Money management course in school

Baptist church team delivers a Christians Against Poverty Money Course to pupils in a local secondary school

Youth pastor Owen James and a small team from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Penarth, delivered a Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Money Course to Year 12 pupils at St Cyres School.
 
The invitation came about after one of the Baptist church members, a cook at the school, had discussions with members of staff about the CAP Money Course. The church has been running it for several years helping people to budget and run their finances well. More recently it has started a CAP Job Club to help people with skills to acquiring jobs.
 
Owen, who had come into post in January, had an interest in helping young people plan their finances. 'I was with a course tutor at a university when she got a call from a first year student who three weeks in to term had spent all her money because no one had explained to her how to budget or handle money. One of the things students going for the first time to uni need is help with planning their finances.'

He discovered that CAP had created a youth supplement to its general course, and subsequently received training in how to deliver it. 
 
Owen was then invited for a meeting with Phil Davies, Head of the Welsh Baccalaureate programme at St Cyres. The programme has an emphasis on teaching life skills such as management of time and resources. The CAP Money Course covers areas such as understanding best buys – getting value for money; understanding loans, and hire purchase, and was deemed suitable.
 
Owen presented the course to more than 80 Year 12 pupils alongside colleague Sara Redwood. They were joined by two others from the church for the breakout sessions, meaning each had around 20 pupils to work on budgeting.
 
Owen was pleased with the response. He said:

‘The afternoon went well. We had a very warm reception from the staff and pupils. The young people engaged well with the topic in both the main ‘breakout’ sessions. Conversations were had with pupils about their finances and also regarding future finance challenges they would face.
 
'Discussions were heard among them regarding how they finance their current ‘life style’ and how this could change and whether ‘Bank of mum and Dad is the best way to live. Certainly in the group I had there were young people appreciating that not everyone has the same financial advantages or disadvantages as themselves and a more tolerant attitude was expressed.
 
'The staff expressed positive views regarding our presentation and were appreciative of us going in and presenting the course.’

 
As a result of the session, Owen and the team were invited to present the CAP Money Course in another secondary school.