I was at the NCVYS chief executives meetings today – one of my responsibilities to represent YFC at.

There were a variety of exciting and important things on the agenda but one in particular, the Commission on Unclaimed Assets really amazed me. Unclaimed assets are those pockets of money that people have in bank accounts but have not been touched for a very long time – something like 15 years!

Apparantly, this is the amazing bit, 1 in 3 of us have dormant bank accounts which we have forgotton about and not touched. A conservative estimate is that these amounts could add up to something like £400 million!

£400 000 000 just sitting there, untouched, forgotten, accruing interest slowly.

The proposal is that this money be used to fund the gaps in the (what is becoming called the) 3rd sector. There will be good safeguards and if anyone comes back to claim their money they will have it – so this seems a no-risk, win-win scheme which an independant body is currently looking at. On the website there is an online consultation form to let the commission know your views – if inclined go there.

It’s amazing to think that there is £400m of forgotten treasure in the banks of the UK.

What other treasures have we forgotten about?
Family treausures – like time with loved ones?
Natures treasures – experienced when we step out of the cars, tubes, trains …
Spiritual treasures – like love of God and God’s love of us?
Ministry treasures – like our first love of being called?

Seems like whichever way we turn, whatever treasure it may be, humanity is good at forgetting.