A Matter of Life and Debt

In the heart of Newquay in Cornwall a green oasis has been built for the community thanks to crowdfunding. It’s the brainchild of Luke, an ecologist with a dream of turning seven acres of grassland into a green hub for his hometown, growing food to feed people's minds as much as their tummies. Teenage entrepreneur Erika has turned a life-changing diagnosis into a hugely successful business. After receiving intensive physiotherapy in Spain for a spinal deformation known as scoliosis, she decided to start a business offering the non-invasive treatment here in the UK. At 19 she asked for a £50,000 loan and was so successful she was able to pay it back in nine months. At the Lewisham Plus Bromley credit union in south London we meet William, who has come to see about a loan. William fell into difficulties when he lost his job in catering and ended up sleeping rough on the streets for eight months. Now he has a new home and he’d like a loan of £500 to kit it out with all the basics.