Tackling Loan Sharks

We have teamed up with The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), Staffordshire North & Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice, Ethan Lemon Art and the New Vic Theatre as part of the Stop Loan Sharks campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks.

Loan sharks are unregulated money lenders that prey on vulnerable people and charge extremely high-interest rates. They often resort to using harassment, intimidation, threats and violence to pressure people into paying back loans.

The pandemic has resulted in difficult times for many households in our area, and we understand the pressures people face to make ends meet. Unfortunately, we’re also aware that loan sharks operate within our communities, and they exploit people when they are at their most vulnerable. By supporting the Stop Loan Sharks campaign, we aim to spread the message to people within our communities that help is at hand. There are avenues of support available and using illegal money lenders should never be an option.

As part of this campaign, the New Vic Theatre’s Borderlines Department has created a Documentary Drama called #IJUSTNEEDEDCASH which will be toured across the region.

There will also be a series of face-to-face and online events to highlight the risks of illegal money lending and to signpost people to support services.

All of these activities are designed to raise awareness of the issue and provide education in terms of prevention, how to report, what happens next and what support is available.

To report a loan shark, call the 24-Hour Stop Loan Sharks Helpline on 0300 555 2222