Share Radio to broadcast Managing My MoneyOpen University Business School course on live radio 

  • Share Radio set to broadcast the course to help listeners with their finances
  • Listeners can include Managing My Money Statement of Participation certificate from the Open University on their CV
  • Managing My Moneycourse from The Open University Business School’s True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (True Potential PUFin) focuses on money issues, from budgeting to pension planning

 Share Radio, the radio station dedicated to sharing ideas about money, is launching the radio broadcast (and audio podcast) of the highly successful Managing My Moneycourse, in partnership with The Open University Business School’s True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (True Potential PUFin.)

The innovative and completely free course, which runs for eight weeks and will start afresh each fortnight, will be available from 9pm on September 7th 2015 via the DAB station and online via www.shareradio.co.uk. There will be two 25 minute broadcast episodes per week, each with an online test. Following the final, more comprehensive test, students will receive a Statement of Participation certificate from the Open University. The shows strike a lively conversational tone, and listeners will be engaged by the unique content, including the use of rhyming, songs and skits to convey the messages in an accessible way.

Those taking the course will be also be able to name a third party who can monitor their progress and collect their results. Not only does this give extra support from family at home, but importantly, makes it a unique resource for teachers, who are now tasked with weaving financial education into the national curriculum. Employers are also encouraged to take part by asking their staff to participate in the programme and acting as a third party referee. The course has been designed to help people with their finances and upon completion, participants can include the statement of participation certificate on their CV.

Supported by True Potential LLP, Managing My Money was the first course to be created by True Potential PUFin and was made available online and free of charge to the general public back in May 2014. The original course has now been updated by the Open University Business School’s personal finance experts – bringing it in line with the latest reforms to pensions and with the personal finance developments unveiled in the two budget statements this year – and transformed in to an entertaining broadcast production by The Share Radio team.

With household incomes continuing to fall and personal debt at a record high, improving personal financial skills and knowledge is vital. Consumer research carried out on behalf of The Open University last year revealed Britons are struggling to manage their monthly household budget with a third (33%) of Brits regularly facing a monthly budget deficit by consistently outspending the money coming in.[1]

To help people with their finances, the Managing My Moneycourse will focus on core subjects including: Pensions, Financial Planning and the Life Journey, Income, Taxation and Benefits, Expenditure and Budgeting, Debt and Borrowing, Savings and Investment, Housing and the Household Balance Sheet. After listening to each subject episode, participants will sit an online test to ensure they understand.

Questions include:

  1. Which items would be included in the income side of a household’s budget?
  2. Why does the cost of an annual holiday complicate the setting of a monthly budget?
  3. What is most likely to contribute to a good credit score?

 

Presenting the series on Share Radio are Glen Goodman and Annie Weston. Glen is an experienced business news specialist with an extensive track record as a presenter and correspondent in the broadcast industry. Glen previously worked at ITV, BBC and LBC radio.  Annie has also worked with the BBC, and is producer of Share Radio’s Consuming Issues.

 Share Radio, Managing Director, Gavin Oldham said: “Launching our Managing My Money course with The Open University Business School is central to our strategy to help people better understand their finances. At Share Radio, we have established a strong reputation for accessible and helpful guidance on money matters and this new show will help progress and build Share Radio’s profile and audience throughout the United Kingdom. We hope this course will help people to become more confident in handling and managing their finances. As part for this exciting partnership, we’re also delighted to be the first to offer teachers, employers and other third parties the opportunity to get involved directly by monitoring and supporting progress on the course. This exciting new development is the first of its kind.”

True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (PUFin) at the Open University Business School, Director, Martin Upton said:  “In May 2014 we launched the original Managing My Money course in response to the distressing state of personal finance knowledge and skills among the UK public. The positive response to the course was resounding, but almost a year-and-a-half on there remains a very real problem in the UK. The team at Share Radio have come up with an innovative and entertaining show that makes the Managing My Money course even more accessible, and to a wider range of audiences, and we’re delighted to partner with them and to continue to make financial education more readily available in the UK.”

