Sandra Marsden: Chelmsford Timebank

 
 
Our speaker was Sandra Marsden from Chelmsford Timebank. This is volunteering with a twist, where volunteers help one another in the community by exchanging skills. Volunteers earn hours which they can bank or use to pay for someone else’s expertise or support. There are:

1. core exchanges where an individual offers a skill and in return receives help,
2. organisational exchanges eg working with Essex Library, or
3. through mini Timebanks, which are unique to Chelmsford. With this, small groups of volunteers meet at the CVS building, e.g. knitters who knit, chat and have a cup of tea together. They either knit for charities or make things to sell in order to fund the activity.

During the COVID lockdown, Sandra has been helping form new groups - COVID response teams who have been able to support vulnerable people particularly those who are shielding. Essex Welfare Service is the organisation coordinating local groups such as this and contact numbers can be found on their website.