A new DAWN
A new DAWN
 |
The North East social enterprise DAWN Advice has welcomed Alistair Hayter-Dalgliesh (pictured left) as its new Finance Officer. As part of his new role Alistair, 38, from Amble, will manage the charity’s payroll, cash flow and budgets as well as introducing a robust set of new financial procedures. Alistair said: “I was absolutely thrilled to join DAWN Advice – it has been a difficult two years since I was made redundant but I feel the experience will allow me to empathise better with our clients, as I’ve been through the same hardships that they are facing.” |
Liz Chadwick, Chief Executive of DAWN Advice now based in Seaton Burn, added: “Alistair is already becoming a great asset to the company and we are extremely pleased to welcome him here – he brings with him a wealth of knowledge of working in finance.
Also, we have found many of our clients feel more comfortable dealing with a team of passionate people who really understand what they are going through, so the difficulties that Alistair himself experienced in securing permanent work will in many ways stand him in good stead.”
DAWN has also announced a partnership with ‘Five Lamps’ another social enterprise that focuses on financial inclusion, offering personal loans and financial advice to housing tenants.
As part of the arrangement, DAWN Advice will be advising people to turn to Five Lamps for help if they are struggling to access affordable credit.
Levels of personal debt in rural areas could reach critical levels with more people turning to loan sharks unless more affordable credit is made available, the chief executive has warned.
Liz added: “Loan sharks prey on people who are so desperate to make ends meet that they take on loans at exorbitant rates of interest. This can be a particular problem in rural areas, which have been hit more than most by the economic downturn.
“We might be out of the recession now, but the effects will continue to be felt by individuals for years – as a society we must ensure people are not excluded from access to financial services just because they don’t live in an urban area. This is why we are teaming up with Five Lamps, a like-minded organisation that has made a commitment to help people in rural areas.”
The Five Lamps Organisation is one of the largest community-led social enterprises within the North East. Established in 1989 Five Lamps provides a holistic approach to economic and social renewal. Five Lamps is also a registered charity.
Anyone worried about issues at work or who may benefit from further debt advice should contact DAWN Advice on 01670 785 512.
