Members of the clergy in Wales have embarked on a new mission that will aim to reverse some of the trends that have seen many thousands of people in the province spiral into serious debt management problems.

A new initiative being described as a "money revolution" will aim to encourage consumers not to overstretch themselves financially or to use credit to fund activities they could not otherwise afford.

So-called debt coaches are being trained by the church in Wales and it is hoped that members of the clergy will be successful in encouraging people to seek professional debt advice when they need it.

Richard Jones, the diocese’s parish resources adviser, told the Western Mail: "If we share this problem and talk about this problem there are plenty of people that can help."

Earlier this month, figures released by the TDX Group showed that around 400,000 UK consumers entered some kind of solution to ease their unsecured debt problems over the course of 2007.