How to be In the Money in County Durham, for CAB Financial Capability Newsletter, July 2010
A year on and here at Clever Clogs Publishing we are delighted to have published our next financial capability handbook – In the Money in County Durham. Building on the success of our first money guide last year for older people in Stockton, this free 84 page Durham version has been expanded to include information for all ages.
It holds a wealth of money-saving tips and techniques, including how to maximise your income, protect your savings, and get out of debt, as well as advice on redundancy, divorce, benefits, right down to changing your energy supplier and taking out insurance. It specialises in local information as well as giving regional and national contacts, and is written in the usual easy Clever Clogs style.
Of course the challenge is always to find a way to get something like this funded. Many agencies are interested, but few can fund the whole project – it’s a familiar story. This time we have worked alongside Co Durham’s Financial Capability Forum – who endorsed the project from the beginning, asking questions, recommending and referring sources and generally joining in with good ideas.
As a body they are not budget holders, but we were able to work up a partnership of sponsors through individual Forum members – all committed – albeit with varying amounts of cash to bring to the pot. It was wonderful to have co-operative sponsorship from every one of the seven CABs in the county. They share a great back cover ad for themselves, and they are crucial in distributing a large proportion of the 6000 copies to residents who will benefit.
Susan Phelan of Chester-Le-Street CAB said “We really welcome this new guide – by far the highest number of our queries are about money. In the Money is different because it gives County Durham contacts for County Durham clients. It is overflowing with useful suggestions”
Our eventual total of 17 sponsors came from outside the Forum too, including Durham
Durham County Council, Debt Advice agencies, Housing Providers and other relevant community-based groups.
Karen Morris of Derwentside Homes said “We saw the value of this for our tenants straight away – we want to do everything we can to let people know that support is around for them locally. And from Rob Jeffreys of Cestria Community Housing “We’re delighted to have worked with Clever Clogs on this guide – we all need to be a bit more clued up on money matters – it truly is a fantastic resource.”
As for time-scale – this project has taken just under 6 months from first recommendations to the Forum, to delivery of 6000 copies. It took 3 months to research and write up the information and start the search for funding, and a further 2 months to convert possibly interested sponsors into actual cash on the table. Production, simultaneous with some of this, took a month or so.
This kind of model will work with the right kind of energy behind it – it includes time, enthusiasm and staying power as well as cash. If you are thinking of doing something similar, would like more detail, or some help getting it together, please get in touch.
For more information, or to find out about the official launch in September, please contact Heather Alabaster, Editor, on 0191 386 5918
Clever Clogs Press, July 2010
