The Duchess of Cornwall visits a Debt doctors Foundation Children Money Education Workshop

Engagement (For publication or broadcast)

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, The Duchess of Cornwall will visit a DD-UK Children’s Money Education Work Shop held at Melcombe Primary School to meet schoolchildren taking part in educational activities about money: saving, budgeting, investing and Fair-Trade, run by the charity “Debt Doctors Foundation UK (DD-UK), Hammersmith, London.

“Financial education for our children is crucial, if we are to break the vicious cycle of unsurmountable personal debt and financial bad habits” says Joseph Salmon, Sponsorship and Fundraising Manager, DD-UK. “Confronting the causes of poverty and tackling the rising problem of debt in our society are at the head of the DD-UK agenda. DD-UK provides Children’s Money Education Workshops to get the message across to young children that they need to be careful with their money. Children need to be educated about financial management at an increasingly early age and it is this major social priority that DD-UK’s Children’s Money Education Project seeks to tackle”.

Background (For publication or broadcast):

Debt Doctors Foundation UK (DD-UK) www.ddukonline.org

DD-UK is a money education, information, awareness and counselling charity offering training and support on money management and debt to people living in the UK. Confronting the causes of poverty and tackling the rising problem of debt in our society are at the head of the DD-UK agenda. DD-UK provides Children’s Money Education Workshops to get the message across to young children that they need to be careful with their money. Children need to be educated about financial management at an increasingly early age and it is this major social priority that DD-UK’s Children’s Money Education Project seeks to tackle.
The charity is currently visiting primary schools in and around London to educate children about money, saving, investing, budgeting and spending responsibly. DD-UK delivers 2 – 3 hour workshops (presentations, questions and answer sessions).
DD-UK tackles the issue of financial capability in a hands-on style and at a grass roots level. For more information please visit: www.ddukonline.org

Melcombe Primary School

Melcombe Primary School is a one and a half form entry multi-racial primary school, situated opposite Charing Cross Hospital. The school has a wide catchment area, with children travelling as far as the White City Estate, Shepherd's Bush, Fulham Broadway and Brent. About 60% of the children come from the local housing estates in the immediate school area. Less than 10% of the children live in owner occupied accommodation. Melcombe has children from some very poor backgrounds, whose families experience significant material and social disadvantage. A significant number of children live in temporary accommodation, which has cramped conditions.
Just under 60% of the families are eligible for free school dinners. About 60% of the school population have English as a second language and there are 36 different languages spoken at the school. The school was deemed by Ofsted in 2008 to be a good school with outstanding features. The school places strong emphasis on developing children’s self-esteem, self-confidence and a belief that they can be successful learners. The school’s equation for success is Vision + Action + Passion = Success.
The school subscribes to a brain-based approach to learning and teaching, which is based on an understanding of how children best learn. At the heart of the school’s approach to learning and teaching is the principle that children must believe that there is a value in the learning and that they are capable of learning it. That is why building and maintaining positive self-esteem in the learner at Melcombe is crucial. For more information please visit: www.melcombeprimary.com.