Who, why and how!
Squirrelled was born out of a very simple frustration: the cost of having a child in school is eye-watering, it keeps rising, and nobody was doing anything useful about it.
Our founding team of 5 has nineteen children between us - and one grandchild, with a second on the way just before the new school year. We've bought the uniform, paid for the school trips, winced at the price of football boots in October, and sat through many a PTA meeting wondering why fundraising always feels like such hard work. We know this world from the inside. One of our co-founders helped build the Nectar card over twenty years ago. That experience - understanding how retail loyalty works, who really benefits, and what could be done differently - sits right at the heart of Squirrelled. Because the mechanics of cashback have existed for decades. What's never existed is a version that puts families and schools first.
We didn't invent cashback. We just decided it was time it worked for the people who deserve it most.
We set up Squirrelled because we believe every family should benefit from their everyday spending - not just the people who know where to look. And we believe every school should have a reliable, low-effort income stream that doesn't depend on a raffle or a bake sale.
The cost of living has made all of this more urgent, not less. Families are spending more carefully. Schools are under real budget pressure. PTAs and fundraising teams are working harder than ever. Squirrelled can't fix all of that - but it can put real money back where it belongs, every time someone does their weekly shop.
Why it works
Retailers pay us a commission when a customer shops through us. We split that three ways — cashback to the family, a contribution to their school (funded by us, not taken from the family's cashback), and revenue to keep Squirrelled running. Everyone benefits. Nobody loses out.
It works alongside Nectar, Clubcard, and every other loyalty scheme families already use. There's nothing to give up and nothing to change about how you shop. Just extra money, going to the right places.
Where we are now
I'm Mia, founder of Squirrelled and the grandmother in the group. My career has been in marketing, and I've spent the last four years building something I genuinely wish had existed when my own children were at school. We're a small, committed team, and we're growing fast.
We're currently in the middle of our test launch - signing up families and schools, and using their feedback to keep improving the app. (You’ll also be able to browse and shop here on our website soon - watch out for announcements). If you're a family, we'd love you to download the app. If you're a school, we'd love to show you how much your families could be earning for you. And if you're an investor who believes in backing things that actually do good - we'd love to talk.
