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A Walsall ‘time bank’ which allows people to swap skills with their neighbours for free is celebrating after members exchanged 1,000 hours of kind acts.

The Time for Real time bank, run by leading housing organisation Caldmoreaccord, part of the Accord Group, allows people to exchange a host of skills.

For every hour someone spends doing a task, such as gardening or dog walking, they get an hour’s worth of ‘work’ from another member of their community.

The Time for Real time bank, based at the Village Hub in Caldmore Green, has 74 members who, in total, have exchanged 1,000 hours, which is the equivalent of 142 working days.

Tina Dalton, who heads up the time bank for Caldmoreaccord, said: “We are so proud of our time bank members for working together to exchange 1,000 hours of good deeds and really boosting community spirit in Caldmore.

“As well as bringing people together, the time bank is helping to tackle social isolation by providing free services to those who may struggle to undertake tasks themselves or are unable to afford them.”

Time for Real, which was launched in 2012, is the first time bank to open in Walsall. There are some 250 time banks operating across the UK.