Skint..Martins Blog...charity ideas

SnowyOwl_2

While computer ownership is nowhere near saturation point in the UK I expect around 95% or more of homes have a television. So what about putting condensed information from the website onto a teletext or similar service? That would reach many people if marketed/advertised in the right places. I have no idea of the cost involved, but maybe it's something for the research team to look into.

SnowyOwl.

apprentice_tycoon

I agree that there is advice to be found on all areas of the site. If you didn't have a computer you could get advice and help from agencies such as the CAB about a lot of money issues. They wouldn't be able to give you hands-on advice about how to keep hens, grow potatoes or make a chicken stretch to 4 meals. Maybe you could find these things out in a book but hands-on personal advice cannot be beaten

scouselass

I too have held the view that this site and its fantastic good news does not reach the people who need it most of all!

And that goes for so many other things as well. For example those who need the most efficient and cheapest heating systems can't afford them; those who struggle to pay utility bills have to have card meters (which are imposed upon them) and they are more expensive than any other payment method; those who get disconnected because they can't afford to pay their phone bill move on to use mobile phones which are much more expensive; those who live with daily chaos and difficulty and who simply struggle to cook a meal will use the chippy, which again is a more expensive option. You could write a book and fill pages with such examples of our crazy upside down world and how people who live in poverty survive. People who have outgoings that are shocking, not because they are greedy and irresponsibly extravagent but just because they are doing their best to survive in the only way they can in a system that works against them every time. What they pay for credit would outstrip anything found on this site by a long score.

My experience of working with individuals, and these haven't always been 'the hardest to reach' groups, is that some would have significant access difficulties with the information the site provides. Not because its on the internet, or in an email, but just that day to day living is so difficult/chaotic/traumatic/ etc. and to find the energy to follow up the tips is a non-starter. What they need is someone to do it for them, and this site is full of people who could do that, voluntarily!!!

My suggestion would be to set up a charitable agency whose aim would be something like: ensuring access/advice and moneysaving ideas/strategies are provided for individuals and families in the greatest need (and a list would have to be drawn up as to who the target group/s would be). And the charity could do preventative social policy work (which the MSE site already does)

The aim would be achieved by Co-ordinating, recruiting, educating an army of volunteers to take on the role of Advice Worker for such individuals. They could either educate the individual on how they can become a moneysaver themselves. Or take on the case and become th clients Moneysaving Caseworker.

An arm of the charity could provide training to agencies who work with hard to reach groups; or run outreach sessions for their clients. Additionally the charity could collect valuable social policy evidence from their clients which could be used to lobby for change.

I realise this is an ambitious suggestion, but a few of the important foundations are already in place:

The knowledge: The MSE site
The skill: The Big Guy and the MSE Staff and site moneysavers
Raising social policy issues, testing products etc: All us Moneysavers
Volunteer Caseworkers: Recruit from the site
Patron: Easy to find, Martin could sort a high profile figure
Funders: So many companies could be approached, as we would be finding them new custom as we helped clients shop around for better deals.

apprentice_tycoon

It is such a waste for all of this valuable wisdom and information to be seen by only half the population, there should be a way of getting it to everyone, even if it's not through Martins charity.

squeaky

I have to say, when living on the limited means that benefits afford me - such things as the flight checker et al that show up in the newsletter so often just are not within my reach. I don't have credit cards and my mobile is PAYG for emergencies only.

Luckily I've been savyy enough not to finish up in debt because I seldom feel the need to buy "things" and have no inclination whatsoever to "outdo the Jones's".

I've saved a few bob here and there from the newletters and the articles such as water and power but the place that has made the most difference to my life?

Old Style.

Without a doubt the quality of my lifestyle has improved no end since joining there. I eat a more varied diet and a wider selection of meals, I'm eating far less E-numbers because I don't buy ready made junk food any more... virtually all my fruit and veg are now organic... expensive I know, but get this... I'm still saving money.

I feel better. I'm happier. And, I have to say it, very pleased with myself.

There are plenty of useful tips scattered all over the site, both financial and practical. Heck, we've been collecting a few ourselves in Old Style and would be more than happy to link to collections on other boards.

There are tips on crash saving don't spend a penny more:- tips on living off the contents of cupboard, fridge, and freezer with further tips on how to make meals with almost any combination of leftovers. How to shop, how to plan a menu, all ideas that yes, everybody should do - but they can make the difference between managing on a low budget and drifting ever further into debt. Penny by penny.

