Recent Grants
November 2024 - just under £55,000 committed, 8 projects approved.
Melton and District Money Advice Centre (MADMAC) has been providing free face-to-face debt advice services in the Melton and Charnwood area of Leicestershire since 2015. It became a registered charity in 2018. MADMAC’s vision is to restore dignity and hope to those in need by reducing debt poverty and improving financial capability. It does this in three ways: through ‘advice’, providing a free debt advice service to those overwhelmed by unmanageable debt; by ‘equipping’, providing education and resources on budgeting and practical day-to-day money management; and by ‘encouragement’, empowering people to address the wider causes of their financial difficulties, by providing ongoing mentoring, support and guidance.
Our funding will support the delivery of the ‘Money Smart Futures’ project, targeting 80 young adults aged between 18 and 29 who live in disadvantaged areas in Leicestershire. This training programme will include the co-creation of workshop resources and a financial capability toolkit with local community stakeholders including staff, colleagues from De Montfort University and local young people. Four youth workshops will be delivered at community venues and 10 young adults will be trained as peer money mentors.
Established in 2018 in Antrim, Northern Ireland, All About Us is a charity which supports young people with additional needs and their families. Its services are inclusive, welcoming individuals with a range of abilities, and a formal diagnosis is not a prerequisite for accessing its programmes. The charity’s approach is person-centred, with it providing a range of activities, weekly meet-ups, youth group activities, parent support, community engagement, family days, sensory workshops, life skills sessions and various accredited courses.
Our funding will enable All About Us to deliver ‘The Skills to Help with Bills’ project, focusing on teaching 10 young people aged 17 to 24 about the different aspects of life they will have to manage as they become independent adults. The project will be structured around the Moving On course accredited by the education charity ASDAN.
Mesila is a charity dedicated to empowering Orthodox Jewish communities to understand and apply the fundamental principles of financial stability. It’s been operating in the UK since 2016, based in London, but works in communities across the UK supporting many ‘just about managing’ and low-income families. For adults this includes a comprehensive financial coaching service, workshops and seminars. For children and young adults it provides financial educational programmes to ensure they develop strong foundations.
Our funding will enable Mesila to deliver its financial coaching programme, which comprises three to six one-to-one coaching sessions to 100 people in Manchester, Gateshead and London. The project will support people struggling with a range of financial issues. These will include the daily challenges of affording life during the cost of living crisis. Areas covered will include budgeting skills, savings, credit cards, debt, how to handle unexpected expenses or crises, and how to become money confident and plan for the future. As part of the project, two new coaches will be trained to deliver the programme, and 10 existing coaches will each attend two ‘continuing professional development’ training sessions.
The Roma Right Path Project community interest company (CIC) is a small organisation based in Newcastle. Established in 2021, it seeks to improve the lives of the marginalised Roma community which has settled in Tyne and Wear. It serves around 4,000 individuals, many of whom have emigrated from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. To break the cycles of poverty, discrimination and social exclusion, this CIC provides education, employability skills development, mental wellbeing support, advocacy and advice to navigate immigration systems and support in accessing mainstream services.
Our project will enable Roma Right Path Project CIC to deliver 10 two-hour financial literacy workshops in English and relevant Roma languages, supporting 10 to 15 people per workshop, reaching 80 Roma beneficiaries over the year. Participants will be offered ongoing support every three months. At least one member of the team will undertake additional money guidance training to support the project.
Suffolk Coastal Debt Centre has been operating since August 2018 and works in partnership with the national charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to deliver debt support and financial education. The centre is based at St John’s Church in Saxmundham, although it covers a 1,200 square-kilometre rural catchment area including Beccles, Leiston, Framlingham, Woodbridge and Southwold.
