Saver Plus turns 21! | Brotherhood of St. Laurence

In April, our financial education and matched savings program Saver Plus celebrated its 21st birthday.

BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod, program partners, ANZ representatives and Minister Amanda Rishworth MP (in pink) cutting the Saver Plus 21st birthday cake. — BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod, program partners, ANZ representatives and Minister Amanda Rishworth MP

We commemorated this significant milestone by hosting the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth MP and excited families at our Jindi Family and Community Centre in Mernda. Like all good 21^st birthday parties, there was cake, proud speeches and a nostalgic photo board.

Saver Plus, which BSL developed in partnership with ANZ, has been helping people on lower incomes gain financial skills, develop lifelong savings habits and receive matched savings for over two decades. The recently announced continued (and expanded) funding in the federal budget will allow this important initiative to continue for decades to come.

Past Saver Plus participant Allison spoke at the event, explaining how the program has positively changed her approach to saving and budgeting:

Saver Plus has given me the confidence to discuss money at home with my kids. I’ve become more conscious about explaining money limits and budgeting and being clear about prioritising spending while also letting them know we have a financial safety net.

BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod acknowledged the 21st birthday achievement and the profound effect the program has had on participants' lives:

As 2024 sees Saver Plus come of age in its 21st year, it’s never been more relevant or needed by Australian families facing increasing cost of living pressures. When times are tough, having the financial education and confidence to create and stick to savings goals where possible is a simple yet powerful way to mitigate an element of that stress for low-income households.

We’re incredibly proud of this significant milestone and the positive changes Saver Plus has brought to over 60,000 participants’ financial wellbeing and confidence. The program has an exciting future ahead of it – as confirmed in the federal budget – and we look forward to continuing to deliver Saver Plus with our excellent partners ANZ, The Smith Family and Berry Street.

BSL Director of Children, Youth and Inclusion Rebecca Pinney-Meddings and past Saver Plus participant Allison speaking at the event. Rebecca has long blonde hair and is standing holding a microphone. Allison is standing behind a podium which reads: “Saver Plus 21 Years”. She has short blonde hair. — BSL Director of Children, Youth and Inclusion Rebecca Pinney-Meddings and past Saver Plus participant Allison speaking at the event

Find out more: https://www.bsl.org.au/services/saving-and-managing-money/saver-plus/

Download the full June 2024 edition of Building Better Lives Together

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