Clean Slate’s joint venture with Mastercard and Good Things Foundation has been honoured for getting people online to improve their finances
The Nobody in the Dark campaign has been honoured for its contribution to digital and financial inclusion.
The campaign – a partnership between Clean Slate, Mastercard, Good Things Foundation and Lloyds – beat off stiff competition from HSBC, Nationwide and Tesco to win the social inclusion category at the Card and Payment Awards 2022. It was bolstered by powerful digital content created by big group.
Nobody in the Dark was launched in November 2020 and since then has been showing people on low incomes how being online can help them improve their financial situation.
The Covid lockdowns brought a rapid shift to digital, meaning those who were already struggling to get online are being left further behind.
Judges praised the collaborative approach of the campaign, as well as its long-term commitment to increasing digital engagement.
We enabled 3,000 people to collectively make financial gains of £1.7-£2 million!
Jeff Mitchell, Clean Slate founder and director
Founder and director of Clean Slate Jeff Mitchell said thousands of people have now been supported by Nobody in the Dark.
“The support from Mastercard meant that not only could we, and our partners at Good Things Foundation, and their partners, support over 1,000 people struggling financially through the pandemic, we could also invest in our Money Health-Check platform,” he said.
“By embedding more links to digital tools like benefits checkers, budget planners, comparison sites and advice on finding work, and walking people with less IT confidence through the process, we enabled 3,000 people to collectively make financial gains of £1.7-£2 million!”
Covid caused an estimated six million people to fall behind on household bills, meaning the need for a co-ordinated approach to digital and financial inclusion has never been more urgent.
More than 11 million people in the UK don’t have essential digital skills, with more than half of those with an income less than £11,500 affected.
Nobody in the Dark not only shines a light on the issue, it offers practical help, bespoke online resources and one-to-one support in 20 communities across the UK.
For those with limited digital skills, nobodyinthedark.co.uk has resources on money, benefits and debt, including the Quids in! Future-Proof Finance Quiz.
