A Cumbrian accountancy firm has launched a scheme to help primary school children have a positive relationship with money from an early age.
JF Hornby & Co joined forces with the Furness Education and Skills Partnership (FESP) earlier this year as the delivery partner for financial education sessions under the Build My Skills initiative.
After presentations at secondary schools across south Cumbria, the team at the accountancy business carried out primary school visits.
They have now committed to another academic year of activity – and to ensure the younger children get maximum enjoyment and information from the sessions, they will be invited to join the JF Hornby Money Club.
Managing director Paul Hornby said: “As a company, we believe that financial education is so important – and by starting the conversation with children at an early age, we hope they will begin to think about their relationship with money in a positive way.
“Working with FESP and Build My Skills to deliver the secondary sessions was fantastic; the feedback we got was great and the team really enjoyed engaging with pupils about some important issues.
“A change of approach was required for the primary school sessions, so we created a host of engaging new material and to take things a step further this year, we are launching the JF Hornby Money Club.”
The Money Club will see ‘members’ agree to a three-point pledge before being treated to a goodie back containing a piggy bank, writing pad and pencil crayons.
Children will promise to:
- Be careful with their money.
- Save what they can when they can.
- Never give their passwords or sensitive information to anyone.
The wider messages in the primary school sessions will include different types of currency – including Xbox and Playstation credits – safety online, scams, global currencies, budgeting and saving. Primary schools across Barrow, Dalton and Ulverston are due to take part in the sessions.
The Build My Skills programme involves upwards of 20 schools. Sessions covering a variety of areas designed to equip and inspire young people are held over the course of the school year. Other businesses involved include BAE Systems, 32West, Oxley Developments, the NHS, GSK, Cumbria Community Police, Barrow Raiders and Barrow AFC.
Caroline Vernon, of FESP, said: “We were really pleased with the delivery of the first tranche of financial education sessions from the team at JF Hornby. The content was relevant and it was great to see some members of the team return to their old schools to deliver the sessions.
“It’s equally important that children of primary school age have access to financial education; the sooner we can start the conversation with them the better.”
