Fair4All Finance are working in partnership with Responsible Finance to raise awareness of Community Finance providers following the closure of the personal loan provider Morses Club.
This toolkit is for you to use within your organisation and on your channels to help raise awareness of the closure of Morses Club and alert people who might have previously relied on Morses Club for loans. Former customers may be at risk of illegal lenders, and with limited options to access to affordable products.
The toolkit provides information on what people can do to protect themselves by using regulated Community Finance providers, many of which are not for profit.
As you will see in the communications themselves, we are using positive and supportive messaging, so as not to scare or worry people.
We are also not specifically highlighting loan sharks or illegal lending, as research has shown this can have the adverse effect of normalising their use. All our communications are directing people to the Finding Finance website and the work you are supporting us with is part of a wider communications campaign which includes media coverage in national and regional media, as well information being sent to households in your community who are most likely to have been customers of Morses Club.
Types of material
| Material | Intended use |
| Internal communication | This copy is suggested text to inform your colleagues or volunteers about the Morses Club closure and the potential impact on people within your community. |
| Website / newsletter copy | This copy is suggested text to use on any website homepage or news section that is likely to be accessed by people you serve, or in any newsletters that you send out. It aims to raise awareness of the issue and introduce safer alternatives. |
| Social media guidelines | These pointers aim to help you include the key pointers in any of your social media posts, in relation to the closure of Morses Club. |
| FAQ documents | Your colleagues and volunteers may receive questions about the poster or leaflets you are sharing within your communities. This document provides guidance on the likely questions and answers they may receive. |
| Posters and printed collateral | This poster can be put up in any relevant location and is intended to catch the eye of those people who may be current or previous Morses Club customers and are at risk of using higher risk sources of credit. We’ve also included copies of the leaflets being delivered through targeted door drops for your information – this flyer is designed for customers who want to learn more, including simple information and details on the Finding Finance website. |
Available tools and resources
Internal communication
We’ve put together a short explainer that you can use with your team to make them aware of the issue and explain how and why they can help the people you support. This information can be used in any internal communications or on an intranet to share information more widely within your organisation.
Dear Colleagues,
This January, [INSERT ORGANISATION NAME] is supporting people in our local area who may have been affected by the recent closure of Morses Club, one of the last doorstep lenders.
Morses Club, also known by the brand names Dot Dot loans and Shelby Finance, went out of business at the end of 2023. Morses Club was filling a need for many of the people we support – whilst expensive when compared with loans from mainstream banks, Morses Club was a regulated lender, and a legal route for many people if they had an unexpected or one-off expense like a broken freezer, cooker or car repairs. With the closure of this option for credit, some may become vulnerable to loan sharks or other forms of illegal lending.
Getting reliable information about this issue out into our community is crucial, so we are partnering with several organisations who focus on fair and responsible financial practice to raise awareness of the closures and provide guidance towards additional support.
As you will see in the communications themselves, the campaign uses positive and supportive messaging, so as not to scare or worry people. We are not calling out loan sharks or illegal lending, as research has shown this can have the adverse effect of normalising their use.
All of the communications are directing people to the Finding Finance website which lists community finance providers who can provide safe, regulated and affordable alternatives to those who need it.
This work is part of a wider communications campaign which includes media coverage in national and regional media, as well information being sent to households in our community who are most likely to have been customers of Morses Club.
We have some resources available including a poster, flyers and a social media toolkit and we’d appreciate your support in getting them out into the community. The asset pack can be found here [INSERT LINK OR DIRECTIONS] please also help by liking or sharing social posts when they appear on our channels.
For more instructions or guidance, please contact [INSERT SUITABLE INTERNAL CONTACT]. There is also more in-depth information on the issue here should you need it [LINK TO FAQ].
Thank you for your support!
Website / newsletter copy
This copy is suggested text to use on any website homepage or news sections that is likely to be accessed by people you serve, or in any newsletters that you send out. It aims to simply raise awareness of the key issue, introduce alternative, safer forms of financial support, and signpost those who might be interested in our partner website, Finding Finance.
[INSERT YOUR ORGANISATION NAME] is aware that in late 2023, Morses Club (who you may also know as ‘Dot Dot Loans’ or ‘Shelby Finance’) stopped offering loans to new customers.
If you have used Morses Club in the past, or were planning on using them in the future, you may now need an alternative.
Responsible Finance, through their website Finding Finance, have advice and information on safe, regulated and trusted sources of finance. You can read more about some of the options available by visiting findingfinance.org.uk/fair-loans.
All community finance lenders are authorised and regulated. If you are ever unsure, you can check that any lender you deal with is regulated by visiting: https://register.fca.org.uk/s/
Social media guidelines
- Highlight the dangers posed by illegal moneylenders and loan sharks
- Make aware the responsible and legal lending options available should people need to access credit.
- Stop Loan Sharks, from the Illegal Money Lending Team, has a host of resources that can be used to support people. They also allow for the secure and anonymous reporting of loan sharks
- It would be useful to reiterate any local support that is available to people in your area, including any schemes or programmes you offer, or local debt advice and money advice services
Frequently asked questions
This document is to be provided as a primer on key terms and questions for more in-depth information for your internal teams. It can also be used, if appropriate, as conversation guidance in F2F conversations.
Printed collateral
Here you’ll find digital copies of the materials we have available to order, as well as examples of the door drop materials.
If you would like a copy of the printed materials, please contact Mollie at mollie@thinkcomms.co.uk
This support toolkit is also available to download as a PDF. You can download this using the link below.