We are delighted to be supporting The England Illegal Money Lending Team’s (IMLT) All I Want For Christmas campaign. The campaign highlights the dangers of loan sharks and who to contact if you need help.

Here at Talkback, with support from the ILTM, we have been running role playing sessions for our members. So, we can help them understand what a loan shark is and how they might try to befriend you. As well as who to contact for help or to report someone. The ITLM has now commissioned us to take this educational package into schools and colleges in 2022.

Comments we have received back from these sessions, have included: ‘It made me think I need to be careful who I get involved with’. And ‘I’ve heard about loan sharks, but I didn’t know what it means’.

Research carried out by the IMLT has found that Christmas is the second highest reason that people borrow money from loan sharks. Because of the pandemic, there are likely to be more families impacted financially and emotionally. And, unfortunately, illegal lenders will look to take advantage of those in difficult situations. We want to stop this exploitation of vulnerable people.

Christmas is meant to be the most wonderful time of year. However, for many families trapped in spiralling debt and misery by loan sharks, that simply isn’t the case. But with your support, we can make this year better for them. For more information visit www.stoploansharks.co.uk

#alliwantforchristmas