Horsham debt service faces cash crisis amid coronavirus pandemic

Horsham Debt Advice Service says that donations which fund its work in helping families and individuals solve their debt problems have now ‘declined substantially.’

The charity is currently helping people in the Horsham area with a total of £1,800,000 worth of debts.

A spokesman for the service said: “Many of our vulnerable clients who were already facing considerable financial stress before the coronavirus pandemic are now likely to find their incomes and work opportunities considerably reduced.

“This will make it much harder for them to cope with the burden of un-payable debts and the need for support increases.

“The charity’s support can enable our clients to resolve their debt problems over time thus avoiding a range of adverse outcomes such as eviction, homelessness, the exacerbation of mental health conditions and even, in extreme cases, imprisonment due to non-payment of priority debts such as council tax.

“However, Horsham Debt Advice Service cannot assist clients if we cannot pay our own basic running costs.

“The service depends on donations and these have now declined substantially.

“The donors who support them, particularly local churches, are likely to suffer a huge reduction in their own incomes due to the lockdown imposed to combat the virus.”

Horsham Debt Advice Service says it needs donations now and welcomes support from any local businesses or individuals who can help them support people in need.

Volunteers are currently monitoring incoming emails and post on a regular basis to ensure that contact with clients and creditors is maintained.

To make a donation contact Horsham Debt Advice Service by mail – [email protected] or letter to 11 Queen Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 5AA.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.