Cash first for us is about a dignified route. We never give cash, we run an affordable cafe, community fridge (larder) along with multiple groups with food associated with it along with a community centre, sports hall, Gym, all priced to make sure it is as affordable as we can. We then work with partners (experts) to make sure our community is supported and given the correct advice and benefits or skills/ training to move toward a more financially safer footing. We were created by the community for the community, we manage the community centre for that community. So if a parent wants to drop the kids off to school and have a latte then why should it be a choice of that and a piece of cake or feeding the family tonight. It shouldn't be and isn't, once in the Hub the parent can chill and enjoy the cafe, access the community fridge for food and a small social supermarket, meet with CAB, SDS, DWP or welfare rights or discuss with us what they need, all under one roof.
Now some will say it isn't cash first, but cash first isn't cash first, it is a menu of support either financial or guidance or both, we believe that it's the customers choice to engage and get the support or to manage the financial worries they have privately by using the cafe, community fridge, groups, health and wellbeing or kids activities, in a dignified manner, knowing that they are in a safe space that if they want to engage they can and won't be judged, but will be supported to whatever degree they want.
As an organisation we can offer emergency Gas and Electric payments via PayPoint and pre-paid Mastercards for shopping, food parcels or a hot meal, but these are crisis responses not cash first. We only ever try to give the community what they want, we survey and question at events to get a better understanding, trying not to be directed by the loudest voice.
What are some of the challenges you are facing in implementing cash first?
We have had a number of challenges over the last 12 months, our biggest one is funding and an understanding of what we do and why. Our business model is 50/50 we need to generate 50% of all we spend and try to get 50% in funding. between paying Vat in a cafe to paying fuel bills, without having the rest of the building doing what it does we wouldn't do a cafe or a community fridge they dont make money, however id rather visit us than a food bank.
Have you used any particular resource that helped you take a cash first approach or helped you work through these challenges?
As we have learnt from other organisation we have adapted, but no main resource
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who wishes to implement a Cash first approach for the first time?
Speak to your customers and try to match their needs. It needs to be developed with them, not for them.
What have you learned from your implementation of cash first approaches?
Keep learning and don’t be precious, it's ok not to be the expert, if you have the community voice, then the partners will come, don’t give up. Services want to help.
