Scheme to improve neighbourliness set to launch in Edinburgh

IT'S the perfect solution if you're strapped for cash but have time on your hands.

Edinburgh's first "time bank" will offer people the chance to barter their services, without a penny changing hands.

The scheme, based at Wester Hailes Health Agency, gives members the chance to exchange whatever skills they have. The only currency in use is time, so an hour's dog walking has the same value as 60 minutes of legal advice or piano lessons.

The idea, popular in the United States, is designed to help improve neighbourliness, and give people access to services that they might struggle to pay for in cash. It can also give non-workers a sense of worth as they realise that their skills are valuable.

The West Edinburgh Time Bank, which launches today, is organised by Carol Cawood, director of Prospect Community Housing. She said: "I came across it when I went to a conference on financial inclusion at the RBS a couple of years ago.

"The man who started time banks in the States, Edgar Cahn, was speaking. He was very inspirational, and since then I've been trying to get a bit of a head of steam going.

"I see it very much as supporting neighbourhoods and neighbourliness, I do think it will grow very organically."

Participants who sign up speak to one of the two volunteer "time brokers" who co-ordinate the scheme. They fill out a questionnaire showing what skills they have and what they might need help with and the brokers will put them in touch with people nearby who can lend a hand.

Each member has to provide two references before they take part to ensure others are confident when inviting them into their home, and the brokers will go along on a first visit to make sure everyone is comfortable with the arrangement.

Everyone who carries out an hour's work will be given a time token which they in turn can use to buy services from someone else.

One of the time brokers, retired shop worker Vera Geddes, 61, said: "Nobody seems to care what their neighbours do these days, so it seemed a brilliant way to get neighbours to know one another. It's just a fantastic way to get people to know one another and help one another out.

"For a lot of people, it might be something that they're doing already for their neighbours and they could be earning time credits for it."

The project is only open to people in the West of Edinburgh, but other groups are currently working on setting up similar schemes in Inverleith and North Edinburgh.

For more details, call Carol Cawood on 0131-458 5480.