Banking My Time Too

Friends and Neighbours

2008-11-10T13:38:00.008Z

As part of the Banking My Time Too project, we have been piloting a serices of workshops about Friends and Neighbours.

Lots of people with a learning disability have been sharing what it means to be part of their community. This is a group from the Friends and Neighbours workshop in London.

We also produced some posters about what we think community means. Here are some of them.

Conference in London

2008-02-13T16:32:00.003Z

Yesterday we had our second conference in London. Almost 70 people came. Jemma wrote some words and pictures to help us remember what had been said. We have put pictures of the sheets here.

We have put the powerpoint presentations from the conferences on the ARC website

This is what one person said about the conference in London:
Excellent informative conference - really pleased I came. Lovely food - thank you - and friendly people to work alongside. Will take back much to my place of work. Real Communities workshop was very good.

We would love to hear from other people who came to the conferences or are involved in timebanking.

Project Conference in Gloucester

2008-01-31T16:23:00.002Z

We held the first of our two conferences to share our experiences at City works in Gloucester. We had a 'sell out' attendence of around 60 people, almost half of whom had a learning disability.

Everyone who came was pleased with the day, some said they learnt a lot of new things. We now have lots of suggestions to go away and think about for the final few months of the project.

Trip to West Midlands Safari Park

2007-11-21T12:50:00.000Z

The Gloucestershire Time Banks recently organised a social trip out to the West Midlands Safari Park. The Fair Shares minibus is a great asset at such times!

Alice, a participant with learning disabilities who lives in the North Cotswolds, went along for the day out. She says "it was really nice and I really enjoyed it." She met some new people and they were "very nice". She thinks the Time Bank is "a really good idea" and the weekly lifts she had to her riding lesson were "really useful".

Alice earns time credits by offering ironing, helping with social events and dog-walking.

Banking My Time Too Workshop

2007-10-24T12:16:00.000+01:00

All the project pilots got together today to talk about what they had been doing.

George and Mark talked about what they had been doing in Gloucester Fair Shares, supported by Shelley.

This is a picture of them.

Neal talked about attitudes to people with a learning disability.

ARC Three Counties Branch meeting

2007-10-03T16:06:00.002+01:00

The following piece was hand-written by a participant who attended the ARC Three Counties Branch meeting along with myself and Tracey to talk about his participation in the Time Bank. It has been typed up exactly as written. He does not wish his name to be used online.

Thursday 27th September 2007

I was picked up by Jo and Tracey from Fair Shares. We drove down to a college outside Stroud. It was a small one. First buffet lunch. Joined a group called ARC. Tracey and I were the only helpers with Jo there. Films were shown picture of me in Jo's garden. Another one doing communaty work in the town in Moreton when there was an open day. Glos radio were there. Office Tracey working in it.

There are a few round Gloucester. A man came all the way from Devon to atend to the meeting as there is nowhere in Devon.

It was basicly about people with learning disobillaty rights to be imvolved with a time Bank thing. We were in a small group Tracey Jo myself asking how we got to know Fair Shares how it has helped us. Spoke about me doing gardening for Jo and the retired tutor who lives in Moreton Plus delivering Moreton Times. Followed up to me having paid job delivering Obsurver round my airea. Nice coments about my gardening at Jo's that she could do with ten people like me. One walks her dogs.

There were about 20 people who is in ARC Group who came. Then we had a game playing with them. Asking if they have helped anyone lately and if they have helped them. Some of it was the same sort of thing in what we did at a hotel outside Oxford and Chipping Norton where I went with Kate and Tracey at the day service at Chipping Norton. It was said driver who took one of my people horse rising had artheriters so could not take them.

Us all have had police checks.

I did say that working for Fair Shares is like being with another family how I work at Jo's house then I am given a drink sit with her and the children. We chat. Work comes first. It was said Jo and Lyn works 14 hours a week. We were there a few hours. But confrence was longer. Pitty it was short and sweet as I would have loved to have spoken to people who works for ARC with diffrent kinds of learning disoblillaties. One I did chat to works in an office.

Jo had to be home on good time.

Fair Shares is for all kinds of people.

