Who we have helped
Everyone is different – we listen and offer the support that you want – with money, work, training, getting online to help you move forward. Our teams are friendly, practical and interested in you and your needs.
Here are some examples:
"The catalyst to better days and the formula to take me there"
I wanted some help with my debts and hadn’t known where to go. When I enrolled I wasn’t in a good place: mentally beaten. I was looking for purpose in life because I didn’t have that. I lived day-by-day. I didn’t see any purpose in having hopes.
I made progress on a number of fronts. I gained:
- an overall picture of my debts and now have a ready-to-go strategy should they become unmanageable
- confidence to seek and obtain ‘permitted work’ alongside studying towards a diploma (degree-level)
- a better understanding of benefits available to me in order to make informed choices.
I was also supported to gain help from Citizens’ Advice in order to re-instate a disability benefit that had been withdrawn. The knock-on effect was a £4.3K back-payment and an increased weekly award of £180.
I never imagined I’d be able to study at degree level. I can also pick and choose my hours at work alongside my study.
I have recommended the project to a friend and I’m still encouraging him to take up the offer and reap the potential rewards!
At the start I was already job-searching, but now I’m in work and in training.
Expand Mother of three young adults - Overcoming rural isolation
Living in a smaller, more isolated village and not knowing what you are entitled to and what help is available and worrying about how to heat the home for the winter is tough. Our officer listened carefully to the whole family’s needs and found that there was a lot could be done quite quickly to make life a bit easier – help with applying for Child tax credit, moving to a water meter, applying for Warm Home Discount, getting some grant help to reduce reliance on rent to buy and getting access to free debt advice with Citizens Advice were all sorted at the first visit. The family were also interested in a laptop loan and free internet access to try and save more money online, know more about help available and think about qualifications and training that may help with finding work.
Expand Money Coaching - making a big difference
Sorting out money worries takes time and patience – our Money Coaches can work with you over several weeks to really make a big difference. Here is an example of how much one of our money coaches has helped a client to save recently:
Reducing unnecessary outgoings: saving £120+ pm
Savings on essential expenditure: saving £35 + pm
Annual saving: £1860+
Plus the family were able to access various one off grants and support totalling nearly £3000. This made a huge difference and helped them to feel safer and more secure.
Expand Sheila - Saving money online
“I was too scared to touch a computer before Amanda came out to do the laptop learning course, now I can do emails, compare prices online, print out things and use google confidently.”
Afterwards Sheila brought herself a notebook, mi-fi dongle and a wireless printer and has continued to build on her skills and confidence in using the internet and a computer.
Expand Father unable to work following motorcycle accident - Avoid high cost loans
“Lots of families don’t have a lot. It can be a struggle living on a low income but it was very important to me not to go back into debt, with people calling round asking about payments. They wouldn’t just be knocking on my door, they’d be knocking on my child’s door. I don’t want people coming round here asking me for money in front of my daughter.
“Getting the bed was a lifeline, and meant our youngest daughter would not have to sleep on a mattress on the floor. Our daughter was absolutely over the moon and told everyone about it.”
Expand Ivan - Using a tablet for facebook, email and online banking for the first time
I had never done nothing like it all my life so when someone came to see me, I did not know what to think, I thought I might get everything not right but when Amanda came, I could see that she was so good to get on with if I got something not right, she did not mind and I did see that I would get on well with her. It was good to learn email on the laptop, I had never had a go on one at all, but now I got a tablet and I get on with it really well and that was down to the help I received. We went on online banking that was a good thing to do – now I can find out what is coming in and what is going out.
Expand Mr N, young unemployed man - No money and relying on grandparent for support
We met Mr N through his grandmother who was deeply concerned about his situation following sanctions being applied by the Job Centre.
He felt depressed, anxious and unable to challenge the sanctions and would have had nothing to live on without his grandmother’s help. Amanda heard this when she was supporting his Nan with her laptop learning and offered to help.
She found out that Mr N had in fact done a lot to find work and the sanctions were unjustified – together they wrote to the Jobcentre who lifted the sanction -and reinstated his benefits – worth nearly £1000 in total.
This boosted his confidence enormously and revived his energy and confidence – essential for presenting himself in job applications. With our help he has revamped and updated his CV and been applying for jobs on-line and is optimistic that he will find work soon.
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