The project we are funding is an eight-hour-a-week post to plan, co-ordinate and deliver 12 CAP Money:Kids courses to about 400 children in Years 5 and 6 across East Suffolk. Specifically tailored for schools, CAP Money:Kids has been developed with teachers who are keen to equip the next generation with essential skills to ensure they are wise about money in the future. The person in post will support the delivery of up to three adult CAP Money courses over the funding period, hoping to capitalise on synergy benefits in reaching school parents.
Pars Community is a charity based in Liverpool which has been supporting Iranian, Tajik, Afghan, Kurdish, Turkish and Arab people across Merseyside since 2017. It supports first-generation migrants, asylum seekers and refugees who face integration challenges, language barriers and cultural adaptation issues. Pars Community provides a variety of support services including English classes, functional skills courses, a weekly foodbank, and cultural activities and events for families, young people and older members of the community.
Our funding will enable Pars Community to deliver 20 90-minute online financial literacy workshops and 80 one-to-one personalised financial coaching sessions to 40 couples and 40 individuals. The project will develop and distribute multi-lingual financial education resources, including in Farsi and Arabic, to enable the course content to be accessible to participants. The project will conclude with a community financial awareness day to share learning, insights and experiences.
Alpha House Calderdale provides supportive housing services to people coming out of prison and returning to Halifax, West Yorkshire, and the surrounding areas. The charity has been providing services since 2008, and its rehabilitation/resettlement service empowers male offenders with multiple complex problems to cease offending, to improve their mental health, and to become contributing members of the community by overcoming the profound life challenges they face. It works with around 120 offenders each year who undertake the ‘Change of Lifestyle Training’ programme. The programme includes several accredited Quality Licence Scheme courses, one-to-one support, peer-led groups and employability skills training.
Our funding will enable Alpha House Calderdale to deliver two gambling and money management courses, each comprising of 25 one-hour classroom sessions supporting 64 participants over the year. The course covers gambling and its effects; the damage caused to self and others; gambling and loss; shame and guilt; addressing money problems; relationships with money; wasting money and why; budgeting and saving; dealing with debts; and how to improve your credit score. The project includes provision for weekly one-to-one support, six field trips, and training for a team member to further develop their money guidance skills.
Teesdale Community Resources (TCR) is a community centre based in Barnard Castle in rural County Durham. It has delivered youth activities for over 30 years, and formally became a charity in 2011. It now delivers a wide range of community services to young people, older people, families, and people on low incomes. It employs a small number of staff and works alongside over 100 volunteers to deliver projects such as a daily food pantry, weekly care packages, weekly community lunches, plus ‘community connector’ and youth sessions.
Our funding will enable TCR to be able to deliver eight one-to-one money management support sessions each week during term time, supporting a minimum of 75 people. It will deliver two six-week youth money-management programmes to a minimum of 20 young people, and will produce a practical local resource series of ‘Top Tip Sheets’ for adults going through different life situations, such as becoming a parent, getting a new job, facing redundancy or retiring.
January 2024 - Living with Long Term Challenges - just over £53,000 committed, 8 projects approved.
Little Miracles was founded in 2010 in Peterborough, and now has 14 branches across the east of England. Each of these offers a unique mix of services and activities throughout the year for families of children with additional needs, disabilities and life-limiting conditions. Its childcare teams, family support workers and counsellors provide activities, training, advice and safe-spaces for the whole family, even before they receive a formal diagnosis. It aims to create a supportive community where families can find strength, understanding and resources to overcome the challenges of raising a disabled child.
Our funding will enable it to deliver the ASDAN foundational personal finance short course to six groups of 12 people per half term. This will focus on young people with autism and learning disabilities who are aged 13 to 19 and not in education, and their parents/caregivers, over a one-year period. Topics include managing finances, income and expenditure, planning for the future, and making financial choices. The sessions will be expertly facilitated by a qualified tutor, complemented by a dedicated family support worker. The young people will work with their parents in guided group sessions and learn collaboratively. Over the year, Little Miracles will support at least 72 people.
