In 2022, our members voted for RedSTART to become our new charity partner.
Since then, the charity has evolved and is now known as Money Ready, a name that reflects its mission to ensure every child leaves school financially prepared for life.
What is Money Ready?
Have you ever found yourself asking "why wasn't I taught this in school?"?
As we wrangle with buying, selling, budgeting, interest, credit, taxes and the general challenges of financial responsibilities, it's easy to wonder why so many of the skills we need as an adult weren't part of the school curriculum.
Money Ready’s mission is to address exactly that. The charity visits primary schools to teach children from a young age how money works, helping them to get a head start on their financial security.
Money Ready believes financial habits are learned early in life and that teaching children about money will not only help them avoid bad money habits but also promote good ones.
The charity is working with King’s College Policy Institute to build evidence of the long-term benefits of this approach. This research is known as its Change the Game programme. Money Ready plans to take this evidence to the government to petition for a permanent change in the school curriculum.
That way, it won't just be the children lucky enough to have a visit from Money Ready that learn those vital money management skills – everyone will have the opportunity to become financially savvy adults.
Money Ready has produced a short animation to introduce the Change the Game programme in schools. You can watch the animation on the 2023 Charity Film Awards website.
What does Money Ready's programme involve?
Let’s face it, learning about money can be boring, especially when you’re young! Money Ready’s programme keeps children interested with fun and interactive workshops, which include hands-on experience and visual examples of how money works.
Money Ready visits children at various points throughout their time at primary school so the same children have multiple visits from the team and can build on their learning.
The workshops and activities cover a variety of money-related topics, such as earning, spending and saving, budgeting, risk and reward and even financial fraud.
The children are also given extra tasks to take home and finish with their families. There's even a Money Ready app where children earn rewards by completing mental arithmetic challenges.
How can you help?
There are lots of ways you can support Money Ready and help them continue providing financial education to young people across the UK. Whether it's through making a donation, taking part in fundraising activities, payroll giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorship, or employer-supported volunteering, every contribution helps make a difference.
To find out more about the ways you can get involved and support Money Ready's work, you can find more information on their website - Money Ready
