Communities Fund Employee Giving has provided £280 of match funding
Young Money Matters
London, England, United Kingdom
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Aim
To help disadvantage young people gain the skills, confidence, and knowledge to manage money and secure their financial future.
We are Kids Konnect Ltd., a passionate community organisation supporting young people in Hackney and Haringey. Our experienced team delivers trauma-informed, youth-focused programmes that build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills. We are committed to empowering young people—particularly those facing disadvantage—to take control of their lives and futures.
Project Purpose
Our project, Young Money Matters, addresses a critical need: many young people lack the skills, knowledge, and confidence to manage money, while financial stress can significantly impact wellbeing. Through interactive, small-group workshops, participants gain practical skills in budgeting, saving, banking, and everyday money management, alongside strategies to manage the emotional and wellbeing effects of financial stress.
The programme runs over 20 weeks, with weekly 4-hour sessions (2-hour morning + 2-hour afternoon workshops). Each session supports 75 young people, reaching a total of 150 participants aged 13–18 and up to 24, including young people with disabilities and those from BAME and Jewish communities. Sessions are inclusive, practical, and trauma-informed, ensuring all participants can develop financial skills regardless of background or circumstances.
Beneficiary Selection
Participants are selected through a clear, inclusive process:
Partner referrals: Local schools, youth hubs, community organisations, and social services identify young people experiencing disadvantage, financial insecurity, or barriers to opportunities.
Self or family referrals: Young people can apply directly, providing basic information about their circumstances, interests, and goals.
Equity and inclusion: Selection ensures representation from underserved groups, including young people with disabilities and BAME and Jewish communities.
Safeguarding checks: All participants are assessed to ensure sessions are safe and appropriate, with additional support for those with higher needs.
Trauma-informed Approach
By trauma-informed, we mean our programme is designed with an understanding that many young people have experienced trauma, adversity, or chronic stress, which can affect confidence, behaviour, learning, and emotional regulation. This approach is embedded in every session as follows:
Safety and trust: Accessible venues with consistent routines and clear expectations.
Choice and empowerment: Participants can engage at their own pace, take breaks, or use alternative activities.
Strengths-based delivery: Focus on abilities and achievements; financial skills are presented as learnable tools.
Emotionally aware facilitation: Facilitators respond to signs of distress and support discussions about money stress in a safe, non-judgmental way.
Inclusive methods: Interactive exercises, visual aids, role-play, and practical simulations cater to different learning styles and abilities.
Trusted relationships & safeguarding: Consistent facilitators build trust, supported by safeguarding policies and referral pathways.
Workshop Topics Include:
- Budgeting and money management – Learn how to track income and expenses, plan a budget, and manage everyday finances.
- Saving and goal-setting – Explore strategies for saving money, setting realistic goals, and building personal financial security.
- Understanding credit, debt, and borrowing – Learn about loans, credit cards, and how to borrow responsibly.
- Banking and digital finance – Navigate bank accounts, online banking, and digital payment systems safely and confidently.
- Smart spending and consumer rights – Make informed purchasing decisions, compare value, and understand consumer protections.
- Financial wellbeing and resilience – Build confidence, manage money-related stress, and make decisions that support long-term stability.
- Entrepreneurship and income generation – Explore ways to earn money through small projects, creative initiatives, or part-time work, helping participants understand the value of work and saving.
- Practical application exercises – Hands-on activities, role-play, and real-life simulations to practice budgeting, saving, and financial decision-making.
By participating, young people gain practical tools to start earning and saving, develop confidence in handling finances, and learn that financial knowledge and wellbeing are achievable for everyone, regardless of background or circumstances. Each session also includes take-home resources to reinforce learning and encourage independence beyond the programme.
Funding will support:
- Facilitator fees – Delivery of trauma-informed workshops by qualified facilitators, including specialist support for participants with disabilities and additional learning needs. This covers preparation, delivery, and follow-up support, ensuring each session is interactive, safe, and effective.
- Workshop materials & take-home tools – Accessible learning resources including workbooks, budgeting templates, visual aids, digital tools, and take-home packs. Materials are adapted for different learning styles and disabilities, allowing participants to reinforce skills between sessions.
- Meals and refreshments – Nutritious meals and refreshments at each session to reduce barriers to participation, support concentration, and promote inclusion for young people from low-income households.
- Accessible venue hire – Safe, fully accessible community venues with step-free access, suitable facilities, and equipment needed for interactive workshops, ensuring sessions are welcoming and inclusive.
- Staff coordination & administration – Ongoing coordination across the programme, including safeguarding oversight, participant engagement, scheduling, accessibility planning, and liaison with families and partners to ensure smooth delivery.
- Monitoring, evaluation & reporting – Tracking attendance, learning outcomes, confidence levels, and practical skills gained; gathering participant feedback; and producing evaluation reports to evidence impact and inform future programme development.
Our vision is a generation of young people who feel confident, in control, and empowered to make smart financial decisions. With the funds raised, we will provide the workshops, resources, and support needed to make this vision a reality, giving participants practical tools and strategies to improve their financial wellbeing, start earning and saving, and plan for a secure future, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th August 2026 at 11:06am