When I first met them was when we had Madd day in Moreton. Short for make a difference day. That was back in Oct when I was living at Roseville it was in Oct about Year 2004 the year when it was 40th birthday of The Home Farm Trust. Due to the one off events I decided to go home shorter to my family then come back for it. I did not know that I was going to work for them.

Radio Glos was there. There were more staff working for Fair Shares. I did go to there cinma before when I was at Roseville. Madd day sort of had events at St Davids School did something in the garden. I think we had an HFT Store. By having one we must have helped to have got our selves known and home now helps them.

Plus in Madd day was involved with my people living in places in there own.

The College aparantly takes young stewdiance with learning disoblities. It did not look like a big one. The afternoon was so nice I was sorry that it ended buffet was soup chease salad.

Fair Shares has lots of meetings hear and there. Next one that I won't be going to is Oxford it will give more people a chance to go plus away at my famlies.

Healthy walk around Ladywell Park

2007-09-28T09:30:00.000+01:00

Wayne and his support worker Noella have been coming to Ryshey Green's healthy walks every Tuesday morning. Our members meet at the surgery at 11am and Phyllis (member) leads the way to Ladywell Park where we do a couple of rounds.
Everybody agrees it's a great way to stay active and healthy and it also helps to lose weight!

Bromham's first social evening

2007-08-03T12:23:00.000+01:00

Eleven members attended this first social evening in July. It was an opportunity to get to know one another and think about the types of exchanges the members would like to be involved in - both giving and receiving.
This identified a number of skills that are needed, which
can be highlighted in the article for the next Bromham newsletter to encourage new members.
Lots of ideas for social events were also discussed, some of which could raise some funds.
A small group has started to go to weekly aquarobic classes together and other events are in the planning stage.
It was also a fun evening, as one of the members demonstrated her face painting skills on willing volunteers - (on hands for the not so brave) - as shown in the photo above!
I have had contact with two people who live in a local 'adult placement' setting, and am hoping they will be interested in becoming members.
Meanwhile, our next social is planned for an afternoon in August. The theme - due to popular demand - healthy eating!

Rushey Green Time Bank - AGM

2007-07-26T13:38:00.000+01:00

On July the 4th we had our AGM and 7th Birthday party. It was a lovely evening with yummy food from around the world, poetry, karaoke, salsa dancing, live music and many more. We invited our 2 potential members with learning disabilities together with their supporting staff along to meet all the members. We all really liked Wayne and Stephen and i got the imression they really liked us too! Wayne made some sandwiches to bring along and thoroughly enjoyed the salsa lesson and dancing (he's a great dancer!). Unfortunatelly it wasn't one of Stephens best days but he still managed to smile alot and talk to members. We also had the pleasure of having Lesley Dean with us (thank you Lesley for making the effort to come such a long way). All in all a very succesful evening we will remember for a long time!
In the photo from left to right: Darek, Joe, Stephen, Noella, Wayne

Tracey

2007-07-19T13:48:00.000+01:00

Tracey has been coming in to help in the office at the North Cotswolds Community Time Bank since September 2004. She comes in twice a week for 3 or 4 hours and helps out in whatever way she can. She does photocopying, sending out mailings, running errands in town, putting event posters round town, takes items for recycling to the recycling centre, and keeps visitors supplied with tea and coffee.

Tracey travels on the bus to get to Moreton-in-Marsh. When she first started coming over, she needed help to get used to the bus journey and someone at the office would meet her at the bus stop and walk her back to the office. Before long, her confidence grew enough to make the journey all on her own.

Tracey is a great asset in the Fair Shares office as, with limited staff time, we really appreciate all her help in getting time-consuming tasks done. She is friendly and chatty and makes all visitors feel very welcome.

Tracey herself says "I really like coming to Fair Shares because I have made lots of friends and I have learned a lot, such as how to send faxes, laminating, and the other things they do in the office. It is nice to have something to do. I hope at some point to get a paid job and I feel more confident about doing that now."

Tracey has proved that she can do even more than she ever imagined when she went along to a conference and spoke to a large room-full of health professionals about her experiences in the Time Bank. "I would never have done that before," she says.

