Alasdair

Mind & Body | Money Champion

With a degree in geology, I’ve always had a keen interest in the great outdoors and love going on walks to discover all that nature has to offer, (and the exercise bit is a good bonus!) Leading up the walking club here at Verve, I want to share this love and help others try out new routes and locations that they might not have tried otherwise.

The move to financial services wasn’t just a career change but also entering a whole new world that none of my immediate family members had ever dipped their toe into. As a relative latecomer to financial services and investing, I’ve had to learn a lot and learn it quickly; and am more than happy to discuss any aspect with anyone that has questions (stopping short of advice, of course).

Amy

Charity & Good Causes

Raising awareness and money for charity has always been something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, so having the opportunity to be a wellbeing champion focused on charity & good causes was amazing. Particularly during Covid some charities struggled for support with the pandemic taking focus, so it’s great to be able to show support and bring the team together with some light-hearted competition at times!

The best experience I’ve had to date is completing a 26 mile Northumberland Mighty Hike for Macmillan Cancer Support (tough – but so rewarding!) which is a charity close to my heart. ​

Fran

Mind & Body | Money Champion

Growing up, money was always a subject I was aware of. I’ve seen first hand from those around me the impact that money can have on your mental well-being and standard of living – money isn’t everything, but it unfortunately does make the world go round and how you handle it can make a big difference to your life!  

I’ve always found it strange that there’s such a lack of education around money – it’s not something you’re taught about in school, it’s just something you’re expected to know. Which I think leads to a lot of the problems people experience – so it has become something that I’m passionate about, because the more knowledge you have, the more power you can have over your finances! It’s important that you can empower yourself to live the best life you can.  I’m here to listen if anyone has any worries and just needs to talk it through (there’s absolutely no judgement here!) or if anybody wants to learn more.  

Graham

Social & Fun

I decided to join the wellbeing champs team to get more involved with the social aspects of Verve and to help plan the activities that happen. I was quite shy when I joined, but know that the social events are a good way to get to know other people not only in the department you’re in but other departments as well. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and planning the coming activities and events.

Hayley

Social & Fun | Money Champion

I volunteered to be a wellbeing champion because I feel it’s an important aspect of working life and our culture. I’m a naturally organised person and enjoy helping, so naturally I wanted to be a part of this! I love the social side of things because it helps us all bond and interact with different departments that we wouldn’t usually have much contact with. We’re stronger together and socialising can help form those strong foundations.

I wanted to bring together a group of people who can help others understand different aspects of money. I have struggled with debt from a young age and have experienced money trauma myself, so I wanted to do everything I could to help other people avoid the issues I’ve been through.  

Jas

Mind & Body

I’ve always been a huge fan of anything fitness related and I’m also a big advocate for positive mental health – hence why I’m on the Mind and Body team! I’m super passionate about encouraging people to become the best version of themselves, whilst looking after their mental and physical health.

Laura

Social & Fun

I’ve always loved being super organised so decided to join the Wellbeing champs to help plan the social events for the rest of the team. I work with lots of departments across the business and our social events are the perfect opportunity for those who don’t always get to work together to get to know each other and have fun too!

Maddie

Money Champion

‘Money makes the world go round’. Sad? True? Quite possibly. We can’t escape it, so let’s get a handle on it. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a control freak who loves rules (#Compliance), and my relationship with money is quite the same. Spreadsheets, research, budgeting, the lot.   

Payslips, mortgages, credit, student loans, inheritance tax, BNPL, utilities… the list is endless of money matters in all our lives but the information out there about how to manage it is weak. And turning a blind eye to it isn’t the right answer (sorry!)   

The more we chat about money and make it part of everyday life, because it is anyway, the easier it is to have a healthy relationship with money. Times are so tough at the moment and knowledge is power and knowledge shared is knowledge gained. If you ever want to chat, you know where I am. And I promise to try and tone down the corny sayings!

Stacey

Social & Fun

I’ve always loved a good plan in all aspects of my life, so being able to join the wellbeing champions and help plan the amazing events here at Verve was a perfect opportunity for me. Not everyone has the chance to mix across multiple departments, so when these events/sessions take place, it gets us all socialising together which is really nice. The activities I’ve been involved in so far here have been great fun to be a part of, and I can’t wait to get stuck in planning the next one!