Spring into Action is a community interest company based in Accrington in East Lancashire. It was set up in 2012, with a vision of an inclusive society where people with learning disabilities can fully participate. Its focus is on nurturing positive, healthy relationships, fostering equity, and developing essential life skills. It is dedicated to providing opportunities for individuals to access the community, build lasting friendships, and enjoy services that are friendly, fun and enriching.
Our funding will enable Spring into Action to deliver five money-management courses comprising six weekly two-hour sessions for adults with learning disabilities. It anticipates engaging 12 people per course and therefore aims to reach 60 people over the year. The course will be co-delivered by two peer educators with lived experience of a learning disability. The course topics will include attitudes to money, where money comes from, essential/non-essential spending, budgeting skills, and credit and debt issues. This course will build participants’ skills, confidence, and make them less vulnerable to financial abuse.
Clean Slate Financial Wellbeing Services CIO is a charity based in Tyne and Wear whose purpose is the alleviation of poverty and financial hardship. It enables and empowers vulnerable adults to regain control of their finances by providing free and confidential guidance and support on all aspects of budgeting, debt, benefits, credit scoring, financial products/services and energy. It works in partnership with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust; Changing Lives; and the Road to Recovery Trust, among others.
Our funding will enable Clean Slate to deliver six three-hour financial wellbeing workshops at Changing Lives Oaktrees in Newcastle, a community rehab and treatment centre for people in recovery from addiction. The project will engage with over 100 people over the year. The workshops will cover budgeting, financial products and services, access to affordable credit, credit scoring and energy. Following the workshop, an experienced financial wellbeing adviser will deliver one-to-one, tailored wraparound support.
Rochdale AFC Community Trust is the official charity of national league football club Rochdale AFC. It began operations in 1987 as one of the country’s very first ‘Football in the Community’ initiatives. Its mission is to use the power of football and its community standing to raise aspirations and transform lives, and to make Rochdale one of the best places in the world to live, work and play. Its work is organised into three key areas: community sport, health and inclusion, and education and employability.
The project our funding will enable Rochdale AFC Community Trust to deliver is a rolling 10-week workshop programme for individuals with autism and learning difficulties. This will cover budgeting, tracking spending, comparing prices, cooking on a budget, accessing benefits, digital skills, emergency planning, emotional wellbeing and how that relates to money, employment rights, and financial scam awareness. The programme will be delivered five times over the year aiming to reach 80 people, building their confidence and financial capability skills. Throughout the programmes, learners will be supported to achieve AQA Unit Awards relevant to the topics. Participants who attend at least four sessions will be gifted by Rochdale AFC two tickets to a home match of their choice, which will aid recruitment and sustain engagement with the programme.
Opening Doors is a user-led charity working to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities in Norfolk through a programme of groups, training, and individual advocacy support. Established in 1994, it has been run by and for adults with learning disabilities for these 30 years. It’s developed its services to provide training for professionals and easy-read services to local organisations, sharing their lived experience. Its work is supported by experienced staff and volunteers who provide guidance to help adults with learning disabilities to think through issues, plan and to run projects.
We will be funding its ‘Money Matters’ project, which includes a training day facilitated by Dosh for the Norwich training group. Three members of this group will become peer money trainers and will work alongside the training officer (who has learning disabilities) and an adviser to develop content for interactive money workshops and co-produce an easy-read workbook. The workshops will be designed to teach adults with learning disabilities the skills to manage their money, use cards safely, plan and budget, increase their awareness of scams as well as how to understand and access safe support around benefits. The project will deliver four workshops across Norfolk: in Great Yarmouth, Diss, Cromer and Norwich, to over 60 people with learning disabilities during the year. One-to-one money guidance support will be provided as required, and an experienced adviser will be funded for four hours a week to support the project.
For over 25 years, The Money Charity has been the UK’s leading financial capability charity. Its vision is that everyone achieves financial wellbeing by managing their money well. It aims to empower people across the UK to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that will help them make the most of their money throughout their whole lives. The Money Charity develops and delivers services that provide education, information and advice on money matters for those in the workplace, communities and in education. It influences and supports others to promote financial capability and financial wellbeing, through consultancy, policy, research and media work.
