CHAP

16/10/2026

🌟 It's Feedback Friday and one of our Welfare Rights advisers earns a gold star for today's comment.

We're incredibly grateful for the kind words from our clients and proud to provide vital help and support when needed.

Our advisers go the extra mile to understand a person's needs and challenges they face, and will do everything possible to help improve the situation.

👏 Well done to Christine for successfully guiding another client towards a more financially secure future.

If you, or someone you know, need a helping hand with housing, benefits or debt issues, call CHAP on 030 0002 0002 to arrange an appointment. Our services are free, independent and confidential.

14/10/2026

Can you help CHAP make a difference?

We believe everyone deserves access to the advice, support and knowledge they need to build a more secure future.

At CHAP, we provide free, independent and confidential advice to people facing financial hardship, debt, and housing issues. We also equip young people in schools and colleges with life skills that help them develop the financial skills and confidence they need for a future after the classroom.

We're hoping to raise £5,000 through our newly launched Crowdfunder to help with the core running costs that make this vital work possible.

And the great news is - your donation could go twice as far!

Through the Aviva Communities Fund, eligible individual donations to CHAP's fundraising campaign can be matched* up to £250, helping us reach our target quicker to raise even more to tackle poverty and support people across Ayrshire.

Every contribution helps us support people facing hardship today and build stronger financial futures for tomorrow.

👉 Support CHAP: https://communitiesfund.avivafoundation.org.uk/p/chap-challenging-poverty

🙏 Please donate if you can, and share our campaign to help us reach more people.

*Match funding is subject to the Aviva Communities Fund terms and conditions and the availability of funds.

09/10/2026

You Don't Know What You Don't Know!

If you or someone you care for is living with dementia, we know how difficult it can be. Our friends at Ayrshire Independent Living Network - AILN provide free support across Ayrshire through:

☕ Friendly dementia cafés
🤝 One-to-one befriending
💬 Help and advice from our Dementia Support Coordinator

Their cafés are free to attend with no booking or referral needed, and family members and carers are also welcome too.

Sometimes a cuppa, a chat or a friendly face can make a real difference. 💙

📧 [email protected] | 📞 07771 453192

If you’re looking to give something back? AILN is also looking for café volunteers and befrienders 😊

📍 Irvine – Castlepark Community Centre Tue, 1.30pm–3.30pm

📍 Saltcoats – Argyle Community Centre Fri, 1pm–3pm

📍 Kilmarnock – Take A Bow Fri, 1pm–3pm

📍 Largs – Largs Bowling Club Wed, 1pm–3pm (Launches 28th Oct)

📍 Millport – Cumbrae Parish Church Fri, 2pm–4pm

📍 Dalmellington – Dalmellington Community Centre Wed, 1pm–3pm

Find out more: https://www.ailn.org/

09/10/2026

Today we’re celebrating the vital role that community groups and volunteers play in challenging poverty.

Across Ayrshire and beyond, we see people giving their time, skills and support to help others - creating stronger communities and making sure people don't have to face difficult times alone.

At CHAP, our work is made possible not only by our dedicated staff and advisers, but also by the volunteers, partners and community organisations who help us reach and support the people who need us most.

Poverty can be isolating. Strong communities can help break that isolation.

By working together, sharing knowledge, supporting one another and making sure people know where to turn for help, we can all play a part in challenging poverty.

Thank you to everyone who gives their time and skills to support others in their community.

08/10/2026

📣 Have your say on the future of local council services in Scotland

Do you have a disability? What matters to you when it comes to local council services? What would you like to see improved or changed in your community?

Inclusion Scotland is asking disabled people in Ardrossan to share their views and priorities ahead of the May 2027 Scottish local elections.

Your feedback can help shape the future of local council services in Scotland.

👉 Take part in the survey: https://inclusionscotland.org/have-your-say-on-the-future-of-local-council-services-in-scotland/

The survey closes on 13th November, so please take a few minutes to make sure your voice is heard.

Please share this post with anyone who may wish to take part.

Inclusion Scotland is inviting disabled people across Scotland to take part in our Council Election Priorities Survey.  Local councils make decisions about many of the services that affect our daily lives, from housing and transport to social care support, education, leisure facilities and public s...

08/10/2026

Today’s theme is tackling Child Poverty.

No child should grow up worrying about whether there will be enough money for food, heating, school activities or the things their friends might take for granted.

Yet poverty can affect almost every aspect of family life; and the pressures facing parents and carers can be overwhelming.

Tackling child poverty means tackling the causes of poverty: inadequate incomes, high living costs, insecure work and a lack of access to the support families are entitled to.

At CHAP, we regularly support individuals and families across Ayrshire with welfare rights, money advice, debt advice and housing issues.

In most cases, accessing the right advice and support early can help ease financial pressure and make a real difference to a family's circumstances.

Every child deserves the chance to grow up with security, opportunity and hope.

07/10/2026

We were delighted to welcome Simita Kumar MSP, Minister for Equalities and International Development, to the CHAP office earlier today.

During her visit, the Minister met with our staff and trustees and heard about the vital work we do across housing, homelessness, welfare rights, money and debt, as well as our Education Service and preventative work with young people.

Equalities and International Development Minister Simita Kumar said:

"Advice services like those provided by CHAP are critical to Scotland's communities, helping people understand their rights and entitlements, maximise their incomes and reduce poverty.

“During , I want to thank CHAP's staff and trustees for the dedication and expertise they bring to this vital work, and to recognise the crucial contribution the organisation has made over the past 25 years.

“We recognise the important role that third sector advice providers like CHAP play in our collective response to eradicating poverty and preventing homelessness, and we value CHAP's ongoing commitment to helping people take up the financial support they are entitled to."

We were pleased to share the impact of our advice services, which secured more than £4.27 million in financial gains for our clients in 2025, as well as highlighting our financial education work across Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway - including our recent Climate Action Award at the Morgan Sindall Supply Chain Awards.

The visit was a great opportunity to share our experiences, highlight the difference independent advice can make and discuss further opportunities to help reduce poverty and homelessness and promote greater equality across our communities.

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Simita Kumar MSP - Edinburgh South Western and her team and would like to thank them for taking the time to visit CHAP.

07/10/2026

07/10/2026

We’re delighted to be part of this important partnership with The Ayrshire Community Trust, Beith Trust and 1st Alliance Community Bank , bringing together a range of free support to help families across North Ayrshire improve their household income and financial wellbeing.

From benefits, debt and housing advice to budgeting, employability and training, Money Max aims to make it easier for families to access the support they need - without having to tell their story repeatedly to different organisations.

A big thank you to Ayrshire Daily News for helping to share the story of this important new project.

👉 More info: https://www.tact.scot/money-max/

Money Max project launches to help North Ayrshire families boost their income

Read full story, link in comments 👇

07/10/2026

As part of , today's focus is on Fair Work.

Working hard should provide people with security, dignity and a decent standard of living. But for too many people, low pay, insecure employment and unpredictable hours can make it difficult to keep up with everyday costs.

Work should always pay enough to keep people out of poverty and be a secure foundation for a decent life.

At CHAP, we're proud to be both a Living Wage and Living Hours employer as we firmly believe everyone deserves fair pay for the work they do.

If you're currently working but still struggling financially, you're not alone. Our advisers can provide free, confidential advice on in-work benefits, money, debt and housing.