carms case study booklet june 14 final

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Carmarthenshire June 2014

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Check out the Carmarthenshire Time Credit members journeys with #TimeCredits

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Page 1: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Carmarthenshire June 2014

Page 2: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Carmarthenshire Time Credits Introduction

Spice Time Credits

Spice Time Credits are a social currency developed

initially in South Wales and rolled out across Wales and

England. In Wales, Spice are currently delivering large

scale community and housing projects across Cardiff

and Llanelli, with smaller development projects

currently planned or underway in 12 additional

communities in Rhondda-Cynon-Taf, Caerphilly and

Newport. Spice Time Credits are supporting

organisations to develop new approaches to

coproduction, sustainability, service provision and

commissioning with professionals, service users,

funders, commissioners, communities and the private

sector.

How Spice Time Credits work: everyone has

something to give

People are thanked with Time Credits for contributing

time to their community or service. They then ‘spend’

Time Credits to access events, training and leisure

services, or to thank others in turn. The system is

sustainable as it is coordinated by existing community

facing staff, and because spending opportunities access

under-used community resources as well as direct

(unmediated) exchanges between people.

Earning Time Credits

Services and local community groups identify current

and new opportunities for people to give their time. The

new opportunities are based on the interests, skills and

availability of local people, and are enabled and

supported by community services.

Spending Time Credits

Public, community and private organisations identify

ways for people to spend Time Credits in their services

or at events. This can be ‘spare capacity’ at theatres or

swimming pools for example, or for community services

a way of recognising and thanking people for the

contributions they have made (trips for young people on

free school meals become trips for young people who

have contributed). Spice spend brochures include a

wide range of community organisations as well as higher

profile opportunities such as The Barbican and Tower of

London.

Why use Time Credits?

Time Credits encourage more people to get involved in

local community organisations and to give more time,

increasing community action and strengthening local

networks. Individuals are than able to access new

opportunities in the local community, such as swimming,

theatre, training, cinema, exhibitions and tea dances.

Both earning and spending Time Credits can build

confidence and support health and wellbeing.

Using Time Credits also encourages professionals to

work in new ways, collaborating with service users and

citizens to think about how services can be run in co-

productive ways that encourage participation by the

whole community, sharing skills and assets. This can

encourage a greater sense of community integration

and enable improvements in service delivery as they

are shaped by those that use them.

Time Credits in Carmarthenshire

Spice are working with Carmarthenshire Communities

1st Cluster and Carmarthenshire Housing Services

(CHS) to introduce Time Credits to communities across

Llanelli, Taf-Myrddin and the Lower Gwendraeth Valley.

The programme aims to enable local people to make a

difference in their communities and to local services

and to recognise the value of their contributions, as well

as to diversify tenant engagement across CHS estates

and services. Time Credits support people to develop

their interests and unrealised assets to improve

individual wellbeing and build strong and connected

communities. The Carmarthenshire Time Credits

project supports the work of Communities 1st’s new

programme; addressing the priorities of Healthy,

Prosperous and Learning communities. Progress so far

In the first 18 months of Carmarthenshire Time Credits,

600 people in Carmarthenshire have given over

17,500 hours to their local community, across 70 local

organisations.

Page 3: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Lis Duffy,

Taf Myrddin Housing

Lis Duffy lives in the Yr Aelwyd Sheltered Scheme and

is part of the Taf Myrddin Tenant network. She has

earned Time Credits by putting on a monthly film night

for other residents in the sheltered scheme, and sharing

her views and experiences in meetings with the Tenant

Network and Council Housing department.

Last year, with the help of the Carmarthenshire Time

Credits Facilitator, Lis hosted a Big Lunch in the

sheltered housing complex to encourage a sense of

community and get others involved in the Time Credits

scheme.

Lis says, “Holding a Big Lunch seemed the ideal vehicle

to engage the community, break the ice and for people

to volunteer and earn credits in the process. It was great

to meet so many new people and encourage the tenants

to get involved in more events.”

“We now have a regular film night and are planning

more events together including Christmas Fetes and

other Big Lunches next year. The more we organise on

the complex, the more people come along from all areas

of the community. And word has spread fast! Other

people I have spoken to have been inspired to hold their

own Big Lunches and recently a local disbanded

residents association donated £350 to our complex, to

contribute toward a free lunch club in January for all our

tenants!”

