Flying the flag for numeracy
National Numeracy joined the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Youth Without Limits to form a group of 50 adults and young people who either work for or have been helped by the organisations.
Wearing smart branded jackets and carrying branded brollies, the group put together one entry to showcase their work - neatly summed up under the theme: "Me + You = Making a Difference."
This was just one of the phrases used to showcase the benefits of numeracy - writ large on giant, lightweight inflatable cubes that caught the eye floating in front of familiar landmarks. Representatives from National Numeracy, the Dyscalculia Network, Hackney Council and City Gateway carried the cubs aloft through the streets of London to celebrate the life-changing impact we are making.
Sam Sims, Chief Executive of National Numeracy said: "It was a real honour and an incredible experience for National Numeracy to take part in the Lord Mayor’s show on Saturday, as a charity partner of The Lord Mayor's Appeal. I enjoyed every minute of this truly inspirational occasion and the opportunity to champion our Every Londoner Counts initiative. Huge congratulations to Nicholas Lyons on becoming Lord Mayor of London!"
Every Londoner Counts
The Lord Mayor's Appeal aims to find solutions to the most pressing societal issues in the capital and beyond, by creating a City that is inclusive, healthy, skilled and fair. Its ambition is to help one million people thrive through the charities it is supporting, as well as other City-wide initiatives.
It funds National Numeracy's 'Every Londoner Counts' initiative, which is helping thousands of residents in greatest need to build their confidence and skills, and to develop a positive attitude towards basic numeracy.
Londoners are feeling the full force of the UK’s hidden numeracy crisis with data showing that low numeracy is an issue holding back 3.5 million Londoners from fulfilling their potential. It can lead to increased vulnerability to unemployment, debt, fraud, and financial exclusion.
By training volunteer Numeracy Champions who are embedded within businesses, organisations and community groups to mentor adults, the project aims to improve employability and financial inclusion for those who need it most, in a scalable and sustainable way.
The initiative also includes workshops that inspire positive attitudes towards numeracy – all supplemented by our awareness campaigns and easy-to-use online tool - the National Numeracy Challenge - which encourages and tracks progress.
To date, we have trained 68 Numeracy Champions, thanks to the Lord Mayor's Appeal, and delivered learner workshops to 51 staff and teachers in five London schools.
Get involved!
If your organisation is in London and would like to know how to get involved in Every Londoner Counts, please get in touch: training@nationalnumeracy.org.uk
