Timebanking in Islington

It’s about time.
Once upon a time we knew our neighbours and who to ask for a favour when we needed one. Our neighbours knew they could ask us for a favour in return too. Life is different now and it isn’t easy to ask a stranger for a favour. A time bank is a way to make strangers into good neighbours.

A time bank is an informal and very flexible way of volunteering. Every hour you help out locally earns you a time credit in the time bank. Those time credits can then be used by you to ‘buy’ help. That can be anything people want to share – gardening, knitting, a music lesson, IT advice, bringing food to a picnic, help filling in forms, salsa dancing – you name it.

Put something in, get something back
All activities offered are valued equally – one hour spent helping someone get to the shops is treated as being of equal value to an hour running the country. You offer what you like doing, when you are free to do it. All we insist is that all participants agree to be a giver and a receiver – this isn’t one-way volunteering.

Most time bank participants have not volunteered before. Often that is because they used to think they had nothing to offer. We believe everyone has skills and knowledge of value. That means having no formal qualifications isn’t an issue. Inexperience or disability confers no disadvantage either. If it takes someone longer to do a piece of work they simply earn more credits. In fact the only way a personcan earn more credits than another one is by putting more of their time into the community.

We know that the exchanges develop confidence & self-esteem. They also create new relationships.. You’ll feel useful. You’ll be useful. You’ll have fun and you’ll make new friends.

Find a time bank
There are over 250 time banks operating around the country and there are seven here in Islington – the most in any London borough.
Click this link to visit the Islington time bank website – you’ll also find contact details for all the other time banks are listed there.

Joining a time bank is easy. A Broker will ask you to fill in a form and provide two references. Then we will need to meet you for an induction and to find out what you want to do and what you might need help with. When you’re accepted you’ll then be able to take part in activities at any of the time banks.

Individuals and organisations (organisations join time banks too!) can also contact:

Peter Roberts
Islington Time Banks
c/o The Factory Community Project
The Walnut Tree, Bronte House
Mayville Estate, London N16 8LG
Tel: 020 7249 5373
Mob: 07828 593826

For more information on time banking visit Timebanking UK