WHAT IS THE STAKE ALL ABOUT?

The Stake is a unique competition that gives you the chance to decide how £100,000 is spent AND allows you to turn a bright idea in to a reality. What are you waiting for?

Using Facebook you can enter the competition by either pitching or backing an idea with the chance of making it a reality. Either way you will get one stake, which you can use to back your favourite idea – even if it’s your own! By completing a number of challenges you can increase the number of voting stakes you have (there are 6 stakes in total to be earned).

Ideas could be anything, from the heart warming to the hilarious, whether it’s a street wear start-up, a new school skate ramp or a major charitable donation. Expert advice will be given throughout the competition from experienced and savvy mentors.

The top 20 ideas with the most stakes by 23 December at 11.59pm will be shortlisted and judged by a panel from Channel 4 and Barclays.

Up to six winners will be announced in January 2012. Each winner will be given up to £20,000, along with support from Barclays’ mentors and youth engagement agency, Livity, to make their ideas a reality between January and March.

Barclays Money Skills

Barclays supports a range of innovative money management projects in the UK, such as The Stake, through the flagship money management programme Barclays Money Skills.

Barclays Money Skills is a national programme that helps young people to develop and improve their financial skills, knowledge and confidence. The programme tackles topics such as opening a bank account, budgeting, saving and spending, and gives practical guidance on what to do when something goes wrong.

Visit Barclays Money Skills for more information.