Affordable Credit
- The roll out of Credit Union branches in the Council's One Stop Centre and ALMO cash offices – Expansion from 2 branches in 2005 to 8 by summer 2007
- Expansion of the development of credit union schools saving clubs utilising funding through the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).
- Launch of an enterprise loan scheme run by the credit union to provide finance to small businesses who would not normally be able to raise funds for expansion (funded through LEGI)
- The launch of the Leeds Loan Shark project in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and West Yorkshire Trading Standards
- Working with LCC Refugee team to assist with availability of bank accounts and affordable credit.
- Launch of the credit union 'Handiloan' affordable loan scheme
- Discussions with the Post Office about greater collaboration in dealing with credit union accounts
Debt/Money Advice
- Development of the Leeds Money Advice Project (MAP) partnership which unified all the city’s 5 debt advice providers and resulted in a successful joint bid to the DTI for additional face to face debt advice funding.
- Developing a project to provide basic financial management and debt counselling training to front line staff working in the Council's customer service points – roll out subject to further funding.
- Offering families basic financial advice and debt counselling via the Council's Children’s Centres which provide integrated childcare and education for early years children.
- Development of a pilot debt and financial advice package, ‘money talks’, by Leeds South East ALMO with a view to a possible extension in the future. Collaboration to develop unified money advice “product” across all 3 ALMOs
- Collaboration between Yorkshire Water Services and the Credit Union regarding water payment systems and discussions with other utilities regarding their utilisation of pre payment meters.
- Provided an 'ex-directory' information leaflet to enable partners to more easily access debt counselling appointments for clients
Financial literacy
- Co-development of financial literacy packages for young children by the Council's library service and Yorkshire Bank.
- Development by Education Leeds (Cities education administration provider) of financial literacy packages for school age children.
- Working with the FSA to deliver financial capability training for all council staff. Possible roll out to other employers in the city
Cross initiative/strategic
- Embedding financial inclusion into all the main council and strategic partnership strategies and policies including the Local Area Agreement (LAA)
- New approach to developing a Council Corporate Debt Policy involving key partners who have direct experience in dealing with debt problems.
- A proposal for the establishment of a financial inclusion charitable fund to draw in funding for the various financial inclusion projects.
- Co-ordinating the placement and identifying suitable sites for fee-free ATM’s
- Develop, in conjunction with partners, a brief for further research to determine the economic and regeneration impacts of financial inclusion initiatives
- Work with the 3 Leeds prisons to assist with provision of financial services and debt and money advice to inmates, particularly those about to leave prison
- Produced materials for disseminating information about the project to partner staff and the public including a video DVD and an information leaflet. Undertaken a series of presentations in a significant number of workplaces
- Successful bid to EU Progress Fund for learning exchange partnership with various European partner cities on social exclusion issues. Leeds have showcased financial inclusion.
Links to other project pages