Community/Social
Making friends through Time Swap!
Hear how a new Time Swap member was able to make a difference, one chat at a time!
How did you find out about Derbyshire Time Swap?
JT met Stuart at a meeting held at a hospice while Stuart was promoting Time Swap services and chatting to bereaved clients who attended their Tears to Laughter group. JT had joined the group after her husband passed away to meet new people and get out of the house more.
Why did you decide to join?
JT had recently lost her husband and was looking to get involved in volunteering, as she felt it would be an outlet for her after her husband’s death. Joining Time Swap would force her to get out the house more and interact with people, which is what she needed in this new chapter of her life.
What activities did you exchange?
JT and Stuart had several conversations about what her interests and hobbies are. As she works part time, she is limited to the number of hours she would be able to commit to Time Swap. JT advised she loved to chat and socialise with people but had lost her confidence recently.
JT advised when her husband was alive, they used to be very sociable and would get involved in a lot of groups and activities. She was now feeling very much on her own but is determined to push herself to get out of the house more.
JT and Stuart chatted about one-to-one Swaps with other members who were also on their own and would benefit from some companionship and support from someone in a similar situation.
Stuart arranged a meet and greet with another Time Swap member and JT was happy to continue with this for several weeks.
In return JT has asked for some help to de-clutter her garage and sort through some things as she thinks this will be a daunting task to do on her own.
What was the result from your swap?
Both JT and the other Time Swap member are enjoying each other’s company and spending time together, occasionally they pop out for a coffee and share each other’s life stories. JT advised it has given her a focus and pushed her to get out of the house more. We will be looking for other members in a similar position to JT so that she can meet a variety of people and get to socialise more.
What impact has this had for you?
Coming from someone who is recently bereaved and struggling with being on their own, Time Swap is a perfect example of how we can make a difference to people no matter what their situation is, even if it’s just small steps to begin with, together we can make a difference. JT now has someone new she can talk to and share experiences with, and the hope is to expand her friendship circle with different members.
What have you learned?
Time Swap is a great way of meeting of meeting and engaging with other likeminded people in the local community.
"Make the most of even the smallest opportunity."
Final thoughts.
JT has begun her Time Swap journey on a strong start already building relationships with other members and I hope we can continue this. She will benefit greatly from the social aspects of Time Swap, and this will be our focus going forward.