My Life: Joseph Ross, 13, London

While I like school, classes don’t always let me put things into action or have a say in how something might turn out.

A charity called MyBnk was helping our year understand money in our PSHE lessons, and I volunteered to become a cashier in their savings bank at our school, as I want to have a career in finance.

I liked the way they did it at my school and I learnt a lot about saving, so I wanted to give something back.

I joined the Youth Advisory Panel which helps make workshops fun.
 
A dozen of us meet once every school holiday to test MyBnk’s games and activities. I get to meet and work with young people, some in their 20s, who I wouldn’t normally interact with in my everyday life.

I never realised how easy it was for people to get into debt when they are young and stay there as they get older.

Bad debt ruins many people’s lives and so it is vital that we learn how to manage money and get advice.

I like that our voices are heard – it feels like I’m helping young people my age because now the workshops are cooler.