Lily Lapenna, our founder and leader since 2007, has become Co-Chair of Trustees at MyBnk. Guy Rigden, Co-CEO since 2014, is now sole CEO of our charity.
Since 2007, Lily has helped develop our range of financial education and enterprise programmes for 11-25 year olds. An Ashoka Fellow, in 2010 she was appointed a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and later campaigned successfully to include money lessons in the national curriculum.
Under her tenure, MyBnk has reached over 135,000 young people through 750 secondary schools and youth organisations in England and trained others to replicate our work across Europe, Africa and Asia. We have won numerous awards, including the Preventing Poverty Award from the Centre for Social Justice and in 2015, the Leaving Care Award from Children & Young People Now. In the same year, The Money Advice Service gave our charity’s flagship programme, Money Twist, the highest effectiveness rating of any UK youth money skills project.
Guy Rigden will continue to drive MyBnk’s mission to bring money and business to life, support more vulnerable young people into independent living and expand our schools work to younger ages.
It is an exciting time for MyBnk as we integrate technology, physical fitness and creative arts into our programmes and grow via new projects in the South of England and, next year, the Midlands.
“It will be a pleasure continuing to work with Lily and the team to equip young people with key life skills like budgeting and saving and helping them develop an enterprising outlook. Despite progress, our work remains vital. 59% of young people still do not receive any financial education and the downgrading of the Money Advice Service puts at risk efforts to improve the nation’s financial capability. MyBnk will continue to meet these challenges head on.” Guy Rigden, CEO, MyBnk.
“It has been a privilege to help young people learn how to manage their money, start an enterprise and find employment. I have cherished being part of the passionate, spirited and bright MyBnk team. Through our work, I have witnessed incredible changes: 12-year-olds developing saving habits by running school banks, care leavers prioritising their debts whilst preparing for independent living and unemployed youth having their first entrepreneurial experience – leading to a job or business. I look forward to my new role where I will continue to contribute to this amazing story. I will always feel that MyBnk buzz!” Lily Lapenna, Founder and Co-Chair of Trustees, MyBnk.
