There remains a critical gap between the daily fear experienced by people in financial hardship—unsure how they’ll keep food on the table—and the more structured forms of mainstream support. This same gap is felt by those furthest from the labour market, who are not yet ready to engage with careers services, skills programmes, or job preparation workshops.

Quids in! Engagement Events are designed to bridge that gap. Delivered locally and tailored to the specific needs of each community, these workshops are accessible, welcoming spaces where people facing financial insecurity can safely explore their financial and employment options—often for the first time.

Quids in! offers two workshops:

Our ‘3 Bs’ (banking, budgeting, being online) money advice workshop and our ‘7 Signs’ programme helping unemployed people explore different ways to think about work.

• Quids in! ‘3Bs’ Money Skills more here
• Quids in! ‘7 Signs’ two-day session for unemployed people more here

Events include free refreshments and lunch to encourage participation, and they offer tangible incentives to engage. Crucially, they are not ‘services’ in the traditional sense, but community-led conversations facilitated by experienced professionals.

Rather than being taught, participants learn by doing—through peer-led discussions, interactive activities, and reflection. The sessions are shaped around participants’ own concerns, language, and experiences, enabling each event to respond to local realities. Topics might include managing money, reducing unnecessary costs, understanding debt, or thinking about future employment—always approached in a non-judgemental, empowering way.

Facilitators adapt the format to reflect local demographics, challenges, and assets—whether working with social housing tenants, foodbank users, carers, or people disengaged from job centres. This flexibility ensures the sessions are relevant, engaging, and rooted in the lived experience of those attending.

Participants leave feeling more confident, informed, and motivated. When delivered in partnership with local organisations, these workshops enhance existing support offers and provide a much-needed stepping stone for those not yet ready—or able—to access more formal help.

FFI: Contact [email protected] or call 07548 627303.