The Made of Money team at Quaker Social Action have been working throughout the pandemic with client groups in east and north London and with frontline professionals across the country. Projects that would normally have been delivered face to face have now been successfully adapted to run online. We have also ensured that there is up to date information about coronavirus and finances on our website.
Up to Speed is our project funded through JP Morgan’s Power Up programme. It aims to increase digital skills, and by embedding digital skills into our financial well-being course, we enable people to take advantage of technology to help them manage their finances. Run in partnership with the Bromley By Bow Centre and offering a combination of group and one to one online sessions, Up to Speed has worked with 91 clients this year so far.
Working with the Money and Pensions Service, we have successfully designed and delivered the training for the ‘Financial First Aiders’ pilot scheme with employees of Yorkshire Building Society. Similar to Mental Health First Aiders, employees have been trained to support their colleagues who require information and guidance regarding financial matters, with the aim of improving financial wellbeing. The Financial First Aiders service went live in September.
In April we were commissioned by Orbit Housing Group to design a financial resilience programme for their residents. The programme, called Jam, focusses on long term behavioural change around money. In August we provided online training for delivery partners and are currently working to develop a Jam website and a digital bank of resources.
Our plans to deliver full-term programmes of workshops and financial coaching to parents in primary schools were interrupted by the pandemic school closures. Now schools are open again, Made of Money is starting to offer online and telephone coaching to parents whose finances may have been impacted by the pandemic. In time we hope to re-start group activities. If you’re a primary school in the boroughs of Islington, Hackney or Tower Hamlets, then please get in touch with us!
We have partnered with mental health specialists Camden & Islington Recovery College to co-produce two online courses: Making the Most of your Money and Dealing with Debt. The partnership has been very positive and we hope to deliver further courses together in 2021.
Made of Money’s financial capability training for professionals has moved online and we are running workshops in November and December focussing on energy costs, talking about money with clients, and better budgeting.
For more information about Made of Money projects, go to https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/your-money-and-finances/made-money .
Our upcoming training courses can be viewed here https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/training/training-events-calendar/financial-capability-training-events
