About Time connects people and encourages & co-ordinates the exchange of skills & time
'About Time' is a project run by volunteers and involving people from all backgrounds. Twice a week 'About Time' offers free lunches for asylum seekers & refugees and all others in need [since August 2006], followed by language classes especially aimed at refugees or asylum seekers who have been in the UK less than 6 months or those on the waiting list for other provision in Plymouth [since May 2007]. The language classes are open to migrant workers on low incomes. 'About Time' also offers a Timebank, encouraging & co-ordinating the exchange of skills & time amongst the community. 'Timebank' is a scheme where people share skills with others and get rewarded for it, in time. For every hour spent helping someone, an hours help is earned in return. Skills as diverse as DIY, hairdressing, dog walking, mentoring, teaching life-skills, help in the garden, altering clothes and so on. 'About Time' is open to people of all ages, abilities, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We are especially interested in welcoming people who might need an extra hand, whether unemployed, elderly, disabled, on low income, asylum seekers or refugees, lone parents-whatever the reason.
Why the community needs usIndices of deprivation show the area in which About Time operates as an area of high deprivation, high unemployment, and poor social cohesion. By offering the Timebank, we aim to help those who have limited funds to access services that they could not normally afford as well as increasing contact with the wider community and to improve both mental and physical wellbeing
Throughout the UK, the elderly and retired members of Time Banks benefit from the projects.
Our impact on the communitypeople joining About Time Timebank, exchange skills and time and so work together to tackle their problems, gain the help and support needed and have a healthy social network. Valuing each skill equally reduces feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. This spirit of equality builds individual confidence
elderly people have access to help and support to remain independent and are actively involved in the community, feel needed and equally valued, giving their skills and time too
