Rory promotes financial inclusion with Barclays Community Fund

 

Rory  is reminding constituency community groups of the availability of funding for projects from the Barclays Community Finance Fund, which earmarks £250,000 for projects that support the delivery of affordable credit to those who may otherwise be restricted to high cost credit or illegal loans.

The fund forms part of Barclays’ ongoing commitment to addressing financial exclusion, and its delivery is facilitated by Transact, the national forum for financial inclusion, and will be divided into grants of £50,000 and distributed to organisations that best demonstrate how its use will help meet one or more of its objectives in terms of improving access to credit; increasing community finance capacity; and providing ongoing financial support.

Rory said: “Here is east Cumbria, we face certain challenges that are not necessarily visible on poverty indices and in statistical reports. We may be seen as an affluent area, but this of course is not always the case. Many residents do have problems with accessing credit in order to help make ends meet, and I believe community credit unions are an excellent way of helping to overcome such difficulties. I would gladly promote any community finance initiatives and support them in any way I can, as these are great examples of how we can find local solutions to local problems.”

More information about the initiative can be found at www.transact.org.uk, and interested community groups are asked to contact Rory Stewart MP at [email protected] or by telephone on 01768 484 114.

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