About the Project
'Worrying About Money?' cash first referral leaflets are co-designed as straightforward resources both for people facing money worries and support workers. The step-by-step guides identify which local agencies are best placed to help people maximise income and access any existing financial entitlements. The leaflet design is based on learning from Scotland's A Menu for Change project. Since June 2020, IFAN has collaborated with local authority teams, advice providers, food aid organisations and other local stakeholders to co-produce cash first referral leaflets for over 120 local authorities in Scotland, England and Wales.
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IFAN publishes the leaflets online, helps to disseminate printed copies as widely as possible, and produces poster, translated and interactive versions. Thanks to the Highland Money Counts Partnership, resources to enable training sessions linked to the leaflet are now available on request. IFAN also works with partner organisations to run virtual launch events and to co-run and support Money Counts training sessions. If you'd be interested in learning more about the training and running a session in your area, please get in touch with us at admin@foodaidnetwork.org.uk.
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The aim of the project is to reduce the need for charitable food aid by helping people access any existing financial entitlements and advice on income maximisation as a cash first approach to food insecurity. You can find out more about the project below and access resources on why a cash first approach to food insecurity is fundamental to ending the need for charitable food aid here.
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Organisations can request free printed copies of any of the leaflets via this form. If you have any questions about ordering printed copies of the leaflets or if your area is not listed here and your organisation would be interested in co-developing a leaflet with us, please get in touch at admin@foodaidnetwork.org.uk.
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Feedback? If you'd like to share feedback on how you've used the 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet in your area, please use this form. We'd be glad to hear from you.
Evaluation, reports and blogs
IFAN's report on the 'Worrying About Money?' resources in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
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ScotCen's first report on the impact of 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets in Scotland was published in November 2021.
Thanks to Scottish Government funding, in 2023 IFAN commissioned ScotCen to undertake a second evaluation of the resources' impact in Scotland. This report was published in November 2024. Jo Wildman from ScotCen has also written a blog post on the report.
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Action 6 of the Scottish Government's plan Towards Ending the Need for Food Banks in Scotland has supported IFAN's cash first referral leaflets as a tool to connect people to cash first support.
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The Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU) included IFAN's 'Worrying About Money?' resources on their Tackling Poverty Locally Directory in 2024.
IFAN and Nourish Scotland's report on the co-production of the leaflets in Scotland Promoting a 'cash first' approach to food insecurity in Scotland: Lessons from developing 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets published in June 2021.
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IFAN has published reports on their work in Scotland and England:
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'Worrying About Money?' leaflets in Scotland | IFAN | August 2023
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'Worrying About Money?' leaflets in England | IFAN | October 2023
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Sabine Goodwin's blog post for the Sustain website, Finding cash first hope through the co-development of the 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets, provides an overview of the project up until February 2022.
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In June, IFAN co-published Finding ways to improve availability and access to financial support in Cornwall linked to our collaborative work on the Cornwall 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet
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IFAN has published a range blogs linked to the project:
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Trussell Trust area manager Emma Greenwood describes the partnership work involved in co-developing a local cash first referral leaflet and promoting a cash first approach to food insecurity in Cornwall on her blog post published in 2021.
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Sophie Padgett's blog post for IFAN on the Shropshire 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet and shifting the conversation around food insecurity published in 2022.
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And numerous articles and news pieces reference IFAN's cash first referral leaflet work:
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A webinar by Sustain in February 2021, Cash First Approaches to Food Poverty, referenced 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets.
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The North East Child Poverty Commission report, The Safety Net Beneath the Safety Net, recommends every local authority in the North East to work with IFAN to co-develop a cash first referral leaflet.
If you're interested in co-producing a 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet for your local area please contact IFAN at admin@foodaidnetwork.org.uk
Feedback on our co-developed referral leaflets
Councillor Alasdair Christie, Deputy Leader of Highland Council
This is a great piece of joint work and supplements all the other work that has been going on to make sure people are aware of all the support that is available to them and who to contact to get it...the guide is concise and clearly laid out with all the details and information on support available across the Highlands in the one place.
Ayshea Cross
Plymouth Food Aid Network Coordinator
An important tool to tackling poverty in our city. Whilst food parcels remain an important, and often essential provision at a time of crisis, they aren’t dealing with the root causes of financial insecurity and are therefore just a temporary fix. Plymouth has many excellent services available for anyone with financial concerns, and this leaflet is a simple and easy to use resource to help agencies and volunteers offer appropriate assistance.
Sophie Padgett, Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance Coordinator
The new ‘Worrying About Money?’ leaflet for Shropshire has been really well received, people have told us it is straight forward and easy to use. We’re so pleased to be able to offer people this resource. The leaflet has really helped to empower local groups and individuals to know what cash-first support options are available in Shropshire.
East Berwickshire Foodbank
How exciting to receive them! They look great and really very clear to follow.
Braes Storehouse Food Bank
This leaflet is absolutely brilliant! Just what we've been looking for... all the information and useful numbers in the one leaflet. It's so easy to read as well. A great piece of work. We'll start distributing it next week in our food parcels.
Storehouse Bo'ness
Thank you for the leaflet you have compiled. It is excellent and will be of good use to us when we deliver our food packs to houses.
St Mark's
Debt Advice
We have certainly seen an increase in referrals coming from a wider geographical area, a wider range of referrers and many more self referrals since the leaflets were launched. I can't prove a direct link but I'm sure it has had a positive impact and been very useful for those people finding themselves affected by the cost of living crisis and looking for some support with budgeting and debt management.
Jen Coleman
Black Country Food Bank
The Worrying About Money has been very well received across a wide variety of front line organisations across Dudley who are keen to make sure that people can access the most accessible financial help available before being directed to a food aid charity. The leaflet is easy to use and training front line workers takes minutes. The leaflet is an incredible tool which builds partnership in community and empowers people to access the help they need.