A Matter of Life and Debt - Episode Guide

Today, loans help couple Katerina and Colin set up a health food shop in rural Wales and Syrian refugee Razan take her own line of halloumi cheese out of the family kitchen and into the big time.

Viewers will meet a mum who ends up homeless after struggling with redundancy and spiralling debts. And the show follows members of the Lewisham and Bromley credit union, including 78 year-old salsa dancer Leroy who needs £400 for some furniture for his new flat.

In this episode viewers will get to meet dad of five Roger, who's holding down two jobs while he gets a loan allowing him to finish and launch his own business - a very unique ice cream van.

An NHS worker reveals how she struggled with crippling credit card debts. And following her recuperation after an accident a woman launches her mermaid swimming school in Bournemouth - with the help of a spirited loans advisor.

A loan helps a Cornish couple to transform access for the blind, by funding their unique business idea - a device that describes the layout of a room, enabling the visually impaired to find their way around.

Viewers will also get to meet a woman with a passion for Nigerian food who set up her own catering business following the death of her mum, and hear how a handyman from Middlesbrough turned to doorstep loans to feed his growing family.

In today's episode we meet a woman who waited over 20 years before a small loan allowed her to realise her dream of opening her own sewing business, and a grandmother keeps her son's name alive by setting up a café in his memory, with the help of an ethical loan.

There's the horror story of a young man's experience of dealing with loan sharks; and the team are London Capital Credit Union to find out if they'll approve a loan for some much-needed garden maintenance.

In this episode viewers will follow Laura as she tries to get a loan to set up her own grilled cheese sandwich bar.

The team also meet Rebirtha, the amazing retired teacher, who following a stroke was turned down for a loan to insulate her house by the people she'd banked with for 15 years before being ‘saved' by a credit union. Plus a loan helps a young woman retrain as a nail technician and the story of credit union employee with first-hand experience of being deep in debt.

Today, members of London Mutual Credit Union try to get loans for everything from home improvements to a daughter's birthday party.

Viewers meet a young Muslim woman whose loan allowed her to turn a passion for modest fashion into a viable business. And the dramatic tale of a former army major who lost everything when he built up huge debts with his gambling addiction.

On today's show, viewers will get to see how small credit union loans can make the world of difference to their members.

Lanarkshire Credit Union in Glasgow helps animal lover Vikki set up her own dog walking business; a loan from Swan Credit Union in Milton Keynes reunites three long-distance friends; and cameras follow a musician as he applies for a loan to pay for a ticket to America where he's hoping to get a record contract with the Bob Marley family label.

In today's episode cameras follow two women as they try to get credit union loans for very different reasons. Jade is looking for £1,500 to redecorate her daughter's bedroom while Miriam needs £1,000 for an educational trip to Germany - but will their loans be approved?

A former bus driver tells how an addiction to credit drove her to bankruptcy. Plus, in Manchester, an ethical loan allows food fan Mark to launch his BBQ business in an authentic American school bus, and in Stroud a £500 loan means Fergus' dream of becoming a therapist comes true.

Today, viewers meet Marion, the nurse who changed career to launch her own dog spa after seeing how it helped her own pets.

Nine months on, her loans advisor Sarah visits to see if the money has been well spent.

Plus a credit union loan helps a father who needs a car to take his young sons to school. And the story of how misusing payday loans plunged a young man into debt.

Today, the Life and Debt team meet a couple whose ethical loan has allowed them to create a thriving up-cycling furniture business.

And cameras follow members of London Mutual credit union, including community worker Jacqui who needs a loan to pay for new carpet. There's also the story of nursery teacher Hayley who wants to borrow for a family holiday.

On today's show, it's all about the dough when a baker gets a loan to set up his own specialist pie shop. The story of how a single mum proved the high street banks wrong by creating a successful language school after starting at her kitchen table is also featured.

And that of one woman's journey from being a successful entrepreneur to having £10 to her name and back again.

Today, the Life & Debt team meet two credit union volunteers with very different stories to tell.

Cancer survivor Cate talks about how a loan helped her to start retraining as a nurse, and a cautionary tale from 57 year old Sue who paid the price for sticking her head in the sand.

Plus viewers will get to see how a loan helps a young pet fanatic turn his love of lizards into an award-winning business.

The Life & Debt team are at London Capital Credit Union today to follow Sheila, who has applied for £3,000 to buy a car so she can get back into employment; and council worker Alan, who's looking for a loan to pay for his summer holiday.

