Atom bank partners with The Prince's Trust as leading North East STEM partner

Atom bank, the UK’s first bank built exclusively for smartphone and tablet, has today announced a new four-year partnership with The Prince’s Trust as their leading Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) partner in the North East.

The North East has one of the highest levels of youth unemployment in the UK, with more than one in ten young people (14.6%) currently not in work, and a report from The Prince’s Trust revealing that 48% of young people in the North East don’t feel prepared to enter the workforce.

Through investment in programmes and centres in the region, the partnership aims to address the critical digital skills gap and reduce the risk of disadvantaged young people becoming increasingly isolated and pushed further from the job market.

Atom and The Prince’s Trust aim to equip over 500 young people with STEM and digital literacy skills needed for employment today and in the future.

With over 300 people based in its headquarters in Durham Atom is uniquely placed to partner with The Prince’s Trust in the region. The highly experienced team, with extensive digital and technological skills, will be providing mentoring and workshops to Prince’s Trust young people.

Atom Founder & Chairman, Anthony Thomson said “At Atom we are passionate about having a positive impact on the local community and the lives of the young people around us.”

“For us,that isn’t just about donating money to the cause, we believe that sharing the expertise within our team through face to face workshops and mentoring sessions will provide important support and opportunities to local young people.”

In his role as Strategic Board Advisor, Atom are learning from will.i.am’s passion and experience in building successful STEM programmes in the US founded by his I.am.angel foundation. This will help inform the role Atom can play in building a broader skills base and fuelling social mobility in the North East. will.i.am joined the Atom and Prince’s Trust team in Durham for the announcement on Tuesday 28th November.”

Clare Crabb, North Regional Director at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We are delighted to partner with Atom to provide more STEM sector work experience and increase employment opportunities across the North East. “We believe this collaboration will make a huge difference in helping us to deliver essential programmes in the region to give more vulnerable young people the chance of a better future.””

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Note to Editors

Atom is determined to set the agenda for what the future of banking looks like, redefining the relationship customers have with their money, providing a unique, branch-free, banking experience, built around the best interests of customers. They want customers to be more engaged with their finances, giving them the ability to manage their own money just by using the Atom App. A dedicated 24/7 support team will be on hand to help with any customer queries through phone, chat, email and social media, working out of their Durham HQ.

Atom announced will.i.am as their first Strategic Board Advisor in April 2017. In this role of Strategic Board Advisor, will.i.am – the entrepreneur, philanthropist, musician and consumer technology investor, who has a keen interest in technology, will provide the Durham-based bank with an external perspective on culture, philanthropy and technology.

Atom is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the PRA. Founded in 2014 and based in the City of Durham, Atom has a growing team of over 300 people drawn from across the country, working with partners to bring pioneering technology to Europe for the first time. Atom is building the UK’s first bank designed specifically for digital, offering easy and convenient banking, along with unique and engaging ways to manage money. Atom has been recognised in KPMG’s 2016 Fintech 100, being in the Top 10 companies using technology to drive disruption globally within the financial services industry.

The Atom executive team are highly experienced, having built and run some of the most well respected banks in the UK. CEO Mark Mullen has 25 years’ experience in the sector and was previously CEO at the multi- award winning telephone and internet bank first direct. The team are supported by a strong nonexec board, which includes founder and Chairman Anthony Thomson, also the founder and former Chairman at Metro Bank. He is Chairman of the Financial Services Forum, the UK’s leading membership organisation for senior FS industry executives.

About The Prince’s Trust

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or have been in trouble with the law. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training. The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped 870,000 young people since 1976 and supports over 100 more each day.

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