A Birmingham couple who are on a mission to redefine modern Black British family life has launched a roadshow to educate and empower African and Caribbean communities in subjects such as financial education and economic empowerment.  

Nathan and Sabrina Dennis, who co-founded the charity First Class Foundation, will take their Legacy Planning & Financial Preparation Roadshow to cities across the UK later this year. In partnership with Pentecostal Credit Union, the events aim to improve social mobility and access to financial resources that wouldn’t usually be available. 

The Legacy Planning & Financial Preparation Roadshow will visit a host of cities later this year, with dates as follows: London - 23rd September, Manchester - 21st October, Bristol - 18th November, and Birmingham - 16th December. Aimed at families, young adults and business owners, the events will feature keynote and educational speakers, and see a host of panel discussions and Q&A sessions take place. The concept was born out of the need to make finance and economics easier to understand, amongst communities that often lack access to key information and resources.  

Speaking about the roadshow, Nathan comments: “We want to provide a collaborative, honest, and supportive environment that improves the financial well-being of African and Caribbean communities. Often success, wealth, stability, and abundance are guarded by a small pool of experts and ‘role models’, and this rarely includes people of African and Caribbean descent.

“Through the work of First Class Foundation, we have been both alarmed and moved by the number of families that have reached out to us during the current cost-of-living crisis. Families have been in situations where they have been sitting in darkness, with no electricity or gas on their meter, as a charity we have stepped in to bridge that gap.” In the last six months, Nathan and Sabrina have helped over 500 families to access free food hampers.  

Sabrina adds: “Our Legacy Planning & Financial Preparation Roadshow aims to provide opportunities to develop new financial skills, improve well-being and a sense of purpose, and empower people to feel more part of society. Nathan and I are passionate about encouraging communities to change the future for the next generation – leaving more positive, sustainable, and abundant legacies.

“We’re so thankful to Pentecostal Credit Union for partnering with us to help take the event to four major cities. We have ambitions to go even further than that and hope to welcome other partners on board who share our vision for financial empowerment within the Black community.”

Nathan and Sabrina founded First Class Foundation in 2019 to create programmes and services that serve young people and their families across the city through our seven spheres of influence: Family, Business, Politics, Media, Justice and Education. The charity addresses social and economic inequality through advocacy and community engagement, delivering mentorship, educational programs, and career development opportunities.