Wendy Everingham, Timeback Coordinator, Photo by Jonny Knopp
For 10 years Project Lyttelton has been running TimeBanking, a way of giving and receiving to build supportive networks and strong communities. To help mark this special occasion, Professor Edgar Cahn, the originator of TimeBanking worldwide is coming to New Zealand.
Members of the public are invited to an event to listen to Edgar Cahn speak on Thursday 3 September at the Christchurch Netball Centre. There are a few places left, so register quickly if you are interested in attending. For an invitation click here.
TimeBanking is a way of trading skills in the community, where time credits are used as payment instead of dollars. In Lyttelton, skills such as cooking, sewing, gardening, child minding, dog walking, computer help and music lessons are being traded. TimeBanking builds on the magic of ‘pay it forward’, one good turn leading to another and another.
Margaret Jefferies, Chair of Project Lyttelton a community development organisation, brought the concept of Timebanking to New Zealand 10 years ago with the support of The Tindall Foundation.
Timebanking now operates in 22 countries throughout the world. Edgar hit upon this revolutionary idea while recovering in hospital from a heart attack. For the first time in his life he was dependent on others and unable to repay the people who were caring for him.
Time banking is now widely accepted as the ideal way to value the contributions that people make to rebuilding community and to ‘co-producing’ our public services.
Read more about the amazing work of Project Lyttelton.