Jerry During is Co-Founding Director and CEO of money advice and education social enterprise Money A+E CIC; Chair of Trustees for disability charity Horizon Legal Advice Clinic; and Co-Chair of Newham Citizens (Citizens UK), an organisation that empowers disadvantaged communities to address local problems through community organising. He has also recently joined the board of Shpresa Programme, a charity providing support to migrants as they integrate into UK life.

Jerry’s mission is to build personal and financial wellbeing – for individuals and for communities. His mission drives and guides his work, through social enterprise, partnerships and lived experience leadership.

For Jerry, lived experience leadership means empowering those who have direct experience of a social, economic or environmental challenge, so that they can stand at the heart of identifying, designing and delivering the most effective solutions.

In 2022, Money A+E empowered 638 people to manage £2.4million of debt and to make £700k+ financial gains. The social enterprise supports those hit hardest by the Cost of Living Crisis: Diverse Ethnic Communities, disadvantaged groups and young people. It reached 1,890 people in total last year with high quality money advice and education.

Horizon Legal Advice Clinic has recouped more than £1.7 million worth of benefits for people with disabilities, helping them to cope with their conditions and to live with dignity. The volunteer-led service opened in 2016 and has since supported hundreds of individuals.

In 2022, as Co-Chair of Newham Citizens (Citizens UK), Money A+E supported the creation of a Manifesto for Newham which incorporated over a thousand local people’s views, stories and ideas for change. His team worked across local community groups, with the Manifesto generating important solutions for challenges faced in the borough, including:

1. Social housing and affordable housing initiatives for young people, disadvantaged groups and local people in Newham.
2. Expanding the Living Wage accreditation scheme in Newham, to support the lowest paid workers.
3. Youth safety schemes for young people using public transport.
4. Funding for peer-led support schemes for those facing mental health challenges.

Jerry forms part of the Government Diversity Commissioning Taskforce. Led by Claire Dove CBE, VCSE Crown Representative, this is aimed at connecting small, local and lived experience-led charities with government procurement opportunities.

He also sits on the Money and Pensions Service Financial Wellbeing Delivery Forum, which brings together public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders to support those facing financial challenges and to increase UK financial wellbeing.

Jerry was awarded an MBE for services to Disadvantaged People and Social Enterprise in the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2022. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and a Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs.