Rosie trades places for a week

Unemployment in the UK has reached over 2.6 million with youth unemployment (16-24 year olds) exceeding 1 million!

The Challenge: to live on £67.50 (discretionary spending) for one week, equivalent to the job seeker's allowance. I will be doing this from 20-27 January.

Why?: To raise awareness of the issues facing people in unemployment and support Fredericks Foundation, a fantastic charity focusing on sustainably helping people back to work

Fredericks Foundation: is a charity that helps disadvantaged people to set up, or expand their own business as a means to achieve financial independence while rebuilding their confidence and self esteem, and to contribute to their communities.

They provide a comprehensive range of business support and microloan funding for start-ups and small businesses. In doing so they enable people who cannot access finance, through the usual channels, to realise their potential for the benefit of themselves and their families.

Their team has significant experience in finance, accounting and entrepreneurial sectors and have achieved approximately 75% loan payback over 10 years, all of which are being in turn recycled as new loans. In this way, money invested in Fredericks can be used repeatedly, thereby having a far greater impact than a one-time only grant. They have achieved sustainability in their loan capital.

For more details please look at their website fredericksfoundation.org