Dunedin TimeBank is a sharing community of volunteers who collaborate with each other and with the wider Dunedin/Ōtepoti community to meet needs for talents, skills, resources, and wellbeing.
Our volunteers donate their time to people seeking assistance. No debt is established: the recipient is simply encouraged to give back to the community if they are able to.
Our member website lets our volunteers list what they are offering and what they would like assistance with and in this way members can find people to meet their needs and people needing what they are offering. We regularly post the categories of our current ‘offers’ and ‘requests’ publicly on our social media and members of the public can contact us to connect in with our volunteers and receive assistance, optionally joining Dunedin TimeBank themselves. Though we encourage reciprocity and membership participation to build a network of like-minded volunteers, you do not need to be a member to receive assistance – just send us a message and we’ll do our best to find someone with the right skills to meet your needs.
Organisations can also be members and through this they can access a pool of community volunteers. People who already volunteer for organisations may join and get assistance from others within the Dunedin TimeBank community.
Member ‘A’ shares their skill of gardening with Member ‘B’ by working in their garden for two hours.
Member ‘A’ gets Member ‘C’ to drive her to the airport.
Now, Member ‘B’ has his gardening done, Member ‘A’ made it to the airport on time, and Member ‘C’ can draw on any of the skills and talents on offer whenever she needs.
If you’re already a Dunedin TimeBank member, please watch these tutorial videos for guidance about how to use our member website ‘Time & Talents’ (click link, then click play button):
Having vibrant, healthy, interconnected communities are the life force of our country.
Timebanking facilitates the sharing of skills between members and with the wider local community.
Dunedin TimeBank creates and promotes wellbeing, helping our community flourish and thrive.
Timebanking activity is measured by the time it takes to complete a piece of work, and everyone’s time is considered equal. Timebanking has many unique features that strengthen the fabric of society by initiating shifts in our collective way of thinking about what activities are considered valuable.
Timebanking is a way of gifting skills in a community. Every member of our community has valuable talents and abilities to offer.
Dunedin TimeBank allows you to share these talents with others without paying money for the time given and received. The time is recorded through the Dunedin TimeBank member website so that we know about the kinds of positive impacts we are having in the community. Although hours are recorded, there is no requirement to ‘pay back’ hours received. Instead, ‘paying forward’ is encouraged. There is no requirement to ‘earn’ someone else’s time before you can receive assistance and there is no penalty for having received more than you have given, because we recognise that some people have more to give and some people have greater needs, and that this can change over time. We also know that giving benefits the giver as well as the receiver, as long as there is reciprocity available within the community and the giver is able to ask for assistance and have their needs met as well. The general public and organisations can contact us to request support from our volunteer members, or they can join as a Dunedin TimeBank member free-of-charge and interact directly with our sharing community.
Strengthen communities
It creates and promotes wellbeing, helping communities flourish and thrive. It’s about having a vibrant, healthy, interconnected local community.
Networking
It attracts people who might not normally be interested in traditional volunteer work and, therefore, creates a large network of unconditional sharing and care between members.
Harness mutual support
It offers not only a sense of belonging that benefits everyone but provides much-needed help to the community. From small to large tasks, everyone can be supported by and support others with their own skills, talents and time.
Skill sharing
It allows members to learn from one another and share skills and talents that normally would not be used. It creates classrooms outside of schools and learning opportunities in everyday lives.
Get connected with your local community and start giving and receiving time, skills and talents! Membership is free of charge (though we appreciate donations where possible).
If you just need assistance (you don’t have to be a member), have questions or are interested in knowing more, please contact us.
Need assistance?
Have a question or comment?
Send us a message or call our Community Coordinator:
029 0430 5562 (Carla)
174 Princes Street
Dunedin/Ōtepoti
Aotearoa New Zealand
(by appointment)