Sunak and wife Murty unveil new charity focused on tackling numeracy problems

Independent

01-03-2025

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have unveiled a new charity dedicated to improving numeracy across the UK.
The venture, which has been named The Richmond Project after the area of North Yorkshire where they live and which Mr Sunak represents as an MP, will support creative ways of tackling numeracy problems.
It aims to help children struggling at school, families lacking in number confidence and adults who never mastered basic maths.
Since leaving Number 10 after the election in July, the MP for Richmond and Northallerton has become an ambassador for Prostate Cancer Research and accepted visiting academic posts at Oxford and Stanford.
Meanwhile, Ms Murty has been a headline speaker at India's leading literary festival alongside her mother Sudha Murty.
Mr Sunak said: 'Akshata and I are passionate about the importance of education – particularly numeracy, and the culture around it.
'If we can change the way people think about and approach numbers, we can build confidence and transform lives.
'We're calling it The Richmond Project – named after the place where we live and the constituency I am proud to represent.
'It'll be a UK-wide charity which will focus on breaking down some of the barriers that exist in families around numeracy – whether you're at primary school, secondary or indeed as an adult.'
In 2023, while Mr Sunak was still in office, Ms Murty launched her Lessons At Ten programme in which thousands of children came to Downing Street on Friday mornings for lessons on a range of subjects, including numeracy and maths.
Writing in The Times on Saturday, Ms Murty said: 'Since leaving No 10 Rishi and I have talked about what really matters to us now, and why.
'We've been fortunate in many ways, so what can we do to give back: to continue our commitment to public service.
'We've asked ourselves some fundamental questions – what drives us, what will make a real difference, and ultimately what will change lives?
'All our conversations have led us back to our passion – education. We did our research and concluded that within the sphere of education, numeracy stands out and would benefit from further attention.
'Great work is already being done, and we want to add to that.
'So, we've decided to set up The Richmond Project. The mission: To transform lives, by numbers.
'Building confidence with numbers changes lives.
'The Richmond Project will identify and support innovative solutions that drive social mobility by helping families break down barriers to numeracy.
'From starting school, through teenage years and into adulthood, if you find numbers a struggle, you'll find day to day living a struggle.
'Lack of understanding leads to fear and fear creates a vicious cycle that's hard to break.
'It can start young and blight your entire education, leading to limited job prospects and long-term social and financial consequences.'
The project will champion a range of numeracy-related innovations.
Its work is expected to include original research and financial, organisational and delivery support for specialist organisations.
The charity's trustees are Mr Sunak, Ms Murty and Eleanor Shawcross, a former director of the No 10 Policy Unit.