The online version of the Managing My Money course has already attracted some 50,000 participants.  The course is suitable for all ages from secondary school students to pensioners. The broadcast course will be free of charge, as is The Open University Business School’s online version of the course.

For those interested and to be kept updated with the latest information, please register at www.shareradio.co.uk.

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

Gavin Oldham, Managing Director, Share Radio 07767-337696

[email protected]

Teamspirit PR

Jo Preston / Victoria Robinson / Sophie Lanning

0207 360 7878

[email protected]

The PR Network

Russell Read-Barrow

07869 139775

[email protected]

 

Note to editors:

About Share Radio

Share Radio is the UK’s first radio station dedicated to providing information on money and investment matters for people across the United Kingdom. Share Radio is a talk-based station aimed at a broad audience, everyone from consumers looking for the best deals and information through to City professionals. The station aims to demystify finance by entertaining and educating its listeners. Regular programmes include Morning Money, Investment Perspectives, Consuming Issues and The Evening Show. The station is the home to presenters and journalists including consumer champions Sarah Pennells and Georgie Frost, This is Money’s Simon Lambert and Senior Analyst Ed Bowsher, who was recently shortlisted in the Financial Broadcast Journalist of the Year category at the 2015 Headlinemoney Media Awards. Share Radio was also nominated in the 2015 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards for Innovation of the Year.

Share Radio is partnering with The Open University Business School (OUBS) to host the exclusive radio broadcast audio version of the successful financial education course Managing My Money. The partnership forms a key part of Share Radio’s vision to help people become more confident in handling money.

Share Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is available on Greater London DAB and on broadband at www.shareradio.co.uk. Listeners can also download the Share Radio App from the Apple and Android App stores or listen in to Radioplayer and TuneIn radio player Apps.

About The Open University Business School

Founded in 1983, The Open University Business School (OUBS) has become one of the leading business schools in the world and a pioneer in distance learning business and management education.

The school’s flexible and practice-based programmes transform careers and organisations by enabling people to learn while remaining in full time employment. Tutors are practising professionals in their fields and the school’s qualifications and Executive Education programmes are developed by subject specialists and grounded in leading-edge research.

OUBS offers part time and distance learning business and management courses leading to internationally recognised MBA, MSc, BA qualifications and professional certificates. Its True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (PUFin) also contributes free courses to the online learning platform, FutureLearn.

Through its work-based Executive Education programmes, OUBS helps organisations across a range of sectors to address specific needs. Sectors include local and central government, defence, healthcare, education, the third sector, financial services, IT, telecoms, engineering and construction, energy and utilities, sport and fitness or transport and logistics.

OUBS has a sister law school, The Open University Law School

About The True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (True Potential PUFin)

The True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (True Potential PUFin) is a pioneering Centre of Excellence for research in the development of personal financial capabilities. The establishment and activities of True Potential PUFin have been made possible thanks to the generous support of True Potential LLP, which has committed to a five-year programme of financial support for the Centre totalling £1.4 million.

True Potential PUFin works to improve public understanding of personal finance through its research and the delivery of free modules providing individuals with the tools to make sound financial decisions.

For more information, please visit www.open.ac.uk/pufin

About True Potential LLP

The True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance is generously supported by True Potential LLP. Formed in 2007, True Potential LLP is one of the fastest growing and most innovative financial services organisations in the UK today. Through its group of companies – True Potential Wealth Management LLP, True Potential Investments LLP and True Potential Adviser Services LLP – they work with close to 20% of UK Financial Advisers and their clients.

They also offer an online investment service that empowers UK consumers to take control of their finances – True Potential Investor. Along with being able to set real goals for your money and giving you the ability to invest in some of the world’s leading funds and track their progress 24/7, True Potential Investor offers the firm’s unique impulseSave® feature. This allows savers to top-up their investment accounts with as little as £1, or as much as needed to close the ‘gap to goal’.

By harnessing technology, True Potential provides simple, effective and unique solutions that are built for the future and have the power to change the way people save.