Credit Union Service for the Armed Forces Celebrates Lending Over £1Million to Members
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Engage account @engage_account ISSN 2058-3257 W www.engageaccount.com Issue - Sept 2016 On Alternative Banking and Payments Credit union service for the Armed Forces celebrates lending over £1million to members October 2015 saw the launch of Joining means the risk of lending significantly reduces extremely high rate of interest. After calculating Forces, a new Credit Union service for the and we may be able to help where others may the total interest that would have to be repaid Armed Forces. not. with their existing loan, it was over £7,000. The arrangement, backed by the Ministry of As not-for-profit financial co-operatives, Credit With nowhere else to turn, Serve and Protect Defence, was launched to tackle problems Unions are owned and run by our members. agreed to consolidate this loan, paying off the faced by Military personnel who may find They will do their utmost to help solve the existing debt and saving the member over themselves with limited access to financial problems faced by our members, whilst at the £6,000 in potential interest. services, leaving them a potential target for same time ensuring they lend responsibly. London Mutual Credit Union high cost credit providers such as payday See the case studies below as to how the Credit lenders and loan sharks. A Warrant Officer with 16 years’ service, Unions have helped fellow colleagues: recently took a London Mutual CU loan as he The service – provided by three of the UK’s Plane Saver Credit Union wanted to take a further education course in his leading Credit Unions provides simple savings spare time. He told us: “The whole joining and accounts and affordable loans for Service Plane Saver were recently approached by a loan application simple and straightforward, personnel straight from their pay. serviceman who found himself in a spiral of and was kept informed all through the loan debt, with a series of high interest Credit Card It was launched under the Armed Forces application process. and Payday loans, with monthly repayments Covenant, a promise by the nation that those over £555 at an average interest rate of 244% I am really glad that I’ve found an ethical and who serve or who have served in the Armed APR. affordable lender – not for profit – and I’m Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. particularly pleased that there are no hidden They were able to lend to the individual Since launching the Credit Union service is fast charges and no early repayment fees. I’m responsibly, consolidating his existing debt into approaching 1,000 members, having lent over repaying the loan direct from salary and I can one manageable repayment straight from his £1million to date. Members of all three services just forget about it, and I’m saving a small pay, leaving the member with a new monthly are welcome to join along with veterans who amount each month as well as repaying the repayment of £301 at a more favorable interest are in receipt of a MOD pension. loan.” rate, meaning he saved £254 per month and Why can a Credit Union help, where other could get back on track with his finances. Learn more about the Armed Forces Credit financial providers may not be able to? Union service at www.joinignforcescu.co.uk Serve & Protect Credit Union or email [email protected] for a The credit union service for the Armed Forces, Serve and Protect recently helped a member workplace visit. allows Service personnel to save and borrow who had an existing car loan of £5,000 at an with repayments straight from their pay. This Reproduced with kind permission of the Armed Forces Credit Union, 09 September 2016 Credit Union services for the Armed Forces. Loans & Savings straight from your pay. Focus Sept16_v1.indd 1 29/09/2016 10:56 1,000 new members for Plane Saver! Plane Saver Credit Union has attracted over membership to offer its services to employees launching with the Ministry of Defence in 1,000 new members in one financial year for in a wider range of related sectors. October 2015. It shows the importance of credit the first time in its history. unions widening their target market, attracting Plan Saver’s partner employers who recognise new payroll partners to help stimulate both The credit union, which serves employees in the value of their staff being able to save membership and loan growth”. the airline, air transport, protective services and repay loans direct from payroll now also and engineering industries, has reached this includes Air Canada, IAG, American Airlines, significant membership growth milestone since Babcock, Avios and since last year, the Ministry the new credit union financial year began on 1 of Defence. October 2015 – still with a month to spare! Plane Saver Head of Marketing Rob Lovesey Since its inception in 1993, Plane Saver has said: “Achieving this milestone is a clear sign that developed into one of the largest credit unions within the current market there is increasing in the UK, serving over 10,000 members and demand for the wide range of financial services making loans worth over £100 million to date. provided by credit unions, particularly within the uncertainty surrounding the current Originally founded to provide affordable economic climate. financial services to British Airways staff, the Reproduced by kind permission of Plane Saver credit union has since 2010 expanded its field of “In addition, one of the key factors was Credit Union Ltd. 09 September 2016 Confirmation of Merger with West Sussex Credit Union West Sussex and SurreySave Credit Unions 1 September.” Said David Wright, Chairman of the quality and improve the range of services in have decided that in order to ensure the long SurreySave. Surrey and Kingston. term financial sustainability of the Credit “This is an exciting development. It will result David Wright said, “Can I thank you all once Union movement in Surrey and Kingston, in a well-run, forward looking and dynamic again for your support and encouragement. It their members voted in favour of a proposed new organisation with well-established ethical has been your continued faith in our work that merger between the two credit unions. The standards and social objectives. It will offer has made it possible for us to do so much to object is to create a larger, financially stronger, high standards of service to a larger common address financial exclusion and deprivation in merged organisation – the Surrey and West bond of just fewer than 2 million with similar Surrey and Kingston. I plan to serve on the new Sussex Credit Union. demographics and economic characteristics.” merged Board and look forward to supporting “We held a Special General Meeting on 8 August Jenny in her mission to create the stable and The Chair of the newly merged credit union to vote on the proposal and I am delighted sustainable future that we all seek.” will be Jenny King. She has run the West Sussex to report that our members voted in favour Credit Union since its inception 8 years ago. She By West Sussex Credit Union, reproduced by of the merger. As required by the Financial will be in touch with members in the next few kind permission of West Sussex Credit Union Services Authority, this decision was confirmed weeks to introduce herself and explain how the 10 September 2016 at a second Special General Meeting on merger will enable the credit union to maintain Trisha Butler said: “George worked tirelessly Fundraising for the credit union, even during his illness. IF YOUR CREDIT UNION He was a great asset and is missed by staff, WOULD LIKE TO memorial walk volunteers and members. “Work colleagues from the credit union wanted CONTRIBUTE TO THE for George to do something in his memory, so along with NEXT ISSUE OF FOCUS members of George’s family, five of us have Drumchapel Community Credit Union is decided to walk from Rowerdennan up the side THEN EMAIL: remembering its former Treasurer with a of Loch Lomond to Tyndrum to raise funds for the Beatson Cancer Charity in Glasgow. [email protected] fundraising walk. Staff from the Glasgow-based credit union are “George had raised funds for the charity in • Good news stories about your credit walking 26 miles of the West Highland Way the past, even acquiring a signed Celtic jersey union from Rowerdennan to Tyndrum over two days at one auction. Anyone who knew George will know that the charity must have meant a lot • News about your community from Friday 23 September – exactly a year after the credit union’s Treasurer, George Murray, to him as he was most definitely an ardent • Issues in your area passed away. Rangers fan!” Founded in 1970 as Western Credit Union, Focus goes out to all UK and Ireland George was a familiar face and popular Drumchapel Community Credit Union is the credit unions. volunteer at the credit union for over a decade. The staff will be joined by members of George’s oldest credit union in Scotland. It serves We aim to provide a newspaper for family for the walk, which is raising money 2,600 members who have £2.9 million saved Credit Unions to share their news with for the Beatson Cancer Charity which helped in their local credit union and are borrowing £1.4 million at more favourable rates than are others to build bonds in the industry. George through his illness. available from many other lenders. Drumchael Community Credit Union Manager By ABCUL, 02 September 2016 Focus Sept16_v1.indd 2 29/09/2016 10:56 South Bank Credit Union moves to new premises The Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Councillor Barry Hunt opens the credit union at South Bank.