The 2023 round of the Mersey Gateway Time Bank scheme which provides help and support for groups, charities and organisations in Halton will run until Friday 31 March 2023.
The Time Bank is a way for Merseylink and Merseyflow to demonstrate their commitment to the local area and provide practical help and support to schools, colleges, charities, and community groups.
The scheme offers an innovative way of matching the skills of the Merseylink and Merseyflow teams with local needs to provide long-lasting benefits to community life in Halton.
Some of the organisations which benefited from Time Bank in 2019
Time Bank has already gifted over 20,000 hours of support locally across a variety of projects in Runcorn and Widnes.
Play areas, village halls, studios and community facilities are just some of the organisations that have benefited from previous rounds of Time Bank activity since 2014.
One of those to benefit in the past was LOOSE Charity in Widnes, which had a garden area completely transformed with new paved areas, planters and garden furniture for service users to enjoy.
Louise Nulty, studio project manager at LOOSE charity, said: “To have the support of Time Bank to transform our back space into a welcoming, attractive haven is fantastic.
“The revived area lifts everyone who attends, especially those who have seen it over many years.
“They can’t believe the change and the fact that it is now a useable and beautiful place for our visitors.”
A minimum of 30 days per year are committed through the Time Bank scheme, and assistance can include anything from regeneration activities, career advice, technical advice, general maintenance, painting and litter picking, as well as any suggestions applicants can provide.
Individuals from Merseylink and Merseyflow have also expressed an interest in offering more personal commitments such as mentoring, coaching, and presentation skills aimed at young people or the unemployed to increase their chances of securing sustainable employment.
Karen Atherton, Merseylink Network Steward and Time Bank Lead, said: “We’re so pleased that we’re able to reopen applications for the Time Bank after having to take a break due to the pandemic. We’ve always had a really positive response from organisations that need additional support, so I would recommend getting your applications in early. Our team is raring to go and can’t wait to jump into some new projects to help the community in Halton.”
Emma Simons, Head of HR at Merseyflow, said: “We’re proud to support the work of amazing local charities through the Time Bank initiative. Getting involved in the community challenges brings our team together and provides the opportunity to engage with other volunteers and local charities. We’re excited to see what new projects we will be giving time to in 2023.”
How it works
The Time Bank offers a framework of activities supported by a commitment of time and resources from the operations and maintenance team, Merseylink and toll administrator, Merseyflow. It uses ‘deposits’ of time from experienced teams – time which can then be used to give real practical support to organisations and individuals who need it.
A minimum of 30 days per year are committed through the Time Bank, and assistance can include anything from regeneration activities, career advice, technical advice and community and charity support.
Individuals from Merseylink and Merseyflow have also expressed an interest in offering more personal commitments such as mentoring, coaching, and presentation skills aimed at young people or the unemployed to increase their chances of securing sustainable employment.
Working with Halton Borough Council, Time Bank is overseen and managed by the Merseylink Network Steward, Karen Atherton, who reports to the Mersey Gateway Employment Skills Governance Board to ensure that the ‘deposits’ of time and/or resources are targeted at the needs of the local schools, colleges, charities, and community groups and are used effectively to secure clear and measurable community benefits.
The next round of Time Bank runs until Friday 31 March 2023.
Community groups, local charities and organisations who are interested in applying for support from the Time Bank are advised to get their applications in soon.
You can email info@merseylink.com to apply or for more information.