Bob’s Blog: MALG Update June 2024

In this issue of Bob’s Blog:

MALG Member Engagement Survey 2024 – The Results

Thank you to everyone who completed the MALG Member Engagement Survey 2024. You told us that:

• Overall, Members are extremely satisfied with MALG, rate its services as high quality, and find the team responsive. MALG meets organisational and personal objectives and Members are likely to renew and recommend membership it to colleagues and contacts.
• The MALG Friday Forum is an invaluable resource – so we will of course be continuing it and looking to make it even better.
• You’d like to see more creditor-based content – which we will take on board for future agendas. Don’t forget you can suggest/request speakers and topics for National Members Meetings here and Regional Members Meetings here.
• There is appetite for new initiatives from MALG to become more of a thought leader including live streamed events, a MALG podcast and more joint events/commissioned reports – all of which we are looking into/developing.
• Most people find out about MALG through word of mouth and online recommendation – so please keep sharing and talking about us amongst your networks to help us widen our reach even further for the benefit of everyone!

We’d love to see even more Members and wider stakeholders engaging with MALG on social media, and while we note the decline of X (formerly Twitter), we are working hard to build MALG’s presence on LinkedIn by utilising the new features available and being more engaged with others. Please make sure you’re following MALG on LinkedIn to keep up to date with the latest. You can also now subscribe to Bob’s Blog on there.

MALG AGM & National Members Meeting July 2024

We are very pleased to be returning to the fantastic No.6 Alie Street in London for our AGM and National Members Meeting on 11 July. Invitations to both Meetings have gone out separately and if you intend to attend one or both, you must register for them individually. Places are limited and on a first come, first served basis.

AGM Agenda – those with voting rights should return papers by Friday 28 June:

• 10:00: Welcome & Outline of the Business Agenda
  • Financial Summary of MALG Ltd – Ian Fiddeman, Chair of MALG Ltd Finance Committee
  • Re-Election of Directors standing by submission of voting papers
  • Ratification of the appointment of Vikki Brownridge, CEO – StepChange Debt Charity to the MALG Board
  • Approval of Financial Statements
• 10:30: AOB & End of AGM

National Members Meeting Agenda:

• 10.30 -10.40: Welcome to all guests & new representatives – Bob Winnington, CEO – MALG
• 10.40 – 11.20: Vulnerability Framework – Luke Sculthorp, Head of Strategic Relationships & Debbie Tuckwood, Chief Professional Advisor – Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM)
• 11.20 – 12.10: Vulnerability Report – Chris Fitch, PhD FRSPHV, Vulnerability Lead – Money Advice Trust
• 12.10 – 12.45: 2024 Client Report: Under the Rubble of Debt and Poverty – Helen Ganney, Relationship Manager – Christians Against Poverty
• 12.45 – 13.45: Free networking lunch
• 13.45 – 14.00: MALG National Update – Bob Winnington, CEO – MALG
• 14.00 – 14.50: Council Tax Collection – Matthew Greenwood, Head of Debt – The Centre of Social Justice & Grace Brownfield, Public Affairs and Policy Manager – Money Advice Trust
• 14.50 – 15.00   Summary, AOB & Close

Joining instructions will be issued nearer the time.

MALG Conference 2024 – Session Topics Revealed!

Date: Thursday 7 November 2024.

Venue: Aspire Leeds, 2 Infirmary Street, Leeds, LS1 2JP.

Headline Sponsor & Exhibitor: CDER Group

Theme: The Future of Financial Resilience

Session topics will include:

• Tackling Access to Financial Services
• Narrowing the Inequality Gap
• Hard to Reach Communities and the Role of Enforcement
• Financial Capability in the Social Media Age
• In-Work Poverty/Debt
• Renters Reform
• AI in Debt Advice

Watch this space for more information on the programme and speakers soon and please email info@malg.org.uk with any suggestions.

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities

Thanks to our headline sponsor CDER Group and other sponsors already confirmed Acquired.com, Angel Advance, Dukes Bailiffs, Lantern, PRA Group, and Lester Aldridge. Sponsorship packages including session sponsorship and drinks sponsorship are still available. Please contact bob.winnington@malg.org.uk.

Notwithstanding the additional exhibition space on the mezzanine level overlooking the main Banking Hall at Aspire Leeds, we are delighted to confirm that ALL EXHIBITION STANDS HAVE NOW BEEN RESERVED.

View all sponsors and exhibitors confirmed so far HERE.

Delegate booking:

Delegate places for MALG Conference 2024 can now be booked online HERE. We are very pleased to be able to hold MALG Member prices at 2022/23 rates.

MALG Regional Committee changes and upcoming Meetings

We are pleased to welcome some newcomers to MALG Regional Group Committees including a whole new team to run MALG Scotland:

MALG South East

• Jonathan Shaw, ReachOut (Sigma Connected)

MALG South West

• Richard Grinham, COEO
• Stephanie Martin, Bristol Water

MALG Midlands

• Laura Hodgson, PRA Group
• James Barkworth, StepChange Debt Charity

MALG North East & Yorkshire

• Samuel Oliver-Jones, StepChange Debt Charity

MALG Scotland

• Sarah Jayne Dunn, Citizens Advice Scotland
• Vikki Wilkins, PRA Group
• Audrey Laing, Money Matters
• Fiona Kennedy, Opos

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

Details of all upcoming Regional Meetings, including the Virtual MALG North West Meeting on 26 June (theme: ‘Behavioural Impacts on Financial Wellbeing’) and MALG South East Meeting on 16 July (theme: ‘Council Initiatives to Support Vulnerable Customers’) can be found here.

You can use the form here to suggest topics, speakers and locations for future Meetings.

Please note some changes to 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