Education & Charity Work

Iona is proud to be a celebrity ambassador for National Numeracy.

She accepted the role in 2022 after revealing her personal struggles with dyscalculia for BBC Morning Live, which has led to her appearing in campaigns with the likes of Countdown’s Rachel Riley and Strictly dancer Katya Jones.

Iona is particularly keen to expand her educational and charity work, having contributed to a number of financial inclusion initiatives over the years.

Iona’s highlights include working with Barnados to help young care leavers manage their money, taking part in National Citizenship Service’s Life Skills 101 series, fronting the first educational programme in the UK to be fully sign language enabled through Lloyds Banking Academy and judging numerous awards such as the London Institute for Banking & Finance Young Financial Journalist Competition. She is also a long-standing supporter of Young Scot and Future Asset, a Scotland-based charity that encourages young women to consider careers in finance, having judged, presented and promoted its annual competition. Iona’s work in financial inclusion has led to her being awarded the freedom of the City of London in 2024, having been nominated by the Lord Mayor.

Iona’s latest educational initiative is Focus on Finance, a free careers event aimed at inspiring young people from different backgrounds to consider careers in financial media and services. It’s based on Iona’s strong belief that the financial industry needs fresh blood as much as gen Z needs motivation and opportunities post-Covid. The inaugural event in February 2024 was a huge success, drawing on Iona’s extensive contact book to produce a vibrant line-up of speakers and top drawer corporate sponsors in the form of Janus Henderson Investors and PocketSkill.

"It ran so smoothly and furthermore you delivered above and beyond a warm welcome to the world of finance - genuinely my peers told me that they found the financial and careers advice so inspiring and has really motivated them to think about the future."

"I liked the insight I learnt in finance and that learning how to take care of my money from a young age is quite important. I’d say my favourite speaker was Bola Sol - I loved her story and the female empowerment!"

"It was really interesting and insightful, hearing from professionals who are passionate about the industries they work in and how they developed interest in Finance"

"We thought it was really insightful and helpful - we learnt a lot about different careers and the speakers were very inspirational. I especially like Jeena Riggall’s talk - she was very well-spoken and inspired me, especially as she was from an Asian ethnic background, so it felt lovely to hear."

Get in touch.

Iona would like to run future events outside London and is aiming to reach as many young people from different backgrounds as possible. If you’re interested in hosting, sponsoring or speaking at events, or in connecting Iona to schools/colleges that may be interested in attending, please contact Iona below.

Education & Charity Work

Get in touch.

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