“Ugh. Why Has He Got So Much Energy?” – Real Impact at Money Ready

At Money Ready, we talk a lot about impact. We celebrate the lightbulb moments when young people suddenly get the importance of budgeting, when they apply for their first tenancy with confidence, or when they proudly tell us they’ve started saving for something important. These stories are powerful, and rightly shared.

But some of our most meaningful impact doesn’t come with instant gratitude or glowing feedback. Sometimes it sounds more like:

“Are we doing this again?”
“Why do I have to write this?”
“Ugh, when is break?”

And that’s just as valid.

One of our team members recently joined a Young Adults session led by our Scotland hub as part of preparations to bring our Tenancies module to Northern Ireland. What they witnessed wasn’t a neat, polished training session. It was messy. Challenging. Real. And it was impact, in its truest form.

More Than Meets the Eye

If you looked only at the transcript of that day, you might wonder why we even try.

One young person, just after getting on the bus with us, announced she didn’t want to do the session at all. She got off a few stops early, promising to be very late.

Another sleepy participant asked, “Why does he have so much energy?” when they walked in and saw our trainer ready for action. Others counted down the minutes to the break. There were tangents and distractions aplenty.

But if all behaviour is communication, then this is what else happened:

The first young person not only acknowledged us on the bus, but she also chose to sit near us and talk.
She promised to be late, but she was actually the first to arrive that day – and brought her friend too.
There were three stragglers – but from our perspective, they didn’t turn up late, they turned up.
They got stuck into their qualification workbooks – and even those who weren’t eligible for the qualification chose to stay to the end and keep learning.
Despite everything else they were going through, they asked questions (sometimes random ones), laughed, and engaged.
They came back after breaks. They returned the next day.

None of these moments will show up in a spreadsheet, but every single one matters.

Trainers Who Show Up, Too

What stood out most was how our trainer handled it all. With professionalism, patience, humour, and genuine care. And it reminded us of something we all need to hear: what our trainers do day in, day out is nothing short of remarkable.

These sessions aren’t easy. The young people we support often bring complex needs and life experiences with them into the room. But they still show up. And so do we.

The day before, we’d been reflecting on motivation – how uplifting it is when a young person tells us they enjoyed a session or have already acted on something we discussed. But sometimes the “thank you” sounds like:

“Can I show you this TikTok?”
“Do you know that guy with the beard?”
“Are you coming back tomorrow?”

And that’s enough. That’s impact.

A Quiet Kind of Success

We’re proud of our stats: the qualifications completed, the amount of people reached, the money management now understood. But we’re equally proud of what those stats don’t capture.

Young people staying in a room they don’t really want to be in, because they feel safe. A trainer creating space where even resistance is a form of engagement.
Choosing to show up, again and again, even if they never say “thanks”.

So, here’s to everyone who shows up, our trainers who bring energy, care, and commitment, and our learners who keep coming back, even when it’s hard. Whether or not it’s spoken, your effort matters. Your presence matters. We see you and we celebrate you, even in the quiet kind of success.

We Don’t Do This Alone

We collaborate with schools, colleges, community groups and charities to make sure financial education reaches the people who need it most. If you work with groups and want to help them bring the language of money to life, we’d love to work with you.

Together, we can make money make sense.

Learn more about our programmes, donate to help us reach more people, or contact us today [email protected].