Posters and leaflets in 20 different languages have been produced by the England Illegal Money Lending Team as it strives to target previously unreached communities that may be struggling with loan sharks.
The IMLT, also known as Stop Loan Sharks, has worked with translation agency Clear Voice to make sure the leaflets get the right message across to people who may be looking for support or advice.
Twenty translators who are native speakers of the languages concerned were enlisted to ensure the posters use the right phrasing and tone of voice to convey the messages correctly in each case.
Dave Benbow, acting head of the IMLT, said: "Illegal lenders will target anyone they perceive as vulnerable. For someone who is new to the country, who may not speak much English, the process of accessing credit here may seem complicated and protracted.
"This is where illegal lenders can step in; they might come across as a concerned local who wants to help or may even speak the language and make the borrower feel at ease as though they are a friend.
"Sadly, that can be where the friendly approach ends as the lender traps the borrower in a cycle of debt and misery.
"We want to make sure no section of the community is left at the mercy of these predatory criminals, and we want to make sure everyone knows exactly where and how they can get help and support if they need it."
Dave said the challenge for the team was that the phrase 'loan shark' with all its connotations did not immediately translate into all languages, so the help of expert translators from the countries concerned was vital to ensure the messages were conveyed effectively.
"We are confident these resources do that, and we hope they are useful for partners in different areas of the country to use to reach these potential borrowers and stop them being targeted by illegal lenders," he added.
"We do have access to interpreters, so people shouldn't be afraid of calling our team if they do need help. They can contact us in confidence on our 24/7 hotline, via email or on the Live Chat facility."
Rachael Tew, Head of Partnerships at Clear Voice, added: "We were delighted to work with IMLT on such an important project. Here at Clear Voice, we understand the importance of breaking down language barriers, our team of translators and interpreters understand colloquialisms, and the need to ensure clarity for all. As a Social Enterprise we relish the opportunity to help support vulnerable people and ensure everyone can be made aware of such an important issue."
The leaflets and posters will be available for partners across England to order or to download and print.
The 20 languages are:
- Bengali
- Dari
- Lithuanian
- Latvian
- Pashto
- Urdu
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Chinese (simplified)
- Czech
- Farsi
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Kurdish Sorani
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Tigrinya
Any organisations that would like to access the resources in different languages can email press@stoploansharks.co.uk or download the posters from the website.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the IMLT. Since its launch, the team has supported over 31,700 people and written off over £91.3 million worth of illegal debt, securing over 420 prosecutions for illegal money lending, leading to over 600 years in jail.
Anyone who has been affected by illegal money lending should call the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live Chat is available on the website from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
