Success Doncaster

May 2010

Success Doncaster’s financial basket of support offers residents of Doncaster all the information and support they need on how to manage your money more effectively.

All of the advice the team provides is confidential and offered to you completely free of charge. Our specialist trained advisors can offer support with money problems including; help working out personal budgets, negotiating with creditors and how to maximise an income.

The financial basket of support offer can also make you aware of the pitfalls of lending money you cannot reasonably afford and can guide you with how to access bank and savings accounts and help you to plan your finances for the future.

Support is available to residents of Doncaster on an ongoing basis, advisors are based throughout the Borough and can meet you in a location that suits you. Meetings can take place in a library, local meeting room or community building, in fact anywhere to suit your needs.

Support with personal budgeting is a huge part of the programme. Individuals struggling to keep up with their rent payments can very quickly find themselves in arrears. In this case, one of our friendly team of advisors will sit with you and help negotiate payments with your landlord at a cost you can afford.

The support that the Financial Inclusion team provide varies from case to case, all of the help and advice on offer is completely tailored to meet your needs. A recent example of a success story that has occurred through the work of the programme is Mr J.

Mr J is a 74 year old vulnerable client with severe learning difficulties. He had been sending money to a company who claimed they could get all his credit card, loans and payment protection insurance written off.

This client only had a credit card and no loans or payment protection insurance, Financial Inclusion challenged the company on their practices and successfully had over £1000 returned to Mr J.

Further work will be undertaken with Mr J alongside a Mental Health Social worker as it appears that this client has been signed up to lots of doorstep agreements by individuals selling items.  We have also referred him to Adult Social Care Support Team to take over control of his finances to avoid a repeat of this situation in the future.

To ensure the support is accessible to everyone, the team of advisors are currently visiting a number of schools around Doncaster with a Financial Advice Roadshow.  Between now and the end of the school term, the team will be visiting local primary schools engaging with the local community and offering their help and support  to anyone who feels they may benefit for the advice on offer.

Look out for the Financial Advice Roadshow in your area, banners will be displayed at local schools notifying dates and times. Or contact Success Doncaster on 01302 734554.