Lis has seen a real change in how other people from

the housing scheme engage with the community as a

result; “Using Time Credits to spend and earn at the film

night has changed the attitude in the sheltered scheme

by having people from outside the facility come to the

film night regularly; they accept outsiders more readily

now I think.”

”One lady nearby, though physically fit, has previously

been quite nervous about getting involved in things. Now

she helps with letter drops for our events, using her love

of walking to help the community. Doing this activity she

also earns Time Credits which she uses for going out

with her grandchildren. They now ask what’s going on in

the complex and if they can come too!”

Since setting up the film club and organising her Big

Lunch, Lis’s confidence has grown a lot. Now she will

stop people in the street to tell them what events are

coming up in the complex and invite new people along.

She says: “I would never have done that before!”

Lis has spent her Time Credits on a wide range of

activities, particularly trips out to places such as Castell

Coch, The Lyric and Ffwrnes Theatres and Ffos Las

horse racing. She feels Time Credits have “given me the

opportunity to treat my grandchildren to exciting days out

which we wouldn’t have been able to afford, and allowed

me to try new things like the jazz night. They have

encouraged me to take neighbours who also had Time

Credits to spend in going somewhere not one of us

would have gone to on our own.”

“I love Time Credits and try and encourage everyone to

get involved with something to earn and spend. I feel it is

money in the bank, saved for a special day to go

somewhere nice. It is always a treat to use them.”

Page 4: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Derek Hermann, Maengwynne For Change Tenants and Residents Group

Derek Hermann has found Time Credits have helped

him find a new purpose in his community after a

sporting injury changed his life. He describes his

experiences;

“I used to throw Javelin for Wales; I was at

Commonwealth Games standard at age 17. Sport was

my life and I trained every day until an accident whilst

throwing for Wales when I was 19 years old resulted in

me breaking my back in numerous places and

damaging my spinal cord. I used to be known as Big

Del or Del Diesel; I was strong and helped others.

When I broke my back I was no longer able to do the

things I’d done before, I became isolated, lonely and

lifeless, it felt like I was hollow. Trying to adjust to the

news that I would be in a wheelchair by 30 has been so

tough”.

“”I recently joined the Street Buddy Community

Ambassador training course as part of engaging my

own community and have become the Treasurer for a

new tenants and residents group in Maengwynne, as

well as supporting some events with Carmarthenshire

Time Credits. Life has turned a corner, I am coming out

of myself again and slowly getting back to the person I

was before. I have a purpose again and I can help

others, something that I did before my injury. I can be

involved in my local community, I am valuable.”

Derek now has high aspirations for the future of Time

Credits and his community;

“We want to develop our community, provide activities

for the children and older people, improving services

and opportunities in a rural area with limited transport

links and amenities in the local area.”

Page 5: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Stella Stanhope,

Carmarthenshire Housing

Services

Stella Stanhope is a local resident on the Park Hall

Estate in Carmarthen where she lives with her husband

and 3 children. Stella started earning Time Credits at a

community clean up event in Carmarthen, and for giving

her time to support the local Ty Ni Family Centre,

helping with events and activities as well as fundraising

for Ty Ni, enabling them to provide services to families

living around the Carmarthen area.

Stella was keen to support the Time Credit programme

in Carmarthen and became the Time Credit

administrator for Ty Ni Family Centre, and has

supported earn and spend opportunities. She helped

with other events and activities in Carmarthenshire,

including a community picnic at Pembrey Country Park

and coffee mornings in Carmarthen, and has also run

workshops for children and young people.

Taking part in activities across Carmarthenshire has

helped Stella to grow in confidence, build new

relationships and develop new skills. Stella used her

Time Credits to access a 10 week sign language course

in 2013 and then went on to undertake a level 1

qualification in British Sign Language at Coleg Sir Gar .

She hopes to do the level 2 course next year.

Stella had been out of work since 2007 and has recently

started a new job in retail. She describes how her Time

Credits experiences helped her with this;

“Earning Time Credits has made me want to do things

instead of sitting at home doing nothing all day. It’s given

me confidence to even go to the interview and get the

role as being a Time Credit administrator made me feel

important and as I’ve made loads of new friends. It’s

made me feel like I can do something useful and I am

enjoying my new job!”

