Free events in Birmingham and London focussed on supporting people in the cost of living crisis, and with deficit budgets.
Recently QSA organised and hosted the first two in-person events for the Money Guiders England Network, which QSA runs on behalf of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).
Birmingham event - cost of living crisis
“It was nice to see how myself, and many other organisations were keen to identify areas where we could each work together."
Birmingham event participant
At the first event on 28 February, around 35 money guidance practitioners from over 20 organisations came together in Birmingham to network and collaborate on their response to the challenges faced by the public in the cost of living crisis. Participants heard from speakers from MaPS, National Energy Action and the Independent Food Aid Network.
“It was a pleasure for us to facilitate the coming together of representatives of local, regional and national organisations to see what we have in common and how we can work better together on helping people during this difficult period”, explained network manager Jez Smith of QSA.
Reflecting on the Birmingham event, a participant said: “It was nice to see how myself, and many other organisations were keen to identify areas where we could each work together. The main ethos and atmosphere in the room was to inspire change and to support our communities, and it was great to be a part of it.”
Network development worker Lucille Roache challenged participants to reflect not only on what they would do differently as a result of attending the event, but when they would take action.
London event - supporting people with negative budgets
“I have recommended the network to all colleagues and I always share details of the events.”
London event participant
The second event, in London on 28 March, focussed on supporting people who are struggling with negative budgets, with speakers from Crosslight Advice, Advice 4 Renters, Energy Savings Trust and MaPS.
Many money guiders are finding that they are working with more and more people whose expenses exceed their income. We explored why people are facing deficit budgets, how to support budgeting, how to refer people for debt advice, barriers people face in seeking help and making changes, how energy saving can help reduce bills and what support is available. Speakers also explored housing law and how to support people at risk of losing their homes and what obligations local authorities have, and how to challenge problems. We also looked at grant givers, income maximisation ideas, and other ideas for cutting costs.
The London event had around 35 participants (plus speakers) including colleagues from housing groups, food banks, homelessness charities and other community groups, as well as staff from DWP and local authorities.
Money guiders participating in the London event said:
“I have recommended the network to all colleagues and I always share details of the events.”
“I learned more about how energy saving can be part of a money saving strategy.”
More about the Money Guiders Network
The Money Guiders England Network connects around 1,000 money guidance practitioners in a community of practice with free learning and sharing opportunities. QSA has developed and hosted the network on behalf of MaPS since 2020; until these two events, all previous learning opportunities had been held online. The network forms an essential part of the MaPS Money Guiders (external link) programme, complements the Money Guidance Competency Framework, and links with networks and practitioner communities supported by MaPS in the other UK nations.
The Money Guiders England Network is holding a number of free online events in the near future:
- Peer-to-peer sharing session, on 18 April
- How to spot and avoid cost of living crisis scams, on 20 April
- Introduction to tax issues for money guidance practitioners, on 26 April
learn more about the network and sign up
