Women’s finance platform launches in Teesside

A new financial empowerment service aimed at helping women build confidence around money and investment has officially launched in Teesside.

Her Invest unveiled its new offering during a VIP event at Porsche Teesside in Stockton, bringing together female entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals from across the region.

The launch featured an “In Conversation With…” session involving founder Christine Dale and journalist Sarah Dale, alongside luxury pop-up stalls and Porsche test drives for guests.

During the discussion, the pair explored the gender gap in financial literacy and highlighted how women in the UK were unable to open bank accounts independently until the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act in 1975.

Christine said: “The difference between men and women when it comes to finance is stark.

“British women retire with a pension around 37 per cent lower than men’s and only 32 per cent of women are confident that they are saving enough for retirement (compared to 48 per cent of men). 

“With a divorce rate of 42 per cent and with women typically covered for life insurance for up to 20 per cent less than men, women need to be independently financially secure. 

“In contrast, women now hold 60 per cent of UK wealth (£3.2tn), but we have found that there are several barriers to women investing their money: time, confidence and knowing where to go for advice.

“We want Her Invest to empower women to take charge of their own futures. 

“It is never too early to start saving 15 per cent of your income. 

“Start with pocket money – teach your children how to divide their money into spending, short-term saving and long-term saving. 

“This is advice I have ensured that my own daughters follow – and some of it must have stuck as they have followed me into the industry!”

The event also examined the growing number of female-led businesses in the UK, following findings from the Rose Review which showed women-founded companies growing at a faster rate than male-led firms for the first time.

Ross Jameson, centre principal of Porsche Teesside Centre Teesside, added: “Her Invest is a great fit and aligns really well with Porsche as a high-end luxury brand and so it was a no brainer to agree to hosting this event.

“Porsche is an iconic global brand and this year we celebrate 75 years of Porsche in the UK, which is a huge milestone. 

“In recent years, Porsche has seen a real shift in its customer demographic and who are purchasing the cars. 

“One of the fastest growing customer demographics is what Porsche calls The Driven Female! 

“Driven Females are ambitious, independent females who work hard to achieve their goals – and Christine, a Porsche owner herself, is the ultimate example of a Driven Female.”

Christine Dale and Ross Jameson

Her Invest has been developed with support from Female Founder UK creator Max Freer, who worked alongside Christine on business strategy and brand development with VIA Creative.

Max added: “Female Founder UK is the official trademark brand - we work with founders to help them bring their ideas into built brand success with business strategy. 

“It’s been a lot of work, Christine’s ambition is powerful, and I am in no doubt Her Invest will be a huge success.”

Pop-up exhibitors at the launch included Beth Wilson Embroidery, Surfacephilia and Oona Art Studio.

Christine says the new platform aims to encourage more women to take control of their financial futures and improve long-term financial confidence and security.

She added: “It was fantastic to see so many women who were inspired to take charge of their own finances at the launch and we can’t wait to help more women become financially secure with our expert help.”

For more information about Her Invest, visit www.herinvest.co.uk.

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