This was the second year of our strategy, “Money: A Language for Life”, which we’ve now extended to 2030. It also marked the beginning of our 20th year of impact, celebrated at the House of Lords, and our first full year operating as Money Ready following our 2025 rebrand. 

Following our merger with RedSTART Educate in September 2025, we brought our teams and programme models together and introduced the new Schools Programme and Delivery Directorate, extending our reach from age four to 40 and combining decades of expertise to deliver financial education at every life stage. 

We’re thrilled to launch our 2025-26 Impact Report, celebrating what we’ve achieved together. It sets the stage for the work ahead as we continue to drive systemic change in the way financial education is delivered across the UK. 

Our impact in numbers

This year’s report reveals the scale and depth of our impact across all four nations: 

  • 66,357 learners supported through our programmes, a 12% increase on 24/25. 
  • 3,638 programmes delivered: an average of 70 a week. 
  • 4,728 money management accreditations awarded, helping young people take real steps toward financial independence. 
  • 4,990 volunteer hours contributed by 1,039 dedicated supporters, up from 1,133 hours and 212 volunteers in 24/25. 
  • 74% of learners aged 16+ improved their financial knowledge, and 68% had greater confidence in managing money. 

Read the full 2025-26 Impact Report.

These achievements have been made possible by the passion of our team, the guidance of our trustees, the support of our dedicated partners and funders, and the enthusiasm of every learner we work with. 

Highlights from the year

We were pleased to see financial education recommended for statutory status in primary schools for the first time, as part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in England. We submitted evidence to five further UK inquiries and consultations, welcomed 14 MPs to see our programmes, and co-hosted a financial resilience event with Monzo at the House of Commons. 

In January 2026, we launched our first flagship national campaign, The Cost of Not Knowing, putting a number on the price of missed financial education: an average annual cost of £641 from delayed financial decisions. The campaign gathered 131 signatures on our open letter to government and saw 47 members of the public write to their MPs. 

We also expanded our reach into new communities this year. A new trainer extended our support to Derry/Londonderry, new partnerships took us into prisons including Polmont, and our bursary programmes grew significantly: the Brummie Bursary awarded £55,683 across close to 300 grants in Birmingham, our new Wee Bursary launched in Edinburgh, and we launched the Pathway Bursary in London this summer, offering up to £2,500 per grant. 

Our digital presence grew too, with a 13% increase in followers, a 165% increase in impressions, and a 116% increase in engagements compared to the previous year, reaching over 927,000 impressions in total. 

The most recent evaluation of Change the Game in primary schools, published by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, highlighted a 16.8 percentage-point improvement in financial ability after three years, against schools without the programme. 

Looking ahead

Our 26/27 business plan marks the third year of our strategy, now refined from four pillars to three: Building Habits, Deepening Impact, and Tackling Inequality. Change the Game will become our main primary school offering, and we’re expanding it into secondary schools for the first time. 

This year also marks a leadership change. Leon Ward will step down as CEO in October 2026, after leading Money Ready through one of the most transformative chapters in our history, including the rebrand, the merger with RedSTART Educate, and growth into all four nations. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year.