Tendring Time Bank Clacton on sea Essex
The lady who runs this is Jackie, this is my experience. Because of being housebound and lonely a lady's husband contacted her asking if she could arrange for a regular visitor for INTERESTING CHATS. She said yes. This is what they do. She phoned several times for long chats on phone about it, always talking about how busy she was and that she would be sure of finding someone. Then she wanted to visit to talk about it at great length again - she was there ages and only went on and on about her niece and her problems. She said she knew just the person to help b y visiting. When she emailed back it was to suggest that the lonely housebound disabled lady go to the cinema with one of her volunteers and watch a film with her. It was obvious by the way she put it that the lady very much wanted to see this film. It was politely pointed out that she is disabled and housebound and wanted someone to chat with, and you don't chat when watching a film. Oh she said. Well there is another person I have in mind, but she would have to bring her sister with her to make sure she is safe. As if a disabled old lady might be a violent threat. That offer was not welcome so Jackie said well I have another lady she is very very shy, she rarely speaks, but she would b e happy to sit and listen while you talk. Strangely that was not welcome either. Jackie then went on about the old lady who would like a visitor needing a police check! When anyone involved in charity and voluntary work knows that it is the visitor who needs a clear check, not the person being visited. Jackie admitted she did not have anyone suitable but then went on about how the old lady should be a lot more grateful that these people are willing to give her their precious time, when they are so busy, and she wants to come over again to discuss it at length again. The old lady politely pointed out that she had offered three people that were not suitable for someone who is housebound and/or looking for chats, and as she has just said she has nobody suitable what is the point of coming over again? Jackie then made up some rubbish about how a lot of the ladies at the Time Bank know the old lady and did not want to meet her. Which made no sense at all as the old lady was totally housebound, and she had tried to convince the old lady to meet three of them, she had never met or spoken to any of them and the few people she knew in the area were on very good terms with her. Jackie then tried to insist that the old lady was not allowed to criticise the service.
It seems that Jackie does not usually marry up visitors for people, hence she would not know that the person being visited DOES NOT need to be checked by police and she would not know that you don't spend about ten hours only to end up saying there is nobody suitable.
The Time Bank is actually very much like a second hand charity shop, selling bits and bobs to raise some money. With people sitting around chatting all day - so much for how busy they are. It is very much like a drop in centre for the elderly or unemployed. Not busy people or even working people. There are lots of similar places in the area where people sit chatting just because they hate being on their own or at home. The old lady who was hoping to find a suitable friend to visit for chats is a qualified therapist, she decided to see clients again, people who appreciate her time and don't expect to be able to just waste it. For some reason people seem to assume that people who are ill, or housebound have all the time in the world for anyone who fancies it and should be grateful if they spend some time with them, no matter how boring or pointless the meet is.