Tuesday 11 October / 11.00am –to 1.00pm / The Reach Community Hub (Rms 2&3), 11 Oliphant St, Blackwall, E14 0GB
Loan sharks can’t be easily spotted and come from a range of backgrounds, from professional people in high level positions, to tradesmen, to little old ladies. They don’t all look like a stereo-typical ‘6’ 4’ doorman’. However, they all have one thing in common: they exploit people who have borrowed money from them, at extortionate rates of repayment.
In these times, when the most vulnerable people are hard pressed financially, people go to illegal lenders otherwise known as Loan Sharks, when they are at their most desperate. Swan Housing’s Customer Involvement and Community Development Team are working with the National Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) on a campaign to raise awareness of illegal money lending, both internally among colleagues and externally, with customers and stakeholders.
Loan sharks exploit those that are financially hard pressed and cause suffering to their victims through pressuring them to repay spiralling debt, in a variety of ways. Debts can be extended time after time, causing poor physical health, stress, poor mental health and even suicide.
There are, however, ways that these people can be stopped, and Swan have arranged for a 2hr session to be held for Staff and Stakeholders with speakers from the IMLT, who will provide an insight into how loan sharks operate, real life stories of victims and how Loans Sharks have been successfully prosecuted following investigations by the team.
The session will also cover advice that can be given to residents on how to report concerns and other agencies that can provide support to people with financial difficulty, such as Credit Unions.
Swan will be running a workshop session for staff and external stakeholders, as follows:
Tuesday 11 October 2022 at The Reach Community Hub (Rms 2&3), 11 Oliphant St, Blackwall, London E14 0GB – 11.00am – 1.00pm
This event is open to all staff working in partner agencies, including the voluntary and community sector and is particularly relevant for any member of staff working on the frontline with residents, as a learning opportunity for new staff and staff who are aware of the work of the ILMT, and would like a refresher. Please feel free to share among your networks and contacts.
External colleagues will be able to register by contacting ldouglas@swan.org.uk. Sessions for residents will also be delivered later in the year.
