When there’s a will, there’s a way. That’s the motto of digital and financial training specialist, We Are Digital. Working alongside London-based housing association Wandle, the company has launched a tenant sustainability programme that teaches participants how to utilise digital resources to take control of their finances, in order to better sustain their tenancy for the long run.

The ten-part programme began on the 1st September and covered topics like: earning online, the gig economy, how to negotiate your bills down and saving with Groupon. The course also introduces the automated-savings app Squirrel and outlines the tips and tricks for making complaints and getting money back when transactions or services go wrong via the Resolver platform. The programme also encourages building financial resilience capabilities, helping service users maximise income at a household level, rather than just for the lead tenant.

Jacqui Cayenne, Senior Community Investment Manager, at Wandle commented: “With more and more banks going online we were keen to arm residents with the knowledge they need to make the most of the resources that are available. The courses that we offer to residents are for complete novices or for those that want to accelerate their learning. We’ve had great feedback with many people radically improving their knowledge and use of banking apps and websites that are saving them significant sums of money.”

Matthew Adam, Chief Executive Officer of We Are Digital, said: “In our experience, getting residents to engage with online banking resources relies on engaging their interest before the course even begins. We have a tried and tested approach that includes emails, text messages and guerrilla marketing. This guarantees some of the highest engagements rates in the sector amongst the hard to reach. When it comes to the course itself, it’s then about engaging people by teaching subjects that can be applied to real life.”