Lowestoft Time Bank Scheme Receives Funding Boost

An innovative skills-sharing scheme has received a funding boost from two East Suffolk Councillors for its new community gardening project.

Gunton and St Margarets Councillors George King and Graham Parker donated £820 from their Enabling Communities Budgets towards the Lowestoft Time Bank’s Grow Together Project.

The social enterprise, based at Gunton Estate Community Hall in Lowestoft, is among a growing number of ‘time-banking’ schemes allowing people to exchange skills, services and time with others in their community, in return for ‘credit’ that can be redeemed for assistance from other members.

Under the Grow Together Project, the scheme will facilitate flexible groups to use the tools provided to create a community garden in Montgomery Avenue and an allotment at the Lowestoft Community Hub, as well as assisting a number of residents in their own gardens.

Michele Blatchford, Director of Lowestoft Time Bank CIC (Community Interest Company), said: “Our time bank is a way for people to come together to help others, their community and themselves at the same time. This may be people offering their time to provide practical skills like simple DIY or dog walking, or office skills like help with computers or CV writing.

“There are so many of these skills and services we can exchange that build solid community connections, but we’re keen to promote some specific projects here too – one of which is our new, collaborative ‘Grow Together’ project. To get this going, we needed to purchase lots of good quality hand tools, so I approached our local East Suffolk Councillors, George King and Graham Parker, to see if they would support us financially with just over £800 from their Enabling Community Budgets.”

Cllr Parker was very pleased to support the plans. He said: “I really admire this initiative that will involve users of the time bank donating their time and expertise, regardless of their level of experience, to support these gardening endeavours. It will foster a sense of a shared experience, promote well-being, and help to restore biodiversity within our green spaces too.

“This is an excellent project that will not only get the local community working together to learn new skills and grow vegetables, but it will also benefit those who need help with their gardens due to disability, illness, age or inexperience.”

The project aims to reach about 335 direct beneficiaries in its first year, including students, adults with physical and learning disabilities, residents of the local community, individuals referred through social prescribing for mental health support or garden-related assistance, older people who require help maintaining their gardens, and job seekers looking to acquire knowledge, skills, and confidence through gardening activities.

Companies or individuals that would like to offer their time, skills and services by becoming members of the Lowestoft Time Bank can contact the team via the Lowestoft Time Bank website.