Second episode of new podcast series provides tips and resources to help with budgeting
Glasgow City Region has collaborated with local community radio station Sunny Govan to introduce a new podcast series to support adults across the Region to be more number confident and to highlight the free courses available.
The second episode of the podcast series, which goes live on Friday 7 February 2025 at 12pm, provides support and guidance for adults who are looking to improve their confidence with numbers, with a specific focus on budgeting, managing household finances, debt, and energy consumption.
It features new hosts, Yvonne Hughes from Renfrewshire’s Affordable Credit Alliance, Alison Clunie from the Citizens Advice Bureau, and Nina Donald from the Health and Social Care Alliance – Community Link Worker Programme (pictured in the Sunny Govan Radio).
Yvonne, who leads the second podcast and works as an Affordable Credit Officer with the Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance, said:
“Through my work at the Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance, which centres around affordable credit and loan shark prevention, I was part of the Multiply delivery programme in Renfrewshire. I was delighted to be asked to be part of the podcast where we partnered with Citizens Advice and the Alliance energy project.
Our podcast is focused on how to budget better and manage your finances. We provide a range of useful tips for managing your money. We address misconceptions about maths and hear from learners who have taken part in Multiply courses and improved their confidence with numbers.
Numbers are literally everywhere – we want to help people feel more at ease and normalise their struggles with maths.’
Alison, Money Advisor with the Citizens Advice Bureau, said:
‘Anyone can struggle with money which could be related to numeracy and can be made worse by stress and past experiences. At CAB we see a wide variety of people from all walks of life – different ages and circumstances. That’s why I feel it’s important to say you shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for help, because it can happen to anyone.
I would advise people to ask for help if they are worried about managing money or about debt, either from Multiply courses, or from their local citizens advice bureau.’
Nina, Energy Outreach Worker, talking about the support available with the Alliance said:
‘The Community Links Programme run by the Alliance Scotland, covers the Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council areas. The Energy Outreach workers can assist with all fuel poverty related matters including liaison with suppliers to renegotiate fuel bills, debt amelioration, energy efficiency advice and advice and support in understanding your energy consumption.’
The podcast aims to highlight the support available to adults across the Region, destigmatise fears about maths, provide top tips and resources and to encourage people to talk about their struggles when it comes to maths and numbers.
A range of useful tips and guidance are provided and information on the free support available locally to overcome barriers with numbers. Details are also available online via a new tips for budgeting page on the Multiply123 website.
Each episode features people who share their personal struggle with numbers and how they have turned this around and made numbers work better for them.
Learner Kara who features in the second podcast signed up for a free Multiply course after hearing about it through her son’s school. Speaking about her experience she said:
‘I thought that’s something I would be quite interested in doing, because I’ve always had problems with numbers. When I look at numbers it just doesn’t always work for me, so I just thought why not? My husband does a lot of the Maths homework with my children, and I thought it would be quite nice to do it myself rather than always him.
‘I’d say to anybody, if there are classes out there – just go for it and try it. It will build your confidence up. I’m so glad I did it!’
Find out more about the free courses available across Glasgow City Region by going to www.multiply123.co.uk/courses
Episode Two will be played on Sunny Govan at 12pm on Friday 7 February. Following that, it will go live on Mixcloud at 1pm.
Episode One launched on Friday 13 December with a specific focus on parents and families – helping your child with Maths homework, encouraging numeracy learning in early years along with top tips and resources which can now be found on the Multiply123 website: Tips for Parents.
Sunny Govan Radio Director, Steg Gilfoyle said:
“We’re thrilled to support the launch of this podcast as part of Sunny Govan’s commitment to empowering local voices and fostering meaningful community engagement. This initiative highlights the importance of building essential skills like numeracy in creative and accessible ways, showing how numbers play a role in everyday life.
“For over 22 years, Sunny Govan has been a platform for stories, creativity, and collaboration, and this podcast is another fantastic way to celebrate the diversity, talent, and resilience in our community.”
The Multiply programme is funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Multiply courses and activities are available for anyone aged 16 or over, and resident in Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire or Renfrewshire.
Multiply offers adults over the age of 16, access to free numeracy support and classes with a wide range of different courses suited to needs and capabilities. Multiply classes can be anything from budgeting, supporting children with Maths homework, improving everyday numbers or Maths skills, or getting an SQA qualification to progress in your career.
Visit www.multiply123.co.uk for details or call 0808 171 3030.
