People in the Scottish Borders are to benefit from funding that will help them better cope with their financial worries.
Berwickshire Housing Association has received £568,213 from the Big Lottery Fund to help build the financial skills of tenants who may be unable to access mainstream financial products and services such as bank accounts or relevant benefit entitlements.
The ‘Financial Inclusion Project Borders’ will work in partnership with Waverley Housing Association and Scottish Borders Housing Association, who will refer tenants on to the programme. Each person will receive tailored one to one support from a Financial Capability Worker followed by an action plan geared to their specific circumstances and needs.
Sessions and action plans will cover a range of topics including household budgeting, affordable credit and energy suppliers.
Customer Services Director, Jean Gray, said, “This is fantastic news for the Borders and we are delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has given us this funding. We now have the opportunity to help people who are financially excluded and struggling to cope with the changing environment and this project will enable us to help them to respond to and cope with these changes.
“Working in a rural area where people are experiencing poverty are often in isolated settlements, we need to reach out to those most affected as transport is a major challenge for those families. This project, working across three housing associations, offers us the opportunity to work together and learn from each other as well as reaching out to our tenants in all parts of the Scottish Borders in these difficult times. “
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