We support people on lower incomes to have more satisfying lives, through using money more effectively, talking about money more easily, and experiencing less financial stress. We work with people to find solutions that are right for them, by running groups for learning and sharing a range of tools and information. Our work takes place online and in person.
Where skills, approaches or learning have the potential to help a wider group of people, we share what we learn with other practitioners and organisations. We do this through our practitioner training programme and by sharing our resources and insights.
If you are worried about Money right now, please go to this page.
What do we do?
There are three main strands of our work:
Supporting sensitive, effective money learning for vulnerable children and young people – Our Money Springboard project offers resources and training for adults (staff or foster carers) supporting care experienced children & young people to learn money skills. Much of this learning is suitable for those working with other children and young people who might be considered vulnerable. To get in touch or to arrange for us to support your organisation, please click here for our contact form.
Supporting parents – We support parents to learn tips and tools to make their money go further and to help their children learn helpful money habits. This autumn we are launching free, friendly help for parents that can be easily accessed online, as well as in person. To find out more or to arrange for us to support staff or parents at your school or organisation, please click here.
Helping people avoid online scams – Our Savvy About Scams course helps people recognise and avoid online financial and interpersonal scams, so they can enjoy time online and save money. This work is currently only being delivered for residents of Tower Hamlets. To find out more or to arrange for us to work with your organisation, please click here.
In addition to this, we are also seeking to deepen our understanding of:
- the relationship between trauma and the challenges of managing money.
- effective ways to support people on lower incomes to adjust to the impacts of climate change.
What is distinctive about the Made of Money approach?
Made of Money’s approach is friendly and non-judgemental. It’s underpinned by our understanding that:
- We are all different and need different things from our money. What we need from our money is likely to change through our lives. Our needs and wants will be different when we are 25 from when we are 65, for example. People are the experts on their own lives and are best placed to know what is right for them.
- Learning about money is often not as simple as introducing a person to a relevant fact and expecting changes to happen. Many people have experiences that can get in the way of learning. We are committed to exploring ways to make talking and learning about money more sensitive, enjoyable and therefore effective.
- Our emotions and experiences have a major effect on how we make decisions involving money. We think there are comparatively few decisions that are simply about money. Most ‘financial’ decisions are actually decisions about our lives and values that have financial implications. The more we understand about how our emotions affect our decisions, the more effectively we can manage our money.
Our participants say:
"Now I look at money, the meaning, and the way I spend it, the things I buy, and what influences how I spend it."
“You learn how you can help yourself. They’re not there to tell you how to do it.”
“I feel more in control of my money than I did initially.”
We’d love to hear from you!
To introduce your work, discuss an idea for collaboration, or to ask us to work with your clients, school, parenting or community group,
please get in touch by filling in this contact form.