On the 7th of November the Auriga Services team had the pleasure of attending and exhibiting at the 2024 Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) conference, held at the Aspire Hotel in Leeds. The event brought together professionals from all areas of money and debt advice to discuss a shared ambition of improving the lives of people in problem debt with a focus on “the future of financial resilience”. 

Our CEO, Jill Wheeler comments “With the cost of living continuing to rise, more people than ever are going to require financial support, and advice to ensure they receive the help they need. Financial stress can impact individuals’ lives massively, having a detrimental impact on both physical and mental health. 

Events like these are crucial for bringing together stakeholders from across the money advice and debt landscape who are passionate about finding solutions, advancing new technologies and creating networks that will help us better support those in need.” 

The event kicked off with a warm welcome from MALG’s CEO, Bob Winnington as well as an opening speech from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Abigail Marshall Katung, reminding us of the importance of the work of the money and debt advice sector, supporting people through debt.  

The keynote session was delivered by Susan Allen OBE, CEO, Yorkshire Building Society. Susan gave a very engaging presentation on the partnerships the Yorkshire Building Society have formed. One key partnership being with Citizens Advice, offering their services in branch to support thousands of customers and non-customers with financial support. 

Another stand out session was the interactive ‘catch box’ on financial capability in the ‘finfluencer’ age. This panel was chaired by Ellie Austin Williams, This Girl Talks Money with Vivi Friedgut, Blackbullion, Steve Korris, MyBnk, Anna Brading, Mentora Money as panellists. It was a great opportunity to discuss the impact of financial content on social media, what works well, and how it can be used for good.  

Throughout the day, breakout sessions explored key issues such as:  

• Tackling Access to Financial Services and Streamlining the Consumer Journey 
  Speakers: Sarah-Jayne Dunn, Jaye Hackett, Adrian Davies, Rachael Magowan 

• Narrowing the Inequality Gap: Working Together to Build the Nation’s Financial Resilience 
  Speakers: Deven Ghelani, Ren Yi Hooi, Audrey Laing, Genevieve Orford 

• Engaging with and Supporting Hard to Reach Communities 
  Speakers: Lee Usher, Muna Yassin, Habiba Hussain, Gareth Evans 

• Debt Collection and Advice in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges 
  Speakers: Christy McAleese, Rachel Curtis, Sarah Naylor, Matt Dronfield, Mark Pearce 

• In-Work and in Poverty: The New Normal?  
  Speakers: James Jones, Mo Chaudhri, Peter Tutton, Anna Buckle 

• Renters’ Rights: Creating Financial Stability for Private Renters 
  Speakers: Genevieve Richardson, Eleanor Bateman, Mary Gogarty, Sylvia Simpson, India Walden 

These sessions not only highlighted the challenges facing the sector but also the need for collaborative solutions, providing organisations with the tools and services to support their customers with essential debt and money advice. 

The day was wrapped up with the closing remarks, followed by an evening drinks reception where attendees continued the conversation on how we can create lasting financial resilience for individuals across the UK. 

The 2024 MALG conference offered valuable insights and reaffirmed the importance of action in addressing financial vulnerability. Auriga Services are proud to be part of this community, committed to driving meaningful change through tailored support solutions that respond to the needs of those we help. 

We look forward to the continued work and expanding our impact as we support organisations to empower their customers and communities to achieve greater financial stability and well-being.