Black Country Housing Group (BCHG) has been honoured with a prestigious national award for its efforts to tackle loan sharks across the region.
The housing provider, which manages more than 2,200 homes across the Black Country and Birmingham, has been awarded official Partner status by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) for its continued work to raise awareness of loan sharks and support vulnerable residents.
BCHG has partnered with the IMLT – a national body hosted by Birmingham City Council – for several years, working together on a range of initiatives aimed at cracking down on illegal lending activity.
These include training staff to identify the signs of loan shark exploitation, implementing a formal reporting process, and supporting community engagement events to educate the public about the risks of borrowing from unauthorised lenders.
In addition to providing social housing, BCHG also supports tenants and communities with free career development, training, and employment services – part of its wider mission to strengthen communities and reduce vulnerability to predatory lenders.
Dave Benbow, head of the IMLT, praised the organisation’s commitment, saying: “BCHG has thousands of tenants across the region, some of whom may be vulnerable and at risk of being targeted by illegal lenders. By working with the group, we can ensure tenants and local communities are getting the message about the dangers of borrowing from illegal lenders and how to get help.
“Illegal lenders are often well known in communities and we want to make sure everyone is aware of how they can get help if they have been targeted.
“We are so grateful to partners like BCHG for their support. This award is well-deserved, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the years to come.”
BCHG Chief Executive, Adrian Eggington, added: “As a responsible housing provider, Black Country Housing Group is proud to achieve the Accredited Partner status with Stop Loan Sharks. This recognition highlights our commitment to ensuring our customers are supported if they face the challenges of the cost of living. Through our ‘collection with care’ approach and proactive income collection policy, we aim to protect our residents from harmful financial practices, including loan sharks. We stand firm in our mission to raise awareness and offer safer alternatives for those in need of financial support.”
Since it was set up over 20 years ago, the IMLT has supported over 32,500 people, and secured 429 successful prosecutions, with illegal lenders locked up for more than 612 years. More than £91.6 million in illegal debt has been written off.
Many illegal money lenders are introduced to borrowers through friends or family members. They are unregulated and give loans with no paperwork, often adding huge charges and using threats, intimidation and violence if repayments are not made. These lenders do not complete affordability checks, often lending to people who cannot pay them back. Borrowers do not have the protection of consumer law such as cancellation periods and the ability to apply for help if they can’t pay.
Anyone who has been affected by illegal money lending should call the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live Chat is available on the website from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
