Following the success of the other Time Banking projects taking place in Carmarthenshire, Llys y Godian Tenants and Residents Association have received funding to look at replicating a similar model in the Gwendraeth Valley.
Linking in with the Job Club at Carway Hall, tenants who take part in the scheme will be thanked with credits for contributing time to their community and can then use those credits to access events, training and leisure services. They will be given a menu of volunteering activities and a menu of where they can spend their time credits.
The Innovative Communities project, part of RDP Sir Gâr’s Axis 4 Innovative Hubs scheme, has awarded a grant to the group to provide training from SPICE, a time-banking organisation.
The 7 day training course will run over 14 weeks with mentoring during and after. It will give participants the tools and knowledge they will need to ensure a successful Time Credits project that is integrated with national strategies and local priorities alongside the existing roles of Carmarthenshire Council staff across services.
Attendees will use the time between sessions to deliver specific elements of learning within their community with the overall intention of having a fully-functioning Time Credits network up-and-running by course end.
Community Development Officer, Helen Williams, said: “The aim is to build community capacity, harnessing the skills of individuals to benefit themselves and others. This project is very exciting and has the potential to benefit individuals of all ages and unite communities.”
Innovative Communities supports the trialling of new ideas that could benefit community life and has been funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The project is being championed by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Housing Services.
If you would like further details on Innovative Communities, please contact Helen Williams or Kieran Griffiths on 01267 242434 or visit wwec.org.uk
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