A lot of people struggle with debt or find it hard to make ends meet. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and the Money Buddies might be just the people you need.
Money Buddies are friendly and non-judgemental, we’re here to help. We’re volunteers who can help negotiate payments with companies on your behalf, check your entitlements or get you some specialist advice.
We’re good at finding money too, one client went away over £1,000 richer from savings we found and benefits he wasn’t claiming! There are many more stories like that too. Since the drop-in service opened at various venues across South Leeds in April 2015 over £72,000 worth of financial gains have been made for our clients.
You might be in arrears with gas, electricity or water bills. Did you know you could qualify for a grant that could reduce or wipe-out those arrears? Come in a see us for a quick check to see if you could apply.
Money Buddies help clients apply for those grants. Money Buddies have helped hundreds of clients this year.
You don’t need to be in debt to see a money buddy.
Many clients ask for help to get cheaper energy bills, especially with winter just around the corner. Money Buddies quickly show you which are the best deals, If you like those deals, which typically save up to £200 a year, Money Buddies will be there by your side helping you make that switch even if you’re on pre-payment.
Other services include; helping clients open credit union accounts, complete budget planners for creditors, provide a safe and confidential place to anonymously report loan sharks.
The Money Buddies drop-in service is available at:
- Beeston Library: Mondays; 10am-12.30pm
- Dewsbury Road One Stop Centre: Mondays; 9am-12.30pm
- St Georges Centre: Tuesdays; 9am-12.30pm.
For more information call (0113) 235 0276, or go to: www.leedsmoneybuddies.weebly.com.
Do you like helping others or looking to develop your skills to increase your job prospects?
Over half our volunteers have found full time, higher paid work as a result of being a Money Buddy volunteer this year alone. The skills they built on made their CV’s much appealing to employers. If that sounds good to you, we’d love to hear from you, just call us on 0113 235 0276.
This post was written by Saleem Shafi and Jas Dhariwal-Holmes using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
