STRUGGLING Central West residents will be offered financial management assistance through a new program run by the Benevolent Society.
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Saver Plus targets financially excluded sectors of the Orange, Cabonne, Blayney and Bathurst communities and encourages participants to develop financial management and budgeting skills.
Participants will be offered financial training classes and are required to save up to $500 for educational expenses, for themselves or their children, over 10 months.
The savings will be matched dollar-for-dollar by ANZ and can be put towards purchases such as computers, laptops, school uniforms or tutoring fees.
Coordinator Amanda Cush said women, the unemployed and new migrants accounted for the greatest proportion of financially excluded community members and the purpose of the program was to break that cycle.
“We’re looking at creating a savings habit and breaking the reliance on things like pay day loans and high interest credit,” she said.
“We want to focus on education because it’s going to lead to greater employment skills in the future.”
One hundred places are available in the Central West program and participants must have a current health care card and some form of external income to be eligible.
The program is funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and ANZ.
Interested applicants can contact Amanda Cush on 6360 1869 or 0421 892 853.
