03 Jul Who can you lend your time and skills to? Who can help you with odd jobs? Give Torbay Timebank a try

Pete, with Merlin the Owl. Pete brings different owls to the STEAM Cafe every Tuesday morning.

The Timebank is about exchanging your time and skills with others. It is not a direct swap; you can select an offer from a Timebanker, and there is no requirement to offer something yourself until you want to. Anyone can join, and all exchanges are equal, be it a handyman or a befriender. You can offer anything that you enjoy doing.

Did you know that joining the Timebank and offering your skills would make new friends while helping someone else? You would meet new people while enriching your own life at the same time. People join and offer something that they like doing. If you like driving, it could be taking someone for a drive; if you like walking, it could be going for a walk. As well as that, you would ‘earn’ a time credit for every hour you give, which you can ‘spend’ on someone else’s time. You can now also use your time credits for other things, such as a coffee at a local coffee shop or a swim at a local pool. We are gradually adding more offers to choose from, so have a look at Torbay Together.

At one of my regular venues, The STEAM café in Torbay Road, I met Merlin, the Eastern Siberian Eagle owl. He is 18 years old and comes from Totnes Rare Breeds Farm. Pete comes every Tuesday morning and brings a different owl every week. Come and meet him, and if it’s a week when I am there, perhaps you will also think about joining the Timebank.

As well as exchanging time, we also sometimes have a Big Exchange where you can exchange goods. Bring something along which you no longer want and choose something which you do want to take home. No money changes hands. You can bring anything that can be carried away, apart from electrical goods. And, of course, in good condition. Our next Big Exchange is at Rosegarth. 1 Tor Church Road TQ2 5UR from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday 8^th July.

In Preston, we are starting another weekly social group at the Coffee Lounge on the main road, just after the lights towards Torquay. This will be from 2 until 4pm every Thursday starting on Thursday, 10^th July. Come along and have a cup of tea or coffee and perhaps even a piece of cake. Nina or I will be there to meet you. The popular seated yoga sessions at the conservative club in Preston will have a break in August, with the last session on Thursday 24^th July and the first session back on Thursday 4^th September.

If you would like to find out more about the Timebank or just have a chat, come along and find me at one of our regular venues:

• At the Bright Bean Café in Preston, opposite Tesco, from 2pm every Week on Wednesday
• At the Crafty Fox in Foxhole on the last Friday of the month from 10.30am
• At Centrepeace on the first Friday of the month from 2pm
• At The STEAM café in Torbay Road on the first and second Tuesday of the Month from 10.30am
• At the Torbay Community Café & Help Hub in Temperance Street, Torquay, on the first Thursday of the month from 10am
• At the Baptist church in Preston, on the second Thursday of the month from 10am
• At Torquay library on the Third Tuesday of the month from 10am
• At Paignton library on the first Monday of the month from 10.30am

Torbay Together is the online platform for the Timebank. You can contact me by email: [email protected] or my work phone: 07703 715236

“We have what we need, when we share what we have”