We see about 21% percentage of clients coming to Sutton Foodbank due to low income and debt related issues. Many of us are unhappy with the proliferation of pay day loan shops on our high street as a means of dealing with debt.
There are organisations like Christians against Poverty and Capitalise who provide debt advice but there is no attractive alternative to those offering instant loans. Whilst the Sutton Credit Union is a laudable initiative sadly it is not widely known to the public, lacks a High Street presence and has required the person taking out the loan to become a saver.
Many people looking for a pay day loan are not currently in a position to save. In agreement with Justin Welby, I am sure the wider Christian Faith community in the borough would be keen to explore ways of partnering to tackle this issue.
I wonder too whether we couldn't use one of the empty premises on the High Street to publicly provide an alternative to payday loan shops?
Mark Tomlinson
Sutton Community Works
- Send your letters to: letters@suttonguardian.co.uk
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