And some days it only is one penny at a time... but when you're in front by that penny instead of being in debt by that penny - there's a world of difference!

Yes it's important to help kids and teach people how not to get into debt in the first place - but we do still need to help people who are in debt already. And the best rate on a credit card isn't all the help they need.

Edit: I should have said that such a newsletter or information sheet won't just help those on low incomes like myself - I'm sure that there are plenty of people around who, after paying all their bills and their credit cards, have as little or even less available to them as I have for the weekly shop. We can help.

apprentice_tycoon

I have read with interest the responses to my original post and after thinking this through for a few days and after taking other members points on board I have honed my suggestion. I fully accept that Martin has other plans for his charity money but I think that there is still something the members of this forum can offer others in the wider community.

To re-cap - in my original post I quoted Martin's blog where he describes how, in the TV programme 'Skint' people are shown using the modern day equivalent of pawn shops to get by and he says that by being 'out of the system' and not being able to use this site they are 'information disenfranchised', this set me thinking....

What everyone who responded to my original post is agreed on is that the Forum is invaluable for people who want or need to save money - that is - if you have a computer to access the information in the first place. Although the MSE weekly money tips email is perfect if you have credit cards, buy plane tickets or are making international phone calls......, the majority of that kind of information would be irrelevant to someone on a very low income who would find that just getting through the week on a limited budget is a challenge in itself,

I strongly feel that those without computer access should have the benefit of all the relevant money saving expertise that is here on the Forum, except that it would need to be condensed down and put onto paper as an alternative MSE newsletter - this is how I think that it could work.

There would be volunteers from the most suitable boards (I think some boards would be of no use to a low income household such as Techie stuff and Gambling for example, likewise any boards that require a computer to gain the benefit such as the Vouchers board). The volunteers would periodically look through the threads and posts to identify ones that would be perfect for the new target readership, they would flag these up to Martin, the volunteers or perhaps Martins staff would then edit and condense them to one or two paragraphs per topic of very useable information.

These useful pieces would be either put together as a one-off multiple page fact sheet or issued as a weekly or monthly newsletter (or both, the factsheet first then followed up with a regular newsletter), this would be made availble as an email. Charities and community organisations such as Help the Aged, Save the Children, CAB etc, would then print them off on request for the individual user......

With Martins high media profile he could easily publicise this, on breakast TV, This Morning or the Jeremy Vine show for example, and whilst he is promoting the alternative email newsletter Martin would also be drawing attention to the main MSE site where the information came from in the first place - everyone will benefit from the increased awareness of Martin's work.

The aim of the alternative newsletter is not to give information on benefits and personal money matters because agencies such as the CAB would be better placed to do this on an individual basis but these agencies, with their contact details would surely be highlighted in the newsletter.

I think that the best use of the newsletter would be to offer ideas on topics found on the Forum such as inventive low-cost childrens parties, this was a thread on the Marriage, Relationships and Families board recently, there is also good thread here on holidays for single older people, this was on the Silver Savers board. The Debt Free Wannabe board has the Great Ways to Cut Back Hunt, this is full of one line money saving strategies, over on the Oldstyle Money Saving board there is information on making healthy food from scratch like this homemade yogurt thread, this shows how a wholesome food that children will enjoy can be made for a nominal cost with minimal equipment or - how about growing food crops in a bucket or words of advice on household shopping on a defined low budget, it goes on.......all of these currently wordy threads could be boiled down to an essence of information that we shouldn't be keeping to ourselves.

Opinions everyone?

Fran

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

I fully accept that Martin has other plans for his charity money but I think that there is still something the members of this forum can offer others in the wider community.

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There would be volunteers from the most suitable boards (I think some boards would be of no use to a low income household such as Techie stuff and Gambling for example, likewise any boards that require a computer to gain the benefit such as the Vouchers board). The volunteers would periodically look through the threads and posts to identify ones that would be perfect for the new target readership, they would flag these up to Martin, the volunteers or perhaps Martins staff would then edit and condense them to one or two paragraphs per topic of very useable information.

It won't work!

Martin has already said he has other ideas, and you can assume he has no time to take on other commitments. Without Martin's help it just wouldn't work. To co-ordinate and execute this project would be a full time job and who is going to volunteer full time? Unfortunately, having worked paid and as a volunteer, you cannot rely on volunteers delivering. It has to be a paid post(s) for something like this, and without Martin's help it becomes something not to do with the site and if it's that then you won't get the volunteers!

I think it's a great idea and really agree with a lot of what you and Scouselass have said, but at the moment... it's not going to happen.