End High Cost Credit Alliance

Fair Credit
For Everyone.

That's what we stand for.

People need a fair, affordable credit product.

Lenders need a fair, affordable credit product.

Fairness for the lenders. Fairness for the people they serve.

Learn About Us The Alliance
Our Story

Founded on a mission

Founded in 2017 by actor and activist Michael Sheen, the End High Cost Credit Alliance formally launched on 20 March 2018 at the Responsible Finance conference in Glasgow.

The Alliance is made up of Full Members and Observers. Full Members are organisations or individuals working towards our common goals on specific actions that match their resources, remit and capabilities.

Observers are organisations engaged in informing, learning from and participating in our work — but cannot be Full Members for reasons of law, regulatory conditions or political freedoms. They engage because of the potential impact of our actions on their work.

"The Alliance takes a systems change approach to the problem. Multiple actions need to take place at the same time, or be sequenced to have maximum impact at deliberate moments."
The Alliance Mission Statement
What We Do

The Alliance has been created to:

Our focus spans debate, leadership, solutions and collective action — four pillars that drive real, systemic change in how credit works in the UK.

01

Debate

Debate the changes needed in business, politics and society to deliver healthy credit for all and an effective safety net for those individuals who need it.

02

Lead

Lead those with the expertise, resources and responsibility to deliver change — and to do so with urgency.

03

Offer

Offer solutions, support current ideas and back new ones, whilst providing the resources to test them out locally, nationally and at scale across the UK.

04

Collectively

Collectively call for changes to policy, regulation and practices to make credit fairer for all — driving through more wins.

Five Key Areas

Where we focus our energy

To achieve real success, our work spans five interconnected areas — each essential to creating a fairer credit landscape across the UK.

Alternatives

High cost credit is unfairly targeted at those who can least afford it. To make credit fairer for all, we seek to influence behaviour change in the flow of major capital — considering investing in fair providers of finance instead of high cost credit competitors. We will back fair finance providers, equipping them with the resources to compete and win.

Public Debate

It takes a movement to create systemic change. The general public are central to that movement. What sort of economy do we want? What sort of society do we want to live in? Improving credit for all starts by improving the credit and support options for those most in need.

Regulation & Policy

Presenting the economic and moral case for change in regulation, law and practice — with the involvement of regulators, law makers and practitioners, informed by the general public, experts and fair credit providers.

Wider Workforce

Training workforces across our communities to ensure multiple points of support and signposting to advice and fair finance provision — both within the local area and online.

Education

Design and deliver a UK-wide approach to school and community based financial education, giving everyone the tools to understand and navigate credit responsibly.

How We Work

Our guiding principles

The Alliance members operate by four core principles that underpin everything we do.

Collaboration

Collaboration is key to reaching real success. No individual member can achieve the scale of change necessary by themselves. We work across the political spectrum and all sectors.

Pooling Our Resources

Pooling our resources, insight, expertise and reach means we already have a wealth of tools at our hands to enable success.

Being Strategic

Being more strategic about each of our campaigns, actions and asks. Sequencing our actions to deliver more effective outcomes; working together with our intelligence, data and tools to back individual actions.

Testing

The testing of ideas and interventions will happen locally, but always with an eye to the national and UK-wide potential for scale.

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From our members & partners

Insights, analysis and updates from across the Alliance network.