First financial health hub launches in Leeds

Issued in partnership with Noddle

Leeds residents will soon be able to start improving their financial health during a visit to town, thanks to a new partnership between Noddle and Leeds City Council.

Noddle – the free for life credit report and score service – will launch a new ‘financial health hub’ in Leeds next week, to help educate residents about their financial health and put them on the path to a more secure financial future.

Launching on Thursday 19 October at the One Stop Centre at 2 Great George Street, the hub will initially run for three months. Leeds residents will not only be able to find out their credit score and check their credit report, they will also be able to secure themselves 12 months free access to Noddle’s Improve service, which normally costs £30 for 12 months.

Media opportunity

When – Thursday 19 October, 1.30pm to 2.30pm

Where - City Centre One Stop Centre. 2 Great George Street Leeds LS2 8BA

Members of the media are invited to attend the official opening event of the city’s Noddle financial health hub. Cllr Debra Coupar will be joined by representatives from Noddle to open the hub and invite customers to try out the new service. Interviews and photography opportunities will be available. If you plan to attend please contact Emma Whittell at Leeds City Council press office on 0113 3789188.

The partnership between Leeds City Council and Noddle highlights Leeds’ compassionate nature and strong economy, making it the ideal place to pilot this first financial health hub.

Credit scores and reports are an important indicator of financial health and with help from the hub, Leeds residents can use this information to make better financial decisions and achieve important financial milestones.

Credit reports also help people to identify potential instances of ID theft and fraud by showing all credit agreements in that person’s name. By checking your credit report, you can spot fraudulent agreements and searches on your credit report.

The hub is designed to help advise visitors about taking out credit in a responsible way; to better understand their finances; and realise how their spending and borrowing can affect their credit rating.

There will also be access to customer service officers at the hub’s drop-in service, who’ll be on hand to support residents with their personal finance queries.

Neil Hawkins, Head of Consumer Marketing at Noddle, said:

“We’re very happy to be partnering with Leeds City Council. The importance of having and maintaining a good credit score should never be underestimated, as it has a very large and very real impact on your life.

“We’re looking forward to helping Leeds residents with their financial health over the coming months.”

Councillor Debra Coupar Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities said:

“We’re really excited about this new partnership with Noddle. We take a realistic approach to responsible borrowing, which complements our vision that Leeds is a compassionate city based on a strong economy. It reflects our commitment to tackling poverty and reducing inequality.

“We want to raise aspirations in the city so that those people can support themselves and their families. Noddle will be the perfect partner to help our residents feel more in control of their money.”

Leeds City Council’s partnership with Noddle will enhance the work currently done through the money information centre and current partnerships with Leeds Credit Union, StepChange and White Rose Energy.

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For more information about Noddle please contact Third City PR:

Tim Amoui / 020 3657 9773 / 07919 592 408 / Tim@thirdcity.co.uk

Ranja Faraj / 020 3657 9775 / 07949 045 854 / ranja@thirdcity.co.uk

About Noddle

Established in 2012, Noddle, part of Callcredit Information Group, offers the UK’s first completely free credit report and score service– with no hidden fees or 30-day trial periods. Since then it has grown to become the largest free for life credit report service in the UK with more than 3 million people having used Noddle to access their credit information and manage their financial health. The information in this statement is intended for journalists and media professionals only. The information should not be construed as a financial promotion under the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Handbook of Rules and Guidance.