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Financial capability and learning

Supporting young people with financial confidence

We’re pledging almost £3m to the National Youth Agency by the NatWest Thrive programme, backed by Marcus Rashford MBE, which aims to raise the financial confidence of young people.

Research commissioned by our NatWest Thrive programme backed by Marcus Rashford, which is delivered in partnership with the National Youth Agency (NYA), shows that more than a fifth (23%) of 16-21 year olds have never had a conversation about money with their parents or guardians.

Take a look at the findings:

Download the graphic here (PNG 1.9MB)

 

Marcus Rashford MBE, ambassador for the NatWest Thrive programme, said:

“Money is a difficult topic to discuss, especially in underserved communities, being the root cause of most anxiety and stress. I was lucky that I had my mum, who worked as a bookkeeper, to guide my financial decisions and offer me a good understanding of how money worked. With ‘Thrive’ we wanted to make sure that all young people had access to that education, building their confidence, and equipping them with the tools they need to get excited about their futures.

“I was so proud to see Their Majesties visit Wythenshawe and particularly, the Youth Centre and Youth Workers that played a huge role in my upbringing.

“I look forward to building upon our learnings from Year 1 and continuing to build out the most effective Thrive programme for more children across the UK.”

 

How financial confidence affects young people’s decisions

The King and Queen Consort met with young people from Norbrook youth club in Wythenshawe, Manchester, as well as our CEO Alison Rose and National Youth Agency CEO Leigh Middleton, on Friday to find out more about the NatWest Thrive programme

 

Tiger, 17, participant in NatWest Thrive, said:

“NatWest Thrive has taught me that no matter your past experiences, you can still make your dreams come true. It has made me really look at my future goals and given me the motivation to start making them a reality.” 

Our commitments

We’ve announced the following commitments for the NatWest Thrive programme:

  • Our face-to-face community-based workshops in partnership with the NYA will double, from 15 to 30 clubs, to reach more young people in England
  • Over the next five years, we will also transfer £2.92m of our apprenticeship levy to the NYA to support the training of 200 youth workers across the industry in England.
  • We will develop an employee volunteering programme with the NYA for launch in April, which will see 50 of our colleagues prepared with youth work skills and the ability to deliver NatWest Thrive in their local youth club using their volunteering hours.

 

Our CEO Alison Rose DBE said:

“It’s critical that we involve young people in money conversations early on, so that we give them the confidence to make their own decisions and achieve their full potential. Providing young people with the opportunity to learn core skills, and giving them a solid grounding in personal finance is one of the key ways in which NatWest is enacting its purpose-led strategy, helping our customers and the communities we serve to thrive.”

 

Leigh Middleton, CEO, National Youth Agency, said:

“The voluntary nature of youth work means that there is a relationship of trust with their youth workers and a safe space is created for young people to explore difficult subjects, as well as to unlock their talents and passions.

“NatWest Thrive harnesses this unique relationship, by encouraging them to dream big, whilst also providing the practical tools and resources that are essential to help young people fulfil their potential.”

Find out more

Find out more about the research and our NatWest Thrive programme in our press release

View the press release

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