Money and Me

Money and Me – a new digital information resource for young people about managing money, debt and budgeting for the future

The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has had a clear and profound impact on the way that young people feel about their future.

It has never been important for young people to be able to easily access support and information about managing their finances and navigating their way around the benefits system.

In June 2020, Young Scot, in collaboration with Fast Forward and College Development Network launched Money and Me, a new digital information resource that has been co-designed by young people, for young people.

Money and Me is part of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) UK wide Youth Checkpoints programme, designed to provide young people with appropriate and effective information and resources that will support them in sound financial planning.

In planning Money and Me, the clear aim was to provide a resource that could be easily understood, comfortably navigated and readily used by young people.

Throughout November and December 2019, we consulted with groups of young people at ‘key checkpoints’ (apprenticeships, entering the workplace, entering or graduating from college/university) to ensure that the Money and Me resource was designed for young people – by young people.

The focus of these consultation workshops was to explore where and how young people currently gather information on financial matters, before using this baseline material to help inform the development of Money and Me.

These workshop sessions built on Fast Forward’s existing work with Edinburgh College, West Lothian Council Skills Training Programme and Working Rite as part of our Going Forward Project.

Going Forward delivers group-work sessions to support high-tariff, vulnerable and at-risk young people, focusing on the core themes of health, wellbeing and risk-taking behaviours.

Practitioner Feedback on the consultation sessions

Feedback on the consultation sessions from youth work practitioners highlighted that information and resources focusing on money advice and financial resilience were often difficult for the high-tariff, vulnerable and at-risk young people that they work with on a day-to-day basis. Practitioners also fed back that most young participants were likely to have a limited initial appreciation of money management and financial resilience issues. By using a style, tone and content that effectively posed and answered questions, and stimulated discussion, the sessions enabled young people to comfortably share their experiences, air their views and appreciate a need to learn more about a subject that they generally had not given much consideration to in the past.

Young People feedback on the consultation sessions

Young people participating in the workshops really enjoyed taking part in the workshops. There was a clear recognition that whilst money management and financial resilience might not have previously been seen as pressing, or immediate issues, Coronavirus and lockdown had brought the need to understand more about these into sharp focus.

From Fast Forward’s perspective, the consultation sessions for Money and Me have helped us to recognise that offering sessions focusing on money advice and financial resilience would enhance the scope of delivery for the Going Forward project. We are, therefore, developing workshop sessions, focusing on money advice and financial resilience, that will dovetail effectively with the core sessions on health and risk-taking behaviour that we already deliver as part of the Going Forward project.

“Fast Forward has been delighted to work in partnership with Young Scot and the College Development Network to develop this invaluable resource, created by, and for, Scotland’s young people to support them to make informed choices regarding their finances.”

Allie Cherry-Byrnes, CEO, Fast Forward

If you would like to find out more about the Going Forward project, or discuss ways in which we could work with your organisation to develop and deliver a programme of sessions tailored to the specific needs of the young people that you support, simply e-mail the Going Forward team, or give us a call:

Donald Lockhart: donald@fastforward.org.uk

Telephone: 0131 554 4300