More about Gloucestershire

2007-07-18T16:50:00.000+01:00

The Gloucestershire project is based at the North Cotswolds Community Time Bank, in conjunction with the Gloucester City Time Bank, both of which are run by Fair Shares Gloucestershire.

The North Cotswolds Community Time Bank was started in April 2002 with an office based in Moreton-in-Marsh, but covering the whole of the North Cotswolds, an area of around 226 square miles. Our area includes the towns of Northleach, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Campden.

From the beginning of the Time Bank we have enjoyed having participants from all sections of the community, including people with learning disabilities. We have received referrals from service providers and have made much use of the willingness and enthusiasm of these participants.

By the time the ARC project and funding began here in April 2007, we already had 8 participants with learning disabilities, within a total membership of around 110. These participants were taking part in regular assignments including dog-walking, helping in the Fair Shares office, gardening, leaflet and magazine delivery and ironing. The services they like to receive have included receiving lifts, being taken shopping and manicures.

Bromham Time Bank - how it began

2007-07-06T08:57:00.000+01:00

The 'Banking my time too' project has enabled me to visit a number of Time Banks across England. I realised what a benefit they are to the local community and started to think how they would help people I knew, and decided to go ahead and set one up in Bromham.
The Parish Council were helpful and I was just in time to put an article in the newsletter that goes to every home in the village. I was given a room in the village hall free of charge to hold a meeting for people who were interested in finding out more.
I spoke to numerous people who seemed interested in the idea of having a local time bank, so ended up having an initial meeting in my home at the end of May, which seven people attended, followed by a smaller meeting in the village hall in June.
So far we have 12 members. The first exchange took place on June 11th, when a member put together a powerpoint presentation for me to use at the meeting on the following day.
Then on the 18th, two 'artistic' members supported one another to show another member some simple drawing techniques - see photo above. This will assist in her teaching adults English.
In this exchange, besdies the actual drawing lesson, the recipient gave a lift to one of the 'tutors' whilst the other 'tutor' hosted the exchange and provided lunch - they had a very enjoyable afternoon together!
A few more exchanges are being considered, but hopefully more will be discussed when we meet for a social evening on July 17th. This will be an opportunity for the members to meet and get to know one another and learn, (or experience!) the art of face painting.

Getting going in Bromham

2007-06-21T11:41:00.000+01:00

Bromham is a large village in Bedfordshire. Until recently very few people knew about time banking, however they now have 11 members, and are aiming for lots more, including people with a learning disability.

We will be documenting their progress, and hopefully learning lots which other new time banks can benefit from.

If you would like to know more about setting up a new time bank, you can read all about it in a step by step guide published on the web by Time Banks UK.

Rushy Green Time Bank

2007-06-21T11:34:00.000+01:00

Rushey Green Time Bank is located in a general practice health centre in Lewisham, South East London. It was founded in 1999 by Rushey Green Group Practice - instigated by Dr Richard Byng with the New Economics Foundation – as an innovative way to promote well-being and health, social inclusion and social capital locally.

Rushey Green Time Bank allows members to give and receive a wide range of neighbourly support – from lifts to accompanying people to the shops, from companionship to checking up on people after hospital discharge. People can be referred to the Time Bank by their doctors or by other service providers or they can join direct themselves.

The time bank are working closely with Nexus Support Services to promote the active involvement of people with a learning disability, and to share information about learning disabilities with others in the neighbourhood.

The Gloucestershire Pilot

2007-06-21T11:01:00.000+01:00

Fair Shares Gloucester is working with ARC as one ot the Banking My Time Too Pilot projects. This is a collaboration between the Gloucester Time Bank, the North Cotswold Community Time Bank and members from Home Farm Trust at Moreton in Marsh.

Introducing the Banking My Time Too Pilots

2007-06-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

The Banking My Time Too project is working with three local time banks to support them to involve people with a learning disability.

This blog is designed to enable members from each of the pilots to share their experiences, ideas, photos, or anything else they feel would be useful to encourage each other or to feed back to the project workers.

When you post to the blog, please use the appropriate 'label' to help others know who you are, and which pilot your are involved with.