National Numeracy can't deliver a lot of its work in communities without the support of Numeracy Champions, but what exactly do they do?
News
Numeracy Champions and the importance of community
6 Nov 2026
National Numeracy’s network of Numeracy Champions are vital in helping to encourage and support people to build number confidence and skills, which can help lead to better opportunities in life.
Read on to learn more about the role of Numeracy Champions and how your organisation can get involved in the programme.
The theme of this year’s Number Confidence Week is Count on Your Community and to celebrate, a group of Numeracy Champions – a community in their own right – met online to discuss what those they support need when it comes to maths.
Numbers and confidence go hand in hand
Numeracy Champions come from all kinds of organisations and communities, including the NHS, local councils and adult education settings.
The group who met this week spoke about how people have struggled with budgeting and how adults supporting children with their maths homework can be anxiety-provoking.
They also discussed how comments from adults, such as: “Maths is hard” can have a detrimental effect on children.
Confidence was also a big talking point, with Champions discussing how confidence needs to be addressed before learners can start looking at getting qualifications.
With money being a frequently mentioned topic, the National Numeracy team shared the Money Helper website, which gives free, impartial information on money, pensions, benefits and more.
How Numeracy Champions support others with maths
The session was a fantastic reminder of the power of opening up about maths and numbers. Numeracy Champions understand that not everyone is confident with numbers, often they have experienced their own number struggles.
But their role is to show people that no matter their previous experience with maths, it’s still possible to improve and that can bring enormous benefits.
Numeracy Champions are not maths teachers, rather they are trained to help support those within their communities build number confidence by giving encouragement and signposting to useful resources, like the National Numeracy Challenge.
National Numeracy hosts regular forums for Numeracy Champions where they can give updates, and crucially, share ideas of things that have worked for them so others can try them within their own communities too.
Click here for information on how your organisation can have trained Numeracy Champions to help support colleagues, customers and communities feel better about maths.
More from Numeracy Champions...
Try the National Numeracy Challenge
However you feel about maths, you’re not alone. The National Numeracy Challenge is a free and easy-to-use website you can use to improve your confidence with numbers, in your own time and at your own pace.
It’s ideal for brushing up, checking your level, or for catching up on learning you missed, and it’s all about the maths you need in daily life and at work – no algebra or trigonometry.
