Time Banking < Go back

At the heart of time banking are five core values:

• People are assets. The real wealth of this society is its people. Every human being can be a builder and contributor. A time bank recognises this by allowing members to define for themselves what they consider to be a valuable asset, and enshrining its value through the hour for an hour principle
• Redefining work. Work must be redefined to include whatever it takes to raise healthy children, preserve families, make neighbourhoods safe and vibrant, care for frail and vulnerable people, redress injustice and make democracy work. A time bank provides liquidity to activity that informally contributes towards these things.
• Reciprocity. The impulse to give back is universal. Wherever possible, we must replace one-way acts of largess in whatever form with two-way transactions. “You need me” becomes “we need each other” in a time bank.
• Social capital. Humans require a social infrastructure as essential as roads, bridges and utility lines. Social networks require ongoing investments of social capital generated by trust, reciprocity, and civic engagement. A time bank creates a system that builds social capital – every action leaves a footprint.
• Respect. By respecting and recognising value in the contribution we can all make, we hard-wire a critical feedback loop into the way we work.

Time banking is meant to be organic, inviting, transformational and enable people to link up with each other in a natural way, so that they can easily become friends. In many ways, it is its informality that generates trust which in turns stimulates social connections and reduces isolation.