The K2 Project

Thinking about how to manage your money?

1 December 2007 - 1 December 2012

This leaflet was funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)

An important aspect of the very successful Let's Talk About Money project was the ‘conversations' NIACE had with prisoners to explore what they really wanted from such a guide. One important outcome from this research is that the guide would not meet the needs of all young offenders.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and LSC funded an innovative approach to this challenge, and so the K2 animation project was conceived.

Animations are incredibly expensive to produce and the funding received was quite small for such an ambitious idea. To help, the project utilised ‘key' characters that were already developed through an Equal Engage project called The Key to Your Success - hence K2. They would have to undergo a little plastic surgery but did remove the need to produce characters from scratch, which was beyond our budget.

The K2 project provides officers and tutors with an additional tool to promote and support training and educational activities that involve some aspect of money management. The DVD will be delivered freely to YOIs by the end of this year, supported by a leaflet which can be used as part of the prison induction process and a sign posting ‘credit card' styled leaflet for issue just before release. There are 8 animations in total and some of the subjects covered are debt, budgeting, Educational Maintenance Allowance and saving.

All have a clear message that improving their reading, writing and numbers skills will help them manage their money better.

For more information about the K2 project contact Jo Knight - jo.knight@niace.org.uk , NIACE

Outcomes

The project has produced two leaflets which are both available here as downloads.

The first ‘Thinking About How to Manage Your Money' is designed to introduce a young person to the subject of money management as they go through their sentence whether in prison or in the community. It is ideal for use as part of the induction program or to support formal classes.

The second ‘Thinking About How to Manage Your Money' has been specifically designed for a young person whose sentence is about to end. It should given to them as they are about to leave prison and start life on the outside.