Anything that encourages communities to volunteer is a good thing in my book and providing ‘payment’ which can be redeemed at a range of locations is a fantastic way to do this. People are busy and volunteering can often be a thankless task. This provides that extra incentive for individuals to give up their precious free time. I know from personal experience that volunteering is a hugely rewarding experience and I have met a lot of friends and contacts through volunteering over the years, but people won’t know that until they try it. By providing the incentive this is helping to open up the volunteering market to individuals who may not have considered it before. Many of our most valuable volunteers in the UK are retirees, who give their time selflessly to help their communities. Retirement is financially very difficult for many people and these time credits can reduce some of the burden by providing opportunities that may not have been open to them before due to financial pressures. Time Credits can also be given as a gift, which is a fantastic way of covering Christmas and Birthday presents.
