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Join us to give maths a massive makeover on National Numeracy Day, 17 May 2023 

21 Mar 2023

Sick of feeling sick about numbers? Does the word ‘maths’ make you squirm? We’ve got something for that!

Join a host of celebrities on Wednesday 17 May for National Numeracy Day, to help turn the UK’s number frown upside down. 

Maths needs a makeover and whether you love it or loathe it, we want you to get involved! 

Save the Date for National Numeracy Day, 17 May 2023

However you feel about maths, we’ve got something for you!

  • Stars include Rachel Riley, Katya Jones and Bobby Seagull
  • £6,000 worth of prizes up for grabs in our Number Heroes competition for kids
  • Join the UK’s first ever livestreamed Number Fun quiz with celebrities and footballers
  • Join The Big Number Natter, the UK’s only nationwide conversation about numbers
  • Free resources for children and adults
  • Much more to be announced over the coming weeks
  • Sign up to get involved here
  • Watch last year’s highlights on YouTube here

The day inspires adults and children to take positive action on numeracy by opening up about their feelings towards numbers and thinking differently about the numbers we all need in everyday life – at work, home and school.
 
We aim to make maths less scary, and challenge the stereotypes and ‘bad at maths boast’ culture we Brits have.

Bobby Seagull to quiz the nation’s kids on National Numeracy Day 

Why does maths need a makeover? Here’s what Bobby Seagull, the nation’s favourite maths teacher and TV celebrity says: “When people say they ‘can’t do maths’ or they’re not a ‘maths person’, I think that’s wrong. I think it’s just that they’ve had negative experiences at school or in their life that’s made them think they can’t do it.
 
“By trying more maths in daily life you can learn to feel more confident with it, so I think it’s a skill we can all learn. There’s such excitement in the run-up to National Numeracy Day, it’s such a great event to be involved with.”

Celebrity Hunted stars lead National Numeracy Day fun 

National Numeracy Day 2023 will see our biggest ever programme for schools and children.

Bobby will be staging the UK’s first interactive number fun quiz for kids on 17 May, livestreamed from a school with fellow National Numeracy Ambassador and Celebrity Hunted star Katya Jones. They will be joined by some very special guests including West Ham United football stars!
 
Children across the UK can also take part in Bobby’s Number Hero competition. There will be £6,000 worth of prize bundles available for your nursery, school, or community/youth group to win!
 
Meanwhile Strictly star Katya will be teaming up with a dream dance partner – CBeebies’ Numberblocks! Together they will get children across the nation moving and motivated about maths!
 
For schools and organisations signing up to get involved, there are free digital toolkits bursting with assets and guides to putting on a fantastic National Numeracy Day in classrooms or communities.

Rachel Riley’s top number confidence tips 

National Numeracy Ambassador Rachel Riley will be giving her top tips to help children feel more confident about maths.
 
Rachel and fellow Ambassadors Katya and finance journalist Iona Bain, will talk about how important it is for women and girls to feel confident with numbers.
 
Speaking on the Maths Appeal podcast recently, Rachel said: “At school, I was really lucky, no one ever put the idea into my head that girls weren’t as good as boys at maths... We need to change a lot of the messaging, change a lot of the PR, the advertising around maths. We need to just say there is no such thing as a maths brain!” 
 

Rachel reckons it’s time to switch up the way we talk and think about maths, and we agree!

The Big Number Natter 

The Big Number Natter will once again see celebrities, influencers, experts and The Great British Public share their stories about maths. Whether it’s good, bad or simply hilarious, everyone has a tale or two to tell about their day-to-day experiences with numbers.
 
Last year famous faces from the worlds of entertainment, media, business, politics and academia posted Big Number Natter videos on their social media channels. The public shared their number stories on radio phone-ins across the UK.

Free numeracy resources from celebrities and experts 

There will be a raft of other helpful, free resources from our celebrities and experts. Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, finance expert Timi Merriman-Johnson, Bake Off winner Peter Sawkins and poet and rapper Harry Baker are among the National Numeracy Ambassadors helping boost the nation’s number confidence this May.

Our website will offer a host of free, fun and helpful activities, events and resources for adults and children to get involved – with tip sheets to download and videos to watch, as well as quick and easy ways to get started on improving numeracy via the National Numeracy Challenge.

Why is maths important? 

Why have a day dedicated to everyday maths? Because...

  • The UK’s numeracy levels are significantly below the average for developed countries.
  • 49% of the UK’s working-age population having the expected numeracy levels of a primary school child.
  • Millions of children leave school lacking number confidence. 30% of school-leavers (18-24s) feel anxious about using maths and numbers. They are the most maths-anxious adult group in the UK.
  • Poor numeracy costs the UK economy £25 billion a year.
  • Struggling with numbers can make people more vulnerable to debt, unemployment, poor health and fraud – all of which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis and now, the cost-of-living crisis.

