Please click here to read the latest from Stop Loan Sharks by Illegal Money Lending Team. They also have further training opportunities in 2021 for practitioners that work with ‘at risk’ individuals and families. Anyone can be at risk of a loan shark and this issue may get worse as more of us experience financial hardship due to the effect of lockdown and tha pandemic.

Session 1: Could you spot a loan shark?

The purpose of loan shark training is to provide information and knowledge about the issue, how it relates to your work and how we can help those who have borrowed from illegal lenders. The length of the session is approximately one and a half hours.

It will include key things to look out for as a sign that a friend, client or colleague may be involved with a loan shark. The session will show the impact that illegal lenders have on victims and communities and how we can work together to stop people falling into the clutches of criminals.

9^th Feb 1030 -1200 

23^rd Feb 1030 -1200

Session 2: Changing Lives – a loan shark victim’s journey and the part you play:

A continuing learning opportunity for those who have already received Stop Loan Sharks training.

Description:

This is an additional learning tool for those that already know the basic facts about loan sharks. Learn about the implications and facts around reporting or not reporting for your business and staff; Learn about victim safety, Data Protection issues and how to help victims open up about their situation.

11^th Feb 1030 – 1200 

2^nd March: 1030-1200

Stand-alone session: Do you understand credit unions?

Leading the Seminar will be England Illegal Money Lending Team’s specialist Credit Union Liaise Officer, Sean Lynch. Before joining the Stop Loan Sharks team Sean worked at Citysave Credit Union, based in Birmingham which had roughly 7,500 members and savings deposits of over £7 Million.

For the last 3 years of his time there, he managed the Credit Union and looked after day to day operations, lending, marketing and website content as well as contributing to the governance as well as all policies approved by the board.

Lin Fisher will also be contributing with her experience of working with local Credit Unions.

2^nd Feb – 1030 -1200 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-you-understand-credit-unions-tickets-130783060655

25^th Feb – 1030 -1200 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-you-understand-credit-unions-tickets-132264184737

West Berkshire residents are being invited to sign up for the West Berkshire Collective Energy Switch and save on their energy bills.

The scheme, run in partnership with iChoosr Big Community Switch offers a no obligation collective energy switching scheme which gives people the opportunity to group together and pay less for their energy. Electric or dual fuel can be switched.

Many people are currently overpaying for their Electricity and Gas. This is mostly due to people staying with a single supplier for years. Due to the Covid -19 impact many people are earning less than they would have usually, and others with increased energy costs from working at or being at home more than usual, households are finding their energy bills have increased.

Since 2016, more than 7,600 households across West Berkshire have switched enabling them to access renewable energy and save an average of £270 per year in energy bills against standard tariffs by switching suppliers. 

Registering and participating in the West Berkshire Energy Switch is free and comes without obligation.

Steve Ardagh-Walter, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for “This is a great opportunity to not only check your energy bills to see if you can make savings and fix for the year ahead, but also to reduce carbon by signing up for a renewable electricity tariff.

“It’s not too late to sign up and see if you can save so make sure you don’t miss out! Tell friends and family about the scheme too as more registrations help to provide a cheaper tariff.”

Register from 1 December 2020 for the West Berkshire Energy Switch scheme  to be guaranteed renewable electricity and a no obligation personal offer so you can see how much money you might save by switching.

A reverse auction will be held on 9 February 2021 where energy suppliers will compete with their best offers.  Registration will close at midnight on 8 February 2021. From 23 February, participants will receive their personalised offer for consideration. Auctions are held each year in February, May, and October.

To register or find out more visit https://info.westberks.gov.uk/communityswitch

Participants will need to have their latest energy bill to hand, as details will be requested in the registration process.

A major study for Post Office Ltd (POL) sets out new evidence of the vital part post offices play providing essential services and support to citizens and local economies.

More than 8 in 10 (82%) people see their post office as an essential service, with young people valuing it almost as much as older people. Small businesses also rely on their local post office – 43% say they would not survive without it. Proximity is vital for both consumers and businesses, and 67% have a branch within a 10 minute journey, and 38% within a 10 minute walk.

Of the network’s wide range of services, mail services are most commonly used – 83% of respondents using it for letters and stamps and 80% for parcels. Post offices are also frequently used for returning online orders (54%), exchanging foreign currency (54%) and picking up official forms (44%). Just over 1 in 3 (35%) have used branches to withdraw or deposit cash.

Highlighting the importance of post offices as a physical presence, 87% of respondents agreed that the Post Office is an essential service for vulnerable or lonely people. And only 47% of people aged 65+ said they would be able to find an alternative place to access pensions and benefits. POL also says post offices deliver a lifeline to struggling high streets. Visits to
post offices help drive 400 million extra visitors and £1.1 bn additional revenue to other local businesses.

POL’s report follows Citizens Advice’s recent call for increased government investment in post offices to fix the cracks in the network and allow post offices to deliver even greater social value.