Horizons, UK
The aims
Horizons is a pioneering scheme that helps lone parents create a better future for themselves and their children.
The story
Barclaycard launched the Horizons programme in July 2005, seeking to develop its community programme to support people affected by debt problems. Research showed that lone parents were a group at risk of being in poverty.
Since the programme’s launch, Barclaycard has invested more than £3m in supporting 250,000 lone parents and their children in the UK.Horizons aims to improve the skills and confidence of lone parents, helping them to manage their finances, improve their education and job prospects, and support their children.
Using the skills of its charity partners, Horizons helps lone parents to improve their lives by giving them practical advice on money matters, providing grants towards training and education costs and helping lone parents to get back to work.
The three elements to the programme are:
Your Money – money advice from Citizens Advice Bureaux
Your Money is a free programme run by 12 Citizens Advice Bureaux across the UK. Lone parents can take part in a series of courses which cover a range of topics including basic household budgeting, choosing credit, managing debt, dealing with loans, Child Trust Funds and more.
Your Education - education and training grants from Family Action
The Family Action fund provides ongoing financial support to lone parents who are seeking to boost their skills and employment prospects by undertaking training. Providing such additional financial support can make a real difference in assisting parents to complete courses.
Your Work - helping lone parents back to work with Gingerbread
Your Work is a unique, three-week, free programme run by lone parent charity Gingerbread. The programme is specifically designed to give lone parents valuable advice and support on all aspects of returning to work, as well as two weeks' work experience.
All Barclaycard’s UK centres offer work experience placements to parents undertaking the course.
If you are a company and think you could offer work experience to a lone parent, please contact our charity partner Gingerbread. See the website link under "See also" on the right of the page.
