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Jo Swinson: Guides take on loan sharks

by Steve Beasant on 22 August, 2014

A Girlguiding group from Reading has joined the fight against illegal money lenders and been rewarded today (22 August 2014) for making a difference in their community by being named as the Stop Loan Sharks Champions for 2014.

The 5th Tilehurst Guides won the award which is hosted by the England Illegal Money Lending Team in partnership with Trading Standards around the country.

To mark the occasion, Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson will praise the Guides at a Parliamentary reception today and present them with their awards and a £1,000 cheque.

The group, which is part of Girlguiding, the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, won the award through designing their own unique challenge badge. Members of any age can access this through the group and earn the badge by working through a booklet of challenges about savings, banking and safe places you can go to borrow money.

It is hoped this will help educate more young people and their families about the dangers of loan sharks with an estimated 310,000 households currently in debt to illegal money lenders.

Consumer Affairs Minister, Jo Swinson, said:

“These young women are rightly being commended for their innovative and determined efforts to prevent people becoming embroiled with loan sharks. It shows how Girlguiding is tackling modern issues and equipping girls with vital skills.

“Illegal money lenders should be reported immediately and if anyone finds themselves in financial difficulty, the key thing is to not suffer in silence. The government’s Money Advice Service (0300 500 5000 / www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk) or debt charities like StepChange can provide the much needed support, guidance and advice that people need.”

Ellen Mitchell, 16, a Young Leader with the 5th Tilehurst Guides and one of the young women who led the project, said:

“We learned about the impact loan sharks were having in our area and we wanted to take action and raise awareness. As a Young Leader I helped a group of girls to come up with new ideas for the practical challenges in the resource. It really strengthened the bonds between us all and I’m really proud that we have created such a fun and useful badge. I loved every minute of it!”

Kim Jakubiszyn, the Leader of 5th Tilehurst Guides said:

“I have always been so incredibly proud of my small team of volunteers, our Guides and their achievements. For them to become award winners because they wanted to take action and make a difference not just in their community, but as far and wide as possible, is amazing.”

The England Illegal Money Lending Team elected the following 8 category winners, 2 from each of 4 categories, who had made an exceptional impact in highlighting this crime and encouraging victims to come forward.

  • Surrey Trading Standards
  • West Yorkshire Trading Standards and Kirklees Financial Inclusion Group
  • 5th Tilehurst Guides
  • Mancunian Way
  • Durham Police
  • Greater Manchester Police
  • Gentoo Housing
  • Affinity Sutton Housing

5th Tilehurst Guides have already won a ‘Trading Standards Institute Heroes Award’ for their work in this area.

Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the National Trading Standards Board, said:

“I would like to congratulate all the nominees for the Stop Loan Sharks Champions Awards, and especially 5th Tilehurst Guides. I am delighted that their fantastic achievements in helping to highlight this illegal practice and give local communities confidence to report problems is being deservedly recognised.

“Loan sharks are illegal, predatory and a scourge on our communities. National Trading Standards is committed to tackling loan sharking and it is thanks to the efforts of dedicated people working across the country that we are able to identify and investigate so many suspected loan sharks.”

Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), said:

“I extend my congratulations to the 5th Tilehurst Guides. Having already received the prestigious TSI Hero Award, the Guides are once again being praised for their hard work protecting their community from the dangers of loan sharks. Well done!”

Tony Quigley Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team said:

“We received some fantastic entries from organisations across the country who are all making a real difference in communities to help us stamp out this horrendous crime.

“Each of the winners worked exceptionally hard to ensure their communities know that loan sharks should always be avoided and that there is help available.

“We saw a wide range of innovative and exciting projects and would like to thank everyone who has played a part in helping us bring loan sharks to justice. We’d urge anyone who has been the victim of a loan shark to call us in confidence on 0300 555 2222.”

Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture, Sport and Consumer Services, Councillor Paul Gittings, said:

“Well done 5th Tilehurst Guides for devising such an original and wide-reaching way to warn young people and their families about the dangers of loan sharks. This national award is a remarkable achievement and recognises the time and effort the Guides have put into spreading the important message that illegal money lending damages people’s lives and their communities.”

Loan sharks usually appear friendly at first but quickly trap their borrowers into spiralling debt. As the debts can’t legally be enforced many lenders will resort to the most extreme and callous methods to enforce repayment including threats, violence and intimidation.

Paperwork is rarely offered so victims are often in the dark as to how much they are actually paying. Exorbitant extra amounts and interest are added sporadically. In some cases the loan sharks have been known to take items as security including passports, driving licences or even bank or post office cards with the PIN in order to withdraw directly from borrowers’ accounts.

To report a loan shark:

The Money Advice Service can be contacted on 0300 500 5000.

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