Assisting lone parents
Horizons projectBarclaycard’s Horizons programme has been in place since 2005 and aims to assist lone parents through providing expert information, advice and support on practical and financial matters, to help them with building a brighter future for themselves and their families. A beneficiary of the programme commented: “I have really been in trouble with my rent arrears and other debts, there was never enough money to go round. I feel quite sure that I can now manage my money better and offer reasonable payments to all my creditors and eventually be completely out of debt.”
Between 2005 and 2008, the Horizons programme has supported over 100,000 lone parents and their children. Following the success of the first three years the programme has been extended and will run until 2011. | 
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Citizens Advice works with two other expert partners, Family Action and Gingerbread, to help the Horizons programme achieve its aims. The programme is split into three elements:
- Your Money
- Your Work
- Your Education.
Working together, Horizons helps in a number of ways by giving support and advice on money matters, providing grants towards education and training costs and helping lone parents get back to work.
12 Citizens Advice Bureaux across England and Wales will be running the ‘Your Money’ element of the Horizons programme which is completely free to lone parents:
- Basildon, Billericay and Wickford CAB
- Bedworth, Rugby and Nuneaton CAB
- Blackpool CAB
- Cardiff CAB (from October 2008)
- East London Financial Inclusion Unit (Part of Waltham Forest CAB)
- Northampton CAB
- North Liverpool CAB
- Newcastle CAB (from October 2008)
- Stockton CAB
- Toxteth CAB
- Washington CAB (from October 2008)
- Wolverhampton CAB
People bringing up children on their own who live close to one of the bureaux listed above can access:
- sessions on managing money, for example, budgeting, choosing credit and Child Trust Fund
- one-to-one appointments if specific help and advice is required.
These bureaux also offer financial capability training sessions to frontline workers who have regular contact with parents bringing up children on their own. These sessions will enable workers to offer lone parents basic advice on managing money and to signpost people for further help.
For more detailed information about the three elements of the Horizons programme please visit
www.yourhorizons.com
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