Somerset debt centre awarded lottery grant for next three years

The centre helps people who are struggling with their finances

A debt centre in Somerset has been awarded £43,000 in National Lottery funding to support its advisory work.

The facility at Holy Trinity Church, Frome, is run in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to help people struggling with finances.

The grant will enable the service to continue for a further three years with a 20% increase in capacity.

Eight volunteers provide in-person appointments with clients, either in their own homes, or at the church.

The charity was started in 2019 and provides debt counselling for residents of Frome and the surrounding area.

The team will now be able to press on with plans to provide a budgeting course free to clients and non-clients, in collaboration with other Frome-based agencies.

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Debt Centre manager, Phil Gray, said: "We're delighted The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way.

"We will be able to continue our core debt work and also provide the Money Course to our community and develop our services further as we identify the needs."

"This is important because debt takes the joy out of life and becomes a great mental strain on families as well as individuals and if we can help people with budgeting we can help prevent debt before it becomes a problem," he added.