A Chorley high school is pioneering moves to help youngsters to get to grips with money matters and avoid debt.
The Debt Advice Foundation has given £25,000 to Southlands High School for a ground-breaking initiative that aims to improve financial awareness through education.
Building work is now complete and an area at the school has been kitted-out with 34 new computers, financial literature and an area for seminars and workshop groups.
Video conferencing will also be installed, to communicate with schools across the county.
David Rodger, managing director of Darwen-based Debt Advice Foundation, said: “As more and more people struggle with debt related problems, education is the key to changing attitudes towards borrowing and saving.
“Educating the younger generation about money management prepares them for the financial challenges of adulthood, to help them avoid debt problems.
“The country is currently experiencing the highest ever levels of personal insolvency, so it’s important that action is taken now to prevent the crisis worsening in the future.”
The charity will now work with the school to develop the Debt Education Centre and a team of Year 11 pupils will be trained as the centre’s ‘lead learners’, with educational input from the charity and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Southlands has an ongoing partnership with Debt Advice Foundation and its pupils have written a series of Money Diaries books, which the charity has published for 60 schools across Lancashire.
The next stage of the Money Diaries will see pupils from Southlands travel to London in September to interview governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King and the BBC’s Business Editor, Robert Peston.
The centre was officially opened by Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons Bread.
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