Who are Timebanking UK?

Time Banking UK is the national umbrella charity linking and supporting time banks across the country. We provide support, advice, guidance, resources and training to anyone interested in learning about timebanking, incorporating timebanking into their organisation or those who want to start up community time banks.

Timebanking UK supports all models of timebanking in all settings, with organisational timebanking becoming a big part of the sustainability plans of networks across the country.

Timebanking is witnessing extraordinary growth since the first time banks in the UK in 1998.  Spread to over 40 nations and 6 continents, there is now over 26,000 people time banking in the UK alone who have generated over 1.3 million hours of support for each other. There are new time banks being set up every week.  With the twin drivers of the public deficit crisis and the Coalition Government’s commitment to hand more power and responsibility to local communities and individuals, the political climate could not be more supportive of time banking.

We are a charity and company limited by guarantee.

Our head office is in Stroud, Gloucestershire where our core team work and liaise with time banks across the country.

OUR VISION

Timebanking UK believes in a world in which people may have all they need for their own well being by contributing what they can to:

• Building community
• Caring for the marginalized
• Bringing up healthy children
• Fighting injustice

To do this we have three clear roles: HELPING, THINKING & DOING.

1) Helping -

Supporting timebanking projects and our membership through advice, consultancy, training and technical support

2) Thinking -

Researching and evaluating timebanks projects, helping to shape the policy debate around coproduction and sytem change

3) Doing -

Prototyping and piloting new models of timebanking and co-productions, such as the ‘Shares’ social marketplace.

Who do we work with?

We work primarily with organisations from the public and community sectors, in a consultancy and advisory capacity

Our training programmes cover a broad range of interests through from local community champions interested in timebanking to commissioners of public services.

Our software and support packages are open to everyone.