Neath youths step up to the Challenge and set their sights on national award success
The Swimming with the Sharks team from Neath Port Talbot College (from left) Tom Rees, Josh Thomas, James Tobin (Group Leader) and Niall Price.
Local Youngsters’ Money Skills Celebrated by Lloyds TSB Money for Life Challenge
A team of 16 to 17 year olds from Neath is in the running for a prestigious national award after impressing judges in the first round of the Lloyds TSB Money for Life Challenge, a competition designed to inspire better money management skills.
The team of students is now gearing up to go to the Welsh final at Cardiff City Stadium on 23 April where they will showcase their Money for Life Challenge project called Swimming with the Sharks. Since becoming one of 250 projects in the UK to receive a £500 grant in December, the young people have put their project into action as money saving experts by raising awareness of the dangers of borrowing money from loan sharks and providing information on alternative ways to borrow money.
Joshua Thomas, aged 16, from Swimming with the Sharks says: “Our project has helped us learn and develop lots of important skills including working with others, money management and presentation and communication skills. It was great when the Illegal Money Lending Unit came to visit us to give us advice and tips. They were so impressed with our leaflet; they’ve asked to use it in their campaigns!”
Swimming with the Sharks will be joining a shortlist of five Welsh teams whose inspiring money management projects are having a positive impact on their local communities, families and friends.
The team’s sponsor, Cheryll Morgan from Neath Port Talbot College says: “The Money for Life Challenge has really nurtured the students’ skills and talents. It’s been lovely to watch them work so well together and achieve so much by getting to this stage.”
On the day of the Welsh final of the Money for Life Challenge, the lucky teams will present their projects to a panel of expert judges. The winning team will then go on to the UK Grand Final in London on 23 May. If Swimming with the Sharks is crowned Wales’ national winner they will receive £1,000 to donate to a charity of their choice and £50 shopping vouchers for each team member.
Sarah Porretta, Head of the Money for Life Programme at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “The Money for Life Challenge is a great way of empowering young people to manage their money well through supporting others with the exact same skills. Now in its second year, the calibre of the projects never ceases to impress. What’s most striking is the creativity and passion shown by the young people in bringing their original idea to life to make a real difference in their communities.
“We look forward to hearing all about Swimming with the Sharks project at the Wales final and wish them all the best of luck.”
The winning team at the UK Grand Final in London on 23 May will win £2,500 for a charity of their choice, £100 of shopping vouchers for each member and a Lloyds Banking Group mentor. There will also be an overall People’s Prize winner selected by guests at the event.
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, including Colleges Wales and the National Training Federation for Wales. The competition aims to find the most successful and innovative ways to improve the money management skills of learners, their friends, families and communities. Team members are between 16 and 24 years old and in further education, work based learning or adult community learning.
The additional Welsh finalists are: Grow and Save, a community based project that aims to encourage people to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs to help them save money; Sk8 Swap Shop, which aims to promote money management through a swap shop, inviting members of the community to their event to swap their stuff; Rampart Rebels, a project that aims to inform the public about loan sharks in Swansea; and Quit and Sav£, identifies the money saving opportunities on cutting down or quitting smoking and communicating this to their college.
For more information on the Money for Life Challenge, please go to moneyforlifechallenge.org.uk, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moneyforlifeuk and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/moneyforlifeuk
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