TIME BANK PLUS ANNUAL REPORT 2023/24
The completion of our 5-Year Strategic Plan made an excellent start to the year. The Plan is a great tool in helping to guide and focus our work and decision making as we shape and direct our activities into the future.
April ‘23 to March ‘24 has been a good year for Time Bank Plus, with the employment of a Community Projects Co-ordinator enabling us to increase our capacity, open the Time Bank centre on 2 additional days per week and take on some great new projects.
Thanks to funding from the National Grid, we set up Warm Space sessions at the Time Bank centre on Fridays throughout the winter months, with hot drinks and soup, energy advice and optional crafts activities.
Bath Guitar Group was another new weekly activity, which we set up in response to demand from our members. This ongoing peer-led group, which caters both for beginners and more experienced players, quickly outgrew the confines of the Time Bank centre and relocated to a nearby community venue which could accommodate the growing number of participants.
Some people, who didn’t already own a guitar, were able to borrow one for the first few months, from the Borrow It Library of Things. Within a few months of starting, the Guitar Group organised its first performance - to the Twerton Lunch Club. These kinds of interaction between our different groups and projects illustrate one of the particular strengths of the timebanking model. Our approach brings different people and groups in the community together, encourages reciprocity and mutual help and blurs the distinction between ‘giver’ and ‘receiver’.
‘Borrow It’ has continued to be one of our flagship projects and has been very well used by local people this year. This Library of Things provides an invaluable service to local people on a low income, who are unable to afford either to buy equipment or to pay hire fees. ‘Borrow It’ also brings many people into the Time Bank centre, where they are able to find out about other projects and opportunities.
Our wonderful ‘Gardening Team’ worked harder than ever this year, clearing and transforming the gardens of those local people in need of assistance. The Time Bank Allotment group also grew some lovely vegetables, some of which were donated to our Food Co-op veggie boxes.
The Food Co-op continued to deliver boxes of locally grown produce to people in SW Bath every fortnight this year. This service is particularly valued by people
with special dietary needs as well as those who are unable to easily access local shops due to mobility issues. The 2-tier pricing system also enables us to provide free vegetables to a few families in particular financial hardship.
Spending time in nature is beneficial in so many different ways and thanks to funding from Bathscape, we were able to continue running the weekly FeelGood Walks programme again this year. The walks included many different routes as well as nature ID rambles, photography walks, opportunities to use park gym equipment and trips to the City Farm.
Our ‘Art for Everyone’ courses, which are supported by the Wellbeing College, were, as ever, filled to capacity this year. We were also able to continue hosting weekly online Creative Writing sessions throughout the year. These courses, which are suitable for all levels, do such a lot to bring people together and help to develop their creative skills. The quality of both the artwork and the writing which results are truly impressive.
Funding from Quartet Community Foundation enabled us to keep the popular Twerton Lunch Club running for a further year. We were sad to say goodbye to Sue, the Lunch Club Co-ordinator, due to her retirement at the end of 2023, but very fortunate that the acclaimed Bath Community Kitchen stepped into the breach, providing wonderful 2-course hot lunches as well as a full programme of activities.
The Lunch Club plays a crucial role in helping to combat isolation and loneliness, particularly amongst older people living on their own. In addition, feedback from our participants demonstrates that our projects achieve many further outcomes including developing skills, improving confidence & selfesteem, enhancing health & wellbeing, increasing quality of life and building community.
Fundraising continued to be rather challenging this year. However thanks to the continued generosity of the Roper Family Trust, we were able to continue to keep all of our successful ongoing groups and projects running for a further year and to enter the following year in reasonably good financial health.
Despite all the challenges facing people in Twerton and the surrounding area, community spirit here is strong and flourishing. The generosity and kindness shown by local people, who may themselves be struggling, is truly inspiring. None of our work would be possible without their involvement, commitment and mutual support.
Finally, we would like to extend a warm thank you to our wonderful Management Committee members and Trustees, who generously continue to offer their time and expertise to keep our small charity in good health.
Additional Information
Contact details
Time Bank Plus Ltd www.timebankplus.co.uk 86 High Street, timebankplus@googlemail.co.uk Twerton, Bath, BA2 1DE. 01225 442813
Charity no. 1147665 Company no. 06716502
Trustees
Duncan McGibbon Company Secretary Simon Horsman Treasurer Nathan Gale
Other Management Committee members
Jo Salisbury (Chair) June Wentland Krystal Osmond Mary Fee Stewart Weston
Structure & Management
The Management Committee, consisting of the Trustees and several other elected or co-opted members, meets approx 6 times per year (and no less than 4 times) to receive operational and financial reports, review progress and do future planning. The Management Committee are elected each year at the AGM, which is open to all Time Bank members. Up to three other people with relevant skills and experience may be co-opted onto the committee.
