About Us

pay it forward
idiom
to do something kind or useful for someone because someone else has done something kind or useful for you

City Pay it Forward seeks to make a granular impact in the community through the following:

Proven Curriculum

Collaborate with leading educators to produce, present and distribute engaging, age-appropriate materials to schools

Bespoke Programs

Organise bespoke and impactful programs, such as investment competitions, insight days and work experiences, with corporate partners that seek to inspire disadvantaged students and promote aspiration and social mobility

Everything we do at City Pay it Forward is provided free of charge

What We Do

We are a grassroots organisation made up of volunteers seeking to make a positive impact in our community. We are business professionals and educators that have come together to collaborate with schools to teach children the basics in financial literacy including savings, budgeting, borrowing and investing. Most of us are also parents.

Our primary school programs revolve around our Year 6 financial literacy curriculum which was delivered to every primary school in the UK.  In the US, we are working with elementary school maths teachers to roll out our six-hour program to fifth graders across some of the largest public school districts in the country.

We take a broader and more practical approach to financial literacy education in secondary schools with a focus on entrepreneurship (via our Enterprise Challenges), hands-on work experience and apprenticeships (via our Insight Days) and investing and the financial markets (via our Investment Competitions).

We appreciate your interest in our work and value your support.

By the Numbers

Established In
2016
Sponsorship
Self-sponsored
# Core Volunteers
~20
# City Volunteers
Supporting event
100+
# Students Attending
Career Days
500+
# Students Engaged in
Presentations
20,000+
# Students Participating in
Insight Days
150+
# Students Participating in
Investment Competition
3,000+
# Schools Receiving
Year 6 Textbook
21,000+
# Teachers Participating in
CPIF Training
400+
# Students Participating
in US Curriculum
~100,000
# City Partner Firms
~12-15

Educational Advisers

Steve Adcock

Ben Antell

Dr. Mary Avalos

Wendy Challen

Avis Hawkins

Dr. Laura Kohn-Wood

Georgina Webb

Special Advisers

Michael Dryden

Zahida Laljee

Chris Marlin

Kathy McClintock

Kelechi Onukogu

Brigid Rentoul

Trustees

Quentin Nason

Founder and Trustee

Vincent De Lorenzo

Trustee

Scott Eaton

Trustee

Marileen Koppenberg

Trustee

Valerie Laing

Trustee

Paul Mehta

Trustee

Melanie Saluja

Trustee

Marco Schwartz

Trustee

Steve Adcock

Steve was part of the opening cohort of Teach First in 2003. He then spent 12 years working in large London secondary schools, including two senior leadership roles. During this time he co-wrote a book on running schools - Headstrong: 11 Lessons in School Leadership.

In 2015 Steve joined United Learning where he is Deputy Director of Secondary Academies. Steve has led the introduction of a shared curriculum in United Learning’s 50+ secondary schools. This curriculum covers most secondary subjects and includes lesson-by-lesson resources for pupils and teachers.

Steve has a Masters in Education Management from Kings College London and is especially interested in sustainable school improvement. Beyond the day job, Steve enjoys running and reading, and occasionally updating his blog: https://steveadcock81.wordpress.com/.

Ben Antell

Ben currently works as a Regional Director in United Learning. Before taking up this post, Ben worked for two years as an Executive Principal in United Learning, supporting schools in Bournemouth, Poole, London, Manchester, Portsmouth and Kettering. 

Previous to taking up this post, Ben was Head Teacher at Glenmoor and Winton Academies in Bournemouth. These two schools have become two of the highest performing schools in the country and subsequently judged outstanding by Ofsted in 2018/19. 

Ben has been involved in the City Pay It Forward initiative for three years and believes strongly in the vital importance financial literacy now plays in all young people’s lives. Being able to budget, plan and understand the importance of effective financial management is crucial for everyone. With money now available at young people’s finger tips and at the touch of a button there can be no better time to educate them about financial literacy.

Dr. Mary Avalos

Mary A. Avalos is a Research Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Her research interests include teacher development and professionalism and literacy/language development for multilingual learners using Systemic Functional Linguistics as a tool for language teaching. She has worked with teachers to develop interventions that provide explicit instruction for academic language, or the language of schooling, in reading/language arts, mathematics, and social studies.

Wendy Challen

Wendy has been involved in primary education for almost forty years. She has been a Head Teacher at a London-based primary school for over 25 years. She now works with schools on developing best practices, particularly in SEN education and is a governor of a primary school as well as two prep schools in Sussex and Cambridge. 