Pioneering supporters of National Numeracy Day

National Numeracy Day is brought to you by independent charity National Numeracy, the campaign's Founding Supporter since 2018 KPMG, and a group of pioneering organisations who are dedicated to improving the nation’s numeracy confidence and skills.

These include Lead Supporters TP ICAP, The Lord Mayor's Appeal, Vanquis Banking Group, Capital One and Experian and Lead Delivery Partners including Education Scotland, the Department for Education, Numberblocks and Maths Circle. The generous support of our partners means all National Numeracy Day's resources and activities are entirely free for everyone to use.

Sam Sims, Chief Executive of National Numeracy said:National Numeracy Day 2023 is set to be the biggest, most inspiring campaign we have ever held. With support from our incredible partners, we are looking forward to building on the breakthrough success of last year’s campaign, helping even more people across the UK to get on with numbers so they can get on in life. With activities and resources for both children and adults, there’s something to inspire everyone to start the journey towards improving crucial number confidence and skills."

“A huge 49% of the UK’s working-age population has the expected numeracy levels of a primary school child. That’s why National Numeracy is so important and why getting involved can help people up and down the country.”

Founding supporter

KPMG in the UK is proud to be the Founding Supporter of National Numeracy Day. Employing approximately 15,300 partners and staff and operating from 22 offices across the UK, we recognise that numeracy, literacy and lifelong learning are the building blocks for social mobility - laying the foundations for a more prosperous and fairer economy.

kpmg

Bina Mehta, Chair at KPMG UK and member of the National Numeracy Leadership Committee said: “Tackling poor numeracy is fundamental if we want to create a fairer, more prosperous society where everyone can reach their full potential. Since co-founding National Numeracy Day in 2018, the collective action of over 5,000 organisations – businesses, policymakers, schools, charities and other organisations – has bolstered the nation’s number and confidence skills. I hope more organisations than ever will take part this year and together we can empower even more people to get on with numbers.”

2023 Lead Supporters

Amazon UK logo

AWS and Amazon UK

Priyanka Wadhawan, Director of Seller Services at Amazon, said: “At Amazon, no matter what area of our business you work in, whether it’s Alexa, Prime Video, fashion, grocery, or logistics, numeracy skills are essential for ensuring that we deliver for our customers. Having a good understanding of numbers is a critical life skill and we believe everyone across the UK, regardless of age or background, should have access to the resources that will help build number confidence. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to be a lead supporter of National Numeracy Day again this year.”

Barclays LifeSkills logo

Barclays LifeSkills

Kate McGoey, Head of Barclays LifeSkills, said: “Numeracy is critical in preparing people for work. With low numeracy confidence and maths anxiety disproportionately impacting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the need for support is more urgent than ever. Barclays LifeSkills is thrilled to be supporting National Numeracy Day again this year and working with the charity to help people build vital confidence with numbers earlier on in life."

Bloomberg L.P. logo

Bloomberg L.P.

At Bloomberg, we are committed to giving back to the cities in which we live and work, drawing on the time and talents of our employees. We believe that more inclusive access to data and technology can deliver powerful results for society, which is why we're proud to support National Numeracy to help communities build confidence in numbers and unlock opportunity.

cambs and peterborough

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

Levels of numeracy have a big impact on people’s lives, from their income to their health and wellbeing. It’s important to make improving numeracy easier, more inspiring and accessible to people of all ages. The Combined Authority is proud to continue supporting National Numeracy Day again this year and looking forward to taking maths on the road, to reach more of our residents with our Multiply Bus.

Capital One UK logo

Capital One UK

Dave Richards, Head of Corporate Responsibility: "Capital One UK is really proud to be supporting National Numeracy Day again this year. We continue to recognise how confidence with numbers can have a life changing impact on skills for everyday life, your employment prospects and earning potential, and how well people succeed with their finances." 

 

Experian logo

Experian

Experian is passionate about helping people manage their finances successfully, which we promote and support in a number of ways including our innovative products and services and our wide-ranging financial health programmes. We know that promoting the essentials of numeracy can play an important part, due to the links between numeracy skills and confidence and financial capability. We look forward to joining forces with National Numeracy, its supporters and champions to help deliver what we’re sure will be yet another hugely successful National Numeracy Day campaign.

Health Education England logo

NHS England

The Workforce Education and Training Directorate of NHS England, (previously Health Education England) exists for one reason only: to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement to the patients and public of the NHS and social care in England. NHS England does this by ensuring that the workforce has the right skills, values and behaviours, at the right time and in the right place. The NHS England is delighted to be a lead supporter of National Numeracy Day for the sixth year running.

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal logo

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal

At The Lord Mayor’s Appeal we are committed to creating ‘A Better City for All’, one that is inclusive, healthy, skilled and fair. Our charity partnership with National Numeracy recognises the importance of improving numeracy skills and will help people within the City of London to thrive. We are therefore proud to support National Numeracy Day.

