Location
Years
2009- 2017
Activity
Time banking is a tool used to organise people or organisations in a system of exchange, whereby they are able to trade skills, resources and expertise through time. For every hour participants ‘deposit’ in a time bank by giving practical help and support to others, they are able to ‘withdraw’ equivalent support in time when they need something doing. In each case, the participant decides what they can offer. Everyone’s time is equal, so one hour of my time is equal to one hour of your time, irrespective of the skills we might trade.
We first ran time banking in Charlestown and Lower Kersal, Salford, and subsequently in Langworthy and Pendleton.
We later tested a time banking approach, as Time to Connect, with a care home for people with dementia in Blackley, north Manchester. This aimed to help residents feel valued and to create social networks.
Impact
We have found that time banking addresses key determinants of health and well-being.
A first independent evaluation and literature review found that Salford Time Bank correlated well with published evidence, and that members had a very positive view of it.
A second independent evaluation concluded that the mutual approach engages more people, there was evidence of health and well-being benefits, and that helping each other made people feel better about life.
Salford Time Bank was highly commended in the Community Project category of the Community Stars Awards 2016, run by the Great Places Housing Group.
Funded by