Stella is still an active member of the Time Credits

network and committed to giving her spare time to

support community activities in Carmarthenshire.

Page 6: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Jazmin Morgan,

Carmarthenshire Housing

Services, Taf Myrddin

Jazmin Morgan is 18 years old and lives with her mother

and 2 brothers in Carmarthen. Jazmin has been earning

Time Credits alongside her family since becoming a

member of the Taf Myrddin network in early 2013.

Jazmin earned Time Credits for her involvement in the

preparations for the Time Credits Big Lunch event at

Pembrey Country Park in June 2013. She came to Big

Lunch workshops in Cardiff in May to learn new skills

and develop ideas for the event in Carmarthenshire, and

as a representative of the planning group she met with

members from the Ely Time Credits programme to plan

activities for the day. At the event in June Jazmin arrived

early to help set up and worked hard alongside

volunteers of all ages.

Jazmin says, “I like meeting new people and doing all

the different things that are on offer. It makes me feel

happy when I earn Time Credits because I can use them

in so many different places. I have spent my Time

Credits on a trip to Birmingham, teddy bears picnic and

I’m going to spend them in the Xcel bowling”.

When she is not busy helping her community, Jazmin is

studying a level 3 in animal care at Pembroke College.

Jazmin has also given her time to support projects in

Park Hall, Ty Ni Family Centre and at an

intergenerational project in summer 2014 to make a

sculpture for the communal garden at St Peters Court

and St John’s Court in Carmarthen. She says,

“My favourite way to earn Time Credits is just by

volunteering to help around the community, I feel more

connected to my community. Doing things to earn Time

Credits has helped me have more confidence.”

Page 7: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Lindsey Jones,

Communities First and

Carmarthenshire Housing

Services

Lindsey Jones became a resident of Maengwynne 20

years ago, when she moved with her family from the

Traveller site in the Morfa, Llanelli. Lindsey has kept her

culture and roots alive and ensures her children have

their Romany heritage, and she is also keen to share her

heritage and culture with her local community. She now

lives in her own home in Maengwynne with her partner

and two children, two doors down from her parents.

Lindsey earned her first Time Credits supporting

Communities First involvement activities. She supported

children’s play sessions and then spent her Time Credits

taking her children to see the Scarlets at a home game.

Lindsey thinks the best thing about Time Credits is being

able to have new opportunities and as a way of engaging

the local community, she says, “I want to get others

involved, I want extra activities to better the community

here. Time Credits will enable us to get more people

involved in the local community, We want to put on

activities for children and clear the gardens of the

elderly, and we can now do this”.

Lindsey is keen to develop new skills and hopes to put

on a street party this summer. She has signed up to do a

First Aid course and Food Hygiene and is going to the

Big Lunch Extras at the Eden Project. Having completed

community development training with Carmarthenshire

Street Buddies, Community Ambassadors, Lindsey is

keen to continue developing her skills to support the

community.

Page 8: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Dan Hancock,

Carmarthenshire Housing

Services

Dan Hancock began earning Time Credits at community

clean up events on his estate in Carmarthen. He was

also giving his time to the Dads’ Group and the local

family centre.

Dan lacked confidence before getting involved in Time

Credits and had struggled with education and school in

the past. Since earning Time Credits, Dan’s confidence

has grown and he is now always looking for new

opportunities to give his time. He recently supported a

40’s tea dance spending event at Llanelli Library, where

he helped to bake cakes, set up and provide amazing

service on the day!

Dan used his first Time Credits to access a taster sign

language course in Carmarthen, and he has since gone

on to undertake a level one course in British Sign

Language. He says, “For the first time I can spell. I’m

dyslexic and could never spell, now I can finger spell

and I hope to teach my daughter to spell this way.”

Dan is also really positive about the wider benefits of

Time Credits, saying, “Time Credits is fun. Giving back

to your community you make friends, get to spend them

in places you would never have afforded to go to and

you can use them to learn. I’m going on a camping

holiday this summer paid for with my Time Credits!”

Page 9: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Eric Jones, St John’s and St

Peter’s Court, Sheltered

Housing Complex,

Carmarthen

Carmarthenshire Housing Services provides sheltered

housing for tenants aged over 65 at St John’s and St

Peter’s Court in Carmarthen. Scheme officer Idfys

Raybould was keen to integrate Time Credits to support

the work of the tenants committee and to encourage

newer tenants to get involved in activities and services

within the scheme.

