Saving is a vital method to getting the things we want in life. We all need to save in some shape or form whether it is for that new top or even as far as that new house. That’s why six girls from Pembroke School decided to set up a school bank.

We believed this would be a great opportunity for young people to get a real feel for banking, to encourage and promote widespread saving and responsibility within the students and also to promote team building.

The team consisted of; Caroline O’Connell (bank manager), Rachel Ivers (assistant manager) Hazel Fanon (auditor) Stephanie Costello (marketing officer) Isabelle Kennedy and Charlotte Dean (bank tellers).

Of course, to start our bank off with a bang we all decided it would be essential to have an exciting and interesting launch day. On the 15th of December after weeks of preparation and an exhausting start, our launch day finally started to come together, with the much-appreciated help from the whole class and teacher.

We completely covered the classroom in mounds of streamers, balloons, confetti and anything else we could find. In the end the classroom really did look the part and we even had two special visitors to cut the ribbon: David Shormann from AIB and Tatiana Moore who plays Alana in Fair City. Also many thanks must go to Debbie and Liz who helped tremendously with our project.

After the ribbon cutting our bank manager Ms O’Connell gave a speech to all the invited classes and the launch was well underway. Music played in the background, information was handed out and a raffle was held. Everyone got to meet our special mascot Leroy the Celtic tiger.

But what really stole the show were the mounds of chocolate cakes and buns laid out on a huge table for people to take leisurely, and that they really did… Well, a little chocolate persuasion can go a long way.

In the end, do we really think people will start to save with us? You can bank on it!