Fairytales & Financial Literacy

Our award winning Carrick Money Advice Service (CMAS) based in Girvan is supporting children to develop financial literacy skills through expanding their pilot programme of Financial Fairy-tales, play and activities in primary schools across the Carrick area in South Ayrshire.

Working alongside children in the classroom, CMAS’ financial literacy pilot is an early intervention approach that aligns to the Curriculum of Excellence. Encouraging children to explore complex concepts of money, income, budgeting, banking, taxation, spend, debt, credit, entrepreneurship and business enterprise by harnessing the stories and journeys in the Financial Fairy-tales books.

Shona McKellar, CMAS Family Support Worker who has developed the pilot and has worked alongside the children says “Financial literacy skills are so important, and much more than simply knowing how to manage the money in your pocket, it is about health.”

Shona adds “By creating opportunities for children to learn and develop good financial literacy skills in a fun and engaging way, we are allowing them to grow up informed and with the knowledge and confidence they need to generate their own income and manage their finances effectively and in turn, their own health.”

Learning from the initial pilot has shown that children loved the fairy-tales and found learning about finance fun! Preferring hands on activities using the money bags games, activity books and play coins, the children supported one another. More problem solving and craft activities were suggested and the team at CMAS will take this forward as the initiative rolls out to more schools across Carrick.

For more information on this initiative, please contact CMAS on 01465 712637, by email admin.moneyadvice@ssff.org.uk

To learn more about Stepping Stones for Families, access Our Story animation here