Members have been earning Time Credits for running

coffee mornings, cooking group meals, planning social

outings and events, gardening and maintaining

communal areas and participating in consultation and

tenants meetings that shape the service.

The communal gardening project has been particularly

successful. Eric Jones has been living at St Peter’s

Court since March 2012 and earned his first Time

Credits with other tenants over 4 days removing

diseased shrubbery, emptying flower beds, re-lining,

filling and planting. Removal of the shrubs was paid for

with funds raised by members themselves.

Eric now carries out daily watering at the complex, as

well as ongoing weeding and maintenance, and said:

“I enjoy doing, I’m used to doing things, I was doing it at

home since I was a small child and I like mixing with the

community” .

Eric has been able to use his skills and love of

gardening to improve the local environment and he now

feels that he has something to offer and is valued for the

role he plays there.

Idfys is keen to support the garden project and the

tenants committee has agreed to fund the purchase of a

range of tools and equipment. The gardens have a real

impact for tenants as many have mobility issues and

don’t often leave the complex but can access the

garden.

Idfys said, “Eric is really enjoying living here. Being a

tenant at the scheme has ensured that Eric belongs to a

community, he would have been extremely isolated

living alone. Eric loves helping others and will work to

support all aspects of the community”.

Page 10: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Michelle Williams,

ShelbyArt Creative Mentoring,

Llanelli

Michelle has 6 children and although from Poole, she

now lives with her husband in Carmarthenshire. She has

strong links with community projects and disabled rights.

Michelle runs ShelbyArt, an art and craft club which

meets once a month in the Llanelli area. People of all

ages and abilities come together to practice, learn or just

watch arts and crafts activities. The group has

developed a community of people that have been

mentored to reach their own potential, addressing issues

such as low confidence and self esteem, mental health

issues, bereavement, physical illness and more.

Michelle mentors users through the art and craft

activities as well as supporting individuals to give their

time to facilitate groups or peer support others.

She says, “I wanted to help people see beyond their

circumstances & everything they thought was holding

them back from making progress in their lives. I wanted

to help the wider community come together and help

build sustainable relationships.”

Michelle hoped to develop ShelbyArt into a business.

However she has been a carer for 2 of her children for

the past 19 years and her business venture needed to fit

in with her commitments as a carer. Time Credits gave

her a safe way of testing her business idea and abilities

after 19 years of being unable to work, as well as gain

confidence herself and balance this with the needs of

her children.

Michelle has been supporting clients to give their time to

help their community and support the growth of her

business idea, using an asset based approach. Clients

have coproduced business ideas and given their time to

help with research, running workshops and developing

blogs. They have also been able to increase their own

skills & abilities around areas that they are interested in.

This has enabled ShelbyArt to support activities across

the Carmarthenshire Time Credits network, providing

workshops in sheltered housing schemes, youth clubs

and family centres. Through these Michelle has been

developing her business plan and testing her ideas and

methods of working, building her network and business

links and plans and gaining confidence.

Michelle has played a vital role in the local Time Credits

network, putting on community activities that members

can spend at and supporting other groups to put on

spend. She earns Time Credits for the time she gives to

do this, and she also supports past users of ShelbyArt to

co-facilitate sessions, enabling them to grow their

confidence and self esteem.

Michelle says: “Time Credits have made a massive

difference to my clients’ lives! It has opened up new

opportunities for them, which they would never have

experienced. They have meant I am able to reward them

for their loyalty & input, which has strengthened all of us

& our own personal goals, and it’s also supporting

people back into education and employment. Time

Credits have given ShelbyArt a great foundation to build

from, but also I am now building this into the business

plan, so that people can offer their time in return for

something that we offer.”

Michelle has also experienced a personal benefit; “Time

Credits have had a wider impact, by increasing my

positive family time & drawn all of us closer to the

community around us.”

Page 11: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Jane Gwynn and family

Jane Gwynn and her family earn Time Credits through

a number of local groups, for activities that have

included dressmaking, bunting workshops, planning

meetings, Community Ambassador training and running

a stall at the Big Lunch. Earning Time Credits has

helped Jane and her family gain confidence, enabling

them to set up a community group, “Create Me Happy”,

through which Jane will be developing earn and spend

opportunities for other community members. In addition,

with the skills and knowledge she has gained through

taking part in Community Ambassador training, Jane is

going to take the lead in engagement in her local

community in the Gwendraith.

