Community Money Advice
Community Money Advice is a UK charity that supports a network of 137+ community-hosted, face-to-face debt advice centers, delivering free, confidential debt advice and accredited training to individuals and churches across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersShrewsbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Community Money Advice does
Community Money Advice (CMA) is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1111436) founded in 1997 and headquartered in Shrewsbury, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 843835). CMA operates a network of community-hosted debt advice centers across England, Wales, Scotland (via Community Money Advice Scotland), and Northern Ireland, delivering free, face-to-face, confidential debt advice to individuals experiencing financial hardship. In 2025, CMA's 137 centers helped 7,377 people start their journey out of debt, managing £75,927,439 of client debt. The charity operates two center models: a full Debt Advice Centre for organizations with FCA authorization, and a Connect Centre for organizations without FCA authorization, where Money Mentors provide budgeting support and CMA's Hub Debt Advisers deliver the regulated advice component.
CMA's core product surface consists of MaPS-accredited training programs (Level 3 Generalist Debt Advice Award, Level 4 Casework/Specialist Debt Advice Award, Budget Coach Training, and Connect Money Mentor Training), together with the Catalyst cloud-based case management software that coordinates casework between Money Mentors and Hub Debt Advisers. The organization's revenue comes from center affiliation fees (a £2,500 joining fee plus £1,500 annual renewal for debt/connect centers and £550 for satellite centers), training fees (typically £75-£150 per person), resource shop sales, and donations and grants, with no government funding. CMA is funded largely through donor contributions and Gift Aid on charitable giving.
In March 2026, CMA announced a strategic partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP) under a newly formed CAP Group, combining both charities into a 380-center network with over 1,000 trained debt advisers, mentors, and coaches. Both charities retain their independent status and brand identities, with Stewart McCulloch (CAP CEO) becoming CAP Group CEO. The combined organization positions itself as the UK's largest specialist community-based debt advice charity, addressing a stated addressable market of 8 million UK adults in crisis debt.
Community Money Advice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Community Money Advice
- Legal name
- Community Money Advice Ltd
- Website
- https://communitymoneyadvice.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Community Money Advice is a UK charity that supports a network of 137+ community-hosted, face-to-face debt advice centers, delivering free, confidential debt advice and accredited training to individuals and churches across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Community Money Advice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Debt Advisory Services
- SIC
- Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP) (FSAKAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH), Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance (FSAEAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Community Money Advice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shrewsbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Community Money Advice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Center Affiliation Fees: CMA generates revenue through affiliation fees from its network of debt advice and Connect centers. Centers pay joining fees and annual renewals to be part of the CMA network and access training, resources, and support.
- Training Services: CMA offers accredited debt advice training programs including Generalist Debt Advice Award (MaPS accredited), Casework/Specialist training, Budget Coach training, and Connect Money Mentor training. Training fees range from £75-£150 per person.
- Donations and Grants: CMA relies on donations, especially Gift Aid donations, and grants to fund operations. The organization is not currently in receipt of government funding. Trust Fund established to support struggling centers and clients with insolvency costs.
- Resource Shop Sales: Sale of branded merchandise, training materials, and resources including banners, stationery, clothing, and the 'Handling Debt While in Prison' booklet through the CMA shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Generalist Debt Advice Training (Parts 1, 2, 3) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Casework/Specialist Debt Advice Training (Parts 4, 5, 6) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Budget Coach Training |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Connect Money Mentor Training (2-day course) |
| Subscription | Annual | CMA Affiliation - Joining Fee and Year 1 Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Renewal - Debt Advice Center |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Renewal - Connect Center |
| Subscription | Annual | Satellite Center Annual Renewal |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Branded Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Community Money Advice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Community Money Advice is a UK charity that supports churches and community groups to establish and run local, free, face-to-face debt advice services. CMA provides MaPS-accredited training, ongoing operational support, FCA-regulated debt advice infrastructure, and a proprietary Catalyst case management software to its network of more than 130 affiliated centers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. End clients receive free, confidential, in-person debt advice, budgeting support, and creditor negotiation from trained Debt Advisers and Money Mentors until they reach debt freedom.
Product overview
Community Money Advice operates two primary service centre models (CMA Connect Centre and CMA Debt Advice Centre) supported by a network of over 150 affiliated centres across the UK. The offering includes MaPS-accredited debt advice training programs (Level 3 Generalist and Level 4 Casework/Specialist), Budget Coach Training, and Connect Money Mentor Training. CMA also provides a Centre Resources platform with compliance documentation and a cloud-based case management software called Catalyst. The organisation sells merchandise through its Shop and offers resources for debt advisors. All services are designed to help people escape debt through free, face-to-face, confidential advice.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CMA Debt Advice Centre Affiliation A full-service debt advice centre model for organisations with FCA authorisation that want to deliver in-house regulated debt advice, budgeting support and creditor negotiation under CMA's network, accreditations, training and Catalyst case management software.
- CMA Connect Centre Affiliation A centre model for organisations (typically churches and community groups) without FCA authorisation, where Money Mentors provide face-to-face budgeting support and collect client financial information, with regulated debt advice delivered by CMA's Hub Debt Advisers.