Aims & objectives
The overall aim of Time Bank Plus is:
To enhance community involvement and improve health and wellbeing in Bath & NE Somerset
Working particularly with more disadvantaged groups and communities, our specific aims are:
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to stimulate volunteering within the local community
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to enable local people to gain and develop skills and confidence
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to facilitate local people in making healthy & sustainable lifestyle choices
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to enhance social involvement and promote understanding between different groups within the local community
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to stimulate the provision of volunteer services which help promote independence and improve quality of life
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to increase the capacity of people in B&NES to engage in their local community
We do this by:
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providing a brokered timebanking service, which enables local people to exchange services and skills on the basis of time
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co-ordinating groups and activities which help build community involvement
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providing learning opportunities which enable local people to develop existing skills or gain new ones
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co-ordinating projects which help support healthy lifestyle choices and environmental sustainability
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supporting activities which help to foster understanding between different groups in the local community
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working in creative partnership with other agencies to develop and support community initiatives
Reserves Policy
We aim to keep reserves totalling at least 3 months’ total expenditure plus 9 months’ rental cost
TIME BANK PLU Incothe & Ex ditllre AccouDt for Yar ended 3111 Mar¢b 21124 2022123 2023124 Ineome Roper Rhodes Quartet Community Foundation Wellbein8 College Other project funding Food Cowop & Lunch Club (net tskings) Donations Other income Total Income 12000.IXI 120(KI.00 71XK).00 4060.00 6875.00 1419.11 457.44 724.60 1040. 9245.iJ) 1695.89 1148.55 333.1 25462.54 32536.J5 18991.85 398.19 6015.36 746.23 759.06 34.80 840.(X) 95.97 124.69 245.08 stsffing costs Volunteer expenses Rent & serdices Insurance Postage, IT & phone Non-staff pmject cnsts Wellbeing College course expeNliturc Office supplies & equipment Payroll costs (hher expenditure Tol•l expenditu 28864.37 677.27 8040.86 553.85 974.37 184.60 2761.75 194.79 161.08 2670.93 surplu(DerK5t) for the yr In 2022123 2023124 53123.64 670.93 To1 at Ixginning of year surplU(Defic1l> for year Total funds at end of ye Repres¢Dt¢d by: 50452.71 (10072.30) 50325.21 127.5 50452.71 C&8h al Bank C&sh in Hand 40325.42 54,99 40380.41 Less: Sundry ¢r¢ditors Pluj: Sundry debtors 50452.71 40380.41 19981.00 ioooo.oo 20471.71 Restricted Designated Funds 9934.00 75(K).00 22946.41 Board of Managemmt date . So I have examined the alK)&e w)urAl8 which are in aCcOrdae with the IK)oks a1 s submitted to me, and in my opinion tly are correcL . 1ndqdent Examiner -1 i.[.?J.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independeiit Exaininer s Report Roport to th• tru8ts081 membors of Tiui 6kThlQ PLL)s LfJ On accounts for th• y•ar •nded Charlty no lif any out on p•g I report to the trustees on my eXination of the account8 of the above charty {'the Trusf) for the year ended R••ponslbllttle8 and As the charity trustees of the Trt. you are responsible for the preparation b481$ of r•port of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of t Charities Act 2011 ('the Ad.). I r•port in r88p¢c* of my èxaminati of the Trust'8 account8 carried out under sedion 145 of the 2011 Act and in c1j out my examination, I have foHtxwd tho applicat40 Direction8 given by the Charity C(mmi88ion under 8ection 145(5)Ib) of the Art. I havo completed rny oxamlnation. I corfrm that matan'al matters have come lo my attenlion ((ther than that disdosed teltyN") in connection wlth the examinalion whith giv me GaLrne to lIeve that in, any material Ind•p•nd•nt examinerfs •tatemont accounlwy facd3 V•W• nol keo kn aCCd4n¢e with secn 130 of the Ad or accourts do nol accwd the accourtSw record8 I have no concems and have come no other matters in connection wlth the examination to ¥thich attention should be drawn In order to enabbe proper urKlerstarKling of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the In the brackets If they do not apply. Slgn•d: Nam•: KEfiJ R•l•vant pr¢fe•8lonal quallficallon(s) or body Ilf any): Addr•••: A-I IH IER October 2018