Kevin Brown discusses Junior ISAs, the benefits to existing and new customers, and why we are calling for Government rules to be relaxed to help support a better financial future for our next generation.
Despite the ever-changing world of technology, fluctuating economies, evolving societies, and shifting leadership, radio has remained a dynamic, reactive, and engaging medium for over a century (this compares to the very first Black and White Television which was sold in 1939). The reach of radio is everlasting, whether it’s listening to Greg James on your 8am commute to work, or BBC’s Going Home with Vick, Katie and Jamie. With the UK radio market size sitting at over £1.4 billion at the start of 2025, today you can listen to radio on almost any device, including laptops, computers, phones, televisions, and even smart speakers – oh, and there’s also Alexa to ask!
Radio’s immediacy allows brands like us to effectively reach large, targeted audiences. As of late 2024, around 47 million people tuned in to the radio each week, listening for an average of over 18 hours (Rajar 2025). It’s estimated that one in three listeners will act on something they hear on-air (Ofcom 2024). This significant audience presents a valuable opportunity for organisations to engage through radio days. That’s why our PR & Communications Manager, Kevin Brown, was recently interviewed by radio stations across the UK.
So, what is a radio day?
Radio stations are constantly looking for interesting and engaging content which creates vital opportunities for PR stories. Radio days involve both pre-recorded and live interviews across an average of around 15 stations in one morning.
Kevin participated in a radio day on Thursday 6 February to speak about Junior ISAs and to explore why he believes that a simple change that relaxes current Government rules could help the next generation once they become adults.
“Recent research by 3Gem for Scottish Friendly shows that parents typically start to open a Junior ISA for their child at 3-4 years old. Missing those first few years could potentially mean the child missing out on between £5,733 to £7,510 by age 18. Furthermore, leaving it until the child reaches 10 can result in a £15,412 loss.
“Currently, only parents or legal guardians can open Junior ISAs, but many parents (32%) would prefer grandparents to have this ability, and 36% of extended family members would set up Junior ISAs if allowed. Scottish Friendly advocates for a rule change to permit extended family to open Junior ISAs, which could significantly benefit young people and their families.”
On the day itself, there were 17 radio stations who were interested to hear more about what we’re saying when it comes to children’s savings, and this equated to circa 2 million potential listeners.
The line we took was – ‘Don’t leave the kids behind’ and this is building into something Scottish Friendly are keen to keep pushing on, and to be proud of.
Sources
www.rajar.co.uk. (2024). RAJAR’s Audio Survey ‘MIDAS’ Summer 2024. [online] Available at: https://www.rajar.co.uk/docs/news/MIDAS_Summer_2024.pdf
www.Ofcom.co.uk. (2024). Radio Listening Statistics 2022 (UK and Global). [online] Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/digital-radio/audio-listening-in-the-uk/
