Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long
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Getting a handle on the money at Christmas with Action for Children
With Christmas coming, prices on the rise, and money matters in the news every day, children’s charity Action for Children and high street bank, Barclays, are helping families cope with soaring utility bills and rising food prices.
People struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living are being offered the money management pointers during a series of "Financial Futures” workshops at Action for Children family centres across the UK.
The workshops, which are being run by Action for Children staff and supported by Barclays volunteers, are part of a £1.8 million partnership between the bank and the charity aimed at improving financial literacy and helping people to avoid debt.
Topics being covered include getting the best deal from gas and electricity suppliers, handling credit and debt, feeding a family on a budget and working out benefit entitlements.
Jan Stanton is Manager of Action for Children’s Swansea Young Families project. "Many of the families we support have to make a little money go a long way and often struggle to make ends meet," she says. "There’s no doubt that they are going to be hit hard by rising energy bills and food prices this winter, but there are practical steps they can take to make their money go further. That’s what we concentrate on in the workshops and why they have been so well attended."
Alan Hands, Sponsorship and Donations Manager at Barclays, adds: "This partnership has given Barclays employees the chance to use their skills and experience to make a very real and sustainable difference to the lives of people in their local community. These workshops are well timed for the run-up to Christmas. However, we also see real value in equipping families with the skills and knowledge they need to make more informed, long-term decisions about their finances so that they can manage their money more effectively all year round."
More Information
To find out more about the work of Action for Children, visit their website.
