A Plaistow social enterprise which helps people manage money and debt problems has been working to be at the forefront of this year's Debt Awareness Week.
Running from March 22 - 28, the week aims to destigmatise debt and encourage open discussion around money issues.
Founded in 2011 by Jerry During and Greg Ashby, social enterprise Money A+E aims to help people in Newham suffering from money problems.
The pair - who both grew up in the borough - wanted to use their experience to help tackle debt issues, with 12-15 members of staff now employed at its Avenons Road base.
Jerry said: "I have worked in a lot of agencies that deal with debt problems – I was brought into the service at Toynbee Hall (in Tower Hamlets) in that vein, which is where I met Greg. What we often found was that people who looked like us, from ethnically diverse backgrounds, were struggling.”
Two service users took part in a BBC segment earlier this week which revealed how coronavirus has exacerbated money problems in Newham.
This is no surprise, said Jerry: “Debt problems have always been there, but we've seen them go through the roof since Covid. Coronavirus has increased the impact of existing systemic problems.”
Housing costs and rent arrears truly expose this, with Jerry fearful for when the latest extension to the eviction ban ends in May.
Describing the post-pandemic landscape as a "cliff-edge", the co-founder aims to make a difference through an accommodation project that would see people receive help with education and employment while living in a temporary setting.
Though still in its inception phase, Jerry said there were positive talks held before Christmas and expects discussions with Newham Council to resume soon.
Debt is a problem which "can't be tackled in isolation", he stressed, with housing among many issues which contribute to desperate financial situations.
The charity's direction is shaped by service users, key for Jerry as the co-founder of an organisation in which three quarters of staff and volunteers are local and have lived experience: “Often we work with excluded and isolated groups, so people from their communities, who they trust, are best placed to reach them.”
Money A+E is currently fundraising to continue providing emergency grants to those most in need, with 52 such grants provided last year.
For help with managing debt, visit moneyaande.co.uk/
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