Tag: money

Save Yourself From Debt This Christmas

By on 18th December 2016in Lifestyle

In the run-up to Christmas, Durham County Council is encouraging everyone to speak to their local credit union to avoid giving themselves the unwanted gift of debt this year.

With weekly payment stores charging several times the actual value of goods, and payday lenders offering easy money at exorbitant rates of interest, people are being encouraged to save themselves from unfair and unmanageable debt.

The council is working with Prince Bishops Community Bank and the North East First Credit Union, the two main credit unions for County Durham, to help spread the word that they can offer sensible loans and effective savings to their members.

Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “Christmas is meant to be a time of happiness and joy but with parents feeling under immense pressure to buy their children the latest toys and gadgets it can also be a time of great stress and worry about money.”

As part of its support for the credit unions, the council has funded a new Apprentice-themed promotional video to alert people to the dangers of using weekly payment stores. It highlights how a loan from a credit union could save Christmas shoppers £1,000 by allowing them to buy a £500 iPad outright instead of signing up for weekly payments and eventually shelling out over £1,500 for the same item.

Cllr Foster continued: “The video highlights just one of many stories we’ve heard as part of our ongoing work with the credit unions. A loan from a credit union can stop you having to pay three times as much for the same item at a weekly payment store or save you from paying hundreds of pounds in interest payments on short-term payday loans.

“This year we’re desperate to encourage people to give themselves a truly merry Christmas by talking to their local credit union instead. They lend money to their members even if they’ve got a poor credit history but they won’t charge over the odds to do so. And if you’re looking for someone to save with, you can help your local community at the same time by saving with a credit union, knowing you’ll be helping to put loan sharks and people that prey on the vulnerable out of business for good.”

People can save with confidence with County Durham’s credit unions as, like all banks and building societies, they are regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and are part of the Bank of England’s financial compensation scheme. They currently have over £3 million deposited with them and council staff alone have saved and borrowed over £750,000 with credit unions over the last 3 years through a salary savings scheme.

People can see the video and find out more about their local credit unions at www.durham.gov.uk/financialhelp. Also on the website is a link to a host of information for anyone having trouble managing their money or dealing with debt.

Durham County Council Offering £150 Grants For National Tree Week

By on 29th October 2015in Local Biz, What's New?

Community groups, schools, and parish councils in County Durham are being invited to apply for up to £150 to plant up as part of National Tree Week…

 

The UK’s largest annual tree celebration, which marks the start of the winter tree planting season, this year runs from November 28th to December 6th.

Cllr Eddie Tomlinson, Durham County Council portfolio holder for assets, strategic housing and rural issues, said, “The Tree Council organised the first National Tree Week in 1975, and now up to a million trees are planted nationally each year as a result of this campaign.

“Durham County Council has taken part since 1979, encouraging people to plant trees and raise awareness of the importance of properly caring for and maintaining them. Tree Week grants have proven a great success in previous years, and the money available this year is a great opportunity for the people of County Durham to enhance their local landscape.”

Funding for up to 100% of a well-planned planting project, up to a maximum of £150, is available to parish councils, community groups and schools that wish to take part in National Tree Week. Grants of up to £150 are also available for individuals or organisations to plant individual large open-grown trees, hedgerow trees and field corners of up to 50 square metres.

 

To be eligible a scheme must not be in a private garden or within the curtilage of a residential property.

Anyone who wants to apply for a grant should contact Durham County Council’s landscape and arboriculture team by calling 03000 267 133 or emailing treeofficers@durham.gov.uk.

The deadline for applications is Friday 13th November 2015, however early bids are encouraged as grants are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

5 Things To Know Before Going To University

By on 2nd October 2015in Lifestyle, What's New?

Starting university is a bittersweet time.

On the one hand, there’s the coming-of-age and the independence, but on the other hand… do you really know what you’re doing?

 

Before you leave home, check out these five essential tips. They’re guaranteed to come in handy!

1. Learn To Manage Your Money… Fast.

When you’re out there on your own for the first time, the pennies don’t always stretch as far as you thought they would. Toilet paper gets expensive, you know?

Plan a budget and stick to it. If you’re sensible, you’ll be able to save enough to get by and have fun.

2. Learn To Love Doing Laundry

If you’ve never left home before, you might never have wondered how your clothes appear fresh and folded in your wardrobe on a regular basis, seemingly of their own accord. The thing is, they don’t always do that when you’re at university.

Become a student of the process. Nobody likes sharing a room with somebody who wears the same t-short for a week at a time.

3. Hate The Snooze Button

The snooze button is not your friend. It is your enemy. Don’t give in to the temptation.

Seriously, it isn’t easy to wake up at 8am when you didn’t get home from the pub until 3am, but it’s a skill that can be learned. The first step is learning to hate the snooze button, followed by remembering to keep a stack of energy drinks by the door.

 

4. Find The Work/Play Balance

Uni is an important time in any person’s life, and not only for the education. It’s the perfect time for a bit of self-discovery, so no student should avoid indulging in the nightlife and socialising.

But don’t let it take priority over everything else. Find the balance between having fun and getting things done. You’ll thank yourself come graduation.

5. A Far-Off Deadline Is Easily Forgotten

It’s not unusual to be given an assignment that isn’t due in for weeks or months, which is typically cause for great jubilation. However…

It’s not hard to tell yourself you’ll ‘get round to it’, but we all know that doesn’t always happen. Procrastinating turns into forgetting, and forgetting turns into failing. Keep track of your work, schedule what needs to be done, and keep on top of it.

Jak Inc: Introducing Our £500 Small Business Grants

By on 8th September 2015in Local Biz, What's New?

 

According to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills, as many as two million sole-traders and small companies missed out on £1.5bn sales in a single weekend last year. But yet, online retailers had their best year ever, as consumers spent £1 in every £4 online.

Jak Inc want to redress this balance by helping SMEs start selling online. We’re pledging £50,000 of web development grants for up to one hundred North East startups and small businesses.

To applicants, we’re offering a free one hour consultation, and a £500 grant towards the development of a Jak Inc e-commerce web shop. Only 100 places are available, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Managing Director Andy Knowles says:

“We’re offering the Small Business Grant because we want to give small businesses an opportunity to globalise their brands. We’ve always championed the benefits of taking business online, and now we’re able to make those benefits achievable for everybody.

From our wealth of experience in digital marketing, we know just how big a difference an effective digital presence can make, so we’re keen to share that knowledge. It’ll be amazing to tell the stories of how we helped some really fantastic businesses reach their full potential.

I always sign off my own blog posts with the phrase ‘anything is possible’, and with the introduction of our Small Business Grant, it’s truer now than ever before.”

So if you’d like to take part in our Digital Revolution, book your consultation today! For more information, send an email to hello@jakinc.uk, or call us on 0191 3882 698.

Our Ts and Cs are as simple as can be:

  • Grant can only be used towards a Jak Inc e-commerce shop, or a website using an e-commerce element.
  • Maximum amount that can be attained is £500.
  • Maximum of one grant per customer.
  • Managing Director’s decision is final.
  • Grant offer may be withdrawn at any time without notice.

For more info on the exciting products, services, and opportunities that Jak Inc offer, subscribe to their blog!

You’ll get all of their latest news direct to your inbox, plus industry insider tips and tricks for everything marketing, design, and social media.

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