We are funding The Money Charity to deliver 15 money workshops to around 150 young people and adults with special educational needs. Each activity-based workshop will be co-created and delivered with each community organisation, with a flexible model of delivery. The participants will develop confidence, knowledge and skills around budgeting and saving, credit, debt and energy, plus how to stay safe with their money and avoid scams. The workshops will improve their financial capability, reduce their risk of experiencing financial difficulties and improve their ability to cope if they do find themselves in difficult financial circumstances.
Laburnum Boat Club is a community boating project based in Hackney. Set up in 1983 by a group of parents, it became a registered charity in 1989. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the personal development of young people and their families in the community, through participation in a range of water-based activities. It provides a positive force for changing lives in a safe and supportive environment, by providing weekly activities including, but not limited to, after-school clubs, an adult canoe club, open access youth club sessions, a vocational training project, and clubs specifically for young adults with disabilities.
The project we are funding is the Out and About Club which runs every other Sunday to provide life skills and social activities for young people aged 16 to 24 with disabilities – whether physical, neurological, or affecting their learning or mental health. The project will fund 18 three-hour financial literacy training sessions. These will be delivered by the charity’s inclusion officer using its own materials and resources from HSBC, with some sessions delivered by a trainer from The Money Charity. The training will increase the independent living skills, promote social inclusion and reduce the financial vulnerability of 24 young people with disabilities.
Peak Empower is a registered charity based in Northampton. It delivers a range of services to promote access and social inclusion for everyone no matter what additional needs they may have. Its goal is to engage and empower people by improving wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence in those who are socially isolated for a range of different reasons, such as health, finance, age, gender or disability. It runs a series of programmes including Family Connect; The Generation Game for older people; Hero, for home-educated children with additional needs; a youth empowering programme; and a range of inclusive clubs.
Our funding will enable Peak Empower to deliver the ‘Money Matters’ course as part of its youth empowering programme which supports young people with learning difficulties to learn independent living skills. The course comprises six two-hour weekly sessions, four times over the year, reaching 60 young people. The sessions will help participants develop practical skills on how to bank and shop online, and how to purchase in person using phones and debit cards, and they will also cover budgeting tools and apps, being safe online, how to avoid scams, and the help and advice that is available should they get into financial difficulty. It will use learning resources from MoneyHelper and NatWest Thrive among others. At least one member of staff will be upskilled by attending money guidance training.
September 2023 - Life Changes - just under £44,000 committed, 6 projects approved.
The Magpie Project is a registered charity based in East London, which has been providing services since 2017 for women with pre-school-aged children who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) due to their immigration status (asylum seekers, educational migrants on student visas, or undocumented with no status). These women are often homeless or at risk of homelessness, living in temporary or insecure accommodation such as single rooms of shared houses, hotels, B&Bs, hostels, or are sofa-surfing. They are enabled to attend supported come and play sessions, build a support network, share healthy meals, access essentials from the baby bank, and access casework around immigration, housing and other related issues such as domestic violence and mental health.
The project we are part-funding is the delivery of the ‘graduation programme’, for women who have been granted leave to remain in the UK, to start accessing the public resources available to them, including housing and benefits. It will equip around 90 women over a year with the confidence and life skills to support their transition to being financially independent and emotionally secure. The programme will coach and support them through weekly workshops, interactive sessions, form-filling sessions and will provide one-to-one support. Areas covered in the programme include skills development (digital skills, interview skills), practical support (applying for a bank account, applying for housing, applying for Universal Credit and other benefits), and education around the benefits, housing, childcare and other systems, which they may be unfamiliar with.
