Scouts launch volunteering programme with HSBC UK to help more young people learn key money skills
The Scouts and HSBC UK are launching a new key aspect to their partnership, mobilising a network of more than 200 trained HSBC UK employee volunteers to help Beaver and Cub Scouts build important financial literacy skills for a changing world.
HSBC UK’s network of volunteers is anticipated to reach over 14,500 Beaver Scout Colonies and Cub Scout Packs across the UK over the next few years including visiting weekly meetings and running one day workshops in locations across Shropshire.
The new volunteering programme comes after Scouts worked with HSBC UK to develop their Money Skills Activity Badge; the first of its kind, more than 150,000 young people have earned their Money Skills Activity Badge since 2021.
Natalie Gregoire-Skeete, Head of Sustainability UK, HSBC UK said: “Contactless, digital and mobile banking are increasing the invisibility of money, making it even harder to build young people’s financial confidence; indeed, research finds that more than half of children ages 6 to 10 say they don’t understand money.
“Financial skills are life skills, and by working together we’re able to deliver engaging, high-quality sessions that will give more young people the opportunity to earn their money skills badge and build financial capabilities for the future."
Georgie Howarth Programme manager for the Scouts-HSBC UK volunteer programme speaking at the launch said: “When we launched the Money skills badge back in 2021 we knew that we had met a key need in young people’s development, and this volunteering programme takes the delivery of these skills to another level.
“Having a network of 200 skilled and enthusiastic HSBC UK volunteers working alongside our Scout leaders across the UK gives us an opportunity to help young people better develop these key life skills. It means that where Scout leaders lack confidence in subject knowledge, they can tap the local expertise available in their communities to work with them and young people won’t miss out.
“With HSBC UK’s support, we’ve been able to create a volunteering programme that is truly the first of its kind, bringing an important new way to deliver these skills to tens of thousands of young people.”
