Volunteers win rewards as Castlehaven Community Centre launches Timebank

Published: 18th November, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

VOLUNTEERS are being encouraged to trade time spent working in the community for rewards.

Castlehaven Community Centre has launched its Timebank, which allows volunteers to swap their valuable time and skills for a choice of leisure activities. 

Volunteers could help with legal advice, reading mail to a pensioner or just taking time to chat with someone who is housebound.

An hour spent working on projects equals a credit to spend when needed. Among the rewards on offer are theatre and cinema tickets, access to fitness centres, recording and dance studios and holidays for pensioners.

Members launched the scheme last Friday with the planting of a new community orchard.

Eleanor Botwright, who chairs Castlehaven Community Association, said: “So far, the amount of interest in time-banking in Camden has been very encouraging. 

“Nationally, the number and range of applications of time-banking have far exceeded everyone’s most optimistic expectations and time banks now support neighbourhood renewal, health improvement, lifelong learning, conventional volunteering, care for the environment and all other forms of community enterprise.”

For details, contact Frances Shank on 020 7485 3386 or frances@castlehaven.org.uk.