Jane feels Time Credits offered her an opportunity at a

time when she really needed community support; “My

husband and I are parents and we are unashamed to

admit we are depressed parents. Time Credits have

come along at a time in our lives where either of us

committing to employment is a challenge, I would like to

work but also need to offer care and support at home.”

Jane is really positive about Time Credits. She says,

“Not being able to actively seek work due to caring

commitments, volunteering through Time Credits gives

my husband and I the opportunity to be socially active,

inspired, enthused and creative and to try new things.

Over the years I had become isolated and leaving the

house was becoming an issue. People, friends, are

commenting on my growing confidence and it has given

my family a common goal to aim for and achieve.

We’ve tried sewing, textiles, furniture making,

community training, my husband has even tried ironing!

We’ve met maybe 30 new people in 6 months.”

“To gain a Time Credit is empowering, you know you

have done something good to achieve it and that you

are going to use it to do something just as rewarding.

Time Credits have given us the confidence to put

together our family organisation, to meet new people

equally as passionate and offer and accept support”.

Jane has seen impact for her family as a whole. She

says, “Spending Time Credits for us equals family time,

adventures and memories. We are saving for a family

camping trip. Time Credits have opened up new

adventures for us as a family, we have enough credits

now to visit various leisure facilities over the summer

holidays, that we would not have otherwise afforded. By

having quality family time we build happiness,

emotional wellbeing for us all and create happy

memories.”

Jane has also experienced more personal changes.

“On a personal level, the opportunities to volunteer with

organisations that are partners in the Time Credits

system have given me a chance to talk about my

situation, meet new people and try new skills. I am also

proud that I now know that I can confidently use a

sewing machine, something I hadn’t done since leaving

school, I know how to make bunting for events, I have

learnt some new computer and graphics skills. I have

realised that I really like learning and I don’t want that to

stop, I feel hungry for new things to learn.”

Jane now wants to play a role in enabling more people

to benefit from Time Credits. “I hope that with help our

little family organisation “Create me Happy” can spread

Time Credits wings and reach out to families like ours

that through no fault of their own have found

themselves rich in love and time to give but poorer in

social activities, stimulation and creativity. I hope that by

continuing going on training courses and joining in

supporting organisations involved with Time Credits that

I will gain valuable knowledge, confidence and skills to

bring back to my own community and create a little bit

of the happiness we have found all around us.”

Page 12: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Sam Williams, Street Buddy

Sam Williams is 19 years old and lives in Llanelli with

his family. Sam says “I became totally blind at age 11.

After a time of feeling very scared and worried, mum

and dad gave me lots of support and I was able to go to

school at New College Worcester, a college for the

blind and visually impaired. In September 2013 I stared

at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford.”

Sam had to return home for health reasons in

December 2013 which also resulted in him spending a

few weeks in hospital. Since moving home, Sam said,

“Days have become boring, I hardly have anything to do

and I don’t know that many people in Llanelli. I rely on

my family to go places and never go out without them.”

Sam became a member of ShelbyArt, a local arts and

craft support and activity group, and has recently

become a Street Buddy through Time Credits, where he

wants to be able to ”help other people in my area learn

about what it is like to be blind, and give them advice &

ideas about how to make things accessible to the blind.”

Sam attended the first Street Buddy session with his

mum. She wasn’t able to make the second session and

for the first time Sam felt able to attend something on

his own. He said, “I felt empowered through attending

the session on my own, it was good to meet new

people, and it’s so good to do things by myself”.

Sam has only recently started earning Time Credits, but

he reports that they have given him the confidence to

go to new places and make new friends, and make him

feel happy. He says, “I have gone to help out at The Big

Lunch and made new friends at events I have been to,

without my parents, which I haven’t been able to do

before. I like to earn credits. It makes me feel good and

lets me help other people.”

Page 13: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Rachel Dyer runs RED Total fitness, an organisation

that encourages the community to engage in body and

mind fitness activities. Rachel aims to support all ages

and abilities in improving confidence and becoming

active and self aware.

Rachel wanted to get involved in Time Credits because

“I wanted my business to be more accessible to local

people, who may have more spare time but less spare

cash, to come to classes, because part of my aim is to

improve social capital for my customers and myself.”

