Time Network
Time Networks are designed to include everyone, regardless of age, race, religion, ability or gender, to play an active part in the life of their community. The ethos on which they are built states that sharing our humanity by giving time to our local community should be as much a part of modern day life as watching TV or listening to music. Both models use popular culture as a currency to build new membership led social networks by underwriting active citizenship with time accessed social events, educational and cultural activities.
Case Study: Blaengarw Time Centre
The Creation Development Trust has been running Time Network at the Blaengarw Workingmen’s Hall. The project works on the simple principle that for every hour of time that a member gives to the Centre they can take an hour back from the Centre by attending a wide range of time-entry social events, including concerts, theatre, cinema and other nights out events The model recognizes that communities are full of unused skills, talents, knowledge, experience and abilities, and has the potential to transform the culture of volunteering in the 21st century.
“The voluntary sector makes a huge contribution to the quality of life in communities across Wales. Creation Development Trust Ltd’s Timecentre initiative, indeed sounds like a classic example of the kind of innovative approach to volunteering that the voluntary sector is famous for. It would be difficult for a local authority, or for our departments of Government, to come up with such a scheme. However, that is exactly what voluntary sector bodies can do and what we cannot do. They can come up with bright ideas and be flexible, and we want to see the richness that we have in Wales across the board in the voluntary sector maintained in order to encourage more such creative ideas”
The First Minister Rhodri Morgan,
The National Assembly for Wales