Wiltshire Money Shout Outs

Wiltshire Money provides Shout Outs for our members to help promote their work and raise awareness about any ongoing campaigns. Current shout-outs and ongoing campaigns are listed below:

Do you have information that you would like to share with Wiltshire Money members? Then submit a Shout Out to [email protected].

Acorn Community Bank

Acorn Community Bank was Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union (WASCU) until recently. It is still a credit union, making affordable loans to the people of Wiltshire and also after a merger, people living in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Buckinghamshire.

Their helpful team is ready to hear from you, answer your questions and help your clients. Visit https://acorncommunitybank.co.uk/ to find out more or send an email to [email protected].

Age UK Wiltshire

IA MAC Poster 2019

Centre for Sustainable Energy - Funding for heating system replacements/repairs

The Centre for Sustainable Energy has funding available to homeowners and private tenants in Wiltshire which can help with replacing or repairing heating systems (all types included) and installing smart heating controls. They have provided a leaflet summarising the support they can offer and the eligibility criteria.

They are also more than happy to send out hard copy leaflets for distribution to any clients who could benefit from this help. You can also refer clients to the fund by filling out the referral form. If you have any questions or requests, please contact Shareen Elnagy - Project Officer, Centre for Sustainable Energy.

Department for Work and Pensions

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Doorway Wiltshire

Doorway Wiltshire supports people over 16 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness with basic needs such as hot food, showers, clothes, and laundry as well as referrals to other agencies including health, housing and addiction support. Our website address is www.doorwayproject.org.uk.

Home-Start North Wiltshire

Home-Start North Wiltshire understands how hard parenting can be!

Sometimes all families need is a little support to help them through a challenging time.

They could be feeling isolated or lonely, suffering poor mental/physical health, experiencing a relationship breakdown or coping with twins! They could just be feeling overwhelmed and not know which way to turn.

We help by giving free emotional and practical support. Our friendly volunteers will visit weekly for 2-3 hours or give support over the phone*.  Our volunteers will listen and help find the best way forward. In difficult times, someone to talk to and a listening ear can often make all the difference.

To find out more about how we can help, please get in touch!

Home-Start Kennet, Unit 1, Fordbrook Business Park, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5NU.

Telephone: 01672 569457 Email: [email protected] W: https://homestartnorthwiltshire.org.uk/ Social Media: Facebook

Multiply

Launching this year across the UK, Multiply is a new government-funded programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. Wiltshire Council has been awarded £2.1 million of government funding to give adult learners a chance to develop the numeracy skills to be more confident at home and work.

Learn more about Multiply in Wiltshire.

Read Easy Wiltshire

Our group teaches adults to read on a one-to-one basis, by trained volunteers. This is a free service to our readers.  

More information here: Read Easy South & East Wiltshire - ReadEasy 

There is another group covering north and West Wiltshire: Read Easy North & West Wiltshire - ReadEasy

Rise Trust North Wiltshire Children’s Centre Services

The RISE Trust supports many projects in North Wiltshire. They manage four designated Children’s Centre buildings and run Youth services, such as mentoring and youth groups. In addition to Children’s Centre-based and school-based activities they run events around Chippenham and North Wiltshire.

Spurgeons Children's Charity

Wiltshire Children’s Centres have a brand new website packed full of information about all of our services and how to access them. www.wiltshirechildrenscentres.org.uk 

Take a few minutes to browse through our dedicated professionals section - For Professionals - Wiltshire Children's Centres. We even have specific pages for Childcare settings and for schools.

Wiltshire children’s centres offer one to one support to families with children from 0-5 years to help with a whole range of topics including:

  • Ideas around implementing routines and setting boundaries.
  • Help to understand your child’s needs and build your confidence as a parent.
  • Help around finances, housing applications, debt support and accessing benefits.
  • Advice on local childcare and applying for funding.
  • Support in volunteering and returning to work.
  • Introductions to other services.

To find out more please contact us at 01225 719 753 or email us at [email protected]

Stop Loan Sharks - Illegal Money Lending Team

The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) recognise that this period may be one of increased financial pressure for some people.
 
The Team is committed to ensuring that illegal money lenders (loan sharks) do not take advantage and profit from other people’s hardship.

