I’ve got some good news for you. Cardiff, the city in which you likely reside if you’re reading this, is the best place in the world to live if you want to earn TIME CREDITS. It’s also the best place to SPEND Time Credits. “But what ARE Time Credits?” you ask? Well, buckle down cos you’re about to find out!

What are Time Credits?

Alright, alright, I heard you the first time! Time Credits are not entirely dissimilar to another thing you may be familiar with known as “money”, in our corner of the world you may be particularly used to seeing “the pound”. And there is no denying that, as a Time Credit comes in a beautiful little note with lots of pictures of all the things it stands for, it does look similar to cold hard cash. But cash can be used for anything. When you use a Time Credit you know that it was earned by supporting your community, and spent having some fun. No Time Credit ever got spent on boring old groceries, and Jeff Bezos probably doesn’t own any Time Credits.

How do I earn Time Credits?

Here are some of the ways you can earn a Time Credit (or multiple Time Credits) in Cardiff:

• Fix a bike, a computer or loads of other things at Repair Cafe Wales
• Support Lisvane and Llanishen Scout Group‘s fireworks night
• Serve breakfast to those in need at the Old Library
• Cook a meal for people recovering from drug and alcohol misuse
• Supporting other volunteering projects throughout the UK
• Present the news at Bro Radio
• Interview people who have recently left social care
• Help the unemployed in Rhondda Cynon Taf apply for jobs
• Mow some lawns down the Vale of Glamorgan

Why not just pay us?

There are differences between Time Credits and money. For example, no tax. As well as benefiting the community and your lifestyle, time credits believes in an equal system. Give an hour, get an hour. If you spent two hours mowing lawns, you’d be able to see a great two hour long theatre show. That’s a job well done, and fun well earned!

What can I spend Time Credits on?

Almost everything you can spend your time credits on will benefit you personally, from exercise to arts and culture. Here’s a short version of the full list:

• See a concert at St David’s Hall
• Try climbing at Boulders
• See a cricket match at the 16,000 seater Swalec Stadium in Bute Park
• Soak up the culture at a Wales Millennium Centre epic
• Visit Techniquest! (SCIENCE!)
• Free swim and gym sessions at basically any leisure centre in Cardiff, Caerphilly county and elsewhere- including the International Pool! (Those slides are not to be sniffed at)
• Skate at Spit and Sawdust!
• Borrow a Santa suit
• Get in to a number of historic locations free including Caerphilly Castle
• Get a makeover from Coleg y Cymoedd

How do I start earning Time Credits?

There’s not such a thing as a Time Credits “bank account” (yet…)- you just get a few, and you spend a few. To start earning, you have to go to timecredits.com, search your area for an activity you’re interested in, and contact the organiser.

For more info on Cardiff’s volunteering opportunities, check out our page which includes a handy map:

Volunteering