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Money Max team helps boost families’ income
An ambitious new family-centred project that ensures households across North Ayrshire can access the right financial support has opened its doors.
Money Max, funded through North Ayrshire Council’s Child Poverty and Early Intervention Fund, helps families tackle daily difficulties in wellbeing, home life and finances.
Specialists from four local organisations are working together by using their local knowledge to connect residents with the right information, resources and practical support to tackle child poverty and boost their income.
Together, the experts at Money Max will advocate on residents’ behalf to: ensure they get the correct support to reduce debts and make their money go further; create a welcoming and non-judgemental space for guidance and discussions throughout the process and offer various paths into education, training and work.
The four main organisations involved in the unique collaboration, which is a 12-month pilot project, are:
- TACT – offering advocacy and navigation, helping residents access trusted information, advice, and services, making it easier to get the support that’s right for you
- Beith Trust – offering employability support and practical support to help you feel more confident and prepared for work, training or your next steps through CV creation, applying for jobs and preparing for interviews
- 1St Alliance Community Bank – offering ways to reduce financial strain, prevent crisis and support long-term financial wellbeing through savings accounts, ethical loans and budgeting and
- CHAP – offering free, confidential and independent housing, debt and benefits advice to boost household income by covering everything from benefit applications and appeals to mortgage repossession and bankruptcy.
This week marks the eleventh consecutive year the Council has proudly shown its support for Challenge Poverty Week, which runs from October 5 to 11.
The week-long drive shines a light on poverty and what we can do to help make life better for people who are struggling to make ends meet.
Arranged by the Poverty Alliance charity, the week inspires communities to work together, support each other and find new ways to change attitudes.
Quote: Through our Child Poverty and Early Intervention Fund, more than £200,000 has been invested in this forward-thinking collaboration, with the aim of making it easier for families to access the right help at the right time. Each organisation involved in Money Max has many years of knowledge and experience of working with those living in our communities who most need support. “We hope to make life better for people and improve family wellbeing by breaking down barriers to accessing support locally, offering a one-stop shop approach so residents don’t need to repeat their story to many different organisations and staying with residents from the start of their journey to the end. I would encourage anyone who needs guidance on advocacy, employability, debt or finances to contact the team – you are guaranteed a friendly welcome.
Quote from: Tony Gurney, Council Leader
One of the key aims is to offer those who need support a joined-up approach to accessing the help they need.
TACT, based in Saltcoats, is leading the project and Strategic Support Officer Sarah Johnes explained: “Money Max is an exciting, ambitious new project and its aim is to support families and reduce child poverty.
“We are doing this through advocacy, employability, debts and welfare advice and financial empowerment.
“This is a new way of working collaboratively, and the Council funded the project – with the team coming together for the first time in March.
“The team is working in a new way following lots of reflections that Third Sector organisations in this area have been working in isolation and have not really been aware of what other organisations are doing to help clients.
“Until now, this has meant that clients have to tell their story multiple times to multiple organisations, and Money Max is here to put a solution in place for that.”
Published: 07 October 2026