The strong interest in 10thousandgirl’s Better Money Management program in Armidale last week signalled strong demand for financial education among regional women.
The free money management and investment education workshop, held at NERAM, aimed to provide women in regional areas with easy access to expert financial services.
This would give them the opportunity to improve their personal financial security through strategic planning, without having to travel long distances.
Organisers said regional women from various walks of life, occupations and ages attended the workshops to hear from 10thousandgirl founder and CEO Zoe Lamont, herself a country girl, about her inspiration for the program and to learn financial skills and tools.
Zoe grew up on her family’s property at Junee, and now lives in Wagga Wagga.
“Women in regional towns are very active in their local community,” Zoe said.
“They are natural investors when it comes to their families, schools, community groups and local businesses, however we’re finding this investment is not always extending to their own financial education and long term financial security.
“10thousandgirl wants to strengthen the financial outlook for women across Australia, and living in a regional area shouldn’t be a barrier. Our objective is to create the opportunity for women, no matter where they live, to learn the skills and build the confidence to become better at managing the money they have, so they have the financial acumen to achieve their dreams,” she said.
The workshop generated discussion and open conversation, with participants asked: “What does financial freedom mean to you?”
This led to discussion around the importance of setting goals and planning how to achieve them.
A panel of local finance specialists presented their insights into financial management fundamentals, covering investing, insurance, superannuation and managing debt, and gave participants the opportunity to ask specific questions to further their knowledge.
The workshop also provided the relevant tools and resources for attendees to undertake further research and implement what they learnt, addressing how to keep track of spending, setting budgets, and developing a personal investing plan.
Proving to be more than just an educational forum, the workshop was a buzz of networking opportunities.
There was a large amount of discussion and questions, and the participants benefited not only from the workshop’s itinerary but also from each other, as they swapped their own experiences and knowledge.
