Churches across the UK have declared war on the misery of Blue Monday – the day when the UK is supposed to be at its most depressed.
'Blue Monday', this year January 24, is the name given to the day which is symbolically labelled "the most depressing day of the year". It was identified by happiness and motivation expert, Cliff Arnall, formerly a researcher, lecturer, and post graduate tutor at the Medical and Dental School of Cardiff University who devised the following mathematical formula:
The model was broken down using six immediately identifiable factors; weather (W), debt (d), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our new year's resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (Na).
But as the decorations get taken down and the credit card bills roll in, we at Woodford Baptist Church are among those encouraging a positive outlook for 2011.
Instead of feeling weighed down with the economic gloom, they are challenging people to be brave and take control of their finances.
Church members Matt & Ruth Savage from Woodford Green and Ed & Charli Whetham from Leytonstone have been trained by money experts at charity Christians Against Poverty to assist local people with their money by putting on three free sessions for cash-strapped residents.
They say: "So many of us are guessing at our finances. We're hoping for the best while continuing to spend, really without knowing what we have available.
"The Bible says the truth will set you free and certainly when you know what your situation is – even if it's a mess – you can start to tackle the issue."
The church is one of more than 700 across the UK that has received training to run CAP Money to help get people's finances back on track. The congregation, like many others, wanted to do something to serve their community during the financial crisis.
Matt added: "All the emphasis in recent times has been buy now and pay later. It's fun at the time but can bring about months of worry, especially when we are all living through a time of uncertainty.
"With so many expected changes in our incomes this year we need to learn how to take back control of our money and remember the joy of saving up for something.
"This is why we're putting on these three sessions during which we'll help people get to grips with what money they have coming in and what is going out of their accounts. We'll also be showing people of all ages and incomes how to really use their bank and use cash over cards.
"No one will have to disclose private financial information. Most of the course is about enabling people to see their own situation clearly."
The sessions take place at Woodford Baptist Church from 8pm for three Thursday nights beginning on 17th February. For further details or to register, email capmoney@woodfordbaptistchurch.co.uk
About Christians Against Poverty
Christians Against Poverty is a home-grown debt counselling charity which is determined to reduce poverty in the UK caused by debt. It partners its financial expertise with the care of the local church to offer free debt help and a solution to people through 150 centres. The fast-growing charity intends to have a debt-counselling CAP centre in 500 towns and cities across the UK by 2015. For more about CAP see www.capuk.org
