Nus Ghani MP has given her backing to Wealden Citizens Advice, which has been shortlisted for grant funding from NatWest Skills & Opportunities Fund.
It is up to members of the public to decide which organisations and programmes receive the funding, by way of a public vote. Ms Ghani is calling on all residents of Wealden to support Wealden Citizens Advice and give it the maximum chances of success in the competition.
Voting takes place until midday on Friday 5 May, and Wealden Citizens Advice is one of just five nominees in the South East. To vote, residents should go to http://skillsandopportunitiesfund.natwest.com/vote.
The NatWest Skills & Opportunities Fund provides grants of up to £35,000 to projects in charities, social enterprises, community groups, state-funded schools and colleges. The Fund is dedicated to helping projects that support people in disadvantaged communities to gain financial capability skills or to start a new business now or in the future.
Wealden Citizens Advice provides free, confidential and independent advice to local residents on issues such as benefits, housing and employment. Those it supports are five times more likely to be managing on a low income and twice as likely to be in poor health as the general population.
The project that would be supported with this funding is “On track”. The project is aimed at delivering a money management service for two main groups of people: those with mental health issues, who have got into financial difficulty, and those with dementia and their carers, who need help to make ends meet. These groups have been identified as being most at risk of having re-occurring financial difficulties.
As well as helping people with claiming benefits and managing debts, support will also be offered through intensive one-to-one budgeting coaching for up to six months, as well as a toolkit for participants and local service providers, and practical group sessions on how to make money go further. Securing this funding will allow Wealden Citizens Advice to reach 420 people over a 15-month period.
Nus Ghani MP commented: “Mental health and dementia care are issues close to my heart. As a Dementia Friend and Chair of Parliament’s Ageing and Older People Group I know the difficulties faced by dementia sufferers and their carers, friends and families. I have also been campaigning for greater parity of esteem and funding for mental health.
“And so I warmly welcome Wealden Citizens Advice’s decision to focus resources on those affected by these issues. Having a one-stop-shop of help and advice is a brilliant source of support and reassurance for the vulnerable and those struggling with issues big and small. I hope Wealden’s residents will get behind Wealden Citizens Advice’s campaign to secure this funding – I for one will be casting my vote with huge enthusiasm.”