Rochester MP Mark Reckless on credit unions and crisis walkers

Mark Reckless MP has welcomed the pledge to promote credit unions and paid tribute to the Walk to End Homelessness campaigners.

Following cross party agreement, Medway Council will try to address the growing levels of personal debt seen in Medway. A task group will be created to form a better understanding of  easy access to unaffordable credit and consider how they can promote financial literacy. They will also investigate community based organisations offering affordable credit and promoting the culture of saving.

Mark Reckless said:

"With the average level of unsecured debt per resident in Medway now standing at £34,000, it is vital that we get to grips with the epidemic of unaffordable credit in our communities, and that we promote a culture of responsible saving and borrowing. Medway Council has taken the lead on this issue, reaching a cross-party agreement to look into how best to tackle the growing debt crisis affecting our communities. I particularly welcome the Conservative amendment recommending that the cross-party task group deal with promoting financial literacy, something I have supported for a long time. I would like to congratulate all the members of the council for their commitment to tackle unaffordable debt which is causing so much stress and anxiety to many of my constituents. I would also like to pass on my thanks to Medway Citizens Advice Bureau who have done so much to raise awareness of this issue, and who are working hard to help residents across Medway, as well as my colleague Tracey Crouch MP who has done a great deal of work on this issue."

The recent Crisis campaign Walk to End Homelessnes raised over £5000, with forty walkers completing the sixty mile journey from Canterbury to Southwark cathedrals. 

The Walk to End Homelessness, which was originally called The Crisis Pilgrimage and last took place in the 1990s, marked the 40th anniversary of Crisis at Christmas and Crisis' No One Turned Away campaign, calling on the Government to strengthen the law so that no one is forced to sleep rough.

The government recently announced a further £20 million to provide single people facing homelessness the help they need to get back on their feet and ensure that they don't have to spend time on the streets.

Mark Reckless said:

"Homelessness can be devastating and I am pleased to see the government, local council and charities like Crisis working to tackling it. I would like to pay tribute to the fantastic work undertaken by Crisis to help people keep out of the cold, and the remarkable volunteers who took part in this walk and everyone who supported them. I strongly support the work being done to help keep people off the streets and I welcome the government's determination to back charities, councils and volunteers for homeless people."