People can earn Time Credits at RED Total fitness by

helping Rachel set up before and after classes or

helping with advertising and admin duties. Customers

are then able to use Time Credits to access classes in

Zumba or relaxation and stress management, or for

Rachel’s workshops.

Rachel feels that “Time Credits enable me to provide

services to those who may not usually come due to cash

shortage, and also by allowing them to come they are

boosting self esteem and meeting new contacts and

engaging in new roles. If they are doing small admin

tasks or set up then it is also experience they can put on

a CV.”

Time Credits have also helped Rachel’s organisation;

“Time Credits have enabled my business to reach a

broader crowd of customers and to network. I have been

advertised via Time Credits for no additional cost which

is a big help and also facilitated my meeting of like-

minded people. It has enabled my personal confidence

to grow.”

“Time Credits have helped me and my new small

business in areas where other people have closed

doors. I have been part of various events and meetings

which gives you the feel that you belong to something

bigger. I think that is what stands out most about Time

Credits, it builds bridges, but it also helps you cross

them.”

Rachel Dyer,

RED Total Fitness

Page 14: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Sian Cook is a full time mother of two daughters, Becca

and Ellie. Sian has been taking her children to Ty Ni

family Centre for the past five years, which provides a

place for her children to play and learn with other

children of similar ages. It has also been a place for Sian

to meet friends and gain valuable support.

Around three years ago Sian helped to set up the

parents committee at Ty Ni. The aim of the committee is

fundraise for and support a range of services and

activities for children and parents attending the centre.

Many of the families would not be able to access

services without the support of the fundraising

committee. Sian also supports a range of events and

activities at the centre, such as play, arts and craft

sessions, children’s tea parties and outings to nearby

attractions.

Sian has been earning Time Credits for the past nine

months for the time she gives to Ty Ni family centre.

Recently she has been making the most of having a few

hours a week to herself and do some physical activtiy;

“Using Time Credits at the leisure centre is great for me;

it’s really accessible as it is nearby and has long opening

hours. I go swimming once a week while Ellie is in

Meithrin - a time to exercise, relax and have me time - to

do something I enjoy.”

“Staff have always been polite and friendly. Carmarthen

Leisure Centre is a great facility with lots of different

activities on offer for all ages and abilities, modern

facilities that are clean and well maintained, it’s also

easy to park. As my children get older I hope they will be

able to make the most of it too as part of an active

healthy lifestyle and we will be able to use Time Credits

to be an active family.”

Sian is a qualified Youth Worker. She was made

redundant following her maternity leave, and is looking

forward to supporting more local projects using her skills

and knowledge to benefit the community once her

youngest daughter starts school.

Sian Cook,

Ty Ni Family Centre

Page 15: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

John Moran and Communities 2.0

John Moran lives in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire with

his wife. He started volunteering 3 years ago following

his retirement. John is committed to volunteering, giving

his time to support a number of local organisations

including Communities 2.0, which is a Welsh

Government programme supporting digital inclusion in

Carmarthenshire. John has been volunteering with

Communities 2.0 for the past 2 ½ years. He teaches

basic computer courses for over-50’s and jobseekers at

the local library and at Job Centre Plus.

Communities 2.0 sessions support community

members to increase their knowledge and confidence

in using digital technology; for shopping, searching for

the best banking or insurance deals, using government

services, accessing jobs online or keeping in touch with

friends and family. Carmarthenshire County Council’s

Digital Inclusion Team, which is working on

Communities 2.0 with four other partner organisations,

is already working with Communities First Partnerships

and Sheltered Accommodation Schemes, as well as

looking at how it can improve access to Council

Services through E-Government initiatives.

In May 2013 the Communities 2.0 programme became

part of the Spice Carmarthenshire Time Credits

network, enabling them to recognise the contributions

made by volunteers with Time Credits. Communities

2.0 hope to use Time Credits to encourage more people

into volunteering and engage more people within their

communities and into social action.

John began earning Time Credits in May 2013 and

earns on average 4-5 Time Credits per week. Since

earning Time Credits John has been using the

Ammanford Leisure Centre fitness suite and has been

going 4 times per week for the past 3 months. He also

occasionally uses the pool.

