Time Banking for Harringay

My work currently finds me at the point where social media, public services, innovation and 'community' interface. Right now it seems hard to avoid what appears to be the inexorable rise of Reciprocal exchange or collaborative consumption (take your pick of your favoured buzzphrase).

Let's allow the world's chosen spokesperson for all this explain it in her way. Here's a three minute clip from Rachel Botsman Inc (oh, and turn the sound off if you don't fancy watching along with meaningfully exciting music):



To avoid my being seen as an over excited puppy or an evangelised weekend community activist, a couple of caveats here. Firstly, unlike many I talk to, my optimism is tinged with a good splash of scepticism about the extent to which collaborative consumption will really embed itself as a sustainable part of our daily lives. Secondly, it's not a panacea and it'll never be an answer to a great deal of the exchanges we transact.

Having said that, it is already working. (Think car clubs, think couch-surfing, landshare, freecycle etc)

It's already a movement and I think it probably has a place in Harringay, but I wanted to bounce it off a few locals and see what my neighbours think.

Time banking is a part of this whole movement and there is a time bank established/establishing in Haringey. It's been set up by Groundwork, who some of you will know from their work in supporting the recent developments at Fairland Park. Initially the time bank was set up for just a part of the borough. Now they're getting ready to expand.

Of course time banks can be joined by anyone and I very much hope that lots of people join on their own account once it's up and running, but I also have a couple of more neighbourgood (yup, just can't stop me making up words) applications in mind.

I've been talking to Groundwork over the past few months about linking time banking with the Neighbourhoods Connect project. Earning time credits could be an optional part of being involved.

The other application I have in mind might help me kill two birds with one stone. As HoL gets bigger it seems that more small, often home-run businesses, want to use the site to advertise. About six months ago I started a new approach. When people plonk in an ad or ask me if they can do so, I say yes, fine advertise, but only if you give something to the community in return. You may have noticed free yoga classes, art classes free Christmas tree etc. Pretty crude stuff, and it's getting to be a bit of a time-consuming pain to be honest. Now, my thoughts are that what if we asked advertisers to contribute to a time bank?

Whilst time banking credits can be applied to your own account, they could equally be applied to a community account. What if advertisers were asked to earn and give theirs to such an account, and all of us contributed some or all of ours? The effect of being part of initiatives like Neighbourhoods Connect, would then be multiplied. The community could then spend time credits on doing stuff for the community. I've asked Groundwork if they can accommodate this.