Teen joins Tiktoker to collaborate on NatWest Thrive sessions

Presenter, actor and comedian Luke Vernon teamed up with local teen Tiger for a series of TikTok shows called the NatWest Thrive sessions.

NatWest Thrive with Marcus Rashford has been developed with the National Youth Agency where the programme works to help young people develop self-belief and inspire them to go after their dreams by introducing them to inspiring role models. It also encourages them to get into good money habits, addressing the emotional and psychological barriers that stop them thriving.

Luke and Tiger came together to collaborate on the NatWest Thrive TikTok sessions, after Tiger attended a series of NatWest Thrive Youth Club sessions.

From the age of 13, Tiger was a carer for his mum and had to cope with all the usual pressures of growing up while also worrying about his mum.

Tiger was selected as a NatWest Thrive rising star, one of two across the country. Both of the NatWest Thrive Rising Stars were then partnered with an inspirational mentor from the world of social media, performing arts and broadcast.

Tiger said: “Being a NatWest Thrive rising star has instilled and reinforced my own moral compass. Working with Luke was amazing, he really is awesome - just a regular guy who didn 't have an ego who was funny and made me feel comfortable, I appreciated that.

“My main learning point from the experiences of taking part in NatWest Thrive was that no matter your past and experiences, you can still make your dreams come true. It has made me really look at my future goals and given me a kickstart into making them a reality. ”

Luke said: “It 's been a pleasure to get to know Tiger and offer advice and support to help him understand the power of his potential. He 's been fantastic to work with and hopefully our NatWest Thrive TikTok sessions are seen by lots of other young people and help them learn how they can go after their dreams, build confidence and get into good money habits. ”

NatWest, Marcus Rashford MBE and the National Youth Agency joined forces in April 2022 to launch NatWest Thrive. Aimed at eight- to 24-year-olds, the programme aims to help young people develop a positive mindset around money and help champion their potential.

The programme came after a national survey by the Money & Pensions Service revealed that 80 per cent of young people believed they would never be financially secure.

Marcus Rashford said: “I was so excited teaming up with NatWest to launch NatWest Thrive as I had come across so many young people who were struggling to break out of a negative mindset when it came to their future potential. We needed to intervene and help them envision success.

“Money is often seen as the root cause of most stress and anxiety in a household, especially today but we want to chip away at that perception and help young people develop a more positive, optimistic, mindset when it comes to building for their futures. ”

For more information and to try out some NatWest Thrive activities for yourself, search 'NatWest Thrive ' or visit https://www.natwest.com/current-accounts/childrens-accounts.html

Pictured from left to right: Luke Vernon and Tiger