K
irsty Carver, one of the leading members of Portobello Timebank, inadvertently hit upon a way of mitigating all these factors when she joined the Timebank: “My son was 3 weeks old when I joined. I didn’t really know anyone in Edinburgh, since we had only recently moved here and I realised pretty quickly that I missed meeting people and having other things in my life other than being a mother. Initially I wasn’t sure what I could offer but fortunately you get 5 free credits at the start so that took the pressure off. I later realised that tasks that seemed easy to me (showing someone how to set up their iPad) was wonderful for someone else. It gave me a sense of being able to contribute something to someone else and connection to the wider community. And my son now has an ‘adopted’ Granny who has known us since he was tiny, which is pretty special for him (and wonderful for us as parents).” made MAR / APR 2017
All the things that Kirsty describes – connection, a sense of purpose, being supported by other people – are things that can be lacking for new parents at home with a baby. And they’re crucial ingredients for good mental health. “I had done NCT and the local NHS classes, but there wasn’t really anyone who lived particularly local to me, so I knew that I had to find my own community. Thanks to Timebank I not only have a community, but my son is comfortable hanging out with people from a whole variety of ages, stages and walks of life.” Kirsty’s story beautifully illustrates a few of the amazing benefits of joining your local Timebank, and what a bonus it can be not just for your family but also for the other people who you come into contact with. If you would like to know more, you can check out Portobello Timebank on www.portobellotimebank.co.uk or else you can find a list of Edinburgh Timebanks at www.edinburghtimebank.org.uk n
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