Bridgend Team Wins Money For Life Challenge Wales Final
The winning Don’t Buy Posh – Save Your Dosh team from ACT Training Bridgend with Sarah Porretta from Lloyds Banking Group.
A team of young learners from Bridgend will carry the Welsh flag proudly in the UK Grand Final of the Money for Life Challenge after winning the Wales final at Cardiff City Stadium today (Wednesday).
The rising cost of food that leaves many people with little money at the end of the week to spend on other household essentials inspired the Don’t Buy Posh – Save Your Dosh team from ACT Training Bridgend to come up with money saving advice for young people.
The team will now present their money management project to a panel of high profile judges at the UK Grand Final in London on May 23, where they will have a chance to win £2,500 for a charity of their choice, £100 of Bonus Bonds for each member and a Lloyds Banking Group mentor for a year.
The team – Paige Sparrow, Ryan Gardener, Alex Mayhew and Shannon Mears – provide an insight into buying own-brand foods that needn’t cost the earth.
They targeted other young people at their training centre aged between 16-18 years who were often spending large amounts on their weekly shop without realising the savings they could make. They also set up their own ‘Value Café’ within the common room at ACT Training with a menu using value foods.
The team also cooked a meal for a local community group Mental Health Matters with taste sessions hosted to demonstrate how own brands were just as good as other well known food brands.
“It’s shocking and amazing to win and to represent our country in London,” said Paige.”We plan to have dragons printed on our pinnies for the UK Grand Final. The project has boosted our confidence and the teamwork has been brilliant.”
The competition is designed to find the most successful and innovative ways to improve the money management skills of learners, their friends, families and communities. The teams applied for small grants to run various money management activities.
Money for Life Challenge is part of the Money for Life programme, a unique partnership between Lloyds Banking Group and further education sector partners in the four nations of the UK.
Sarah Porretta, Head of the Money for Life Programme at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “I am so impressed with the originality, creativity and enthusiasm shown by the teams, which is really inspiring.
“The Challenge focuses on equipping a new generation with the skills they need to best manage their money, helping them to realise their everyday needs and lifetime goals and allowing them to develop these skills and put them into practice.
“We look forward to welcoming the winning team to the UK Grand Final to be held on May 23. I only wish we could take all the Welsh finalists.”
The other Welsh finalists were Debtly Matters from St David’s Catholic College, Cardiff Drive Well Spend Less from ACT Training in Cardiff, Every Penny Counts from Port Talbot A4e Centre and Budget Brainstormers from Carmarthen Youth Project.
The teams came up with innovative ideas including money saving websites, advice on how to save on fuel and car costs, using drama and a workshop to spread money management skills to young people and buying own-brand foods to cut shopping bills.
People's Prize winner Money Maze, Amgad Kwider and James Cookson with Sarah Porretta from Lloyds Banking Group.
Winner of the People’s Prize, which was voted for from nine commended projects, was Money Maze from Gower College, Swansea, who developed a game with money management, numeracy and literacy questions. Team members are James Cookson, Amgad Kwider, Jack Davies, Sonnie Browning and Tom Denster.
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