Excitement builds for what is going to come out of Friday and Saturday's training

Timebanking in Hastings - Press Release on how we are all now richer through offering & multi-party giving/trading our skills (Part 1)

The brief update on the time-banking work I'm doing is as follows:
- I was visited by Adam Chugg, the CEO of 3VA who is interested in skills sharing, and for the time being I suggested he use www.streetbank.com . I also created for him the example blog called lawyersdaysout.blogspot.com
- I have invited the director of streetbank.com to my office in September, and we will be talking about next steps.
- Dr Edgar Cahn, the (US) founder of time-banking, whose talk I recently attended, announced an Open Source timebanking software application being launched in December; I'm keen to work with this.
- Finance for running the Hastings & St Leonards Action for Happiness & Mediation Support Ltd Centre currently runs out in September, issues related to funding will delay forward progress.
- The date I officially wish to launch the time-bank coincides with something called "AGoodWeek" in 2012 -18th -24th June.
- Meanwhile Mediation Support Ltd have begun phase 1 of the time-bank by offering to provide for "Hastings Pier Trust volunteers a free hour on a course or an event for every hour's volunteering work that is done for the Trust. This is intended to be the start of a time-banking initiative in Hastings & St Leonards that enables more people to benefit from each other's skills without paying money, and that values an hour of each person's time equally."
- It has been inspiring to meet Erica, who works three days a week for a time-bank in London as a volunteer, and would only require one day a week's funding to move to Hastings to do this work here.
video: http://youtu.be/Bap4ENK0px0
- If funding opportunities enable an earlier official launch to the timebank than next June, I will engage with this earlier.
- One of the next steps is to contact act with an organisation called Circles Network who were recently awarded nearly £19k to deliver a Time bank model in Wealden through 2011 Adult Social Care Commissioning Prospectus. I don’t know what Circle’s plans are in terms of future expansion or not of this scheme to other areas in East Sussex, and therefore how open they would be about discussing their plans or bid with you, but if you are able to link in some way contact details:
info[at]circlesnetwork.org.uk 

One of our wigs was in the fireworks show tonight!

And here is Action for Happiness's Great Dream Poster: 10 Keys to Happier Living

Hastings Old Town Carnival - Amber Rudd MP

Amber Rudd MP
Member of Parliament for Hastings & Rye

House of Commons

Mr Paul Crosland
Action for Happiness
Southwater Area Community Centre
1-2 Stainsby Street
ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA
TN37 6LA

Dear Mr Crosland

I am writing to congratualate you for leading such an inspirational group as Action for Happiness, with the aim of making Hastings a happier place in which to live.

This is a wonderful initiative, and it is so good to know that you and your group are doing all that you can to remind us all of what is important in life, such as connecting with other people, being active and healthy, learning new skills, giving to others, and learning to appreciate the good things in our lives.  Indeed, gratitude is a powerful and energising force for good.

I see that you and your group have been handing out happiness hints to commuters at St Leonards Warrior Square train station, and conducting stress-busting sessions and talks.

I thank you and your group for offering our town such a valuable and positive contribution.

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Amber Rudd

Happiness petition to the Mayor of Hastings & St Leonards

streetbank and connecting people

People want things. Not all of these people use www.streetbank.com. It therefore helps if people who know what's on streetbank are in contact with others who aren't and cross-polinate. These magical connectors are called Streetbees and the most magical cross-polination I've seen (even before the start of AGoodWeek) is Sue's wish to get the streetbank offered spade (who has offered it I don't know), to Anita who I met and filmed, but who is off-line and presumably still wanting a spade. Next installment follows soon... Please offer a service to friends who use the web less, and if you are not clear how to offer the service, please call the number on www.telephonemediation.org.uk and we'll take it from there. (Sue is part of the newly formed Hastings & St Leonards Action for Happiness group that is running AGoodWeek at the Southwater Centre & around between 20th-26th June 2011).


And here's Debbie, who I met today and who then offered to put her collection of healing books in the streetbank depot: