Community Catalysts is a Community Interest Company, they work across the UK supporting individuals to use their talent and passion to benefit other people in their local area. In Oldham Community Catalysts were keen to link with mother and son, Jo and Greg Palmer to develop support. The timebanking scheme was a way of connecting with people, particularly those with a disability, in their own community. Jo was aware that existing services would not truly connect Greg, who has autism, into his local community, so she decided to set up a scheme that would. Members are developing the scheme with an official launch by the Mayor of Oldham on 7th July.
Greg’s story
Greg is nineteen and lives with his family in Oldham. He is helpful, organised and energetic. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, and has other complex needs, so his family have always been well connected with what is on offer locally that might meet Greg’s needs. Greg is happily settled into the routine of education at the moment, but some extensive searching failed to find anything that Greg would be happy to join in with.
When Jo (Greg’s mum) read about the values of timebanks, it seemed to fit. They recognise that the biggest asset of any organisation is its people, Jo said: “Suddenly I realised that all of Greg’s skills, which would not be valued in a work setting, could still be valuable to our local community with a bit of background community connecting to set up the initial connections”.
“Greg loves walking, opening gates and rattling letterboxes; we matched him to a community development worker of a local social housing provider who needed help delivering posters to advertise a Jubilee party.”
Greg and his support worker spent a few hours during his school holiday delivering posters to all the local shops around the park where the party was taking place. It was a win-win situation – Greg got to go out and do the things he loved and he became an asset to the local community at the same time. In return he was thanked with some time credits which he used to attend a party later on in the summer.