Her interest in financial literacy developed over the years while teaching mathematics. Wendy observed how children who did not always connect or understand the concept of numbers would light up when she introduced the subject of money and its relevance to essential everyday life. Children who had initially struggled to understand fundamental maths basics realised the importance and fun they could have spending their pocket money. Having their eyes opened to real life finance and the opportunity to acquire life skills in financial awareness is a tool forever. A skill for life!

Avis Hawkins

Avis Hawkins is the Head Teacher of Christ Church and Holy Trinity school in London, which was ranked by The Times Schools Guide 2019 as the UK’s number one state primary school. Avis is a passionate educationalist who has worked in teaching for over 26 years and is a strong advocate for a holistic model of teaching that inspires children to love both learning and life. Her school offers a broad, enriching curriculum, with an emphasis wherever possible on cross curricular education. Maths and financial literacy is one such crucial, core area where real life learning can be applied to classroom teaching. Introducing everyday concepts of personal finance at an early age equips children to make more informed decisions and these concepts can also be integrated into a variety of other subjects, including maths, history, geography, science and the arts.

Dr. Laura Kohn-Wood

Dr. Kohn-Wood is currently a Professor and Dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami. Dr. Kohn-Wood previously served as chair of the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies, the founding program director of the Master’s in Community & Social Change program and, with colleagues, developed the Ph.D. Program in Community Well-Being at the University of Miami. 

She also previously held the title of Associate Vice Provost for the Office of Institutional Culture, served as the Senior Resident Faculty of Pearson Residential College and was the Inaugural co-Chair of the University’s Standing Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Dr. Kohn-Wood received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Community Psychology, from the University of Virginia in 1996 and completed an internship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Kohn-Wood’s research program Race, Ethnicity, Culture and Promotion of Strengths (RECAPS) focuses on race, ethnicity, and culture in relation to the experience of psychological phenomena among diverse populations, with an emphasis on race-based protective factors and the promotion of positive coping and mental health among African Americans.

Georgina Webb

George has been a primary education practitioner for almost 35 years. She has been a Deputy Head Teacher in inner London primary schools for over 27 years. She now works and lives in Cambridge developing and supporting best practices within a Cambridge primary school Inclusion Team. Alongside, this she works for a charity supporting both primary and secondary school communities with mental health and wellbeing. 

She has been developing workshops and CPD for children, parents and staff on the significant periods of educational life e.g. the move from primary to secondary school. George believes schools should give pupils creativity, confidence and celebration of achievement for life. 

She has seen at a grassroot level the interest, excitement and understanding the City Pay it Forward curriculum has given children. At a primary age level, it is the first time she has seen the children have a very clear understanding of financial responsibility and control. Not only did it give pupils confidence, but it gave the teachers the confidence to teach the subject. She watched ‘the penny drop’.

Michael Dryden

Michael has worked in financial services for over 25 years in a variety of roles in banking and broking after a period working both in a family business and leisure industry.

He is strong believer in the importance of financial education and during Covid helped a friends child by designing and delivering a finance course for his Duke of Edinburgh award prior to volunteering for CPIF. He is also the chair of his Business Schools UK Financial Services Group and has been a volunteer for City Pay it Forward since Covid as well as a member of his firms mentoring programme.

Zahida Laljee

Zahida (Zee) has a degree in Economics and Computer Sciences, and a Masters in Finance.  Her career has been in commodities and finance, trading for multinational banks for many years in London, Brussels, Hong Kong and New York, and now as a partner in a commodity brokerage firm in London.

During her childhood, Zee developed a love of financial literacy from her mother's work in economically developing nations and in adulthood translated this passion into voluntary work within the Ismaili community.

As a mother of two young children Zee, like many of us, is crucially aware of the importance of educating her children in the understanding of, and confidence with, finance and money in a cashless society. Given her strong belief in educating future generations with the financial literacy skills they need to flourish and prosper in life she has collaborated with City Pay it Forward to educate hundreds of young children within the Ismaili Community. Over the past 3 years, she has trained a large number of volunteer teachers and continues to develop the programme to reach more children with the aim of having a positive impact on their lives, and hopefully for generations to come.

Chris Marlin

Chris is the Chairman of Climate Alpha, an AI-powered analytics platform that drives future-proof real estate strategies.  Previously, Chris held senior leadership positions at CNN and Lennar International, the largest home builder in the US.

Chris has a passion for financial literacy education and for policy matters that promote innovation and change in this subject matter.  Chris has been an active supporter of City Pay it Forward and its programs, both in the US and the UK, since its inception

Kathy McClintock

Kathy has worked in financial services since 2003 and has been involved with City Pay it Forward since it started in 2016.

She passionately believes in equipping all children and young adults with the skills and knowledge they need to make good financial decisions for the rest of their lives. She has delivered presentations in schools and promoted the charity’s work through networks and teacher conferences.

