Mayor’s donation for local debt advice charity

MAYOR of Melksham, cllr Adrienne Westbrook, presented a cheque for £400 raised at the recent mayor’s reception to Hope Debt Advice, her chosen charity for the year. 

The mayor said, “The Hope Debt Advice is a real lifesaver for some families in the town. It is so easy to go into a spiral of debt and I’m so delighted to support the work they do for people in Melksham. It’s even better that it is a local charity. 

“Debt is a close subject to everyone, you are only ever a few steps away from someone dealing with issues such as redundancy, illness that leads to you not being able to work. It’s also easy for people to bury their heads instead of getting advice. That’s why I’m glad to be raising awareness of this valuable local charity and being able to donate this money to help those in need.”

Barry Scarlett, coordinator at Hope Debt Advice said, “We have to do all of our own fundraising to cover the costs of our service, so it is much appreciated to receive this donation from the mayor. We offer debt advice for free to people in town and beyond. We are here to advise people with their next steps, negotiate with those that people have debts with and work through the whole process with them. We have had many successes.

“We are always well supported by the town and also the Melksham Family of Churches.

Alan McFall, chair of the Melksham Family of Churches said, “There is a lot of groups that do a lot for people in the town. As chair of the Melksham Family of Churches,  our work includes running the foodbank and supporting meals for those who cannot afford to eat,  all of which involves raising and spending money. To be able to do this, it’s about all working together to raise funds in order to help out those in need. 

“Often people just need someone to talk to, they’re embarrassed of their situation. We’ve had people say that they’ve been meaning to come and talk to us for weeks but have only just gained the courage. This donation will definitely be a big help our work.”