Artwork highlights the dangers of illegal money lending

The artwork has been painted on the side of Austin House to raise awareness of the issue and remind residents and visitors that borrowing money from loan sharks can make financial difficulties worse.

Together for Children, the Salvation Army and SARA (Southwick Altogether Raising Aspirations) received a grant for the mural through funding from the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2022, which uses money recovered from convicted loan sharks to raise awareness of illegal money lending.

A total of £8,500 has been awarded to four projects across Sunderland:

• The mural at Austin House, designed by Northeast graffiti artist Mark Shields.
• Forage, which intercepts and redirects food destined for landfill, ran a community awareness campaign where children were invited to design a 'stop loan sharks' design to be displayed on mugs and reusable cups. The campaign culminated in a family day where the winner was announced (Rowan aged 8) along with other arts and craft activities and a bouncy castle.
• Hetton Aspirations Linking Opportunities (HALO) has put on a performance of Blowin' A Hooley's Cinderella's Dilemma- a warning against using loan sharks. In the show, Cinderella doesn't have enough money to buy a dress for the ball and is faced with the dilemma of money lending.
• Pallion Action Group is running art workshops which will culminate in an exhibition.

This latest work to tackle loan sharks follows Sunderland's Advice Services Development Team / Financial Resilience Team receiving a partnership award for its work with the Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT).

Sunderland City Council's Executive Director of Health, Housing & Communities, Gerry Taylor, said: said: "Many people are facing financial challenges at the moment and borrowing money from an illegal lender may seem tempting but it's important to remember that this can make financial problems much worse. These loan sharks charge extortionate interest rates, and may use violence, threats, and intimidation to their money back.

"It is great news that these four projects have been granted funding to help to raise awareness of this issue in their local communities and help to keep residents safe from these loan sharks who prey on vulnerable people."

Sunderland City Council has partnered with Moneywise Credit Union, to bring affordable credit and secure savings to Sunderland residents and offering a more local and ethical alternative for lending.

You can find more information on loan sharks, how to spot them, and how to report them at: Loan sharks - Sunderland City Council