Welcome to Money Matters. Before we start I have one rule for you: today, I want you to set an intention for yourself about money and share it with someone in the room before we say goodbye tonight. We gave you these friendship bracelets as a reminder of this. Enjoy our day because MONEY MATTERS.

💸 Our relationship with money is emotional. It can trigger a range of emotions, from fear, and excitement to guilt or shame. In this talk, we will explore how we can see money as a tool, build a purpose and make our way towards financial independence.

Vicky Spratt is a journalist and author of Tenants. Her 2016 campaign ‘Make Renting Fair’ led to letting fees in England and Wales being banned. In this talk, Vicky explains why the British dream of homeownership has faded and the social consequences. But she’s also fighting for radical steps to give everyone the chance of ownership.

💸 There are many challenges when it comes to managing finances as women. We’ll try to understand what the current economy is like, and what can be changed. From pension to wealth gaps, to the structural issues and what women are tirelessly doing to try to and change the game.

Aja Barber is interviewed by Meera Kumar, our The Wallet podcast producer. Aja holding those in power to account by campaigning for a sustainable, inclusive fashion industry that doesn’t exploit workers and our planet.

💸 The cost of living crisis is impacting everyone's wallets, our income is not growing, and many households feel the pressure. So how do we continue to fund our lifestyle, pay for our essentials and also build our future funds? How do we balance personal and work life, whether that’s running a business, freelancing or being an employee? Where can we find support?

💸 Anna has been advocating for flexible working since 2015 with her campaign 'Flex Appeal', and has a goal to make it the norm. Emilie talks to Anna about the journey, how to become an activist, what she would ask our new PM and what her manifesto is all about.