Wednesday 28 April 2010

Better Banking Campaign calls for party leaders to sign up to a programme of real financial reform

To the leaders of all parties,

We are writing on behalf of low-income communities, third sector organisations, and small businesses across the UK These groups have suffered and continue to suffer unfairly, because financial institutions have not met their needs. We feel strongly that in return for the privilege of a banking licence, and billions of pounds of public investment, we need a new settlement between society and the financial sector.

Around 6 million people cannot access mainstream credit –often due to having no credit history, not a bad one- and have no choice but to borrow at interest rates of up to 9,000%, leading to inescapable spirals of debt. Lack of access to banking services costs low income households av. £1,000 more a year.

So many of us take credit for granted, with our mortgages and student loans. But low-income communities, third sector organisations and small businesses suffer from unfair access to financial services. Responsible lending, (not lending for lending’s sake) advances us socially and financially.

Therefore, what we want is a financial sector that reaches out to support those who need the most help, and enables them to become financially independent: to build savings and pensions, to have every opportunity to flourish financially and economically. We need a system that actively encourages financial institutions to engage with low income communities, third sector organisations and small businesses.

We call upon the BBC and participants to cover these issues in the final Party Leaders’ Debate:

  • Requiring banks to publicly disclose where they are lending and providing services – how much and to whom – including in respect of small businesses
  • With this data, providing incentives and obligations for banks to serve social responsibilities, along the lines of the US Community Reinvestment Act.
  • Capping the amount that can be legally charged for credit
  • Reinvesting 1% of banks’ profits for public benefit
Many are still struggling in the wake of the recession. Don’t return us to business as usual.


Signed,

The Better Banking Campaign,
Bishop Doyé Agama, Deputy Moderator, Churches Together in England, National Director, Apostolic Pastoral Association

Black training and enterprise group

Clifford Rosenthal, President/CEO, National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions

Craig Dearden-Phillips MBE – Social EntrepreneurDon Smallwood MBE, Chairman of Preston Road Neighbourhood Development

Dr Doreen Finneron MBE

Dr Rebecca Tunstall, LSE

Dr. Campbell Jones, Past Chair, 2008-2010, of the European Business Ethics Network (UK)

Ed Mayo, Co-operatives UK

Executive Director of the Faith Based Regeneration Network UK

Geoff Mulgan, Director Young Foundation

Hilary Willmer, founder of CROP

Jaz Greer – Founding Director Cast Trust

Jeremy crook OBE

Liz Richardson, University of Manchester, Research fellow

Maria Saur Senior Consultant/Social Anthropologist

Marilyn Taylor, Emeritus Professor, University of the West of England

Marion Jenner, Campaigner

Mark Ebert, Close Brothers PLC PERSONAL CAPACITY

Martin Sime Chief Executive SCVO

Nigel Kershaw OBE, CEO Big Issue Invest

Pat Conaty, Research Fellow, New Economics Foundation

Prof. Peter Case, UWE

Prof. Simon Lilley, Head of the School of Management, University of Leicester

Professor Stefano Harney, Chair, 2010-2012, of the European Business Ethics Network (UK)

Revd. Paul Nicholson, CEO, Z2K

Roger Morton, Campaigner

Sunny Hundal, editor Liberal Conspiracy

The Right Revd Dr John Saxbee, Bishop of Lincoln

African Women’s Empowerment Forum

Council for Ethnic Minority Communities

NorthamptonshireHuman Relations Network

Leicestershire Ethnic Minority Partnership

CREATE Consortium2

Inter-Faith Forums in the South West

2D (Support for the Voluntary and Community Sector of Teesdale and Wear Valley)

3Gs Development Trust

ACEVO

Act on Carbon

Action for Prisoners’ Families

Acumen Trust

Adur Voluntary Action

African Human Right Heritage

Age Concern Brighton and Hove

Amazon Public Relations

Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture

Anti Poverty Network Cymru (APNC)

