ENCOURAGING the savings habit early, house builder Miller has joined forces with a Castle Donington School to create the Save Your Pennies and Build Your Future campaign.
Julia Portington, sales manager for Miller Homes East Midlands, said: "The main objective is to ensure our younger generations have an understanding of money and saving, and how this knowledge can help in the future.
"We continually come across house hunters desperate to buy a home but they just don't have enough for a deposit, and yes, there are ways in which we can help, but the stringent requirements from the majority of lenders makes it much easier to get a mortgage if they have a substantial deposit."
The Save Your Pennies and Build Your Future campaign is aimed at Year 4 children.
It includes an interactive presentation by Miller Homes that asks the school children to decide what they would do with their pocket money. Would they spend it straight away, save it in their piggy bank or deposit it into a savings account?
The presentation goes on to talk about the cost of items relevant to today's children such as a packet of crisps, a Nintendo DS or a mobile phone, and how these costs compare to bigger purchases in life such as a car or house.
Mary Robinson, head teacher at St Edwards C of E Primary School, said: "It is extremely important children learn about the value of money and how by understanding the concept of saving now, it will greatly help them later on in life."
Each child also received an activity pack to continue learning in their class. It takes the message of values and deposits further by problem solving and role play. The children also received a Miller Homes money box house to kick start their savings.
Julia said: "Our ethos is to fully engage with the local communities in the areas in which we build. It is with this in mind we have worked closely with St Edwards to develop this initiative to help educate our future generations as to the value of money and how this translates into aspects of the national curriculum and life in general."