Give&TakeCare is a time-bank that aims to promote community-led care for older adults by reducing isolation, facilitating independent living and giving a sense of purpose to older volunteers.

Give&TakeCare

We do so by applying an innovative business model to volunteering schemes and facilitate exchange of support and help between community members. Volunteers offer their help to older adults in their community and by so doing they save care credits that they can use for care when they need it. Older adults receive help and support in their home by volunteers and contribute to the running cost of the scheme by paying a small administrative contribution of £1 per hour of support they receive.

G&TC benefits older adults by:

– providing them with the care and support they need in everyday life (befriending, shopping help, medical appointments lifts, domestic and administrative support) so as to stay in their own home living independently for as long as possible with a small administrative fee of £1 per hour of care. This can help people stay in their homes, being connected through developed friendships in the local community and being supported in participating in social events. 

– by helping them to find volunteering opportunities in the. This can enhance their sense of belonging and purpose but also help them in creating a care savings they can use to receive help.

At the moment we have four sites/localities – where Give&Take Care is running: Wokingham, Slough, Rochdale and Leicester. The next location will be opening in Cornwall in the spring. Each locality is run in collaboration with a local charity or social enterprise and receives referrals from many places, including hospitals, falls clinics, memory clinics, doctor’s surgeries and family members.

Requests for help include anything from company at home to help with administration and paperwork, from giving lifts to medical appointments or taking part in activities to walking a pet! There are also volunteers who give family carers a much-needed break for an hour or so.  This help is available as often as one needs and is person-centred, making sure that the CareGiver and the CareReceiver are matched based on common interests, preferences and availability.

Whilst the support is free we ask for a small annual membership fee and £1 for each hour of support received by those who receives care; this allow the scheme to become financially independent and pay for the befriending coordinator and the necessary checks to safeguard our CareGivers and CareReceivers.

Give&TakeCare have received great feedback from its members, with people commenting how nice it is to have company and feel part of the community. Members have said they feel more confident and happy in themselves whilst family members have expressed how relieved they are to know that a parent is receiving regular visits.

If anyone is interested in becoming part of Give&TakeCare, either as a volunteer or someone who would like support themselves, please contact:

Give&TakeCare on

01895 267 388
or email: contact@giveandtakecare.co.uk

More information is available on: www.giveandtakecare.co.uk