The Cumberland Extends MoneyJam Financial Literacy Program to Scotland

The Cumberland Building Society has extended its financial literacy partnership with FutureJam through to the 2027 Summer term, targeting primary school children across Cumbria, Lancashire, and South West Scotland. For fintech professionals, this move underscores the growing role of regional mutuals in addressing financial inclusion at the grassroots level, bridging the gap between traditional banking and early-years education.

What was announced

The Cumberland and FutureJam, a community interest company, are entering the second year of their MoneyJam programme. The initiative provides interactive money lessons to children aged seven to eleven, focusing on essential life skills such as budgeting and distinguishing between "wants" and "needs." During its inaugural term from March to August, the programme reached over 1,000 children across 26 primary schools.

The extension involves funding for 34 additional workshops. Notably, the programme is expanding geographically to include its first session in Scotland, located at Eastriggs, alongside continued delivery throughout Cumbria. The curriculum includes practical exercises, such as planning a school party within a fixed budget to teach pupils about trade-offs and the importance of saving. This hands-on approach is designed to address a specific confidence gap; before participating, most pupils reported feeling only a little confident in making financial decisions.

Beyond direct classroom interaction, which includes volunteering from Cumberland staff, the partnership focuses on sustainability through teacher training and parent sessions. Dozens of local teachers have already been trained to continue financial education independently after the workshops conclude. The commitment is now secured for the long term, with the partnership scheduled to run until the end of the 2027 Summer term, ensuring a consistent presence in the regions served by the building society.

"Learning about money at a young age is one of the most valuable things we can provide children with. The confidence to budget, to make decisions, to understand the difference between what you want and what you can actually afford, these are skills that stay with you for life."

Claire Deekes, Chief Customer Officer at The Cumberland Building Society.

The companies involved

The Cumberland Building Society is a regional mutual organisation with a significant presence in the North West of England and Southern Scotland. It operates a network of 31 branches across Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, and South West Scotland. As a building society, it is owned by its members rather than shareholders, a structure that often dictates its focus on community-centric initiatives and regional financial health. The organisation has recently positioned itself as a defender of physical banking services in areas where larger national players have withdrawn, maintaining a high-street presence to support local accessibility.

FutureJam is a community interest company (CIC) that specialises in life-skills education. Founded by Florence Tewson, the organisation focuses on normalising financial conversations for the next generation. By operating as a CIC, FutureJam is mandated to use its profits and assets for the public good, specifically targeting the development of transferable life skills in young people. The partnership with The Cumberland allows FutureJam to scale its educational workshops across rural and semi-urban regions that may otherwise lack access to specialised financial literacy resources.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has previously tracked The Cumberland’s strategic efforts to maintain its regional influence and support local economies. In July 2026, the publication reported on how The Cumberland Pledges High Street Commitment as Major Banks Exit North West and Scottish Borders. This report highlighted the building society’s decision to remain a fixture on the high street even as major commercial banks shuttered branches in the region. Additionally, FF News covered the society’s internal growth and leadership changes in The Cumberland Appoints Ben Hornby to Drive Commercial Growth in South Lakes and Lancashire. These reports collectively illustrate a broader corporate strategy of doubling down on regional presence and community engagement, of which the MoneyJam extension is a key component.

What this means

This announcement highlights a critical shift in the financial services landscape where regional mutuals are stepping into the educational void left by the retreat of Tier 1 banks. By securing a commitment until 2027, The Cumberland is treating financial literacy not as a one-off corporate social responsibility project, but as a core pillar of its market positioning. This puts pressure on larger competitors who have largely digitised their community outreach, potentially losing the "boots on the ground" influence that builds long-term brand loyalty. The industry must now consider whether these hyper-local, high-touch educational models are more effective at driving future financial inclusion than purely digital tools.