Building Financial Resilience: Supporting AMAT UK's Financial First Aid Programme
Finding a route out of homelessness isn't only about securing somewhere to live. Financial difficulties, debt and a lack of access to practical financial support can make it much harder for people to regain stability.
A £31,883 grant from the Kent Reliance Community Foundation will help AMAT UK develop a new Financial First Aid programme designed to tackle those challenges and give people greater confidence and control over their finances.
AMAT UK has more than 28 years' experience supporting adults experiencing homelessness and financial hardship across Medway and Kent.
The charity provides safe accommodation alongside personalised, trauma-informed support. Each year it accommodates and supports more than 400 residents across 97 properties.
Many of the people it works with face a combination of challenges including unemployment, physical and mental health difficulties, debt and social exclusion.
Our grant will enable AMAT UK to develop, pilot and embed its Financial First Aid programme, co-designed with adults who have experienced homelessness.
The programme will include a bespoke Financial Health Assessment Tool to identify challenges such as debt, economic abuse and crisis management.
Funding will also provide 10 new computers for The HIVE's IT suite, develop practical resources covering subjects such as budgeting, debt management and financial resilience, and initially pilot the programme with 50 residents.
Twenty-eight frontline members of staff will also receive training in areas including economic abuse, money management and debt advice.
AMAT UK's longer-term ambition is to equip up to 400 people each year with greater financial knowledge, skills and confidence.
Jonathan Couch, Head of Grants, said: "Financial problems can both contribute to homelessness and make it much harder for someone to move forward from it. What makes Financial First Aid particularly powerful is that it is designed to leave AMAT UK with the tools, resources and trained staff to continue supporting people well into the future. We're investing not only in the people who will take part in the initial programme, but in a capability that could benefit hundreds more."
By embedding financial support within its existing services, AMAT UK can help people address one of the practical barriers to long-term independence, creating an impact that can continue beyond the lifetime of the grant.
For more information about AMAT UK and its work, visit www.amatuk.org