John says, “I had never used a gym previously, but as a

result of using the gym I have lost a stone and a half in

weight and have already felt the benefits making me

feel fitter and healthier. I am hoping to continue using

the gym and to lose some more weight. Because I

enjoy being a volunteer it is a bonus to earn the Time

Credits and rewarding to spend them as I would not

normally be able to afford the gym membership.”

Page 16: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Doctor Mz Youth Centre,

Carmarthen

Dr.Mz is a youth drop in centre run by Carmarthen

Youth Project for young people aged 11-25. It provides a

comfortable, safe, informative and stimulating place for

young people to meet and take part in activities. In

March 2013 Dr Mz joined the Carmarthenshire Time

Credits network and since then has been using Time

Credits to engage young people in co-producing the

service, by giving ideas and direction via the youth

forum.

Young people aged 13-19 years have also been giving

their time to support the wider community, including to

provide a range of activities for clients attending the

Myrddin Day Centre in Carmarthen; examples have

included playing bingo, making cards, fridge magnets

and other arts and craft activities.

Time Credits have led to increased participation in the

wider community from the young people who attend Dr

Mz, improving local perceptions of young people and

also enabling disadvantaged young people to gain new

skills and access a range of activities that improve their

health and wellbeing.

Dr Mz has also experienced exciting new developments

that have grown out of their journey with Time Credits. In

spring 2013 in partnership with the League of Friends at

Glangwilli Hospital, a group of enthusiastic staff and

young people spent a Saturday clearing weeds and litter

from the hospital garden and planting flowers and plants,

returned the garden to a peaceful and pleasant place for

patients and visitors. This very positive experience led

Dr Mz to seek funding for a growing project as they

wanted to be able to teach young people how to grow

plants and develop an allotment. They applied to the Big

Lottery and following a public vote were successful in

gaining £42,000 to develop the project.

Crops grown on the allotment are brought back to the

youth centre where older volunteers teach methods of

growing and selling food to young people. The project

will improve the lives of people in the community by

introducing disadvantaged young people to a positive

activity and new skills and knowledge that will help them

to live physically and mentally healthy lives.

Gayle Harris, Dr Mz Manager says, "Time Credits have

given staff at the project a new way of thinking and

enabled us to work in a more innovative way. It has

been a refreshing project and long may it continue! The

networks that have developed have been invaluable to

us as a small local project.“

Page 17: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Joanne Simons, Women’s Aid

Joanne Simons first became involved in Time Credits

through Llanelli Women’s Aid and earned Time Credits

through volunteering there and taking First Aid and Food

Hygiene courses to support her volunteering activities.

Joanne had experienced domestic abuse in her past and

was keen to give back to the organisation.

Since earning her first Time Credits and enjoying spend

opportunities such as trips and outings, visits to see the

Ospreys, paying for her children to go to Ramps

Skatepark and having her hair styled, Joanne’s

confidence has grown significantly and she has been

keen to support other events and activities in

Carmarthenshire. She has volunteered her time to

support learning events put on by Communities First and

with her children and fiancé has supported community

clean-up activities and large scale events including a 40’s

tea dance for the older community and a Big Lunch picnic

at the local country park.

Joanne says, “When I used to help volunteer in

Women’s Aid before Time Credits I didn’t feel worthy or

a part of them, but then Time Credits became available

and I have done things I never done before - like face

painting! I face painted my children but never anyone

else’s and then got given the opportunity and it was

fantastic, I go to events on my own to help and I get very

nervous and scared but the opportunity to help has

given me confidence. I no longer sit in the house afraid

of my own shadow, I am out there with the community

and with the people and I am starting to get ME back.. I

can’t even explain in writing how much these have

helped me.”

“Time Credits are amazing. They bring families back

together and give you your independence, and for me

my life back. When we go and spend them I feel great

knowing I worked for them and now we can have fun as

a family.”

Joanne is a very talented artist and baker and she has

always been interested in having her own business that

would enable her to work and still look after her young

children. Joanne has recently completed a Business

Enterprise 2 course with Coleg Sir Gar and now feels

she has the skills and confidence to develop her

business idea into reality.

“The course was amazing, hard, stressful, full of

laughter, and most importantly I made new friends and

gained confidence. I have done presentations,

powerpoints - to some it may not seem a lot, but for me

it’s been a huge difference.”

