Champions Appointed to Help Low Income Households in Tees Valley and County Durham
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Fabrick Housing Group are working together and have appointed a team of Financial Inclusion Champions to help people across the Tees Valley and County Durham areas gain wider access to improved financial services and advice.
The current economic climate is hitting hard at all levels of our society. No one is immune – everyone is feeling the pinch. But many people do not have access to the basic financial products that most of us see as a routine part of our lives. The “credit crunch” is an ongoing challenge, and something that is not new to them. Many do not have access to a bank account, do not know where to get access to money and debt advice services, and do not have home contents insurance. And people on low incomes are often at the mercy of the unscrupulous and the greedy, and need to know that there is an alternative to high-cost doorstep lenders and illegal money-lenders.
Ross Hume brings 19 years of experience in the financial sector to the post of Strategic Financial Inclusion Champion, while Linda Evans, who takes the post of Financial Inclusion Champion, has most recently worked as a financial inclusion project coordinator.
Ross and Linda 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.
Stephen Bray, Fabrick’s Head of Social Investment, said: “Ross and Linda bring a wealth of experience to these roles, which are vital to improving the welfare of people in County Durham and the Tees Valley. There are so many ways in which people in the North East are missing out on advice, money, and the practical help which they are either entitled to, or which can be accessed through some simple arrangements. ”
Ross Hume brings 19 years of experience in the financial sector to the post of Strategic Financial Inclusion Champion, while Linda Evans, who takes the post of Financial Inclusion Champion, has most recently worked as a financial inclusion project coordinator.
Ross and Linda 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.
Stephen Bray, Fabrick’s Head of Social Investment, said: “Ross and Linda bring a wealth of experience to these roles, which are vital to improving the welfare of people in County Durham and the Tees Valley. There are so many ways in which people in the North East are missing out on advice, money, and the practical help which they are either entitled to, or which can be accessed through some simple arrangements. ”
