Tuesday, November 05, 2013

CAB and Nairn County team up for Payday loans campaign

Nairn Citizens Advice Bureau is to use the beautiful game as a way of advertising its services to the local community. Nairn CAB has teamed up with Nairn County FC in a campaign aimed at letting football fans and others who are struggling with payday loans know that they have somewhere to turn if they need advice and support.

Friday 8th November will see local MSP and Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Fergus Ewing help kick-off the campaign with Nairn County chairman Peter Mackintosh alongside staff and volunteers from Nairn CAB, and Citizens Advice Scotland CEO Margaret Lynch at County’s Station Park home.

The following day’s matchday programme for County’s game with Clachnacuddin will see the first of a season’s football-themed advertisements offering CAB services. Fans will be advised how best to ‘fight back’ when they have been unfairly treated by their payday lender and ‘win extra-time’ by agreeing a repayment plan. The advert will carry contact and social media details for the CAB, and a QR code linking to an online video offering ‘tips on taking control of your loan’.

Nairn Citizens Advice Bureau manager Gill MacLean said: ‘We all know that payday lenders have sponsored football clubs in the higher reaches of the game, but Nairn County have shown that clubs lower down the ladder are all about helping their communities, just like their local CAB. We hope we can say to football fans, and others, “You can take control of your loan. There are steps you can take, and we at the CAB can help you take them.”’

Fergus Ewing MSP commented: “ The Scottish Government is concerned about the negative impact some pay day and other high interest lending can have on some individuals and is committed to working with partners to raise awareness of the range of alternatives available.  Initiatives like this should go some way to encouraging individuals to take control of their loan and to seek help and advice when facing financial difficulties.  It’s great to see a wee Scottish team like Nairn County on the side of the good guys.  The Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders from the money advice sector, credit unions, trading standards and the pay day lending sector to discuss specific concerns relating to pay day lending and identify how we can tackle these issues”

Citizens Advice Scotland Chief Executive Officer Margaret Lynch said: ‘People across Scotland who find themselves saddled with payday loan debt need to know that help is at hand, and that they can in fact help themselves. Local CABs like Nairn can show them how to ‘fight back’ and ‘take control’ as this campaign says.’  Below is Nairn CAB's campaign video.

 
This video from Daniel Gray on Vimeo.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well done to Nairn CAB and to County - a very positive partnership.
Some successful, small countries make it a criminal offence under usury laws to charge more than 60% per annum. Why can't / won't Westminster protect the most vulnerable?
Is this what payday lenders call the Union Dividend?
Colin