Michael, we can’t say how much it meant to us when you came to our help at such a difficult moment in our lives – besieged as we felt ourselves to be, on all sides! The bushfire was just one of the many problems that threatened us, in the midst of major family health issues. During this period it was particularly difficult to keep our business in order and your guidance was more than helpful – particularly your kindness and personal interest in our difficult circumstances navigating the problems of finance in the midst of it all! Many, many thanks indeed!
We will always think of you and build on your advice.
Without the ongoing support and assistance from Chris Puckridge at Rural West our business would have gone into bankruptcy. He has been an ear and a shoulder for us through the very toughest of times.
When I started with Amanda I was stressed and scared I would lose my business due to a complicated financial situation with legal implications. Not only has Amanda help me make a complex situation simpler, she has also helped me restructure the business to avoid similar mistakes in future. Thanks to Amanda, I feel more confident about the situation and have a much more positive outlook towards the future of my business.
When I started with Amanda I as stressed to the max, facing a difficult financial situation I wasn’t experienced with. Amanda was a lifesaver! She guided me through the process, suggesting options along the way but always allowing me to choose my direction. Amanda was always professional, caring and genuinely wanted to help me.
Rural West helped both financially and emotionally at a time when we had no idea where to start. They helped find the light at the end of the tunnel. We managed to pay back all our debts without declaring bankruptcy which meant a lot to us. They assisted us in negotiating with our creditors and getting plans in place. We can not thank them enough.
Rural West was a big help in getting me through the tough times by helping with financial options, practical budgeting and just being someone to talk to who took an interest in what we were about. I am now operating a thriving business that could have landed on the scrap heap!
Both Kerryn and Chris have been a wonderful help. You have given me the encouragement to keep going through a very stressful situation.
The job you do isn’t just about the figures but helping people through what can be the lowest and very emotional times
Roger helped us forge a clear path forward when we were mentally and emotionally unable to deal with our situation due to the complexity of our issues. He assisted by breaking up our problems into ‘bite-size’ pieces and listened with empathy and had our genuine interests at heart. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better counsellor over the phone during COVID and he was full of assistance and knowledge.
We have had the privilege of working alongside Donna Spurgeon from Rural West for approximately 18 months now and what a pleasure it has been. We contacted Rural West in desperation to obtain some guidance as to how we could apply for income assistance as we were hit hard by the effects of the drought and then Covid – 19.
During our first meeting with Donna, we sat and discussed our financial situation and went through the options that could be available to us. Donna listened and suggested many different options some of which we had already obtained. Donna mentioned the FHA allowance which we had never heard of could be a possibility for us, so we started the process immediately.
There was a lot of back and forth from Centrelink regarding the FHA but for every added step needed Donna made sure we understood and helped us find the correct information to apply.
It was never a problem or an imposition for Donna to come and sit and go through every step of this process with us. Donna always made us feel comfortable and was forever there to keep us calm during these stressful and daunting times.
Many times, I have confided in Donna and I always felt that what we had discussed would be confidential, I felt as though I could trust Donna from the moment we met. I consider Donna to be not just rural financial counsellor but a friend. I would recommend Donna, her empathy, patience and kindness to towards us would assist anybody going through the hard times we went through.
Although our journey has been difficult and is not over, we can now see the light and the end of the tunnel all thanks to Donna’s professional guidance.
We greatly appreciate Robyn’s assistance, patience and guidance through 2019, working with us in dealing with our bank and our major debt crisis. I cannot believe the final outcome. It is amazing and we are just so happy that our boys are clear of any debt and we can stay in our home. We were very close to going Bankrupt but this was luckily not to be the end result.
Robyn came up with a clear strategy and then worked through that with us. We had come to a point that we really did not know what else we could do and having Robyn come onboard and take over dealing with the bank on our behalf was actually life-saving, as we were at our lowest.
At all times she was accessible and approachable and with her financial background, provided a high level of understanding and expertise on the best way to speak with the bank and negotiate on our behalf. We feel that once Robyn came onboard, the bank actually started to take notice and listen. Planning out a strategy, using ‘bank speak’ wording and writing up our correspondence to them, made all the difference to the end result going in our favour.
Robyn, was always by our side at all times through negotiations with the bank and was always available to ask questions and provide intelligent advice. Most importantly, she was always understanding of our difficult situation and never judged but just encouraged and was very positive but real at all times. Having someone to share the burden with who better understood financial matters was extremely helpful and we greatly appreciated all her help, advice and friendship during this upsetting and testing time.
We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Rural West to friends and family. Robyn, is a true asset to the organisation.