The next generation of savers have been given an early insight into the value and impact of money by managers from a local building society.

More than 80 year 11, 12 and 13 pupils at ACE Academy in Tipton took part in a special ‘Money Go Round’ workshop delivered by the West Brom.

Jan Sanders and Lewis Jones, who manage the West Brom’s Dudley and Tipton branches respectively, spoke to youngsters aged between 15 and 18 about issues such as the differences between a bank and a building society and what people use them for, the importance of budgeting and the dangers of getting into unaffordable debt. 

There were interactive elements throughout and the workshop ended with a team quiz.

Retail Manager Jan said: “It was fantastic to have the chance to go to ACE Academy and offer a general introduction to money and how it affects everybody on a day-to-day basis. 

“Money can be a confusing subject and it’s important, through initiatives like this workshop, to get young people thinking about the various issues from an early age. The students were very receptive to what we were saying and hopefully they found it as rewarding listening to the presentation as we did delivering it.”

Julie Cornfield, Director of Sixth Form at ACE Academy on Alexandra Road, added: "Feedback from the students afterwards was very positive and they all appreciated a talk on such a real topic.

"Management of money will increasingly become an important issue for the students who attended the presentation and they were given some very important and wise guidance."

The West Brom is a leading provider of financial services, notably savings, investments and residential mortgages. It is based in West Bromwich and has a network of 37 branches across the region.