Dudley Building Society extends its support to the community

Life Center Debt Advice, a debt advice charity based in Stourbridge, used the Society’s facilities to better serve their clients who experienced accessibility issues or were unable to travel to their location.

This initiative was founded after Dudley Building Society donated £30,000 to local community charities and organizations as part of their Community Support Fund.

The fund focuses on three areas – financial resilience, employment and housing support as part of the Society’s wider community strategy.

After awarding the winners, the Society continued to work with all recipients to understand how their work could further help them. Life Center Debt Advice, which is made up of a team of qualified debt advisers who provide advice to the local community, expressed the need for an accessible venue. Providing space within the Society’s Dudley branch, the partnership provided a place for people to receive advice on debt management.

Lily Hemming, branch manager at the Dudley branch, said: “As part of our aim to be there to help people live better lives, building financial resilience in the region is essential and Life Center Debt Advice plays a role important in this sense. It was great to continue our relationship with them and provide a solution to some of their challenges.

“We are also looking to engage with any other local charities working to build financial wellbeing in the community to provide a space that supports their mission. Accessibility is something we take seriously, and it’s rewarding to see the positive impact it has on our community. “

Head of Retail Simon Dodd added: “Our Community Support Fund has been designed to foster long-term partnerships with organizations that make a difference. By providing accessible spaces, we aim to create opportunities for groups such as Life Center Debt Advice to continue their vital work. We are open to supporting other community groups who want to make a difference to the financial resilience of the community and welcome any inquiries from those who could benefit from our facilities.”

A spokesperson for Life Center Debt Advice said: “We want to say a big thank you to the team at Dudley for allowing us to use your space. The branch staff were so helpful when we first came and helped us settle in very quickly. The space provided was perfect for us and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We look forward to continuing this relationship.”