Talking money at Ampleforth

It was an honour and a privilege to talk to the Middle Sixth last Monday about money, a topic never before covered at the school, but dealt with now as part of the newly instigated Christian Living programme.

I used the opportunity to take the students through the bare bones of a life plan, dealing with painful issues around money before moving into the actual planning process, taking students through vision (using the three questions) and dealing with the three pillars of financial planning (budgets, savings and compound interest and key ratios), then moving on to dealing with obstacles and the commensurate need for understanding, and then execution and vigour.

Throughout I related it to the Rule of St Benedict, showing how our planning tools could be used to live the by the rule in modern society, and how the rule was still very relevant today.

I sensed the talk was well received on the whole, although some bits were evidently difficult (the concept of understanding in particular), but I was anxious not to dumb down. Looking forward to expanding and developing the programme, possibly in conjunction with the FSA’s pathfinder Financial Capability programme due to kick off in the North East in 2009.

Originally posted on my family blog here