FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER: MIKE ELLICOCK: MAKING NUMBERS COUNT

ABOUT TALK

Modern society is based on numbers. From pocket money to the pension triple lock, and from the price of a pint of milk to the cost of running the NHS, numbers play a central role in our lives. Many key decisions – if and when to impose a COVID lockdown, for example – require a high level of numeracy, yet around a half of adults in the UK have the everyday maths skills that we expect of a primary school child. The Financial Conduct Authority has identified poor numeracy as the most common vulnerability among adults. This leads to poor decisions at all levels and excludes many from full participation in society. Mike Ellicock, founder of The Plain Numbers Project, will examine the causes and consequences of poor numeracy in the UK, and – crucially – what can be done to make things better.

ABOUT MIKE ELLCOCK

Mike is a social entrepreneur. Since 2008 he has run organisations that support people who struggle with numbers and data. After a military career, an MBA and a brief stint in banking, he joined Numicon Ltd, a maths education business as Chief Executive in 2008. In 2012 he launched National Numeracy as founding Chief Executive, building the organisation from little more than an idea to become a well-respected national charity. In 2020, with the support of the Bank of England, he established Plain Numbers to enable regulated firms to better support customers who struggle with numbers. See: https://plainnumbers.org.uk/