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2009
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March 2009
> Derwent & Solway Housing Association Chosen to Help Improve Financial Services and Advice in Cumbria
Following a competitive selection process, Derwent & Solway Housing Association, a member of Harvest Housing Group, have been selected to host the ‘Financial Inclusion Champion Team for Cumbria’. This is part of a £12 million ‘Champions’ initiative launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This work will build on the DWP’s existing ‘now let’s talk money’ Campaign with the appointment of 19 ‘Champion’ teams across Great Britain. The Champion Team for Cumbria will work with local partners to make sure local people, in particular those from low-income households, have access to basic financial services, such as safe saving, bank accounts, money advice, home contents insurance and affordable credit.
Director of Derwent & Solway Housing Association, Robert Porter said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen to help deliver the Government’s campaign to improve financial inclusion amongst people struggling to receive adequate advice and support with regards to money matters. We are committed to providing as much support as possible to those affected by financial exclusion, which often affects the most vulnerable in our society”.
The Cumbrian Champion Team will work in partnership with The Cumbria Debt Rescue and Money Advice Partnership (DRAMA), which is chaired by Robert Porter and will aim to achieve the Financial Inclusion objectives set out by the Government. These objectives include helping people to manage their money day-to-day, helping people to plan for the future and cope with financial pressure and helping people to deal with financial distress.
Editor’s Notes:
- The Cumbrian Champion Team’s Key Work Objectives include:
To work with Cumbria County Council and other district authorities in the county to
embed Financial Inclusion as a cross-cutting priority into all main council and
strategic partnership strategies and policies.
To develop local networks of Financial Inclusion intermediaries through events and
regular stakeholder engagement; building on the work initiated by 'now lets talk
money' stakeholder managers.
To develop partnerships with other Financial Inclusion Champions and Housing and
Insurance Champions to share good practices and lessons learned.
- Derwent & Solway Housing Association will shortly be commencing the recruitment process for the Financial Inclusion Champion Team who will require experience of working with the social housing sector, local authorities, the third financial sector and other third sector intermediary organisations to develop the work of ‘now let’s talk money’ campaign.
- The ‘now let’s talk money’ campaign, backed by the government, is available to help people on low incomes and provides information about where to go for affordable credit, obtain information about banking and low cost home contents insurance, or obtain free face to face money and debt advice. Information about "now let's talk money is at: http://nowletstalkmoney.com.