Chester school children get down to business with Virgin Money

Being introduced to the world of finance and banking is not something you would typically expect a group of primary school children to enjoy.

However, a recent visit of 12 children from St Clare’s Catholic Primary in Lache to Virgin Money offices in Chester proved the opposite to be true.

With the support of Passion for Learning and the Virgin Money team, the children were put through their paces in a Dragon’s Den style pitch to senior managers.

As part of Virgin Money’s Make £5 Grow initiative, the children participating have each been loaned a virtual investment of £5 per head, with which to develop an idea and produce something which can be sold to generate a profit.

The aim of the project is to help the children develop their financial literacy by introducing them to the fundamental concepts of business in a fun and accessible way.

Enrichment clubs manager at Passion for Learning, Rachael Driver, said: “We have been totally amazed and delighted by how well the children have responded to the challenge of this project. They have come up with some brilliant and creative ideas, which our team of volunteers have loved helping the children to develop.”

Founder and managing director at Passion for Learning, Diane Clark, added: “We are so grateful to all the team at Virgin Money who have got behind this project all the way.

“It is clear how much they want to make a difference to the local communities in Chester and Ellesmere Port by helping children to learn new skills and better understand the wider world. We know this experience will stay with the children for a very long time and we hope it will help them to develop their own ambitions for the future.”

The Make £5 Grow project will culminate in an event in Grosvenor Park in Chester on July 11, when children from both St Clare’s Catholic Primary and Westminster Primary in Ellesmere Port will run stalls to sell their wares to the general public, who we hope will come along and support the children on the day.

The children themselves will choose how to spend the profits they make from the project on resources for the Enrichment Clubs, but they are not yet revealing what they will choose.

Viv Couche, development manager at Passion for Learning, said: “Virgin Money has been a great partner to us, not just in this project but also last year when we ran an interactive Science Palace for children at Storyhouse in Chester.

“As a charitable organisation, we value partnerships so much, to be able to offer the kind of enriching learning experiences to the children we help. If anyone reading this article could help inspire the younger generation and contribute something to their local community, whether as a volunteer or as a business, please get in touch with us.”