Kelechi Onukogu

Kelechi Onukogu is a senior business leader in Finance with 22 years of experience and has been a member of several Legal Entity Board and Board Risk Committees covering the risk and control framework for the Corporate and Investment Bank, Commercial Bank and Enterprise Functions. He is also a champion of Diversity Equity & Inclusion and has been the Executive Sponsor for the UK Race at Work Charter at two major UK and US banks.

He has worked with City Pay it Forward since its inception and has witnessed the organisation grow from strength to strength. As a father of two young boys of ethnic minority backgrounds, he understands first-hand the importance of financial literacy for young children especially for those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and has a vested interest in providing a better future for his children and those that look like him to be equipped early with the educational tools that will set them up for success in years to come.

Brigid Rentoul

Brigid is the General Counsel of Winton, a quantitative investment management firm.

She has worked as a lawyer in financial services for over 30 years in the US and the UK. Her first paid job was as a Saturday Sales Assistant in a bookshop. She went to university to study Physics and emerged with a degree in Law.

Brigid is a School Governor and was an early supporter of City Pay it Forward, recognising the value of early application of maths to everyday life.
Founder and Trustee

Quentin Nason

Quentin is the Founder of City Pay it Forward and a volunteer. Quentin has worked in the finance field for over 25 years. Quentin enjoys working in the local community especially when it comes to collaborating with schools and teaching children the basics of financial literacy through his charity City Pay it Forward.

His passion for financial literacy education came as a result of teaching his own children the importance of being informed and careful when making financial decisions. As a Vice Chair of Governors at a local school, Quentin has had the opportunity to work and mentor year 6 students, especially in mathematics.

Quentin is also very active in his community and is always looking for ways to make a tangible impact on the next generation.

Trustee

Vincent De Lorenzo

Vincent De Lorenzo has over twenty five years experience in the financial markets as a foreign exchange and bond trader, working in New York and London for various international firms. Vincent has a long and abiding interest in financial literacy for young people, beginning at home with his own children and has been giving financial literacy presentations in schools for over ten years. He has acted as a formal and informal mentor to dozens of people in his field and is an active member of his local church.
Trustee

Scott Eaton

While currently the CEO of a small financial technology company, Scott is really a frustrated academic at heart with a substantial running habit! A lawyer by training, he has had a thirty year career across a number of roles in finance and is committed to making sure that all young people have the benefit of understanding the basics of finance. He has four children, so understands the challenge of teaching budgeting to young people.
Trustee

Marileen Koppenberg

Marileen worked in financial services for seventeen years before taking a career break to look after her children. Marileen has been a volunteer for City Pay it Forward for three years and given numerous financial literacy presentations to local schools. With teenage children, she understands the importance of teaching financial literacy from a young age.

She strongly believes in giving back to the wider community and to supporting young people through skills training and experience. She has been involved in a number of school related charities and is a mentor for teenage girls through The Girls Network and an ambassador for Relaunch London (part of LinkUp).

Trustee

Valerie Laing

After a ten year career in finance, Valerie transferred to the non-for-profit sector where she has gained operational and governance experience in a range of large, small and start up charities. She is currently a Development consultant working with a range of charities on strategy and fundraising projects. Through her work and as a mother to two teenage boys, she sees first hand the challenges young people of all the ages face in the ever changing digital world and believes that instilling a sound foundation of financial literacy is key for very young person. She is Governor of primary school near her home in Oxfordshire.
Trustee

Paul Mehta

Paul has worked in financial services for over 25 years and has been a volunteer for City Pay it Forward with a particular focus on delivering the financial literacy message as widely as possible. He strongly believes in community led initiatives and to supporting a diverse set of young people in financial literacy through guidance, skills training and available resources. He passionately sees what an effect this education has had through his own young children and has been involved in several community charities like City Hive and is a Governor of Finton House School in London.
Trustee

Melanie Saluja

Melanie has been working in finance for over twenty years and has been involved with City Pay it Forward since its inception. She enjoys immensely presenting on financial literacy to young people across different age groups and from many different walks of life, to help them understand the importance of good financial skills as a key life skill from a young age.

She does many in-school presentations as well as workshops as part of her activities with City Pay it Forward.

Trustee

Marco Schwartz

Marco has worked in finance for over twenty years and has spent many years helping companies to raise capital to grow their business. He has seen the financial industry go through various seismic events and as the father of young children, is very conscious of the influence of banking and money and how it will affect their lives. 

He has worked with City Pay it Forward since its inception and has seen first-hand the importance of financial literacy for children. His is struck by just how many young people don’t trust banks as institutions, something that was very different for his generation. Changing perceptions and ensuring that young people are equipped to manage their financial lives is one of his key challenges.