NatWest Group has announced a major expansion of its flagship financial education initiative, extending it deeper into workplaces and community settings across the UK to help bridge a widespread gap in financial confidence. The move forms part of the bank’s broader commitment to strengthening economic resilience by equipping more individuals with essential money management skills.
Starting in May 2026, the Financial Foundations program will introduce a dedicated workshop on investing, available free of charge to businesses, charities, and community organizations nationwide.
This new session aims to simplify the world of investing, remove common barriers, and provide practical advice that builds long-term financial stability and security.
The program, which has been running since 2024, already covers core topics such as budgeting, saving, borrowing, and preparing for major life events.
By adding an investment module, NatWest seeks to create a more comprehensive pathway from everyday money management to informed investing decisions.
To deliver the expanded offering, the bank is preparing more than 300 additional volunteer facilitators, who will join an existing team of around 400 colleagues already delivering hands-on sessions in person or virtually.
The goal for 2026 is to support 50,000 participants—roughly 1,000 people each week—through tailored workshops that address local needs and draw on the bank’s extensive regional presence from the Scottish islands to southern England.
The initiative builds on strong recent results. In the previous year, Financial Foundations delivered 1,500 workshops to more than 31,000 people.
When combined with its youth-focused partner program NatWest Thrive, the bank’s overall reach exceeded one million individuals.
Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with 92 per cent saying they would recommend the sessions and 90 per cent reporting greater confidence in handling and safeguarding their finances.
A recent survey of 5,000 UK adults highlighted the timeliness of the expansion.
Nearly six in ten respondents (58 per cent) expressed interest in workplace investing education, while those under 35 were twice as likely as older adults to believe employers should play a role in delivering financial training.
NatWest Group CEO Paul Thwaite emphasized the economic importance of the program.
He noted that financial confidence underpins household saving and investment decisions, which are critical yet often overlooked drivers of growth.
By bringing expert guidance directly into workplaces and communities, the bank aims to foster greater resilience across all ages and backgrounds.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby welcomed the announcement, describing financial literacy as vital for both personal wellbeing and national economic health.
At the launch event, Thwaite joined staff at digital specialists The Barcode Warehouse in Newark, Nottinghamshire, for the first investment workshop.
The company’s CFO, Alpesh Khakhar, reported that even experienced participants found the impartial, straightforward guidance valuable in overcoming common obstacles.
The expansion aligns with NatWest’s five-point Growing Together strategy, which focuses on regional development, mid-market support, infrastructure, family financial confidence, and innovation. As regulators introduce reforms to improve investment access, the bank’s initiative arrives at a key moment for closing the UK’s financial advice gap.