Marketing Submission

Title of Proposal	Cumbria Credit Unions Awareness Week
Credit Union(s) leading the development of the proposal	Whitehaven Egremont and District Credit Union
Contact Details	Andrea Dockeray, WEDCU, 24 James street, Whitehaven, CA28 7HZ. Telephone (01946) 66755. E-Mail:- wedcu@tiscali.co.uk
Aims and objectives of proposal (brief description of what the project would be and why is there a need for this?)	To conduct a focused, county-wide marketing, promotional and awareness raising campaign for credit unions across Cumbria. This will take the format of an “Awareness Week” with a range of local events taking place in each area across the county with events open to general public, council employees and other employers and local schools. A particular focus will be on the most disadvantaged wards. This will raise awareness and increase membership of local credit unions at a time of great need with forthcoming Welfare Reform changes and increased costs of domestic energy bills, fuel and transport costs and food stuffs. Credit unions encourage savings and provides a lower cost alternative to high cost payday lenders, doorstep lenders and unlicensed illegal money lenders (loan sharks).
What outcomes will the project deliver? ( what would the project achieve?)	Increase the number of adult credit union members across Cumbria by a minimum of 400. Increase the number of junior credit union members across Cumbria by a minimum of 100. Provide a combined minimum of £48,000 savings for the 400 adult members in the first year and at the same time enable access to low cost loans ( for the first time for many of these individuals). Provide a combined minimum of £4,800 savings for the 100 junior members in the first year. Greater awareness amongst low paid and middle income families of the financial dangers of high interest loans and the potential for spiralling debt Greater access to affordable and regulated financial services by people most likely to be excluded from these at present.
How will each credit union or study group benefit from this project ?	The Awareness Week will generate county-wide and local media coverage. The week will provide a focus for a range of activities in each local community and events open to the general public as well as targeted access to county council staff and staff of other key local employers. The week will also allow the credit union message to reach children at local schools prioritising those based in and serving children and young people in the most disadvantaged wards. Subject to FSA approval the week would also benefit each of the study groups. Barrow should have an FSA decision and this may well tie in with the launch of their services in their district. Eden is also awaiting an FSA decision and may well be very close to launch at this stage and would certainly benefit from the increased coverage for credit unions in their area. South Lakeland Credit union Study Group will also open in 2013 subject to approval and this awareness week should also benefit their launch later in the year.
How will this project help to challenge poverty in Cumbria? Are there any target/ vulnerable groups that would particularly benefit from it?	The project will increase public awareness of credit unions as a practical savings and low-cost loans solution and provide an alternative to the plethora of high interest lenders that people in Cumbria are bombarded with via their televisions, computers and on their doorsteps on a daily basis. The project will particularly focus on residents living in the most disadvantaged wards in each credit union common bond area. The work with children and young people in schools will also focus on schools based in and serving children most likely to be living in poverty. Another target will be ensuring that credit unions reach the most rural parts of their common bond where people are often disadvantaged by the distance and costs associated with accessing services.
Please provide a business case or project plan describing how the project would work, what action would be taken, who might it involve, what sort of resources would be required to make it happen, an indication of cost for key components of the project (this will help develop an understanding of whether the project would provide value for money)	Please see attached (NB it is attached below, JPM) “Outline Project Plan – Cumbria Credit Union Awareness Week – In Partnership with Cumbria County Council”
How could the project be managed?	Any elements requiring or suitable for central purchasing of promotional items could be administered centrally by Whitehaven Egremont District Credit Union (if agreeable to all partner credit unions). Those requiring local purchase or spend (e.g. local room hire) funding could be provided from CCC directly to each local credit union
What would the outputs of the project be?	Minimum of 8 events held across the county to inform general public about credit union services Minimum of 8 recruitment sessions for county council employees to benefit from becoming members of the credit union in where they live and/or work. Minimum of 8 events held in local schools to encourage children to save with and become junior members of their local credit union.
How would the outcomes of the project be made sustainable?	If the project is judged to be successful then there is the potential to run an annual “ Cumbria Credit Union Awareness Week” Funding could be provided directly from credit unions own budget and / or through funding applied for to some existing funders (such as Northern Rock Foundation) or appropriate funding bodies (such as Big Lottery Reaching Communities Programme).
What is the added value of the project? (are there any additional benefits we would gain of this investment?)	Increased membership of credit unions of Cumbria County Council employees. Money retained within local community economies across the county instead of disappearing from the county as high interest repayments to national companies.
What scope is there for the project to dovetail with existing or additional planned future credit union projects?	There is scope to dovetail with a future edition of “Your Cumbria” which could carry a feature spread on credit unions in each community across Cumbria. There is scope to carry joint branding / all of the logos on the promotional materials produced. There is the potential to link in with Trading Standards service and / or the national Illegal Money Lending Team as part of the week of activities. There is also the possibility of joining up to work with or in Sure Start Children’s Centres as part of the week to access some of the most disadvantaged families with children in some of the most disadvantaged communities throughout Cumbria.
What would the measures of success be for this project? What targets will be set for the project?	Measure of success would be meeting the targets set in the attached Outline Project Plan and above. Specifically:- Minimum of 400 new adult members across Cumbria (approx 5% increase) Miinimum of 100 new child members across Cumbria (approx. 5% increase) Almost £50,000 additional savings for adult members in first year (Enabling an additional £40,000 to £45,000 in low cost affordable loans to be made) Almost £5000 additional savings for new junior members in first year