The Canaan Trust is a registered charity based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, which has been supporting and caring for the homeless and vulnerable, particularly across the boroughs of Erewash and Broxtowe, since 1995. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, it provides emergency support for people who are street homeless and supported accommodation for men, and from early 2024, for women too. It provides a foodbank for those in need, counselling, and offers holistic person-centred educational support by providing life skill training ranging from personal hygiene, healthy eating, budgeting, employability and emotional wellbeing.
The project we are funding will support at least 40 homeless adults to access eight weekly sessions on building financial capability skills and confidence. The content will include working out income and expenditure, prioritising bills, understanding tenancy responsibilities, attitudes towards responsible spending, banking, shopping on a budget and sourcing utility suppliers. This will be delivered in both a group setting and through one-to-one tailored wraparound support, delivered by an experienced support worker for 10 hours a week and a volunteer.
Integration Station Community Interest Company (CIC) is a social enterprise that supports refugee communities in Tyne and Wear. It’s been empowering refugees, promoting their integration into society, and combatting poverty since 2017. It leads a coalition of 15 refugee community organisations (RCOs) and five new migrant groups (NMGs). These groups, often volunteer-led, provide essential support to new refugees and vulnerable individuals. Through an RCO steering committee, it facilitates ongoing consultation, shares best practices, identifies service gaps, and addresses cultural and marginalisation issues.
Our funding will enable Integration Station to train 12 leaders and staff from six RCOs: Integration Station, Roma Right Path Project CIC, Tyne and Wear Eritrean Community Association, Utopia, Tavga, and the East Africa Support Group. They will learn essential personal finance skills covering topics such as budgeting, banking, savings, credit, taxes, insurance, emergency planning, employment rights, and financial scam awareness. Following this training, each RCO supported by Integration Station will host financial literacy workshops targeting between 20 and 50 members each, building capacity among refugee communities across Tyne and Wear.
Money A+E UK is an award-winning social enterprise, founded in 2011, which is passionate about transforming lives through money advice and education. It’s based in the London borough of Newham and serves diverse ethnic communities (DEC), socially excluded groups and young people across London. It provides financial education workshops, money mentoring programmes, one-to-one advice and bespoke training.
We are funding Money A+E UK to produce an engaging co-designed and co-created programme of financial life-skills workshops with homeless young adults aged 18 to 25, in partnership with the YMCA St Paul’s Group, based in Surbiton. It will deliver 20 financial workshops (10 cohorts each undertaking two two-hour workshops), engaging a total of 60 homeless young adults. This training will focus on budgeting, tracking spending, financial goal-setting, banking, avoiding problem debt, understanding credit, housing and rental issues, accessing welfare benefits, emotional wellbeing and how that relates to money, and how to build financial resilience.
Lotus formerly Home-Start East Sussex, was founded in 1996 to support families facing adversity, including those who have been subjected to domestic abuse in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. It’s affiliated to SafeLives and has been accredited with the SafeLives Leading Lights quality standard – the gold star for domestic abuse services. The charity takes a whole-family approach to improve the safety, resilience and future life chances of families and reduce the chances of problems getting worse or being repeated.
Our funding will enable Lotus to deliver online financial relationship group support and training, to domestic abuse victim-survivors who have experienced financial abuse and may be at risk of future abuse. This will be delivered as an online half-day workshop supporting eight people each time; this will be delivered 10 times, supporting 80 women over the year. Topics covered during the workshop will include experiences, fears and dangers around money and relationships, the importance of understanding your own and your partner’s approach and attitude towards money, being an equal financial partner, joint finance considerations, the impact of a poor credit history, setting agreements and boundaries, how to talk about money, and tips for protecting yourself. At least two staff members will be taught new skills to co-deliver future workshops.
Coping with Cancer North East was set up in 1982 to support people after a cancer diagnosis, to live their best life with cancer. The charity now operates across eight different locations spread across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. It supports cancer patients, their carers and families by providing and delivering a number of services including advice, information, guidance, advocacy, counselling, complementary therapies, acupuncture, peer group support and drop-in clinics.
