Talking Money

Who we are

Talking Money started in 1990 as Bristol Debt Advice Centre – a grassroots organisation run by volunteers to support people facing hardship after the recession of the 1980s.

Today our focus is still very much on helping people with financial problems like unmanageable debt and welfare benefit challenges, offering money guidance, support and information. We offer a small core service to the public that can be accessed by calling an advice line.

We also have several partnership projects that work specifically with particular groups of people. Across all our services, our Advisers work one-to-one with individuals living in Bristol or South Gloucestershire. All our advice is free, independent and confidential.

Our culture and values

All our work is guided by our working purpose, which is to meet our clients needs when they say: “Help me with my money worries in a way that suits me so I can get on with my life.”

Our vision - A community without poverty.

Our mission - To empower and enable people to tackle financial challenges through advice, financial education and support.

Our approach - Our organisation and services are person-centred and draw on systems thinking methods to better understand the root causes of financial hardship and the wider context of people’s lives.

We work hard to maintain an organisational culture that prioritises trust, dignity and long-term impact. Guided by a clear set of working principles, we measure what matters most to the people we advise, using tools that reflect complexity, connection and meaningful change.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

At Talking Money, we value each person as an individual. We work to create an environment and culture where every individual can feel safe, experience a sense of belonging and is empowered to achieve their full potential. 

We actively oppose oppressive and discriminatory practices which affect people’s legal rights and social welfare, with particular reference to protected characteristics.