StepChange Debt Charity

StepChange Debt Charity
Founded 1993
Founder Vic Ware, Malcolm Hurlston
Area served
United Kingdom
Services Debt counselling and advice
Website stepchange.org
Formerly called
 Consumer Credit Counselling Service

StepChange Debt Charity (formerly the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS))[1] is a debt charity registered in the United Kingdom. The organisation offers debt advice and money management and can be contacted through its freephone telephone helpline[2] or online through StepChange Debt Remedy, its online debt advice tool.[3]

Its chairman is Hector Sants.[4] The chief executive of the charity is Mike O'Connor.[5]

History

The charity was founded in 1993 when Vic Ware OBE and Malcolm Hurlston introduced Consumer Credit Counselling Service to the UK via a pilot scheme based in Leeds.[6][7]

The introduction of debt counselling over the telephone proved to be a success and the charity expanded throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The charity has continued to grow in recent years. In 2007 they established a non-profit individual voluntary arrangement service[8] and 2010 launched a free equity release advice service.[9]

On 5 November 2012 the charity rebranded as StepChange Debt Charity.[10][11]

In 2015 the charity was contacted by 549,053 people seeking debt advice.[12]

Locations

The charity's head office is in Leeds, England. There are also centres in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Chester, Halifax and Limavady, Northern Ireland. In November 2015 they launched a service for people in the Republic of Ireland.[13]

Funding

StepChange Debt Charity is funded almost entirely by voluntary donations from creditors,[14] such as Lloyds TSB, Barclays and HSBC.[15] In the most recently published report they made no investment gain from their charity work.[16] The charity has been successful over recent years to become the UK's leading debt advice charity, managing unsecured debt worth over £4bn.

References

  1. ↑ Mason, Tania (12 October 2012). "Debt charity CCCS to rebrand as StepChange". Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/borrowing/article7112903.ece
  3. ↑ Free online debt advice in 20 minutes | StepChange Debt Remedy (CCCS)
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ StepChange appoints Mike O'Connor as chief executive | Third Sector
  6. ↑ House of Commons - Treasury - Written Evidence
  7. ↑ http://www.mmc.gov.uk/inquiries/completed/2006/storecard/pdf/initial_subs_consumers_fcc.pdf
  8. ↑ CCCS (Consumer Credit Counselling Service) | StepChange
  9. ↑ Charity cuts equity release cost by £3,000 | This is Money
  10. ↑ Debt charity CCCS to rebrand as StepChange
  11. ↑ StepChange Debt Charity - new name for Consumer Credit Counselling Service
  12. ↑ https://www.stepchange.org/policy-and-research/personal-debt-statistics-yearbook-2015.aspx
  13. ↑ StepChange Debt Charity Ireland to launch in November
  14. ↑ Our approach | StepChange Debt Charity (CCCS) – UK debt help charity
  15. ↑ StepChange - Our Partners
  16. ↑ http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1016630
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