A Matter of Life and Debt - Season 1

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.