Plus the team hear some inspirational success stories. including a mum of six who went from benefits to bankrupt to being a successful florist; and Leicester's very own Willy Wonka, who went from teaching himself the tricks of the trade from the internet to making chocolate for the Queen, with the help of a £6,000 loan.

On today's show, a loan takes an idea off the ground when two Somerset brothers borrow to start a business creating furniture made from aviation parts.

The team meet Marina, who, since arriving in the UK at 17 with very little English, has transformed her life using a credit union loan for education. And viewers will also hear the story of how Brian found himself deep in debt after his mother died when he was just 18.

For the last show in the series, viewers will hear the stories of more people whose lives are transformed by ethical loans - including the woman who went from teen mum to successful photographer, and a couple in Cornwall who open a sweet shop and tearoom.

And the team back at London Capital Credit Union where 47 year-old Alev is looking for a loan so she can pay for the travel to a family funeral which is taking place overseas.

Featuring chef Stella, who when she needs £3,000 to expand her restaurant business in the Peak District National Park, heads straight to the Derbyshire Credit Union. It has already helped her to bring her Cameroonian cuisine to the locals but will it grant her the extra funds she needs to convert an old barn into a commercial kitchen?

Former car dealer Wendy has a new zest for life thanks to an ethical loan. She needed £10,000 to swap careers from cars to canines and set up a dog grooming business, but with no credit history, finding finance wasn't easy. When disaster strikes often a low-cost loan can be a lifeline.

Richard from south Wales lost his livelihood as an HGV driver after a head injury. With some carpentry skills learnt from his father, and a loan from a not-for-profit lender Richard rebuilds his life crafting static Romany caravans.

Featuring father of two Nick, who is desperate to consolidate his debt and stop smoking, using the money he spends on cigarettes to pay off his £5,000 credit cards. But will the Hull and East Yorkshire Credit Union help him kick the habit?

In Fenton near Stoke-on-Trent, garage mechanic Nev swaps old bangers for a brewery. He and his wife Karen started by making beer in their shed and then borrowed £25,000 from ethical lenders to expand the business.

On the Norfolk Broads, teenage car crash victim James turns national kayaking champion, thanks to a boathouse built with the help of a £120,000 community loan.

Laura from Gloucestershire had debts totalling £35,000 when she was just 25. Laura realised the debt was ruining her life, so she set herself a five year plan to pay it all off. She tells us how she did it and why it makes her ideally suited in her current job as a money advice expert.

In Devon we meet Sue who runs the Garden Shop. Faced with an extended retirement age working at a school, she decided it was time for a career change and swapped pupils for plants. She bought a local garden centre with the help of a loan from an ethical lender. Now she's planning to expand and is asking for a further £16,000 loan to convert a barn to expand her business. Will she get the loan to help her business blossom?

Mum Danta needs £550 to help pay for her children's school uniform. With three children she heads to the Bristol credit union and hopes the team can help her kit out her kids for the new academic year.

And a father of four tells how he set up his own record shop after the company he had worked for went bust. Feeling the pressure to provide for his family, he asked for a loan to help cash in on the vinyl revival.

In Manchester, a £20,000 ethical loan is bringing the taste of the local countryside to the heart of the city centre. The Veg Box People grow and sell fresh local produce directly from local farms and deliver it to their city customers within hours of picking.

Foster mum Judy is hoping to get a loan for a pram and carpet, but with outstanding credit - including a doorstep loan - the credit union needs to assess whether she can afford any more debt.

A small £1,500 start-up loan helps a couple from south Wales with a poor credit rating launch a toy business that has transformed their fortunes.

Ethical borrowing helps Lancashire mum Gemma turn a childhood dream into a profitable business by opening her own bridal boutique. All she needed was a responsible lender to say yes to her £5,000 proposal.

James wants a £5,000 loan to pay for his wedding, but as he has missed payments on a previous loan will the Cambrian Credit Union say yes to his request?

In Bridge of Allan, Scotland, Karen and her father go into business together, combining the ancient craft of glassblowing and Scotland's famous tipple, creating an unique range of whiskey gifts, with the help of a £25,000 loan.

A £16,000 ethical loan helps a transgender entrepreneur and her friend take control after struggling with employment. The pair have set up a takeaway with a Portuguese twist in Preston, Lancashire. Patricia faced a lot of stigma when looking for work because of being transgender, and Adele has chronic fatigue syndrome, often making it very difficult to work 9-to-5 hours.

Mel from Bolton went on a spending binge that cost £40,000. Unable to pay her mortgage Mel lost her home, but with help from a Christian group she has now paid off her debts, and gives advice to others in a similar situation.

