YOUNG people in Redditch will have the opportunity to learn about the pitfalls of poor money management thanks to two films produced by a local theatre company.
Backed by a grant from Redditch Borough Council, the films, from Jestaminute Community Theatre cic (JCT) show the consequences of making bad financial decisions.
These are currently being distributing to local schools and relevant community organisations accompanied by some suggested teaching resources.
‘Storing Up Trouble’ portrays the impact of poor decisions at difficult times of life, for example in the case of redundancy, whereas ‘With Friends Like These’ shows how a young man, Kyle, is conned by a someone posing as a friend who offers to lend him money.
To produce the resources JCT have worked with Ridgeway Academy who have supported the company throughout the project, from researching levels of understanding among young people to trialling the resources at the school.
When tested before teachers their verdict was: “The videos were interesting and thought provoking, and provided lots of areas for discussion based on the story line of the main character.”
JCT were also helped in their research by Signs of Hope, a social enterprise dedicated to seeing people live fuller lives by helping them regain control of their finances and who run a local money advice service.
Judith Wills, head of community services at Redditch borough council said: “the council’s voluntary and community sector grant programme aims to fund a diverse range of projects which help people in Redditch in different ways, including helping them to be financially independent.
“We recognise that attaining money management and budgeting life skills from an early age is key to enabling people to be financially independent and secure later in life.
“We are pleased that Jestaminute have been able to tackle this issue with their innovative project.”
If anyone would like a copy of the films please contact JCT at [email protected] .
