A £5,000 grant has been given by London Freemasons this week to help run a money education service for victims, mainly women, who are being forced to manage on meagre hand-outs from abusive partners and being pushed into debt.
The grant from the Freemasons grand lodge at Holborn is for the Crosslight Advice charity’s mentoring programme that adapts to a person’s particular needs.
“Those facing the trauma of abuse are especially vulnerable to debt,” Crosslight charity’s chief executive Bruce Connell points out. “The Freemasons’ welcome gift means we can ‘walk alongside’ more individuals who are in need.”
Crosslight is tackling “endemic poverty” through education and one-to-one coaching on how to manage household budgets better.
It gives advice on debt, benefits and housing arrears to build up financial resilience.
London Freemasons’ Paul King said: “Our grant to Crosslight is for those most vulnerable to get help to break the cycle of financial abuse and debt.”
Many victims contacting the charity often feel there’s no help if they are deep in debt and can’t pay the bills.
But Crosslight works on support that’s available from organisations like the Freemasons as well as trust funds, credit unions, local authorities, gas and electric companies and the Government, all offering ways to help.
“Making a budget is the first step towards getting back on track,” Crosslight advises. “This helps see where your money is going to make it easier to cover all the things you need to pay for.”
Among the pleas for help the charity gets are about bailiffs turning up on the doorstep. Debt collectors are not always bailiffs with legal powers to collect money owed, it points out. There are rules even bailiffs must follow, who must write to you before turning up.
It advises on steps to take on rent or mortgage arrears to avoid being evicted or having your home repossessed, by putting together a budget to work out how much you can afford to pay at a manageable rate.
