More ways we can help
As well as grants and loans, we can also provide access to Money Advice and, in some cases, Career Coaching.
Money Advice
The Cameron Fund is unable to provide grants or loans to applicants who have not claimed State Benefits to which they are entitled. To assist with claiming State Benefits and reducing expenditure, the Cameron Fund will pay for applicants to receive Money Advice from a certified and insured Money Advisor.
The Cameron Fund works with Jeff Brown at AdviceWorks. Jeff has over 30 years experience in the field of money advice, having worked for a CAB, National Debtline, a bank and a mortgage lender. Jeff is now a successful freelance trainer and consultant in debt advice / benefits advice to the not for profit sector and credit industry. He is a regular trainer for the Council of Mortgage Lenders and has delivered in-house training to over a dozen of their members. Jeff is also an approved tutor for the Money Advice Trust and the Institute of Money Advisers at both caseworker and specialist levels.
Following completion of an application form, potential beneficiaries will be asked to authorise us to provide information on their income and expenditure to the Money Advisor who will then conduct a telephone interview and provide them with a letter setting out suggestions on how to increase their income and reduce their expenditure and, in most cases, provide them with a monthly budget. These documents are also provided to the Cameron Fund.
Money Advice is often the first form of assistance that we provide after receipt of an application. As well as giving the applicant initial support, the suggestions help the Trustees assess what additional support would be suitable.
The following articles have been written by Jeff:
We have also put together some guidance on Financial Resilience that you might find helpful.
Career Coaching
In some cases the Cameron Fund can provide career coaching for eligible applicants who would like to pursue an alternative career using their qualifications and experience.
We will pay for six hours of coaching and advice to support for eligible applicants with Merceric Personal Development to assist them to begin an alternative career.
If you would like to apply to the Cameron Fund for career coaching and career advice, please complete our Application Form.
Face to face support is offered flexibly to suit an individual’s needs and their progress towards alternative employment. The six hour program covers: ensuring an individual undertakes a structured process to identify suitable alternative options based on their skills, strengths and work preferences; ensuring motivation to commence a proactive job campaign; coaching on how to prepare for an effective competency-based interview and developing a resilience and determination to continue with the job campaign.
In addition to the six hour program, there is access to a career website to assist in matching skills to roles and unlimited telephone coaching following job interviews.
The Medic Portal has a useful Guide to Alternative Careers for GPs which may be of assistance if you are considering finding employment elsewhere in medicine.