Bob’s Blog: MALG Update April 2025

In this edition of Bob’s Blog:

Annual Member Engagement Survey 2025

The third MALG Annual Member Engagement Survey is NOW OPEN! If you work in any capacity across the debt landscape, we want to hear from you. Whether you are an existing/ former/ prospective MALG Member, or an associate/stakeholder, your feedback is invaluable to us and is used to help to shape our future strategy.

The survey is mostly made up of multiple choice questions with comment boxes at the end to expand on answers and share ideas or other feedback with us. It should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and closes on 30 May 2025.

Help us to help you get the most out of MALG Membership!

COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE!

National Members Meeting May 2025

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be returning to London Transport Museum for the energy-themed MALG National Members Meeting on Thursday 15 May 2025, thanks to continued support from CDER Group.

Please register for free using the link and password sent to National Members via email. It is vital that you complete the online registration to secure your place so that we can make catering and capacity arrangements and let us know if anything changes and you are no longer able to attend. Places are limited and are likely to be filled in advance of the event. If this happens, we will operate a waiting list.

Agenda – Energy Debt Update:

• 10.00 -10.30: Registration, refreshments and networking
• 10.30 – 10.40:  Welcome to all guests and new representatives
  • Bob Winnington, CEO – MALG
  • Carole Kenney, Director, Welfare, Road Traffic & Road User Charging, CDER Group
• 10.40 – 12.00: Households in Energy Debt – Presentation of Clear Consultancy Service’s report commissioned by Impact on Urban Health
  • Craig Simmons – Clear Consultancy Services and MALG Board Member
  • Francis McGee – GAIN and MALG Board Member
  • Tanya Spence, Portfolio Manager – Impact on Urban Health
  • Other speaker tbc 
• 12.00 – 12.45: The Power of Partnerships – How working together in collaboration can deliver good long term  outcomes
  • Miranda Hunt, Senior Partnerships Support Manager – StepChange
  • Laura Bradley, Warm Home Discount Lead – OVO Energy
• 12.45 – 13.30: Networking lunch
• 13.30 – 13.45: MALG National Update
  • Bob Winnington, CEO – MALG
• 13.45 – 14.30: Illegal Money Lending Update and The Partner Plus Award
  • Cath Wohlers, LIAISE Manager – England Illegal Money Lending Team
  • Emma Gibbons, Vulnerability Lead – PayPlan
• 14.30 – 15.10: Recognising and Responding to Economic Abuse
  • Sam Smethers, CEO – Surviving Economic Abuse
• 15.10 – 15.15: Summary, AOB and Close

Save the dates:

• 10 July 2025, (AGM immediately before Meeting), No.6 Alie Street, London E1
• 2 October 2025, via Zoom

Conference 2025

Date: Thursday 13 November 2025
Venue: Aspire Leeds
Headline Sponsor & Exhibitor: CDER Group

Other Sponsors confirmed so far:

• Lantern
• PRA Group
• Lester Aldridge

Other Exhibitors confirmed so far:

• Christians Against Poverty
• Experian
• Flexys
• Money & Pensions Service
• Money Wellness
• TCN

While we are looking at ways to offer more space this year, we cannot guarantee anything so please contact bob.winnington@malg.org.uk asap if you are interested in exhibiting, as we sold out all 21 Stands by June last year and expect to do so even earlier this year! We also have a number of Sponsorship Opportunities still available including Session Sponsorship and Drinks Reception Sponsorship which Bob can share details about.

We’re working on an exciting programme for this year’s event which we look forward to gradually revealing over the coming months. We welcome suggestions for topics and speakers, please complete and submit the form on our website and the team will endeavour to factor in suggestions as the programme developments.

Members Friday Forum

Thanks to everyone who celebrated the fifth anniversary of the MALG Members Friday Forum at our 133rd session on Friday 28 March 2025! It was great to reflect on how we got it off the ground in response to the Covid-19 lockdown and how much of a valuable Membership benefit it still is.

Whether you’re a regular, have attended before, a Member who’s yet to take advantage of this hugely popular benefit, or you have a colleague who would like to attend, we would be delighted to welcome you on screen for an hour of informal, open – and usually lively! – debate on the latest issues facing those across the debt landscape. The sessions attract up to 60 Members and often result in tangible solutions and collaborative opportunities so don’t miss out.

The next fortnightly session is on this Friday 11 April 2025 and all other information and dates can be found here. Pease email info@malg.org.uk if you have any issues accessing the password and joining instructions.

Regional Meetings

If you are a National Member, you have access to all the Regional Groups chosen on your original Membership Application form and should receive email invitations with a password-protected link to the online booking form for all relevant Meetings. If you do not receive these and think you should be, please contact info@malg.org.uk.

Thanks to everyone who joined us in Newcastle for the MALG North East & Yorkshire Meeting on 3 April 2025, and other recent Virtual Regional Meetings. All Details of all upcoming Meetings are listed in the events calendar here.

Please note the main contact for each Regional Group below should you have any other queries:

• MALG South East: info@malg.org.uk
• MALG South West: sara.harris@computershare.co.uk
• MALG Midlands: sebrina.mccullough@financialwellnessgroup.co.uk
• MALG North East & Yorkshire: paul.bowden@wilkinchapman.co.uk 
• MALG North West: helen.handzel@stepchange.org
• MALG Northern Ireland: sinead@adviceni.net
• MALG Scotland: bob.winnington@malg.org.uk
• MALG East Anglia: info@malg.org.uk