Debt advice charity to combine craft fair with financial guidance

Debt advice charity to combine craft fair with financial guidance

16 November 2016

A LOCAL branch of a leading debt advice charity will be offering free advice to help people resolve their financial problems at a festive event in Ballynahinch next weekend.

The Mid Down branch of Christians Against Poverty (CAP) — which works to reduce hardship with the help of churches — is hosting a Christmas Craft Fair at Edengrove Church on Saturday, November 19, between 10am and 2pm.

The charity’s local branch is taking part in the UK’s first Financial Capability Week and the annual festive fair will offer free, professional, impartial and confidential sessions in resolving debt problems. 

The festive fair will feature over 40 stalls and there will be an opportunity for children to meet Santa in his Grotto. Stalls will be selling a wide variety of handcrafted goods including seasonal crafts, jewellery, cakes and plants, pre-loved toys and books. 

Children can enjoy face and nail painting and a visit to Santa’s Grotto and the charity says if appropriate, people visiting the fair can ask at the coffee bar for the debt advisory service.

Financial Capability Week starts on November 14 and is organised under the umbrella of the Financial Capability Strategy for the UK and co-ordinated by the government-backed Money Advice Service. 

Aimed at organisations and policy-makers, Financial Capability Week aims to raise awareness about what financial capability means, its importance and the organisations involved in making a difference.

Over the course of the week, numerous organisations including Christians Against Poverty will be involved in spreading the word about financial capability. Events in support of the week will take place across the country, with the local CAP Debt Advice Centre in Mid Down offering free debt counselling at the Ballynahinch craft fair.

Levels of financial capability across the UK remain stubbornly low, with last year’s Financial Capability Survey indicating that four in 10 adults were not in control of their finances. One in five cannot read a bank statement and four in 10 have less than £500 in savings.

Christians Against Poverty suggests the figures indicate a “spend today, rather than save for tomorrow” culture across the UK population. 

The charity says its aim is to encourage people to save before they spend and only spend what they have saved. It says low levels of financial capability mean that millions of people across the UK lack the financial resilience to deal with unexpected financial shocks and life events and are therefore at risk of falling into uncontrollable levels of debt or suffering from other financial difficulties.

CAP is encouraging people to adopt its philosophy by putting a limit on their budget before they leave home, don’t put debt on their Christmas list and make use of the debt advisory service if they are struggling with their  finances. 

For more information about CAP contact capuk.org or your local CAP centre on 0744 358 6701.