- Contas à Vida
Contas à Vida
![You can count on me for the next phase. This is a fantastic experience and they [the young people] have so much to teach us....](images/com-inv/quotes/portugal.gif)
Barclays Portugal’s Contas à Vida (Accounts for Life) project helps young people understand how to manage their money and deal with financial challenges.
More than 300 participants have learned the basics of budgeting and the importance of financial planning from a team of Barclays volunteers since the programme launched in early 2008.
The nationwide scheme concentrates not just on financial acumen, but also on helping 14 to 18-year-old trainees in developing their social and interpersonal skills. The aim is to help young people from underprivileged communities find ways to achieve financial independence, confidence and a route to a better future.
Adelaide Correia, Facilitator for the Boa Onda (Good Mood) programme in Loulé, Algarve, said: "Our youngsters learned many things from the scheme and assured us that from now on they will pay much more attention to money issues."
This programme is intended to help, at least 500 young people to:
| Project targets |
| Understand the part and the importance of money in their lives |
| Learn, understand and use basic financial skills |
| Think about using financial e-service resources, which are useful for their future |
| Develop interpersonal and social skills that are important for life |
| Think of the financial implications of their education, training and employment choices |
| Impacts to date |
| In the first phase we have supported 300 young people |
| 24 Barclays employees volunteered their time and skills in the first phase, promoting the Barclays brand throughout Portugal |
| 15 Programas Escolhas projects still committed to taking part in the second phase of Contas à vida |
| We have received very good media coverage with 14 press stories at national news level, three at regional level and three TV news stories covered at prime time |
| 100% of the facilitators and the volunteers want to continue taking part in Contas à Vida |
Nuria’s story
I learned how to deal with my money, because I used to spend a lot of money on useless things. I found this course very helpful and I was very fortunate to be a part of it. I think they should bring this information not only here, but also to schools.
Feel inspired to get involved?
If you’re a Barclays employee, you can apply for grants, funding and volunteering projects