A Cambridgeshire family start a chocolate factory to help their autistic son find a job and end up providing a much-needed workplace for other youngsters with the condition. The Bristol credit union staff help local families through tough times, including Phil whose pension payments have been held up, leaving him homeless. Dog-lover Vanessa sets up her own charity in Wales to find new homes for thousands of unwanted pets, all with the help of an ethical loan. The dangers of illegal lenders who use high interest rates, extortion and violence are exposed, and the programme meets the team who want the public to help them fight back against loan sharks.

Debbie needs a loan to avoid the astronomical interest charges on a 12-month catalogue debt. If she exceeds the yearly time limit in which to pay it back, the debt will almost double. Can the Cambrian Credit Union come to her rescue? In Manchester, Zimbabwe-born Dee desperately needs a £10,000 loan to get her homemade South African boerewors sausages onto the high street. A loan from a responsible lender in Glasgow helps a gifted young silversmith get his work in the spotlight. Hamish was so cash-strapped he couldn't afford to make a crucial exhibition piece for the Victoria and Albert Museum. Thanks to a loan of £7,000, Hamish completed the piece and the exhibition proved to be a turning point for his business.

Single mum-of-two Christine visits Lewisham Plus Bromley Credit Union with her toddler to ask for a £500 loan. The fridge freezer she relies on for her soul-food business has packed up. For Jo and Rene from Sheffield, an ethical loan hasn't just changed their lives, it's enhanced the health and wellbeing of their community too. The Real Junk Food Project in Sheffield takes food destined for landfill and cooks it up into affordable meals, feeding over 80,000 people in the city. Thirty-five-year-old sports-mad Paul has set up shop selling specialist cricket gear thanks to a £10,000 ethical loan, and a look at how couple Raymond and Jenny from Derbyshire are almost out of debt after 25 years in arrears. Owing around £35,000, a religious charity helped them with a finance deal to pay back the money they owed.

Astra and James urgently need a loan to help them buy a new carpet before their newborn twins come home. They turn to the Newport credit union in south Wales who loan them the money and help them save for their children, so their money will grow with them. In Dunoon, western Scotland, Karen and Allan needed £25,000 to set up their fish and seafood smokery, which is now enjoyed by royalty. While a £1,500 overdraft may not seem like a life-changing amount of debt, for student Molly, who couldn't find work after graduating, it made her homeless and forced her to be apart from her son. A loan from a Credit Union in Cardiff saw her learn to drive and enabled her to find work further afield.

When 78-year-old Helen needs an £800 loan to replace some essential appliances, Lewisham Credit union boss Ravi takes time out to go to her home to personally help her out. Gambian-born Awa brings a taste of West Africa to the streets of Yorkshire. A £5,000 ethical loan enables her to realise her dream of turning her love of cooking into a thriving mobile street food business. Borrowing £300 from her local Credit Union transforms a bored South Wales grandmother's retirement. 72-year-old Georgina, a former council worker and voluntary radio DJ, needed funds to buy decks to take her act on the road to her loyal fans. Self-taught wood craftsman Dan refuses to be stumped when the banks won't give him a loan. To get his bespoke wood design business off the ground, he turns to an ethical lender for the £25,000 he needs.

A self-made florist hopes her expansions plan won't be cut back by her poor credit history, and an ex-soldier swaps his desk for the dales as he starts his own tour guide business.

Affordable housing makes dreams come true, an artisan baker overcomes illness to cook up a winning business, and a fear of debt comes at a life-changing price.

A debilitating illness inspires a life-changing business, grief and debt combine to leave a family homeless, and a community create a green oasis in the heart of Newquay.

A loan helps a couple from Cornwall make a career U-turn hiring out vintage camper vans, and a young man with a passion for plants branches out thanks to crowdfunding.

A transgender entrepreneur takes control of her future, a mum's compulsion to spend leaves her family homeless, and the dying art of glassblowing is resuscitated in Scotland.

A concerned mum raises almost a million pounds to set up the UK's largest indoor skate park after her son was violently attacked in the street.

A farmer uses his goats in a yoga class to help keep his dairy business alive, and a painter uses an ethical loan to get back into business after a brush with death.

A couple squeeze a healthy eating message into their fresh juices, and a woman swaps her desk for the dark room as she starts up her own photography business.

An ethical loan helps a kitchen experiment become a buzzing enterprise, borrowing helps a falconry business take flight, and a woman needs help to pay off bailiffs.

A surfer taps into the internet to crowdfund a project inspiring young girls, and an ethical loan helps rebuild lives blighted by addiction.