A Birmingham student has earned a Rotary Young Citizen Award for her inspiring contribution to youth empowerment.
Seventeen-year-old Renia Ganguly, from Edgbaston, has been recognised for her work building ChequeItOut in 2024. The peer-led financial literacy platform provides young people with vital tools and resources which aim to instil confidence and independence in money management and has become internationally recognised.
Renia said it was her own experiences at school that led her to create a support service that she didn’t feel existed. At the heart of her work is a profound commitment to addressing inequality through education and empowerment.
Recognising that financial literacy is fundamental to independence, confidence, and long-term wellbeing, she created a platform that equips young people with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex financial world.
She said: “I remember being at school in a PSHE lesson, and a classmate asked the teacher ‘what is a credit card?’ I felt like there was a failure in the system not to teach us these really important things earlier on in life.”
“I set out with a mission to give as many children as possible the tools and confidence to make informed financial decisions on their own.”
Now, ChequeItOut has a team of over 15 ambassadors, working together to create financial literacy resources and workshops for children across the UK, South Africa and India.
Renia has been involved with the European Youth Parliament and leads youth engagement on the Birmingham Youth City Board, championing representation, critical thinking, and civic literacy. She has also expanded her vision through a collaboration with Disability Equals Ability, helping create more inclusive pathways for young people with disabilities
And, alongside colleagues, she has contributed to the city’s youth strategy to help the voices of young people be heard on topics around safety, empowering girls and transport.
One of the most inspiring examples of her leadership is her current humanitarian initiative, Project eSparsh. Through this ambitious project, Renia is leading a fundraising campaign to establish a Digital Learning Centre within a leprosy colony in Haridwar, India. The centre will provide digital literacy training, financial education, and access to technology, empowering marginalised individuals with skills that can unlock education, employment, freelancing opportunities, and financial independence.
Renia received her award at a prestigious ceremony in Cheshire, where winners of Rotary’s Young Chef and Young Musician competitions were also crowned.
Shewas nominated for the Rotary Young Citizen Award by the Rotary Heart of England Hub and was one of seven winners selected in this year’s awards from dozens of nominations submitted from across Great Britain and Ireland.
Renia said: “I was really happy when I found out that I had been nominated and won the Rotary Young Citizen Award. I think it’s such a fabulous, amazing organisation and the work they do is incredible.”
Now in its 19th year, the Rotary Young Citizen Awards were launched in 2007 to celebrate the amazing achievements of young people. Since then, hundreds of inspiring young people have been recognised for their social impact, volunteering and fundraising.
Past District Governor Gary Dancer, said: “Renia is a most impressive young lady, I have had the pleasure of working alongside her on Rotary projects. She is an example of the excellence that Rotary strives to achieve when working with young people.”
Nominees are all supported by their local Rotary clubs.
To find out more about Rotary, its work with young people and community impact, visit www.rotarygbi.org
Watch a video of Renia speaking about their award at: https://youtu.be/Y7HpUGsw0Ag?si=oxjN-iMJLWNbPTiV