The Stop Loan Sharks helpline service remains open and fully operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage not only victims but friends, family members and the wider community to come forward if they suspect someone is suffering at the hands of loan sharks.
 

Warm & Safe Wiltshire

Warm and Safe Wiltshire is a free energy advice service to help residents live in warmer, safer and healthier homes.

They offer:

  • financial support (in the form of fuel of shopping vouchers, funding for broken heating systems and grants for insulation and heating improvements in your home)
  • energy-saving advice (such as understanding your fuel bills, helping with fuel debt, switching supplier and other behavioural changes you can make to live warmer for less)
  • caseworkers are available for those needing more long-term support across a range of issues

 Call them now on 0800 038 5722. Lines are open 9-5pm Monday- Friday. Or visit https://www.cse.org.uk/my-home/advice-projects/warm-and-safe-wiltshire/

 This service is a partnership between the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council.

Waste Not Want Not (WNWN)

Waste Not Want Not is a registered charity based in Chippenham that collects surplus furniture and household goods, still in good condition, to pass on at affordable prices, to those on tight budgets using a workforce of predominately volunteers.

The guide for qualifying clients is a household income below £35,000.

Our showroom is at 303/305 Hungerdown Lane Chippenham SN14 0JJ open 9.30 - 4.00 Monday to Thursday, 9.30 - 3.00 on Fridays and the first Saturday each month from 9.30 - 2.00.

A selection of goods is regularly posted on WNWN's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/wastenotwantnotwiltshire.

Items can be purchased over the telephone, using a bank card, with delivery arranged if required.

For more information please call us on 01249 447140.

Wiltshire Council - Cost of Living Resources

This page provides a range of advice, guidance and contact details to ensure you know where to get the support you may need during the current cost-of-living crisis.

Wiltshire Digital Drive

Applications open from schools, charities and voluntary organisations.

Applications are now open for the Wiltshire Digital Drive. The Wiltshire Digital Drive is a not-for-profit community interest company. Their main goal is to bridge the digital divide in Wiltshire by providing access to technology to people who fall between the cracks of not quite qualifying for government support, while at the same time being unable to afford up-to-date technology. They do this by receiving donations of old or unused laptops, tablets and PC’s from businesses or members of the general public. They spread their message mostly through referrals and word of mouth.

To be eligible, your organisation must be based in Wiltshire or a neighbouring county and be a school, nursery or pre-school, local council, town or parish council, charity, or voluntary organisation. Wiltshire Digital Drive is unable to accept applications from individuals. However, individuals are encouraged to get in touch with one of the above organisations and request that the organisation applies on their behalf. The application form is available through their website.

Wiltshire Food Collaborative

This new partnership is a collective of food-based, and adjacent, organisations aiming to ensure that everyone in Wiltshire has access to sufficient and nutritious food in a dignified manner.

The partnership aims to coordinate the work of different organisations around access to food, to increase understanding of food poverty and insecurity, and to work out and address any gaps in support, including through a Food Poverty Action Plan. It will allow members to share best practice on a range of topics, such as volunteer recruitment, stock management, financial inclusion, and so on. There may be opportunities for training through Wiltshire Money, and forums on various topics through an umbrella organisation like Feeding Britain, as well as lots of opportunity to network and find out about food-based projects in your area.

Members so far include community fridges, food banks, organisations that provide hot meals, advice agencies, grant-funding agencies, town councils, and the Public Health and Engagement and Partnerships departments of Wiltshire Council, amongst others, covering a wide area of rural and urban Wiltshire.

If you are interested in being part of this partnership, please contact Alex Montegriffo at Devizes and District Foodbank on [email protected], or Guy Sharp at Wiltshire Council on [email protected].

Wiltshire Together Cost of Living Campaign

The rising cost of living is affecting people living throughout Wiltshire. Many residents and communities, including those who have not faced financial challenges before, are impacted by rising food, heating, housing, and transport costs. 

In response, Wessex Community Action has launched a Cost of Living Help campaign, where voluntary and community groups and community focussed organisations can share the support, advice and information available. 

Our aim is for people to quickly and easily find relevant and local, information and support by including what is available via Wiltshire Together, the single online space for the public, social prescribers, volunteers, voluntary and community groups and health and social care professionals to use. Learn more on our campaign website: https://wiltshiretogether.org.uk/campaign/cost-of-living-help