A local charity is offering people in Oakham a place on their free Life Skills course to help them manage through the cost of living crisis. 

Oakham Baptist Church is inviting local people to join their free Christians Against Poverty Life Skills group this June, in a bid to help them budget well, cook healthy meals and learn new vital skills for life.  

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a UK charity working with over 800 affiliated churches to deliver debt help, budgeting guidance, support to find work, life skills groups and more. Visit the CAP website to find out more.

Jodi Bowring, CAP's Life Skills Manager in Oakham, says "We are running our Christians Against Poverty Life Skills group to help local families and individuals in our town who are really struggling to manage with all the rising costs right now. It can feel like a constant battle when you're struggling to stay out of debt, eat well and juggle all the other things life is throwing at you. Struggling financially often makes people feel really isolated and can negatively impact their mental health. 

"That's why we are running our Christians Against Poverty Life Skills course at Oakham Baptist Church to help anyone who feels they will benefit from joining a friendly group that will help each other through this difficult time and learn new skills along the way."

Join CAP Life Skills in Oakham in June for free sessions. Image credit: CAP / Oakham Baptist Church.

What is CAP Life Skills?

Jodi continued: "CAP Life Skills is a free, friendly and relaxed group where we learn how to cope with rising costs and share top tips so we can help each other through life. Each week we cover different topics from how to cook healthy meals on a tight budget to tips on how to save money on things like energy, food and other essentials. 

"We do this over 8 sessions but hope anyone who attends will make friendships that last a lot longer. We also offer people a 1-2-1 with a Life Skills Coach if anyone wants further help with their situation."

Learn about ways to save money with CAP Life Skills in Rutland. Image credit: Nub News.

Chelle, who joined a Life Skills course, said, ''I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed the life skills CAP course. Realising that others needed help too, and the camaraderie we shared was brilliant. I knew I needed to look at my finances, I had direct debits set up for bills and other things, but didn't know my net monthly spend, and I didn't want to.

"I wanted to keep my head stuck in the sand, but my debts were never clearing. This course was empowering and gave me the skills I needed to take control of my spending. With the cost of living rising,  it has made me make considered choices. It's not about not spending, but about getting value for money in the choices. I would highly recommend this course.

Jodi added: "Most of all, it will be time to share what works and what doesn't, both as a group and one-to-one, and give each other encouragement to do things better. Feel free to get in contact with me for a chat about the group if you're interested in finding out more. It's completely free and we will give a warm welcome to anyone who would like to join us."

The course starts on Wednesday 28 June and will run for eight Wednesdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Oakham Baptist Church, Melton Road, Oakham, LE15 6AY. To register your free place or find out more, email: [email protected].

Find out more about CAP by doing an online search for 'Christians Against Poverty' or clicking here.