Apostolic Pastoral Association

ART(ASTON REINVESTMENT TRUST)

Asset Transfer Unit

Avenues Group

Bad Pony Media Group

Barrow Cadbury

Barrowmore

Bassac

Batley Resource Centre

BCT Regenesis

Beatbullying

Berkshire County Blind Society

Big Issue

InvestB-inspiredBlack Futures Group

Black Health Agency

Black Neighbourhood Renewal and Regeneration Network (BNRRN)

Blagdons Boatyard – Plymouth

Blantyre Credit Union

Brent Private Tenants’ Rights Group

British Society for Rheumatology

Brixton Advice Centre

Brunswick Organic Nursery and Craft Workshop

Bullbrook Community Association

Burngreave New Deal for CommunitiesB

urnley Pendle & Rossendale

CVSC3 Creative Consultancy

CalibreCARE Rent Scheme

Carnegie UK Trust

Castlemilk Credit Union

Catalyst Stockton CCBSCCLACDFA

Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion

Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action

Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Centre for Responsible Credit

Chapter 1

Chapter Street

Charitable Futures

Charities Advisory Trust

Charities Evaluation Services (CES)

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

Children England

Children North East

Children Today

Children’s Education Safety Foundation

Chorley and South Ribble CVS

Christian Council for Monetary Justice

Christian Council for Monetary Justice

Church Action on Poverty

Churches and Regional Commission Yorkshire and the Humber

CLES

Clinks

CLYCH

Communities and Organisations: Growth and Support (COGS)

Communities Inc

Community & Voluntary Partners

Community Foundation Network

Community Hub

Community Matters

Community North West

Community Sector Coalition

Community Transport

Community Transport (National Office)

Community Voluntary Partners, Bolsover

Counsel and Care

Creating Excellence

Creative Support

Crisis

CV Sector Forum

Cymryd Rhan

Cyrenians Derby

Diocese Derby Millennium Network

Derbyshire Learning & Development Consortium

Development Trusts Association

Development Trusts Association Scotland

Dimensions

Directory of Social Change

Distinctive Floristry

Dorothy House Hospice

Durham Rural Community Council

EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network) England

Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR)

Elzabeth Finn Care

Emmaeus

Engage CVS

English Federation of Disability Sport

Equal Access Consultancy

Equanomics

Escape Artists

Euclid Network

European Strategy Group

Fair Finance

Fair Pensions

Faith Based Regeneration Network UK

Faith in Action

Financial Inclusion Centre

Flourish International

Forsters PR

Forum 21

Foundation

Four Acre Trust

Fredericks Foundation

FunderFinder

Gateshead Voluntary Organisations Council

Gensing and Central St Leonards Forum

Give A Brick

Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action

Goblin Combe Environment Centre

Goole Development Trust

Goole Retail Chamber

Great Places

Groundwork

Grove House

Hackney Council for Voluntary Service, HCVS

Halifax Opportunities Trust

Hands On

Hands on Help for Communities

Harbour Place Day Centre

Hastings and St. Leonards Chess Club

Hastings Trust

HCT Group

Health for All

Heeley City Farm

Home-Start Hounslow

Housing Justice

Hull CVS

ImpACT

InterHealthInvesting for Good

Involve

IPPR North

IT4CH

JET

JHC

KCA

Kensington and Chelsea Social Council

Kent Enterprise Trust

Key House

Knowsley Domestic Violence Support Services

Knowsley Housing Trust

Lankelly Chase Trust

Learning Through Action Trust

Little Red Bus

Local People Lending

London Citizens

London Funders

London play

London Rebuilding Society

London Voluntary Service Council

Manchester Credit Union Limited

Marketplace Chaplains Europe

MCCHMental Health Providers Forum

MERCi – Ideas into action for a sustainable future

Merton Voluntary Service Council

Metropolitan Society for the Blind

Middlesbrough Community Network

Middlesbrough Partnership Financial inclusion Sub-Group

Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency

Mind

More Green

MyBnk

NACUW

National Coalition for Independent Action

National Council for Voluntary Youth Services

National Energy Action

National Housing Federation

Nautilus Welfare Fund

NAVCA

NAVO

Need Not Greed

New Directions Foundation

New Era Enterprises

New Horizons (Teesside)

