About Ferry Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2014 the staff from the Volunteer Centre Dundee initiated the setting up of a steering group to ask if the community in Broughty Ferry would benefit from having a Timebank? At that time there were three Timebanks in other parts of Dundee, with more planned.  The steering group in Broughty Ferry was made up of a wide cross-section of people from the local area, and from the meetings that took place, it was agreed to start the process of establishing a Timebank in the area. The appointent of a 'Broker' to manage  the Timebank was one of the first major tasks carried out by the steering group. Once this person was in place, the job of actually forming the Timebank into a working, community volunteering project started.

A publicity campaign began and the job of informing the community about the existence of Broughty Ferry Timebank swung into action.

It wasn't long before the positive results of this work showed in the recruitment of eager volunteers to the Timebank.

What appealed to the people who joined the Timebank was the 'informal nature' of this type of volunteering, as there is no pressure to give a certain amount of hours per day, week or month. Members give their time when they can, and that kind of flexibility is very much appreciated. Members are bringing their talents, skills, experience and knowledge to the Timebank, and happily sharing this with each other.  

To date, Broughty Ferry Timebank members have completed thousands of hours of volunteering in the local community. This has ranged from; catering, DIY, lifts to appointments, CV help, gardening, shopping, IT support, companionship, etc.

Participating in these activities has not only been a very positive experience for the members of Broughty Ferry Timebank, but has also seen the formation of new friendships as well.

It is rewarding to think that in the local community people can rely on the Timebank for help and assistance, and get a real sense of securtiy in knowing that there is a fellow Timebank member to call on when needed.

In the summer of 2015 it was decided to set up a committee drawn from the members of the Timebank. A request was sent out to all the members, and this resulted in the creation of a five-person committee. Intitially, the committee was put in place to assist with the development and growth of the Timebank, but this changed later in the summer when news of the Timebank's future warranted a change of direction. The announcement that the Volunteer Centre Dundee would no longer be acting as managers of the Timebank meant that the Broughty Ferry Timebank committee had to make the decision to formally adopt the Timebank as a constituted group. Sadly the other Timebanks in Dundee were discontinued. After several weeks of hard work by the committee and the members, Broughty Ferry Timebank held an E.G.M. in October and as a result of this, Broughty Ferry had its very own independent, community led Timebank - the first of its kind in this area. It was also agreed that Broughty Ferry Timebank would retain the services of a paid Timebank Coordinator. This was seen as an essential requirement of the decision to keep the Timebank going, as there is very much  a need to have a regular and steady system in place to coordinate the Timebank activities. Broughty Ferry Timebank is currently the only Timebank in Dundee. The trustees and the members of the Timebank agreed that their Timebank would cover the whole of Dundee until such times as new Timebanks were established once again in other parts of the city.            

This means that we now have a Timebank volunteering service covering Dundee that is run by the members and for the members, which is great for the community as a whole.      

Broughty Ferry Timebank is confident that the coming years will see the further growth of the Timebank as it actively engages with the people of Broughty Ferry, and beyond, to offer opportunities for them to join and make a positive contribution to their community.