“Time Credits have changed my life. After being in a

domestic violence relationship, your confidence, your

faith, your beliefs, your trust in people disappears and

you lock yourself away but Time Credits help so many

people out there like myself.”

Page 18: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Chooselife Wales

Chooselife Wales are a drug and alcohol service in the

seaside area of Llanelli, providing a day drop in centre as

well as accommodation. Volunteers have supported their

work for many years, providing support to service users,

assisting in the facilitation of family sessions, running

lunch clubs or providing a much needed space to talk.

Many volunteers have been through the centre as service

users previously.

Chooselife Wales have used Time Credits as a means of

engaging everyone at the centre, both service users and

volunteers. Service users earn credits by delivering the

lunch club, cooking meals, laying tables and cleaning up

after sessions, running family centre activities, carrying

out litter picks and gardening and maintenance at the

service’s allotment. They also earn for delivering moving

and landscaping services for Chooselife’s social

enterprise that helps fund the service and raises the

profile of service users as playing a positive role in the

local community.

Chooselife have embedded Time Credits into their

service delivery model so that earning or spending run

through all activities. Each service user has a 3-point

action plan developed and Time Credits are discussed

when this is developed and opportunities to earn and

spend identified. This has led to service users being

more engaged in their support.

A staff member reports; “It’s hard to separate Time

Credits and Chooselife; they are part of everything we

do. They help to get things going and build support from

service users. Time Credits are a catalyst for

engagement.”

Increased engagement has led to a group of service

users taking horticultural courses at the Botanical

Gardens of Wales, and staff said that “If it wasn’t for

Time Credits, we wouldn’t know who the committed

people are, to support them to take the course.”

Spending opportunities have also made a difference to

service users and their involvement in the service, as

reported by Lindy Butler, Team Leader; “Thank you so

much for last week’s tickets for the Scarlets [rugby

game], our service users had a fantastic time and they

have become more motivated since their visit to the

game.”

Chooselife feel that Time Credits have changed the day

to day running of their services as users are now asking

for activities that they can participate in and staying

longer at the centre. They have even had to put on

more activities throughout the day. This really supports

the work of the organisation as they want to extend their

opening hours to provide extended support provision.

Page 19: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

Home-Start Carmarthen-Llanelli

Home-Start is a charity that focuses on families in the

community who need support. Support is given by

volunteers who support the families for 2 hours a week in

their homes.

Home-Start’s volunteers are very precious to them and

undertake extensive training in order to support families

in the community. They felt that the opportunity to

recognise the contributions of their volunteers with Time

Credits which they could share with their own families

was priceless and would also further incentivise people

to take up volunteering opportunities.

Volunteers earn Time Credits for the direct support they

provide to families. On average a volunteer can earn two

Time Credits a week for supporting a family. Lots of

volunteers are interested in spending their Time Credits

on local leisure opportunities or on family outings.

Time Credits offer Home-Start volunteers more

opportunities to spend more time together as a family unit

and increase participation. Home-Start also feel that they

reduce discrimination in terms of poverty as people can

access things they could not previously afford, and

reduce stress as they create the opportunity to go places.

More widely, Lia Davies, Volunteer Coordinator, reports

that ”being part of the Time Credits Network has given

us the chance to participate in events and networking

opportunities and to feel part of the community”.

Page 20: Carms Case Study Booklet June 14 Final

For more information contact:

Rachel Gegeshidze

Carmarthenshire Time Credits

Facilitator

[email protected]

07453 987 648

Ben Dineen

Head of Communities & Housing -

Wales

[email protected]

07429 313 860

David Russell

Head of Health and Social Care [email protected] 074 2946 4265

This programme has been enabled through funding from the Interreg IVB North West Europe (NWE) programme as part of the Community Currencies in Action project (CCIA). CCIA is a transnational partnership working to develop and deliver community currency demonstrations in several member states across the North West of Europe. CCIA will lead the way in sharing knowledge and best practice to enable communities throughout Europe to grow stronger in their ability to achieve vibrant and prosperous networks that are efficient in delivering social, economic and environmental outcomes. CCIA will design, develop and implement community currencies (CCs) across NW Europe; providing a rigorously tested package of support structures to facilitate the development of CCs across NWE and promote CCs as a credible (policy) vehicle for achieving positive outcomes. CCIA is part funded through the INTERREG IVB North West Europe (NWE) Programme, which is a financial instrument of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy.