Nationwide Media Centre

• Nationwide supported 23k first-time buyers via Helping Hand in last 12 months – up 53% annually
• Helping Hand was enhanced in Sept 2024, enabling first-time buyers to borrow up to 6 times income
• Regulatory changes enabled Nationwide to relax Helping Hand minimum income criteria and allow borrowing up to 95% LTV on new build houses

• Research reveals shift in DIY attitudes as younger generations know less, spend more and get things finished
• All generations in agreement that DIY knowledge and skills haven’t been passed down to younger people
• Just 9% of Gen Z have bled a radiator compared to 53% of Baby Boomers
• Gen Z leave jobs unfinished for 3-4 months on average - this jumps to 11 months for Baby Boomers
• YouTube the most popular source of DIY tips but Gen Z turn to TikTok and Millennials use Facebook & Instagram

• Nationwide’s research supports The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s Walk 50k challenge
• Poll reveals average date costs £56.76 vs average of £12 on a walking date – a fifth of the price
• Women pick Tom Hardy as their ideal celebrity walking date while men opt for Emma Watson
• Choice of footwear for a walking date includes trainers, walking boots, Crocs and even high heels
• UK’s top 20 romantic walks include Chesil Beach, Snowdon Summit and Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat

• Demand for clinics in branches surge since Dementia UK partnership launched in September 2024
• Over 30,000 people supported in first year of partnership through branch clinics, Helpline and Dementia at Work support
• Top themes from appointments focus on – accessing support, understanding dementia, and psychological and emotional support.
• Almost a million people in UK living with dementia, with 1 in 2 expected to be impacted in their lifetime
• Case study available for interview: Neil Ouldridge cares for wife Marie, who has young onset dementia

● As students gear up for Freshers’ Week, new research from Nationwide reveals 42% struggle to budget when it comes to food

● Over half admit to only being able to cook up to five meals – from instant noodles to pesto pasta

● Nationwide is teaming up with Olivia Attwood and Joe Baggs to dish up sizzling fry-ups and sage advice for students

● The launch celebrates Nationwide’s FlexStudent account* benefits, which include tasty perks such as £100 free cash and £120 of Just Eat vouchers