New Prospects

New Start

Newent in Bloom

Newham Voluntary Sector Consortium

North Moor Trust

North West Network

North West Tenants & Residents Assembly

North Yorkshire Learning Consortium

Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service

Nottinhgam Community Network

Novas Scarman Group

NUS

One North West

One Voice Network

Open Sight

Our Future Planet

Over The Wall

Penwith Community Development Trust

Perennial

Pixeco Ltd.

Preston Community Network

Preston Community Network

Preston Road Community Association

Prime Initiative

Prophet Scotland

Quaker Social Action

Red Ochre

Refugee and Migrant Forum of East London

Regenerate Trust

RENAISI

Rhyl Youth Action Group

Rich Regeneration

RNIB

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

Royal Society for Public Health

Rural Action Derbyshire

Save the Family

School for Social Entrepreneurs

School-Home Support

Seafarers UK

Sedburgh Book Town

See Ability

Senscot

Shared Future Community interest Company

Shelter Housing Aid and Research Project

Shoreditch trust

Snap Enterprise

Social Enterprise Coalition

Social Enterprise Europe Ltd

Social Enterprise London

Social Enterprise Support Centre

Social Enterprise Works

Social Enterprises Working Together

Social Firms UK

Solace Womens Aid

Somerset Youth Volunteering Network

South Coast Moneyline

South Craven Community Action

South Yorkshire Housing Association

Southey and Owlerton Area Regeneration

Spurgeons

St Anne’s Community Services

St Helens Community Empowerment Network

St Helens District CVS

St John Ambulance in South and West Yorkshire

St Vincent de Paul Society

.staa-allotments

Stone King Sewell Solicitors

STRIDE

Surrey Association for Visual Impairment

Surrey Care Trust

Sussex Central YMCA

Sustainable Brampton

Tenant Participatory Advisory Service Cymru

The Camden Society

The Chaseley Trust

the connectives

The Diocese of Worcester

The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR)

The Foyer Federation

The LankellyChase Foundation

The Lantern Project

The Oastler Centre for Faith in Economic Life

The Young Foundation

Theatro Technis

Third Sector European Network

Third Sector European Network

Thurrock CVS (Council for Voluntary Service)

Time to Let

Titus Alexander, Novas Scarman Group

Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency

Town and Country Housing

Trust Thamesmead

Turn2Us

Tyne North Training

Uday Thakkar

Unite the Union

United Response

Unlimited Potential

Urban Forum

V2C

Voluntary Action Barnsley

Voluntary Action Elmbridge

Voluntary Action North East Lincolnshire

Voluntary Action Rotherham

Voluntary Action Sheffield

Voluntary Action Wakefield District

Voluntary Action Westminster

Volunteer Association Lewisham

Voscur

Walterton and Elgin Community Homes

Walworth Garden Farm

Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs

WCAVA

Wearmouth Community Development Trust

Wessex Community Action

Wester Hailes Fiscal Factor (Financial Inclusion and Social Capital)

Wirral CVS

Wirral Holistic Care Services

Wirral Information Resource for Equality and Disability

Wolseley Trust

Women’s Resource Centre

Woodthorpe Development Trust

Workers’ Educational Association

YMCA Watford

Yorkshire & Humber Regional Forum

Yorkshire Wiildlife Trust

YOU

Your Nutshell

Z2K

Zero-credit

Zest

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Rip off TV - the advert

Want to pay over the odds for your washing machine and other household goods? Want to pay back through pay as you view TV? No money, no TV. Not good.

Well people in Stockton on Tees are now sending out a warning to the world about rip off TV - catch their fantastic video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juu8RhperKk