provides for trade-off in skills

STONEHOUSE residents could benefit from free music and language lessons, dog walking services and DIY as a new scheme gets off the ground.

The Stonehouse Time Bank, designed as a way for the community to trade skills, will now run from 1-3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at The Oasis Cafe.

Time Banking is a way for people to pool knowledge without money changing hands, said Michelle Virgo, who is working on the Stonehouse Time Bank.

For every hour someone spends doing a task, they get back an hour's worth of work from someone else.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

Ben Scheuregger, volunteer Time Bank broker, said: "We're just getting started. There has been lots of interest on Facebook and from people coming into the Oasis cafe."

Launched two months ago residents have been signing up, offering cake-baking, dog-walking, bicycle repair, DIY, van-driving, language tuition and website design along with guitar lessons.

Plymouth City Council has commissioned the Zebra Collective to help communities set up these systems.

Emma Titah, a volunteer Time Bank broker, added: "The possibilities are endless - this is a really worthwhile project."

Michelle, of Zebra Collective, said: "The Time Bank steering group and brokers all live locally and have heaps of energy and ideas for their Time Bank. It's an exciting project to be involved with."

She said the Stonehouse Time Bank steering group had decided to hold a day where Time Bank members would be able to earn Time Credits by helping with a practical project in the community, likely to be in late June or early July.

She said: "We have some ideas for projects, but would like to hear from local groups who have a project they'd like us to work on."

Ways to get involved:

Join the Time Bank and become an active member. Whatever you offer or need, the Time Broker is likely to know of someone you can exchange with.

Become a Time Broker: The Time Banks are co-ordinated by a team of local brokers who earn Time Credits for running the Time Bank. Full training and support is available for Time Brokers

Join the Steering Group: The Time Bank is managed by a local steering group who offer advice and support to the brokers.