S&P Global logo

S&P Global

We are proud to support National Numeracy Day. As a data provider, numeracy is essential to what we do and we recognise the importance of promoting it across the UK population as a key skill for successful financial planning, employability and career development.

TP ICAP logo

TP ICAP

Philip Price, Group General Counsel, TP ICAP, said: “As a strategic partner of National Numeracy and numbers people ourselves, we are proud to be supporting this important cause for a sixth straight year. Numeracy is a key driver of social mobility and opportunity, and by providing people with the skills and confidence they need, National Numeracy Day can be a catalyst for changing many lives across the UK for the better.”

Ufi VocTech Trust logo

Ufi VocTech Trust

Ufi believe passionately in the power of technology to help adults gain and maintain the skills they need for work. As long-standing supporters of National Numeracy we are proud to once again be Lead Supporters of National Numeracy Day, helping improve number confidence and skills for the benefit of individuals, employers and society as a whole.

Vanquis Banking Group

Vanquis Banking Group

Vanquis Banking Group plc is a leading specialist bank which is focused on the mid cost credit market and offers credit cards and loans through our Vanquis brand and vehicle finance through our Moneybarn brand. We understand that numeracy is an important skill in everyday life which can aid financial inclusion and support social mobility. We’re proud to be supporting National Numeracy Day for a sixth year, continuing to support National Numeracy to help people build confidence with numbers. 

2023 Delivery Partners

City and Guilds

City & Guilds

Literacy and numeracy are vital skills we all need to develop and keep using throughout life which is why City & Guilds is proud to be partnering with National Numeracy Day and taking part in the Big Number Natter to promote the importance of building confidence with using numbers.

Department for Education

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

“On National Numeracy Day, we want to encourage everyone in the UK to get on with numbers so they can get on in life, enabling adults and young people to climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.

“There are hundreds of numeracy courses available, including our new flexible Multiply programme worth up to £559 million, our free Skills Bootcamps and our range of courses from beginners’ numeracy to a full Level 3 Maths qualification which could also be fully-funded through the Free Courses for Jobs offer, helping people of all ages and backgrounds get the skills they need to progress and secure rewarding careers.”

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions

Minister for Employment, Guy Opperman MP said:

“I’m delighted to be supporting National Numeracy Day. The Prime Minister has recently set out his vision for every young person to study maths to 18, and I too want to make sure everyone has the chance to improve their numeracy skills, helping to not only build confidence in everyday life but also boost their job prospects.

Our Jobcentres help jobseekers and those already in work to identify barriers to progression and areas where they may require upskilling. We can identify courses and opportunities to improve numeracy skills along with our Skills Toolkit which offers free online courses to help boost digital and numeracy skills that are desired by employers.”

Education Scotland logo

Education Scotland

Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency charged with supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education, delivering better learning experiences and outcomes for Scottish learners of all ages. Education Scotland have supported National Numeracy Day since it started in 2018. This year our partnership will seek to engage even more learners in improving numeracy skills and we are excited to see the positive impact this will make.

Lincolnshire Co-op

Lincolnshire Co-op

Lincolnshire Co-op is focused on bringing together ideas, energy and resources to make life better in our communities. We are delighted to have formed a partnership with National Numeracy and our aim is to build numeracy confidence, whilst raising awareness of the value of maths as an essential skill in work and everyday life. We are proud to be a lead delivery partner of National Numeracy Day. Let’s get number confident!

Education Scotland logo

Maths Circle

Maths Circle create award-winning maths learning platforms (Times Tables Rock Stars and NumBots) for schools, tutors and families, which help children acquire fundamental numeracy skills. Our mission is to make maths fun whilst improving maths outcomes, which is why we are delighted to support the great work of National Numeracy.

Numberblocks logo

Numberblocks

Numberblocks is the lively CBeebies TV show that brings maths to life for little ones through exciting adventures with Numberblock One and her friends from Zero to One Hundred! All the Numberblocks love a toe-tapping dance routine and we are delighted to be a Lead Delivery Partner for National Numeracy Day.

West Ham United Foundation logo

West Ham United Foundation

West Ham United Foundation use power of sport and football in particular to help capture the imagination of young people and to bring the school curriculum to life. We are delighted to be supporting National Numeracy Day to help make numeracy more accessible for all by tackling and challenging the misconceptions that people may have about numeracy.

White Rose Maths logo

White Rose Education Limited

White Rose Maths is delighted to once again be supporting National Numeracy Day. As an organisation dedicated to developing and improving maths education, we recognise the importance of number confidence both in the classroom and beyond, for both children and adults. We’re proud to support the fantastic work that National Numeracy undertakes every year to help promote and inspire number positivity.

Sign up now to get involved with National Numeracy Day

 Sign up to National Numeracy Day


Become a supporter

Would your company or organisation like to support National Numeracy Day? If you'd like to join KPMG, TP ICAP, The Lord Mayor's Appeal, Vanquis Banking Group, Capital One and Experian, please get in touch with our partnerships team.

 ellie@nationalnumeracy.org.uk