Children learn financial skills from local Building Society

Leona Wheals from Harpenden Building Society helps deliver the ‘Money Manager’ scheme.

The Wendover branch of Harpenden Building Society have ‘gone back to school’ to help deliver a ‘Money Manager’ financial education scheme to local children.

So far nearly 1200 youngsters aged between 4 and 11 years (key stage 1 & 2) have enrolled on the scheme including pupils from Wendover’s John Hampden Infant School, Wendover C of E Junior School and Halton Community Combined School.

Harpenden Building Society has partnered with financial experts Young Money and the Building Societies Association to help provide sessions enabling the children attending to gain a better understanding of money and how best to manage it. The Society helps by providing local schools with funding for ready-made, easy to use lesson plans and materials. Leona Wheals, who works in the Wendover branch and as the Society’s Community Coordinator, leads and delivers the scheme.

The sessions offer practical and fun learning modules relating to managing money; becoming a critical consumer; managing risks and emotions associated with money and understanding the important role money plays in our lives.

Schools can enrol and gain access to the ‘Money Manager’ scheme by contacting the Society via the contact form in the ‘Our Branches’ section on the website or by phoning the Wendover Branch on 01296 623595.

Once a school joins the scheme, it is launched at an assembly delivered by Leona, giving the children an exciting taster of what to expect. This introduction is then followed by individual learning sessions delivered by their teachers. Every class taking part is provided with a module log sheet to track the lessons they complete, with each child then receiving a certificate at the end of the school year to recognise their new financial knowledge and achievement.

Leona Wheals, Harpenden Building Society’s Community Coordinator said: “Teaching children the basics of money management from a young age is important preparation for living life well. We’ve had great fun delivering the Money Manager Scheme and as a Society we are proud to be supporting schools in our local communities.”