New online debt management campaign for young people

Young people who have struggled with debt problems and sought advice to overcome them have created two entertaining documentary style short films in a bid help others in the same situation.

Scooby and Adila both 22 and from Stoke on Trent, are two young people with very different debt problems, but both sought advice from their local Citizens Advice Bureau. Along with other members of the charity's ‘Youth Forum', they have been working with Citizens Advice and Bafta award winning youth agency Bold Creative, to produce films which tell their story and educate other young people on how to get out and stay out of debt.

Over 50,000 under 25s visited a CAB in England or Wales in 2008/09 to get help on debt and recent research undertaken by Citizens Advice and young people's charity YouthNet showed a quarter of 16-24 year olds have suffered mental health issues because of their finances.

The desire to find new ways to reach out to young people facing stressful debt problems prompted Citizens Advice to team up with Bold Creative. Using illustration, Adila's story is a ‘Waltz with Bashir' styled documentary animation which brings to life the problems she faced. ‘Scooby's story' uses humourous ‘fantasy reality' sequences to convey a serious story of falling into debt.

Scooby's problems started when he withdrew £10 from his current account, but only had £9 of credit. Going £1 overdrawn resulted in him racking up ongoing monthly overdraft charges which he wasn't able to pay back as he was struggling to find a job. The charges quickly spiralled to £600. In the film Scooby talks about the importance of not ignoring your debts and seeking help.

He says: "I was getting loads of letters telling me to pay the money, but I just ignored them and put them in my bottom drawer. I knew I needed to get help and thought ‘I've got nothing to lose' so I went down to my local CAB. Within 4 months they'd helped me clear my debts, it really was like a weight lifted off my shoulders."

Adila is a self confessed shopaholic who succumbed to the lure of student loans, overdraft limits and store cards to fulfil a void of unhappiness. She says: "Because of my debt, I got even more unhappy. Until recently I hadn't even told my parents about my situation. I felt trapped and alone and didn't know where to turn to get help. I didn't want anyone to find out but I really wanted to sort my life out. I needed somewhere confidential to turn to and heard about Citizens Advice.

"I'd say to anyone in the same situation as me - ‘you're not alone'. It was such a relief to talk to the adviser at my local CAB. They are there for everyone regardless of age or how big your issue."

The films will be widely available through social networking sites as well as the Citizens Advice website. Additional fact-sheets and debt management guidance will also be made available.

The films can be viewed at citizensadvice.org.uk/advice_changing_young_lives

The films were made as part of the Advice Changing Young Lives project, a pioneering three year initiative funded by HBOS foundation. Citizens Advice and YouthNet are working together to provide money advice to 16-25-year-olds online (via YouthNet's guide to life for young people, TheSite.org) and on mobiles. The fact-sheets have been developed by young people, who have adapted information from TheSite.org, and the Citizens Advice website adviceguide.org.

Bold Creative, as an award-winning agency with a track record of producing innovative campaigns for young people, were brought in to support a participatory led approach and help the young people produce the film.

Young people can get information on debt and money matters at adviceguide.org.uk or TheSite.org.