For the first time in years we managed to get the entire Coordination team together in the same place at the same time for a hui!
Left to right: Barbara Belger (Whangaroa-Kerikeri), Janey Pares Edney (Whangārei City & Coast), Viv Christensen (Kaipara & Whangārei West), Anna Dunford (Regional Communications), Caryl Doherty Walker (Te Hiku), Paula Walker (Regional Manager)
Okay, so this was made easier because we still have vacancies for two Local Coordinator positions - Te Pēwhairangi/BOI and Kaikohe-Hokianga, (Do you live in either area? Would you like a 10-12hr a week job?!). It was really affirming to get everyone together for a day of sharing and learning.
In true Timebanking tradition we shared our skills and experiences with each other along with a lovely pot luck lunch. Timebank exchanges were made for shared lifts to get there (Caryl and Anna ); and borrowing Di Maxwell's house for our hui. We got together and we got things done.
We're gradually getting ourselves up to speed with all the new online platforms that have been necessary to replace the old timebanking software, and figuring out how to make the most of them for our members. Hopefully members are getting to grips with TimeOverflow website and app, the www.taitokerautimebank.org website and Wix Spaces App (see the bottom of our footer for details!), our Facebook page, and Facebook and Wix groups (where we've got them set up!). There are so many ways to communicate these days, and we want to make sure that we're reaching folk the way they wish to be contacted, so there'll be a questionnaire asking for your preferred options early in the new year!
We shared ideas about places to hold events, ways to encourage more Timebank exchanges between individuals, how we can best support each other as team members, and future plans.
The Catholic Caring Foundation were so impressed with what we and other programmes of our parent Trust, Tiaki Taiao, achieved with the first tranche of their Flood Relief Funding around food resilience that the Trust has received another larger amount for 2024; so we're hoping to be able to access some of that for more working bees and workshops for our members in the first half of the year.
Our Local Coordination team are really keen to find more opportunities to connect kanohi ke te kanohi with our members, there's nothing quite like meeting face to face. So look out for more opportunities to connect with your Local Coordinators on an informal basis - such as drop-in sessions in public spaces and regular hours in places like the EcoCentre Kaitāia and the newly opened He Awhi Rito in Whangārei.
If you'd like to host a neighbourhood social event to get to know your local members, and get your friends to learn about Timebank, contact your Local Coordinator. The better we know each other, the easier Timebanking is and the more useful it becomes.
Most of the team are taking some downtime over the festive week or so, but Barbara's Wednesday Workshop at Cherry Park House will still be happening on the first Wednesday of January: Strategies for Managing Anxiety and Stress should help you go into 2024 ready to cope with whatever comes! She'll also be around before and after to help Timebankers with any questions they have etc.
However of course TimeOverflow works 24/7 right through the year, so if you have some downtime yourself it would be a good opportunity to check/update your profile; add a profile picture if you don't have one yet (or want to change the one that is there!); delete any expired Offers/Requests; add some new Offers and Requests; or record those exchanges you always meant to get round to doing but somehow never did.... as there is nowhere to set the date on an exchange, just the date you make the record, we'll never know if you're playing catch up or have just been really busy timebanking ;) Recording exchanges is really important for us as it's the main way we can prove to funders that Timebanking is worth them funding.
Wishing you and your whānau a happy and safe summer, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024!
ngā mihi nui
Anna, on behalf of the Coordination team
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