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Hello Timebankers!
Welcome to the May edition of the Timebank South West Newsletter where you will find a feast for your eyes!
We bring you coverage of our 10 year celebration event and the North Prospect Timebank re launch, we introduce our new team members and promote an opportunity to work with us. We also have opportunities to exchange and share recent skill swaps.
We have been busy and so have our members, with the sun doing its best to shine on us we are feeling inspired, we have the launch of our newest Timebank in Plympton, plans for another Timebank On Tour are brewing as well as lots of linking in with local projects, activities and celebration events.
As well as this it is The Queens Jubilee this week!
So, get your glad rags ready to party like a royal!
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Ten Years of Timebanking!
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On Friday 1st April Timebank South West celebrated their 10th anniversary surrounded by our wonderful members and supporters.
What a magnificent day we all had in the Grade ll listed building of Plymouth Guildhall which was kindly donated for us to use for free by Plymouth City Council for the day’s anniversary celebration.
Sally, Zoe, Liza and timebank members rolled up their sleeves and began by hanging up beautiful paper flowers, bunting and placed table decorations all made by timebank members.
The event was opened by our Lord Mayor, Terri Beer who was delighted to see the amount of people there to share our special day, she spoke about the importance of community and making friends.
Rachel Silcock, Plymouth City Council Community Empowerment Operational Lead also spoke to thank our organisational and individual members for their continued support and to champion the new Age Positive project we are working on together with Improving Lives Plymouth and Social Prescribers.
Joining us on the day were a large number of groups and organisations who all share our main goal, to help each other out and reduce isolation. With activities, information, resources and face to face conversations on offer we were really on to a winner.
There was such a wonderful buzz in the room, the joy of being able to meet together, to network, chat and share stories as well as catch up with people we haven't seen for some time. It was just great!
“It was a great atmosphere, the interaction was amazing and it was a joy to be a part of the celebrations. Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate with you and absolutely here’s to another 10 years of Timebank”-
Kay N, Unify Plymouth
Lunch on the day was prepared and served by our wonderful trustee Carole Hickling who did a wonderful job of sourcing delicious treats for our guests made up of party favourites including cheese and pineapple sticks, jelly and ice-cream, biscuits, pizzas, fruit, meat and vegetarian buns, quiches, and vegan salads, served with lashings of tea, coffee, fruit juice and lots of cream and party cakes. Carol was helped in the kitchen by another Timebank trustee, Jo Bussell who we appreciated pitching in and going above and beyond.
The afternoon was filled with food, fun, friends and a little funky dancing!
So many of our Timebank members gave their time in the run up to the event to help prepare with John, Amanda and Kevin staying for hours after their regular social on a Wednesday. On the day we Had Tony, Lou, Di and Bev adding to those who gave extra time to set up ahead of the opening. In true Timebank fashion they pulled together and shared their time and abilities to get us ready to go. A very special thanks goes out to them.
During the afternoon we had the wonderful Annaleise from Honicknowle providing sit-down dance for all in the side room and then Toby G of Street Factory joined us to get everyone doing a little Hip Hop handy-work too! It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon finished off with an exciting raffle where prizes like Meal vouchers, Foraging walks, Basketball tickets, Macrame, Champage and Floral arrangements were won.
Take a look below at the short video which will hopefully sum up the event and how well it went for all.
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What a wonderful afternoon with you all!
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Joining us on the day was Caroline Blackler, who was very kind in writing a story covering the event. We have included an image of her piece, however you may well have had the Chronicle land on your doorstep or seen it online!
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Welcome to our new
Timebank Team Members
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Communications and Admin Worker
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Hello, my name is Cherise Dutton and I am the new Communications and Administration Worker for Timebank South West.
My workdays are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I am looking forward to getting to know all the members and helping the Outreach Workers organise and arrange skill swaps.
I will also be working on various social media sites to raise further awareness of Timebank South West and hopefully attract more members.
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I am very passionate about the community as I have spent most of my adult life in Plymouth and look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience to help this amazing charity flourish and bloom.
As a Timebank member I can help people with learning Spanish, pet care and online shopping.
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Age Positive Project Coordinator
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I’m Kirsty, Coordinator for the Age Positive Project – a project aimed at over 65s across Plymouth. We’ll be working hard to encourage people in this age group to get involved.I started at Plymouth University in 1992, graduated in 1996 and have never left! I’ve worked across Plymouth doing lots of different jobs within the youth and community sector since then and have met many amazing people along the way.
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Anti-poverty work, advice and information, debt advice, careers advice, supported teenage parents, youth work, participation work with children in care and care leavers so their voice is heard, advocacy work with SEND young people, supported parents experiencing relationship breakdown and supported university students.
I’ve had the privilege of helping people discover their potential and self confidence and then watched them fly. Working with people is what I enjoy and I believe that together we can build stronger communities and networks. Timebank South West has given me an amazing opportunity to continue to work in this way. A project that believes that everyone can get involved, has something to offer and be someone else’s hero.
As a Timebank member I can offer a lift, help with forms, go to an appointment with someone as well as practical things like moving stuff, gardening, painting, dog walking.
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What's the Age Positive Project all about? ...
Age Positive is an exciting, new Timebank South West project for over 65s across Plymouth. Timebanking has, over many years, been incredibly successful in bringing people together, reducing loneliness and isolation, having a positive effect on physical and emotional well being, supporting neighbours to help neighbours and creating ways for people to feel connected to where they live.
Through Age Positive we are aiming to increase the number of people aged 65 years and over in Plymouth involved in timebanking because older people have so much to offer others but have told us they do not always feel part of their community, sometimes need help with things but don't like to ask. Timebank South West is the way to change that and help to make aging a positive experience. We will be launching new timebanks in 4 areas of Plymouth in the coming months - Plympton, Plymstock, Mount Gould and Southway. We're also really keen to involve more people aged 65 and over in our existing timebanks too.
We'd love anyone aged 18 or over to get involved in the new timebanks (they aren't just for over 65s) so if you're interested in swapping your skills or finding out about the socials that will be happening please get in touch. Age Positive is keen to hear from anyone aged 65 plus who might like to get involved - you can contact us direct to find out more. Alternatively you can either ask your GP to refer to you via a Social Prescriber at your practice or ask someone to get in touch on your behalf.
Age Positive is funded through Plymouth's Integrated Care for Older People (iCOPE) initiative and is a partnership between Timebank South West, Wolseley Trust Healthy Futures and Improving Lives Plymouth.
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We are super excited to get the first of our new Timebanks up and running in early July. Join Timebank team members Sally and Kirsty at The Rees Centre on Saturday 2nd July from 1 pm - 3pm to find out all you need to know about Timebanking in Plympton where there will be refreshments and activities for all.
We are proud to provide a friendly, supportive and fun way to engage with others in your community, share skills you have that can help others and discover what help others can offer you.
Whether it's something you have learned, something you practice or a natural ability, we want to know all about it!
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Post: Timebank Outreach Worker P/T
Hours: 16 or 21 hours a week
Salary: £20,685 (FTE)
Location: Plymouth - various neighbourhoods and Whitleigh Office base
Deadline for applications: Monday 20th June 2022
Interview date to be confirmed.
Visit our website for further information or click the tabs below.
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Opportunities to exchange
Do you remember the skills you said you would like to share when you became a Timebank member? Whether you are tech savvy, proficient with plants or have a natural dexterity for DIY - wanting to share your knowledge is what brought us together. So, take a look below at the exchange requests we have from members, are you able to help with any of them?
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Above, clockwise from the left - Caroline put a request out for a dog lead to be made out of the Star Wars ribbon she had recently purchased, Zoe earned herself an hour sewing it together for her. Robert Turner earned 2 hours for hosting a wonderful water colour presentation and art session at Stonehouse Timebank and Mary earned herself 2 hours for re felting the inside of Roberts Wooden storage box.
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Below: Viki and Tony get stuck in to weeding and tidying up the communal garden at the back of Viki's flat, Tony earned himself an hour for helping out. Devonport members enjoyed a Batik session with fellow member Rosie, who gave her time to introduce us to the art form and create beautiful designs of squares of cotton. Some members have earned hours by creating knitted, crocheted or felted sea life to donate to Age UK in Plymouth who are creating a hand-made fish tank for their Dementia patients to enjoy. Members in Devonport and Efford have earned hours by supporting and promoting Timebank at recent events, and Robert has earned 2 hours from Tony for painting a beautiful sky scene on a piece of wood.
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As well as these exchanges, we have also had people exchanges these skills with one another; Making a jacket pattern, helping out in the kitchen, taking a pair of jeans up, making a guinea pig ramp,
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On Monday 9th May Outreach worker Sally hosted the re launch of North Prospect Timebank. Having moved to their new venue at St James the less Church on Ham Drive, Sally decided to use the opportunity to invite everyone along to pop in for a cuppa and cake while finding out about Timebank.
Joining Sally at the re launch were new team members Kirsty and Cherise, it was a good opportunity for them to see how we engage with the community and promote what we do.
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We were delighted when offered the space at St James as it gave is a chance to be slightly more accessible to residents in the area and we look forward to welcoming more members each week.
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Barne Barton Timebank news
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We have many Timebankers in the area who are keen to help others or to just share their skills and interests.
From I.T help, gardening, dog walking, baking, wild
bird advice, quizzing, and cleaning to name a few,
are all are on offer and free!
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In an exciting new move Timebank will also be in St Budeaux
once a month at William Sutton Hall, 6 Shelly
Way, St Budeaux, PL5 1QF starting on Thursday 9th June at 10.00am onward. To
find out more email liza@timebanksw.org
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Ernesettle T9mebank members have enjoyed helping at community events where it is always wonderful to have our members around, who better to promote the joys of Timebanking than the members themselves. They have also recently helped put together and deliver the local newsletter 'Up The Creek' and tidy up at the Ernesettle Allotment Project.
Laraine said ‘It is great to be able to help the community, that you live in, out’
With other Timebank areas a minibus was hired and members from Honicknowle, Efford,
Whitleigh and Ernesettle went to the Tavistock Dickensian Evening.
With In January 2022 we have been able to go back in to the SPACE Centre with some restrictions
on group size. We have been chatting and taking part in quizzes.
Within the year we have also been helping a few people when we have been allowed to. We
have done gardening, knitting a cardigan for someone and checking someone’s boiler as they
didn’t have any hot water.
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Honicknowle News ...
Since starting at the Church we have been gardening, making jam, silk scarf painting, wreath making and Christmas log making. We ended the year with a Christmas meal kindly cooked by Tony M and we had a visit from Santa and did a Secret Santa.
Recently we have received money from a local councillor who gave money to look after the community orchard and put on a Platinum Jubilee event.
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Whitleigh News ...
In Whitleigh we are enjoying getting together at Four Greens Community Trust, planning trips and taking part in activities, we have also now got back to being able to invite people from other areas for our cooked breakfast mornings which we are very pleased about.
Members from Whitleigh, Honicknowle, Ernesettle and NP have also recently enjoyed a trip to Heligan with Sally.
"Brilliant day out, would like to be able to have more trips out" Louise M
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If you would like to find out more about the sessions that we do or would like to find out
more about Timebank get hold of Sally who is the Outreach worker for Ernesettle on 07723
087263 or by email: sally@timebanksw.org. You can also find us on facebook
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Other Information & Resources
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Fancy a Jubilee street Party?
A total of 45 streets will be closed to traffic for street parties at some point over the extended Bank Holiday weekend which runs from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June.
Find out if there is one near you here.
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Nothing says 'celebration' like bunting and flags! Join staff at The Box during May half term to cut, colour, stitch and decorate triangles to add to their bunting ribbon, before coming in to see it on display between 2-5 June.
Find out more here.
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St Budeaux Parish Church are showing off flower arrangements/displays for the Queens Platinum Jubilee.
You can also take in the beautiful historic church where Sir Francis Drake married Mary Newman and view the Wedding Certificate.
2nd - 5th June
Find out more here
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The Mermaid Challenge
Taking place at Tinside Lido in Plymouth, on Bank Holiday Thursday 2nd June 2022 at 9.30AM and will be a great start to the Platinum Jubilee long bank holiday weekend celebrations.
The Mermaid Challenge will be to set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of mermaids - mermen and merchildren also welcome.
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Go to Visit Plymouth to find out what other wonderful Jubilee events are going on around Plymouth over the coming Bank Holiday weekend.
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