North Shropshire churches setting up a debt help service
Churches in north Shropshire will set up their own debt management service to help the poor in the wake of the nationwide row between the Archbishop of Canterbury and pay-day loan company Wonga.
Churches Together in Market Drayton group is setting up the scheme, which will be the first of its kind in Shropshire.
Organisers said they know there is a great need for debt help, and this had been shown by the success of the town's Food Bank, which helps those in poverty have enough to eat.
Martin Tanner, vicar of St Mary's in Market Drayton, said: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that Christians mustn't stand on the sidelines and just talk about the problems of society but get stuck in and involved.
"This is what Churches Together in Market Drayton is trying to do.
"We know that between 50 and 60 people per year are turned away by someone in Market Drayton who offers debt advice. We know that the CAB no longer offers a regular service in Market Drayton.
"In the last eight months, 640 people have used the Market Drayton food bank. On top of this benefits are being cut and inflation is rising."
Last week The Archbishop, the Most Rev Justin Welby, vowed to put payday lenders out of business by competing with them and called on all institutions to play their part.
The new service in Market Drayton will launch in May if the group can secure the £17,000 a year needed to run it.
The centre would be backed by international charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) which has more than 200 regional offices across the country. But so far there none in Shropshire.
Christians Against Poverty would manage the debts of people who seek help and provide a manager who will work two days a week visiting people in the town.
Reverend Tanner added that he believes the new Debt Centre would help "hundreds of people" in the first year.
He added: "The aim of a Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre is to help those trapped with unpayable debt who dread the knock at the door, the phone call, another demand letter. It gives them their life back. They can live again."
The service offered will be free to individuals in debt.
To date the churches involved have pledged £5,000 a year, which means £12,000 will still need to be found. Rev Tanner is appealing for people to pledge to donate £1 a week – contact him at the church or the vicarage.
