Financial difficulties and stress can have major and wide-ranging effects on people’s safety, physical health, mental health and relationships. That’s why we have for many years been supporting people to build financial literacy and independence with financial counselling and programs like ‘In Charge of My Money,’ which is designed to help people who are socially or economically disadvantaged increase their financial literacy and gain skills and confidence in effectively managing their money.

Our longstanding partner in this work is Count Charitable Foundation (CCF), the private foundation that runs closely with Count Limited, established in 2004 to support organisations and programs that make a significant difference in their communities by supporting vulnerable and at-risk people. Sue Hardwick manages CCF. Below, she shares her insights on the service this year.

This was a difficult year for many people, as the cost of living rose exponentially. CCF has a particular focus on helping vulnerable people and marginalised communities. How did you see people being affected this year?

This year CCF has unfortunately seen more and more charities that cannot stretch to meet the extra demands they face. Some of the increased demand comes directly from people struggling with cost-of-living issues, while other charities have had government funding cuts to long-running programs. The most alarming thing I have heard this year was from John Robertson, CEO of Food Bank NSW, talking about the increase in two-income working families facing food insecurity and seeking assistance from Foodbank’s charity partners.

We all know that financial literacy and effective money management can be transformational – but your work gives you a unique insight into this. Why do you think financial literacy is so important?

Count Limited was founded in 1980, so we’ve been helping millions of Australians manage their finances for 44 years. Throughout that time, we’ve always been passionate about the role financial planning plays in people’s lives. For the most vulnerable, it is also about basic financial literacy, the skills for basic money management in an increasingly complex world.

CCF was founded in 2004 to run alongside the Count business to encourage philanthropy among CCF members to improve the lives of the disadvantaged in the communities in which CCF members live and work.

Count believes every Australian should have the confidence to look ahead; for some Australians that’s about their best possible retirement, for others ‘confidence’ may mean knowing that they can feed their families at the end of the day or keep a roof over their heads for another week.

CCF and Wesley Mission have been working together since 2022, and we’re so grateful for your support. What drives CCF to continue partnering with Wesley Mission?

We are committed to giving back and being in service to others. We are very proud of our partnership with Wesley Mission, and we are particularly excited about the work you are doing with the ‘In Charge of My Money Program’. It’s a natural synergy for Count and we believe it will make a big difference to the marginalised members of our community who are most in need of help.

Is there a story or an impact that stands out for you from the combined work of CCF and Wesley Mission?

It has been impressive learning all about the work Wesley Mission does for Australians and just how many areas of need are covered. What stands out the most is our visit to the Wesley Edward Eagar Centre homeless and crisis accommodation centre. The staff there gave our team a great rundown of the work and a tour of the site. We all enjoyed engaging with the residents of the centre over morning tea and a fun game of bingo. Nothing beats that level of firsthand knowledge to build a relationship. Our team left feeling very inspired about the service and support your staff were providing. It was a special day. On behalf of Count, we just want to thank all of the people involved with Wesley Mission. We are proud of our partnership and look forward to hearing more about the positive impact you have on our community.