How This Started
Three educators, one frustrating pattern, and a decision to do something about it
In 2019, Sarah was teaching A-level economics at a Bristol sixth form. During a lesson on debt, a bright eighteen-year-old raised his hand and asked, "What's an overdraft?" Another student admitted she'd never heard the term "interest rate" outside the classroom.
These weren't struggling students. They were bound for Russell Group universities. But nobody had taught them the basics of how money actually works in daily life.
That conversation kept Sarah awake. She mentioned it to Tom, a youth worker in Southville, who told her he'd been seeing the same gap. Young people with questions about money but nowhere to ask them without feeling embarrassed.
The third member of what would become brave-motif was Maya, a former financial adviser who'd left the corporate world precisely because she was tired of only helping people fix problems that could have been prevented years earlier.
What We Believe
Financial literacy is a life skill, not a luxury
It shouldn't depend on having financially savvy parents or stumbling across the right YouTube channel. Every young person deserves to understand money before they're forced to make significant financial decisions.
Learning by doing beats lectures
We don't stand at the front of a room and talk at people. We create scenarios, run simulations, and facilitate discussions where young people reach conclusions themselves.
Parents are partners, not obstacles
Many parents want to teach their children about money but aren't sure how to start those conversations. We provide frameworks that work at home, not just in our sessions.
Mistakes should be cheap, not expensive
Better to lose pretend money in a workshop than real money in your first year of independence. We create safe spaces to fail small and learn fast.
Our Approach
We started testing our methods with small groups in community centres across Bristol. The first programme had six teenagers and lasted four weeks. We asked them what they wished they knew about money, then built sessions around their answers.
Three years later, we've worked with over 400 young people aged seven to eighteen. The format has evolved, the materials have improved, but the core principle remains: make it relevant, make it practical, make it stick.
Every programme includes:
- Real-world scenarios based on actual situations Bristol families face
- Small group sizes where everyone participates, nobody hides at the back
- Take-home resources that extend learning beyond the session
- Follow-up support via email for questions that arise later
- Parent guides for continuing conversations at home
Who We Are
Sarah Chen
Programme Director
Former economics teacher with twelve years in education. Specialises in making abstract concepts concrete. Has an uncanny ability to explain inflation using only biscuits.
Tom Adeyemi
Youth Engagement Lead
Eight years in youth work across Bristol. Masters the art of getting teenagers to open up about money without it feeling like a school lesson. Previously worked with Bristol Youth Services.
Maya Patel
Financial Education Specialist
Fifteen years in financial services before joining us. Chartered Financial Planner who decided prevention was better than cure. Translates financial jargon into plain English.
What We've Learned
Some insights from three years of running these programmes:
Seven-year-olds grasp the concept of value faster than adults give them credit for. They just need permission to ask questions without judgment.
Teenagers are desperate for this information but won't admit it. They'll claim indifference while taking detailed notes.
Parents often learn as much as their children. Many adults tell us they wish they'd known this stuff twenty years ago.
The most powerful moments happen when young people realise money isn't mysterious—it's just a system, and systems can be understood.
Ready to Start?
Explore our programmes or get in touch with questions. We're based in central Bristol and run sessions across the city.