Rhyl residents boost budgeting skills thanks to Multiply project

Local charity Brighter Futures recently hosted a money management workshop delivered by Numeracy for Living - Multiply, a project led on by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

Funded by the UK Government, Multiply is a programme aimed at helping adults improve their confidence with numbers in everyday life. The project offers easy access to a wide range of FREE numeracy courses across North Wales.

The ‘Budgeting for Life’ workshop was hosted by Rhyl charity Brighter Futures, and was attended by Vale of Clwyd MP, Dr James Davies.

Brighter Futures was established in 2018 in response to the increased demand for voluntary organisations to work together to reduce social isolation, loneliness and poverty in the area.

The session at the charity’s Wellington Road base was delivered by Multiply lecturer Paul Goode. It covered topics such as creating a budget, how to save money and general best practice when it comes to managing finances. Learners took part in engaging group tasks to discuss budgeting ideas and categorise their types of spending.

Dr James Davies also took part in the session and spoke with learners during group activities.

In addition to the Budgeting for Life programme, courses offered by Multiply include:

• Helping your child with maths homework
• Numbers in the workplace (boosting employment prospects)
• Running your own business
• Brain training
• Improving confidence with numbers

Bespoke courses can be created in line with the needs of an individual or organisation.

One-to-one tutoring can also be provided for those looking to obtain a formal qualification in mathematics, such as a GCSE or the Essential Skills Wales Application of Number.

To be eligible for a Multiply course, learners need to:

• be 19 years or older;
• have not yet achieved a GCSE in maths at grade C (or its equivalent);
• live within the counties of Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy and Denbighshire.

Dr James Davies, Vale of Clwyd MP, said: “It was really good to be able to attend a ‘Multiply’ event in Rhyl today, and to see policy discussions I’ve engaged with at Parliament being put into action on the ground.

“Focusing on household budgeting, the session was well-attended and engaging. It is good to know that Multiply courses will be expanded across the area and I would encourage all who think they may benefit to find out more.”

Rhyl resident John Johnson said: “I’m really glad I attended this budgeting event. The tips were really useful and it made me think about money-saving ideas I'd never even considered before.”

Alex Carter, Multiply Project Engagement Co-ordinator for Denbighshire, said: “It was fantastic to see so many learners in attendance and hear how their budgeting confidence has improved thanks to the engaging session led by Paul.

“I’d like to thank Brighter Futures for helping us run the course and James for showing his support and helping to raise awareness of the project.

“I look forward to working with all kinds of organisations across Denbighshire to develop a broad range of Multiply courses which will benefit both individuals and businesses across the county. The message is ‘we are here to help’, so please get in touch if you would like to find out more.”

Jayne Penney, Brighter Futures Co-ordinator, said: “It was great to see so many people involved and we've had great feedback from the members. The course really made them think and will no doubt improve their budgeting skills.”

To find out more about the Multiply project, visit gllm.ac.uk/multiply or click here. You will also find a sign-up form here.

If you would like to speak to someone about the project please email multiply@gllm.ac.uk or call 01492 542 338