MCU joins forces with Greater Manchester Poverty Action

Manchester Credit Union is a Principal Partner of Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) and has enhanced its support by collaborating with its new Money Matters Project.

Money Matters brings together key partners and employers from the Manchester region to work together to raise awareness of the hundreds of millions of pounds in benefits that currently go unclaimed in the region.

The project aims to deliver benefits and debt advice to parents and care givers of students at Trafford College, Lostock High School and Seymour Park Primary School with the aim of boosting household incomes and financial resilience in the face of rising living costs.

Our Business Development and Marketing Manager, Dawn Cowderoy, has joined the panel to offer insights into the experiences of Manchester Credit Union members and support the promotion of ways people can feel better off.

Dawn says: “We are all feeling the strain at the moment and, as the largest community credit union in Greater Manchester, we want to do all we can to make sure our members and the region’s residents are getting all the support that is available to them.

“We exist to ensure people feel better off through affordable, ethical loans and easy ways to save – so it makes sense to support the fantastic work of GMPA.”

Graham Whitham, CEO of GMPA, added, "At a time like this, when so many families are struggling, it is vital that they claim all the support they are entitled to. We know that hundreds of millions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed each year in Greater Manchester and that more needs to be done to maximise household incomes and to boost financial resilience.

With Money Matters we want to deliver financial gains to parents and demonstrate the need for more projects that work with schools and other institutions to proactively identify people in need of financial support. We appreciate having a strong partnership with Manchester Credit Union as one of our Principal Partners, including with their support for this programme."

Support is being provided by a trained Financial Inclusion Officer, on secondment from Citizens Advice, and the work is being funded by Kellogg's. The programme will initially run until May 2023. For more information, visit www.gmpovertyaction.org