- CMA Level 3 Award in Generalist Debt Advice MaPS-accredited three-part training programme (Parts 1, 2, 3) that takes individuals from no knowledge to becoming a fully trained generalist debt adviser, including a training manual and access to the CMA Training Portal.
- CMA Level 4 Award in Casework/Specialist Debt Advice MaPS-accredited specialist training for experienced debt advisers (Parts 4, 5, 6) covering advanced casework, court advocacy, insolvency options and complex debt scenarios.
- Budget Coach Training Training course for individuals to help people learn budgeting skills and create realistic household budgets without requiring a regulated environment, priced at £75 per head for CMA members and £120 for non-members.
- Connect Money Mentor Training Two-day training course with eLearning modules for Money Mentors working in CMA Connect centres, covering budgeting, debt options and referral processes; limited to CMA-affiliated centres.
- CMA Shop (Resources and Branded Merchandise) Online shop selling branded merchandise, training materials and resources including banners, pens, bags, lanyards, travel mugs, water bottles, T-shirts and the 'Handling Debt While in Prison' booklet, alongside affiliation packages.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7,377 people helped to start their journey out of debt in 2025
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Community Money Advice
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Community Money Advice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Community Money Advice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Christians Against Poverty (CAP)flagshipCMA is coming alongside Christians Against Poverty under the umbrella of a newly formed CAP Group. Both charities will remain independent while combining networks to form the UK's largest specialist community-based debt advice charity with 380 centers and over 1,000 trained debt advisors, mentors, and coaches. Stewart McCulloch (CMA CEO) becomes CAP Group CEO. The partnership aims to reach more people struggling with debt and provide more choice to partner churches.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights12 records
Community Money Advice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Debtline: Free telephone and online debt advice service operated by the Money Advice Trust. Directly comparable as a free debt advice provider for individuals, though it uses a phone/digital delivery model rather than CMA's face-to-face community centers.
- Christians Against Poverty (CAP): UK charity providing free, face-to-face debt advice through a network of church-based centers - CMA's closest direct competitor and now merger partner under CAP Group. Operates an almost identical faith-based community center debt advice model.
- StepChange Debt Charity: UK's largest dedicated debt charity providing free debt advice and Debt Management Plans via phone and online. Directly comparable to CMA as a free, FCA-regulated debt advice provider, though StepChange operates a national digital/telephony model rather than CMA's face-to-face community center model.
- PayPlan: Free debt advice and Debt Management Plan provider (part of the Totemic group). Directly competes with CMA in delivering regulated free debt advice and DMPs, though primarily through remote channels.
Emerging players
- Centre for Personal Insolvency: UK not-for-profit focused on personal insolvency research and policy. Partially overlaps with CMA in the debt advice and insolvency referral space but is more of a research/policy player than a direct service provider.
- The Money Charity: UK financial education charity delivering money management training and resources. Comparable to CMA's budgeting/money management education programs but operates as a national trainer rather than a face-to-face debt advice network.
Broad incumbents
- Citizens Advice: National network providing free, independent debt and money advice across England and Wales, largely government-funded. A broader advice incumbent that overlaps with CMA in debt advice but covers many other advice areas.
- Money and Pensions Service (MaPS): UK government-sponsored arms-length body that funds and coordinates debt advice, money guidance and pensions. The body that accredits CMA's training programs and is a key sector stakeholder and indirect funder for many CMA competitors.
- Money Advice Trust: UK charity that runs National Debtline and Debt Advice Line and supports the wider debt advice sector through training, resources and policy work. Comparable as a sector umbrella body and free debt advice provider.
- AdviceUK: Membership body supporting independent advice charities across the UK. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the UK free advice sector, though not specialized in debt.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Community Money Advice social profiles
Digital presenceCommunity Money Advice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Community Money Advice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Community Money Advice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Community Money Advice M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Community Money Advice
What does Community Money Advice do?
Community Money Advice is a UK charity that supports churches and community groups to establish and run local, free, face-to-face debt advice services. CMA provides MaPS-accredited training, ongoing operational support, FCA-regulated debt advice infrastructure, and a proprietary Catalyst case management software to its network of more than 130 affiliated centers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. End clients receive free, confidential, in-person debt advice, budgeting support, and creditor negotiation from trained Debt Advisers and Money Mentors until they reach debt freedom.
Is Community Money Advice a public or private company?
Community Money Advice is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Community Money Advice founded?
Community Money Advice was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Community Money Advice based?
Community Money Advice is headquartered in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Community Money Advice make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Center Affiliation Fees are the primary driver. The others are training Services, donations and Grants and resource Shop Sales.
Who are Community Money Advice's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Debtline, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), StepChange Debt Charity and PayPlan. Emerging players are Centre for Personal Insolvency and The Money Charity. Broad incumbents are Citizens Advice, Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), Money Advice Trust and AdviceUK.
Does Community Money Advice have an API?
No public API is recorded for Community Money Advice.
What industry is Community Money Advice in?
Community Money Advice's product category is Debt Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAJAH, Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP), with a secondary code of FSAEAAAH, Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory. Its SIC code is 7320.