Our funding will enable it to deliver 24 financial-capability workshops delivered in partnership with trainers Society Matters CIC, a subsidiary of Citizens Advice Gateshead, to anyone affected by bereavement and/or cancer. As all beneficiaries will have experienced bereavement and cancer directly or with their families, the requirement for many will be on their changing circumstances and how forced life changes can be managed to more positive ends. It is anticipated a minimum of 120 people will improve their financial wellbeing and financial life skills from attending the workshops.
January 2023 - Raising the Next Generation - just over £55,000 committed, 10 projects approved.
Life in Community CIC was established in 2019 and is based in Tipton, a town just north of Birmingham. A grassroots community-development organisation, it empowers people to become actively involved in improving their health, wellbeing and life chances by supporting them to overcome the issues created by generational cycles of poverty.
We are funding Life in Community CIC to develop a CMA (Community Money Advice) Connect Hub, which will offer debt support and advocacy to residents. Two additional volunteers will be trained to become money mentors and help support families. The project will deliver a rolling 12-week workshop programme to parents which will cover budgeting, energy efficiency, price comparison websites, what is good vs bad debt and cooking on a budget.
Elevate Education Business Partnership is a not-for-profit organisation that has been connecting with young people, educational establishments, businesses and professionals across the Liverpool city region since 1998. Its mission is to nurture the talents and skills of young people which in turn will improve social mobility, and support the local economy.
The project we are funding will engage at least 200 young people aged between 8 and 11, from primary schools across the Liverpool region, who will take part in its Money Marvels programme. This interactive programme will teach age-appropriate money life skills, including a birthday party challenge, ‘the purse’, and ‘money detectives’. The programme comprises three one-and-a-half-hour sessions to whole class groups, delivered over one month, making the time between interventions short to increase engagement and keep the learning journey succinct.
West Smethwick Enterprise is a registered charity operating in Smethwick and Ladywood in the West Midlands. Its aim is to improve outcomes for children and families; it offers early years and family support services including a supported contact centre and family learning sessions.
Our funding will support the delivery of 20 financial skills and confidence-building sessions over a 12-month period to 50 beneficiaries, including one-to-one and small group work. Two members of staff from the children’s development team will attend Budget Coach Training, delivered by the charity, Community Money Advice, to improve their financial capability skills. They will then share this learning across the wider team.
The Beyond Food Foundation was established as a charity in 2009 in central London. Originally set up to support individuals affected by homelessness, it now helps a broader range of vulnerable people, with focused young person programmes supporting those with mental health needs, addiction and criminal records, as well as abuse victims and those excluded from mainstream education. The foundation uses food to remove barriers that inhibit individuals from securing financial independence, freedom from isolation, and confidence to build better futures.
The project we are part-funding is the ‘Budget, Buy & Boss It’ series of workshops for 12 young people aged 14 to 17. They will develop essential real-life skills through practical guidance, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, looking at cooking skills, budgeting skills, employment and independent-living skills.
The Growing Club CIC, based in Lancaster, was founded in 2016. Since then it’s been designing and delivering peer-based training by women, for women. It’s enabled over 800 women so far to rediscover confidence and skills to return to work, education, renegotiate positions, and to start and grow sustainable businesses.
We are funding a parents’ outreach project, Women and Money Matters, at West End Primary School, Morecambe. The aim is to support around 50 parents to discover new ways of thinking about and managing their money, to make healthier decisions for themselves and their families, and to become positive role models for their children. The project will include peer-led group work, a monthly drop-in, and one-to-one practical support for debt advice and guidance. The project will be delivered in partnership with Green Rose CIC, RoseTinted Financial, and TP Financial Solutions.
New Leaf Support was established in 2012 as a registered charity to support all victims and their children suffering domestic abuse in the borough of Swale, in Kent. It provides emergency and second-stage accommodation to victims fleeing domestic abuse. Working alongside partner agencies, the charity provides support, training and advice to help victims rebuild their lives with confidence in a safe environment.
