A pile of ringbound A5 notepads with the Money Ready branding on a white cover

Celebrating Young Voices this International Youth Day!

At Money Ready, we recently had the pleasure of welcoming an intern, Mandisa, a bright and thoughtful young person preparing to complete school. During her time with us she worked across several departments, from our expert delivery team to our communications team, gaining insight into the operations of a financial education charity.

As part of her experience, Mandisa conducted research and reflected on her learnings to write a powerful piece about Money Ready’s mission and how we support young people. To celebrate International Youth Day, we’re amplifying her voice and sharing her experience, highlighting the importance of supporting young people — not just through our programmes, but by creating real opportunities like internships that offer hands-on experience.

How Money Ready Empowers Young People

By Mandisa

On 12th August 2025, the world celebrates International Youth Day, a day to acknowledge the potential, power, and promise of young people everywhere.

Money Ready are committed to building a financially confident population, and they understand that shaping the future begins with investing in young people today.

Young people are too often overlooked or underestimated. Their ideas, talents, and aspirations can go unrecognised, as if they must wait their turn to make an impact. But days like International Youth Day remind us of the importance of uplifting youth and supporting them to shape the world that will soon be theirs to lead.

At Money Ready, the team focuses on equipping young people with the financial knowledge they need to navigate a complex world. From pocket money and part-time jobs to understanding benefits, money enters young lives early but with little guidance on how to manage it. This can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed or unprepared, especially when money is either scarce or misused.

Money Ready recognise the challenges today’s youth face in an ever-changing economic landscape. That’s why they offer expert-led financial education not for their own benefit, but to give young people the tools they need to thrive. Whether it’s helping someone afford to move their family into a better home or simply heat their house through the winter, I’ve learned from my experience interning here that financial literacy is life-changing.

Money Ready’s mission is to make sure no young person feels left behind when it comes to money. I was proud to hear that 87% of learners report feeling confident about managing their finances after completing a Money Ready programme. And this can be truly transforming for young people before entering adulthood and kickstarting their careers.

This International Youth Day, let’s stand together to encourage youth to step into leadership and decision-making spaces, equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed and feel empowered, not excluded.

To learn more about Money Ready’s programmes, go to https://moneyready.org/programmes/.