Stop the Loan Sharks - information and advice for residents
Residents were offered free financial advice at an event to combat the threat of loan sharks and doorstep crime.
Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) organised the event at Blacon Community Centre, where more than 25 residents and workers from across Cheshire saw presentations from agencies working in partnership. The main focus was the presentation from the Illegal Money Lending Team highlighting the dangers of loan sharks. The event also included presentations from Sue Howell, Fair Trading Officer for Cheshire West & Chester Council, who offered residents consumer advice to combat doorstep crime and rogue traders. Helen Wilman, of West Cheshire Credit Union, talked about the financial options that are available instead of using illegal money lenders and Paula Skinner, DWP Financial Inclusion Champion, talked about her work with housing associations.
The government funded North West Trading Standards Illegal Money Lending Team has been responsible for high profile prosecutions elsewhere in the North West, including Cheshire based Paul Nicholson.
Illegal Money Lending Team head Tony Quigley said:
“Borrowing from an illegal lender means that there is often no paperwork, APR interest rates can be in the thousands of per cent, people do not know when if ever the loan is repaid and it often forces vulnerable families into crime to repay the loan. Loan sharks affect the whole community and they will not be tolerated.”
Joanne Moores, CDHT Financial Inclusion Officer, added:
“Chester & District Housing Trust is pleased to organise and fund this event as part of our commitment to combating illegal money lenders. Our residents and the Illegal Money Lending Team tell us that there are loan sharks operating in the Chester area and we are keen to raise awareness of how to tackle this. Many of our residents face real difficulty accessing affordable credit as they do not have a working bank account and struggle to budget on a limited income. We hoped to raise awareness of the work done by the Illegal Money Lending Team and the alternatives available through West Cheshire Credit Union and so we were pleased to see many advice workers from various organisations and residents attend the event.”
CDHT works with West Cheshire Credit Union to offer affordable loans for White Goods to tenants who are moving home.
Helen Wilman, of West Cheshire Credit Union, added:
“We operate on a not-for-profit basis, allowing customers to borrow responsibly while ensuring they are supported by savings. Our aim is to avoid residents choosing to use high interest lenders, or doorstep lenders as a means of credit and in reality paying, in some cases with interest, two or three times the value of the goods purchased. We continue to work with CDHT’s Customer Accounts Team to develop new initiatives and more flexible ways of providing our service to the Trust’s customers.”
West Cheshire Credit Union operates membership centres at CDHT’s Centurion House, Northgate Street, Chester offices every Monday between 9.30am and 11.30am and at CDHT Blacon office, The Parade, every Friday between 10am and 12pm. Local people can join the Credit Union here, deposit money and hand in requests for share withdrawals and loan applications. There is no longer a requirement to bring ID documents to open an account because identity can be confirmed electronically, so it is simply a case of completing an application form during opening times at these centres. Alternatively residents can contact West Cheshire Credit Union on 01244 399006 to request an application pack or download a joining form from www.wccu.co.uk.
Anyone who lives or works within Cheshire West and Chester is eligible to join West Cheshire Credit Union. You must become a member to apply for loans and terms and conditions apply.
To report a loan shark call 0300 555 2222, text loan shark and your message to 60003 or email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
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CAPTIONS:
(L-R) Joanne Moores, Financial Inclusion Officer for CDHT, with Helen Wilman, of West Cheshire Credit Union at the Loan Sharks event
Sue Howell, Fair trading Officer for Cheshire West & Chester Council, with CDHT residents at Blacon Community Centre
Notes to editors
Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) is a dynamic and enterprising organisation at the forefront of delivering positive impacts in the communities with which it works. The Trust’s homes span six communities – Blacon North; Blacon South; Chester City Area; The Rurals; Lache and Handbridge; Upton, Hoole, Newton and Plas Newton.
Committed to the best principles of social enterprise with over 14,000 local customers in 6,200 properties and 53% of its 275 colleagues living within its communities, the Trust adheres to key commitments and principles relating to people, places, partnerships and performance which underpin the Vision to ‘create opportunity’, through its mission, ‘by doing the right thing’.
The Trust is about being transparent and accountable in everything that is done and to this end is one of the first organisations nationally to have established a Residents’ Board, with full delegated powers from the Trust Board, to direct services which impact upon their lives.
The Trust has a comprehensive development programme delivering over 330 new homes including the £12million regeneration of the Treborth Road area of Chester providing new homes for rent, sale and shared ownership, as well as a village green and wildlife habitats.
CDHT also provides services on a partnership basis, to a number of other customers e.g. Telecare services, TrustWorks Maintenance Services, Housing Options advice, waiting list management and choice based lettings to neighbouring local authorities and registered social landlords.
The Trust is rated as two Star excellent by the Audit Commission, has the highest possible rating from Telecare Services Association and is also credited Investors in People and is the overall Employer of the Year For Cheshire West. It has been in the ‘Top 100 Sunday Times best companies to work for’ for the last 3 years, reaching its highest position of 47th this year.
For more details please visit www.cdht.org or request a copy of CDHT’s Corporate Plan 2009-2014.
CDHT Press Contacts: Phil Brotherhood
E: phil@marketingprojects.co.uk M: 07884 493370
Jane Harrad-Roberts
E: jane@marketingprojects.co.uk M: 07785 395705
W: www.marketingprojects.co.uk T: 01244 330000
West Cheshire Credit Union is managed by a group of experienced professionals who volunteer their time to ensure the interests of members are met and business is being conducted within the Financial Services Authority guidelines.
The Board of Directors provide valued experience from the field of; banking and finance, accounting, legal, training and development, business consultancy, marketing and the charity sector to ensure the growth and expansion of the Credit Union whilst improving its service to members.
West Cheshire Credit Union has been open for more than five years and has more than 1850 members. West Cheshire Credit Union is a local financial co-operative run and controlled by its members who share the common bond of either living or working in Cheshire, Ellesmere Port or Neston.
Credit unions were established in the UK in the early 1960s and since then have gone on to serve members of communities both large and small. One of the largest credit unions in the UK serves over 11,000 members and even offers mortgages.
For more details visit www.wccu.co.uk
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