Member Article

Teesside money advice team celebrates first year

A money advice service for young people is heading for its 1,000th client after just one year.

With the help of a Big Lottery grant, Know Your Money – Keep the Change (KYM) was set up by a partnership including Erimus Housing as the lead company, to work exclusively with clients aged 16-24.

The scheme was developed to help young social housing tenants or children of older tenants in Middlesbrough become more financially confident in dealing with bills and benefits, but it soon expanded to take in a wider range of people across the Tees Valley.

As well as access to the internet and job-hunting guidance, young people are taught about basic finance and can return to KYM’s base at Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, for updates and ‘top-up’ sessions.

KYM now has 943 clients and marked its first anniversary with two days of celebrations, including an open day for the public and more than 80 supporters as VIP guests at a performance by singers and dancers which included testimonials by some of the service users.

Team leader Nathan James said it was an important milestone for his team.

“We’re very proud of the amount of work we have done, and having so many backers marking the first year with us was a mark of how far we have come,” he said.

“We have over-achieved from the first day and the whole offering has taken off very quickly. There was nothing like this for young people where they could get advice as well as ongoing support.

“We help them become more employable and add any specialist skills they need.”

As it starts its second year, KYM is working with schools to help more youngsters and is planning to launch a roadshow, taking its skills out into the estates.

“There’s no telling how far we can take this,” added Nathan.

“As long as young people can benefit from KYM and keep coming back to us we will keep growing the service to help wherever we can.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .