Free Sessions To Give Your Finances A New Year Makeover

Trained members of local churches are ready to help you gain control of your money matters with free sessions.

Belper Community Church will be running the popular CAP Money Course, which teaches a simple cash-based system that helps people know how to build a household budget in a matter of weeks.

Adriaan van Wyk said: “Many of us will have used credit cards or dipped into the overdraft to pay for the Christmas festivities. Our message is: please don’t struggle on – make a resolution to do it differently next year! Now really is the best time to put things in order and we can help to get your head in gear and take the practical steps to sort things out for good.

“When you know what you have in your account and you know where it’s going and can plan for any big expenses like car repairs, you’ll have a much more peaceful 2017.”

A small team from Belper Community Church gained training from UK charity Christians Against Poverty to put on the course, which now sees more than 10,000 people gain money management skills each year.

One person who went on the course said: “I heard about the CAP Money Course from a friend. I wanted to pay off my credit card and stay out of my overdraft. It changed my life! I never thought it could be so easy, but the CAP Money system is so simple.”

Adriaan said: “Around three quarters of the people who turn to Christians Against Poverty for debt help across the UK say they had problem debt, partly because they didn’t have any tuition in budgeting and money management.

“We would rather people in our area have the skills to avoid serious debt problems and the best thing about the CAP Money system is that it’s flexible, so as your income or outgoings change, it can help you stay on top.”

The sessions take place at the Strutts Centre in Belper from 7.30pm on Thursday nights starting on 12 January. For more information call Adriaan on 0747 889 6655.

Meanwhile, St Peter’s Church in Belper will be the first in Derbyshire to start a brand new initiative: an eight-week daytime course called CAP Life Skills. This is based on the same principles as CAP Money but is aimed at those on a low income who want to gain some practical skills for living on a budget.

CAP Life Skills Coach, Jenny Lesley, said, “Money impacts all areas of our lives, what we can or can’t afford, our relationships, what we eat, our health and wellbeing and much more. At CAP Life Skills you will find a friendly group where you’ll gain practical skills such as cooking on a budget, making your money go further and living healthily for less.”

The CAP Life Skills course is designed to be a fun and relaxed place where people can share ideas and learn from others in similar situations. Jenny is a trained Life Skills Coach who can help you think about your spending choices and work towards a simple budget.

CAP Life Skills starts on Wednesday 8 January at St Peter’s Church, Belper, from 9.30am to midday and continues for eight weeks. Contact Jenny on 07752 074734 or email jennylesley@caplifeskills.org for more details or to book your place.