The project we are funding will support a specific Financial Confidence workshop as part of its Phoenix gender-neutral self-esteem programme. Coercive and controlling abuse often involves money and access to it, so this is particularly important for clients to gain specific support. This will be delivered over three sessions to four separate cohorts over the year, directly supporting at least 40 beneficiaries. To support the delivery, two members of staff and two volunteers will attend Community Money Advice’s Budget Coach online training.
Support And Mentoring Enabling Entrepreneurship (SAMEE) was founded in 2016 and is based in Bournemouth, Dorset. Its mission is to enable disabled people to escape poverty and gain further independence through learning self-employment skills. This support starts during their training as they explore self-employment as a viable career option for those who may not attain the qualifications required for further/higher education, apprenticeship or traditional employment opportunities.
The project we are funding will enable SAMEE to provide intensive support to deliver personal financial and confidence-building training to 12 young people with learning disabilities. Each learner will develop self-employment and independent money life skills, gaining an accredited Level 1 Steps into Self-Employment Course qualification.
Sheppey Matters is a registered charity working for better health and wellbeing outcomes for people of all ages across the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent. Established in 2000, it now provides over 12 health and wellbeing community services from the Sheppey Healthy Living Centre in Sheerness, and two outreach locations in Eastchurch, and it utilises many other community venues around the Isle of Sheppey.
We are funding the delivery of the Mammas (Money And Mind Management Action Support) programme, delivered in several formats to parents (face to face, live online, recorded sessions, workbooks and community radio broadcasts). Sessions will address the challenges of the current cost of living crisis – assisting parents to learn strategies for better money management and offering a holistic model of support, touching on the importance of mental and physical health and how this affects many of the behaviours around managing money. The face-to-face course will comprise four two-hour sessions for up to eight participants per course, which will be delivered four times over the year, twice in Sheerness and twice in Eastchurch.
New Hope Global was established as a registered charity in 2014. Its aim is to improve the quality of life of minority communities in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. It focuses on four key areas: training, employment and education; health and mental wellbeing; arts and heritage; and community engagement and cohesion.
Our funding will enable it to deliver 20 financial capability workshops delivered in partnership with trainers from the Birmingham Settlement charity. They will provide four hours a week of one-to-one support to those with complex needs, providing welfare and debt advice and money guidance, supporting about 200 people over the funding period.
CRiBS is a registered charity based in Bexleyheath in Kent, established in 1993. Its mission is for all children and young people to have the opportunity to explore and think through the values they live by and the beliefs that underpin them. Its work is open to people of all faiths or none. It specifically helps schools to develop the whole person by providing PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) and RE (religious education) support, as well as mentoring and behavioural interventions for those students who are struggling at school for whatever reason.
The project we are funding is the delivery of the CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Money Kids Course to 44 Year 5 classes (approximately 1,320 children) across 15 schools in the area. The course is designed to meet the requirements set out by the curriculum in a fun, engaging way for children aged nine to 11. Topics covered include budgeting, saving and spending, all taught through interactive stories, games and real-life situations.
September 2022 - Developing Resilience - just under £50,000 committed, 8 projects approved.
Age Well East is an independent charity based in Colchester in Essex, which has been providing services since 1950. It helps people in their later years (aged 60 plus) to ‘age well’ in Colchester and north-east Essex. Its community services include welfare advice and information, befriending (including dementia groups), emotional support and bereavement services.
Our funding will support its Welfare and Advice service to help around 60 vulnerable people and their carers. The project will provide one-to-one budgeting guidance to teach clients to manage on limited incomes, strained budgets and increasing financial hardships. This will help them build and develop financial resilience to navigate the cost-of-living crisis, preventing the need to choose between heating and eating. The project will fund the salary of a welfare adviser for six hours a week over one year.
