Kaitāia TimeBank (KTB) is morphing into Tai Tokerau Timebank (TTT). ‘Kaitāia’ was becoming an increasingly inaccurate description, with members already between Houhora and Whāngārei! Curently sitting at almost 170 members, the vast majority are within the Far North District Council area, and over a 100 are in and around Kaitāia itself. We’re planning several ‘relaunch’ events in September at a variety of venues around the Far North, and we look forward to the membership distribution evening out geographically.
If you’re not sure what timebanking is the clip below from Lyttleton Timebank, the first in Aotearoa NZ, give you an idea.
Thanks to funding from the Lottery Grants Board and the LW Nelson Trust enabling us to have paid staff starting in 2018, Kaitāia TimeBank was able to quickly double in size and massively increase in activity.
Now Kaitāia TimeBank is joining forces with the Timebanks that predominantly served the mid north it provides an opportunity to rename and restructure how timebanking works in the rohe.
Kaitāia based coordinators Paula Walker and myself, Anna Dunford, took on the role as a job share in January 2019, and we work out of the EcoCentre Kaitāia on Bank Street. We are supported by a growing network of local neighbourhood hub contact people and regional coordinators. We’re hoping to get funding for timebank coordinators in each of the other two FNDC wards, enabling Paula and me to focus primarily on Te Hiku.
Kohukohu got established as a neighbourhood hub back in March thanks to the initiative of Jackie Davidson (pictured on the left in the main photo, with Paula Walker 3rd from the right, and newly orientated Kohukohu timebankers in March 2019). Timebanking is part of their local Community Plan and the local community centre, the refurbished Herald Building, will be ‘home’ to the timebanking in the Hokianga. Already members are earning timecredits for the work they put in to develop this community resource, as well as being able to earn timecredits doing individual trades.
Far North Resilient Communities Charitable Trust in Kaikohe have offered their office space as a base and there are possibilities being looked into for the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa area.
The next coordination meeting is on Thursday 8th August at 1pm in Kaikohe, we’re really keen to get more people involved. Skyping in is an option and we’re trying to car pool as much as possible. So if you’re keen to get involved with this exciting expansion and want to see timebanking grow where you live, contact us on kaitaiatimebank@gmail.com or via the timebank Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!
by Anna Dunford