We've awarded £3,568 through our Community Impact Fund to support two initiatives that help people develop essential financial skills and improve their long-term financial resilience.
The funding will support programmes delivered by Education Business Partnership in Wiltshire and Rosetinted Financial Services in Walsall.
Education Business Partnership - £1,998
Education Business Partnership equip young people with essential life and employability skills.
Our funding will support their Junior Financial Awareness project, delivering six financial literacy workshops in primary schools across Wiltshire.
The sessions will introduce children to age-appropriate topics including saving, spending, budgeting and the cost of living - helping them develop positive money habits from an early age. The workshops will be free of charge to schools, ensuring that funding is not a barrier to participation.
The project will focus on state schools in lower income areas including Swindon, where pupils are most likely to benefit from developing an early healthy relationship with money.
In feedback from previous workshops, 95% of participants found the sessions valuable and said their knowledge had increased.
Rosetinted Financial Services CIC - £1,570
Rosetinted Financial Services provides financial education and community support to people experiencing financial hardship and poor health.
Our funding will support their Money & Mind: Skills for Life project in Walsall.
The programme will deliver monthly group workshops and one-to-one support sessions aimed at women who have experienced domestic abuse. It’s open to everyone but will particularly target women on low incomes living in GSA’s refuge schemes.
Participants will receive practical guidance on budgeting, debt management, financial wellbeing, employability and confidence building.
The project aims to improve financial confidence, reduce debt and shame, and support women into employment opportunities.
Our Community Impact Fund is an initiative to support our customers, community groups and local charities. Grants of up to £2,000 are available to benefit the neighbourhoods we operate in. The fund is made possible thanks to donations from some of our suppliers as part of their social value delivery commitments.
Sian Every, our Social Value and Community Investment Lead, said:
"Financial capability is a vital life skill, but access to financial education is not always available to the people who need it most. These two projects take different approaches to addressing that challenge, from helping primary school children develop healthy attitudes towards money to supporting women facing financial hardship and difficult life circumstances.
"We're delighted to support both organisations and the positive impact they will have in our communities."