Salvation Army officer’s role in helping people out of debt

For Debt Awareness Week (March 24-30), The Salvation Army is celebrating one of its own – retired officer Major Christine Bailey – for her work in helping people out of debt.

In 2018, Christine identified a growing need for debt support in her hometown of Dunbar and across East Lothian. A year later, the Dunbar Debt Advice Service launched as part of The Salvation Army’s network of debt advice centres across the UK. It is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Since its inception, the service has managed £1million in debt for 97 clients and is supported by churches in the area alongside local groups and organisations.  

The Dunbar Debt Advice Service offers a range of support, including: 

• Negotiating with creditors to minimise the impact of debt.
• Establishing payment plans.
• Completing the Common Financial Statement.
• Providing budgeting and money management skills.
• Signposting to other relevant support agencies.
• Guiding clients through insolvency processes.
• Maximising income through benefit checks and accessing grants.
• Accessible and personalised support. 

Shirley was referred to The Salvation Army for debt support in December 2023 after sadly losing her husband to cancer three months earlier. She was struggling to cope with her grief and the growing debts she had built up after leaving her job to care for her late husband.

Shirley said: “For the first few weeks, The Salvation Army were like a crisis management team. It was constant food bank and fuel bank referrals. The team introduced me to other groups who helped me with things like winter clothes. I couldn’t even afford a pair of socks. The Salvation Army kept me above water.  

“Yes, I’m grieving, and I still struggle with my mental health at times, but since clearing my debts, a weight has been taken off my shoulders. My friends have noticed a difference in me as well.”

Major Christine Bailey said: “One of the things I wanted to do when I came to live in Dunbar after retiring was to contribute to the community. In 2018 I had a conversation with Rev Diana Hall at St Anne's and we wanted the church to focus outward into the community. Lt Colonel Carol Bailey, the Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army at the time, was hugely supportive.

“This is the first debt advice service of its kind where it's a joint venture between The Salvation Army and another church. Normally our debt advice services are in-house, so this was something different. It's very much an ecumenical project, which Dunbar is well known for.

“We have attracted volunteers and staff from the Catholic Church, the Church of Scotland, The Salvation Army and the Episcopalian Church, so it makes for a wonderful mix.  

“We launched the project in November 2019, just a couple months before the outbreak of Covid. We were able to gradually build up the service. One of our first volunteers came on board in 2020 and we interviewed outside in the garden.”

As Christine gets ready to officially retire from leading Dunbar Debt Advice Service, she will stay on as a mentor and debt advisor, ensuring her legacy of compassion and dedication lives on. Pam Shields, who has been a debt advisor at the service since 2021, will take over from Christine.  

Pam said: “I’m honoured to continue Christine’s legacy and hopefully build on what she has established. Christine's approach has always been to work with clients for as long as needed, without a fixed timeline or one-size-fits-all approach.

“We are seeing a more mixed clientele now. At the beginning it was mainly people on Universal Credit. But we’re now seeing older people, business owners, homeowners, people on good salaries. It shows that everyone can be affected by rising living costs.

"Obviously, having Christine stay on as a mentor is fantastic. Her experience and wisdom will continue to guide us.”  

Clients can reach out to the service via the “get advice” form on the service’s website at www.dunbardebtadvice.org.uk, by phone on 01368 238028, or by emailing dunbardas@salvationarmy.org.uk. The Dunbar Debt Advice Service invites the community to learn more about their services and how they can help alleviate the burden of debt. Initial meetings can be face-to-face, or via telephone or video conferencing.