For over 30 years, CARE has supported families and individuals in deprived areas of Grimsby, Immingham and Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire. It’s a charity dedicated to relieving homelessness, poverty and distress to those most in need. It runs various projects including an innovative housing programme, crisis support, food pantry, drop-in, toy giveaway, and a furniture recycling shop.
The project we are funding will enable CARE to provide one-to-one urgent money guidance and support to people in financial crisis. It will part-fund the salary of a money advice key worker to support approximately 100 people in crisis to gain access to appropriate benefits, support with energy debt and rent arrears, complete where necessary debt relief orders, and to advocate at welfare benefit tribunals.
Wave Community Bank is a credit union offering savings, loans and basic bank accounts to over 9,000 members who live or work in Brighton & Hove and other parts of East Sussex, plus Medway and elsewhere in Kent. Operating for over 20 years, it’s run by members for members and works hard to promote financial inclusion and money management, to provide budgeting support, and to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks.
Our funding will allow the bank to open and staff three weekly community-help points at Landport Foodbank in Lewes, Havens Community Hub in Newhaven and Seaside Community Hub in Eastbourne. The help-points will run for two hours each and will be staffed by a community advocate who can assist people in accessing its financial services as well as offering urgent budgeting and money management advice. It anticipates helping 500 people at the help-points over the year.
Sanctus is a registered charity supporting homeless and vulnerable people in Chelmsford, Essex, and the surrounding areas. It’s been providing services for 20 years, and is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its purpose is to provide a centre in the heart of the city where individuals, with various complex needs, can receive food and positive support.
The cost-of-living support scheme we are funding will help around 190 people who are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis and who are struggling with debt and managing their money. Sanctus will deliver eight hours of one-to-one support sessions a week for a year with a member of its Support Hub team. This will include debt management, household budgeting, and sourcing and applying for energy funds for those who have inherited debt on moving into a property.
Citizens Advice Rossendale and Hyndburn is an independent charity that has delivered its advice service for over 75 years. As part of the national Citizens Advice network, it provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.
The project we are funding will deliver crisis debt and advocacy support and financial capability training to approximately 88 beneficiaries, who are experiencing debt and money management issues. The project will be delivered by an experienced debt adviser funded for 15 hours a week for six months over this coming winter.
Women’s Health in South Tyneside (WHiST) is a registered charity which has been supporting women for over 35 years. Its mission is to improve the health, wellbeing, education and quality of life of women aged over 16 living in South Tyneside, irrespective of age, class, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability.
We are funding its weekly Tuesday Drop-In project, which will allow 150 women to receive advice on urgent issues including debt, domestic violence, benefit entitlement and housing. Its support programme will include money matters courses, eating well sessions (looking at low-cost and nutritious food), clothing swaps and tips for reducing fuel bills. One-to-one advocacy support will be provided including signposting to specialist partner agencies including South Tyneside Citizens Advice, Moneywise Credit Union and Age Concern Tyneside South.
The Goldhill Adventure Playground is a registered charity which for over 45 years has been providing play, learning and social opportunities for families, children and young people in a disadvantaged area of Leicester.
Working with delivery partner Melton and District Money Advice Centre (MADMAC), it will deliver the ‘My Family, My Money, My Future’ project. This will provide urgent money guidance and debt support to 125 families living in the Saffron Lane area. This will include 10 weekly drop-in guidance sessions and six one-hour financial capability workshops for families (each workshop will be repeated five times). It will deliver four peer-to-peer support sessions to help families develop and build up their long-term financial capability skills.
Citizens Advice Gosport is an independent charity, part of the national Citizens Advice network, which values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. It provides free, confidential and impartial advice and also campaigns on big issues affecting people’s lives in Gosport and the surrounding areas of Hampshire.
Our funding will enable an experienced case-worker to deliver an emergency money advice and income-boosting project for six months, supporting 60 households. The case-worker will have the skills to help people of all capabilities and will be funded for 19 hours a week. The project’s support will include financial management advice, helping clients to identify priority and non-priority demands on their finances and to budget accordingly.