Opening up and involving sympathetic partners and finding worthwhile projects to take on will make your time bank more stimulating and more fun for everyone. For example, local schools, youth clubs and colleges always need extra help and are a great source of projects for your people to take on. Young people are drawn to timebanking and love the chance to make a real difference to people living in their community.

Incentives to keep people involved are a good idea. Local businesses will be keen to improve their reputation by offering discounts on goods and services to people who are helping others in the community. Council facilities, like leisure centres and swimming pools, will often have slack periods and offer discounts; likewise, cafés, cinemas and theatres.

Environmental projects are very popular. Specific, short-term pieces of work, like recycling or clean ups are always needed. These can be really rewarding and bring you into contact with a whole range of new people.

Simple home repair teams can have a big impact and provide a much needed service; a simple repair can really make a difference.

Ask people what they think needs doing and what they want to change and set up work parties to take it on. Remember that relationship building is your main focus. Bring all types of people together for these groups. You will never be able to predict who will get along, you will have plenty of surprises but you will be building community.

Go where the energy is and enthusiasm and don’t waste time trying to convince the minority of sceptics that timebanking is a great thing – they will join in eventually when they see how popular it is.

Timebanking is about doing stuff.