Tuesday March 4 2014 Yorkshire Post

talk back Have your say on our stories, add Twitter @yorkshirepost comments online at: yorkshirepost.co.uk opinion 11 After the crash, the mutual benefits of building societies are clear to see

ONE hundred and sixty years ago, they formed a movement which revolutionised ordinary lives. Making the prospect of home ownership tangible for ordinary people for the first time, Yorkshire’s building societies were among the flagbearers for mutuality – a concept and approach to business witnessed across the UK which proved an enduring alternative for David consumers in a crowded financial services marketplace. Cutter Initially established as “collectives” to enable people to David Cutter is chairman of club together and build their own the chairman of the Building homes, five societies remain in societies Association and chief the Yorkshire region – Yorkshire executive of skipton Building Building Society being the largest, society. followed by Skipton, Leeds, Beverley and Ecology. Yorkshire is the second biggest society nationally, Skipton ranks fourth and Leeds fifth, in terms of asset size, and we all offer products and services to savers and borrowers right across the country, bringing important competition and diversity to the marketplace. On a smaller scale, Beverley concentrates on offering a valued service on a local basis and Ecology has a special place amongst those looking for mortgages and projects that benefit the environment. In recent days, we and our major peers all announced our annual results for 2013. Both as group chief executive of Skipton, and collectively, in terms of my role as chairman of the Building Societies Association, I am delighted to observe that these results show how all of the region’s building societies continue to add as much value as ever to our local economy, and the lives of the bricks and mortar: Building societies continue to play a vital role in making home ownership a reality for many people. Yorkshire has always been at the forefront of the movement. area’s consumers. Despite five years of the collectively employed over 14,000 market. Much of this success was While we need to make healthy the region’s building societies of £500 to salt-of-the earth clubs worst global financial crisis in people in the UK during 2013, at the expense of the banks which, and improving profits to boost bring to the area. Over the past and societies which make a memory, Yorkshire’s mutuals almost half of whom are based in as a whole, contracted their our core capital base and invest decade, the city of Leeds has taken big difference to local lives, but have continued to report strong Yorkshire. market share during the year. in our businesses, we can use on the mantle of the financial are too often overlooked for profitability and capital – a vital Head count increased by almost We also offered average savings a proportion of what’s left to services capital of the North. The mainstream funding. safety net, the lack of which 600 to support the ongoing rates well above the historically balance this with consistent value reputational benefit of this in In this way, we are continuing triggered the demise of many high growth and development of low Bank of England base rate of for our members and continually terms of fuelling onward business to reflect that founding mutual profile banking casualties. This our businesses. Combined, we 0.5 per cent and average market develop our products and services investment in the region cannot ethos of “helping people to help strength gives our members the lent £11.4bn of new residential rates, paying a weighted average for their benefit. be underestimated. Not only themselves” and last year saw tens peace of mind of knowing their mortgages to help homeowners rate of 2.11 per cent during the Taxes paid by the three societies that, but the wage bill of these of thousands of people engaging savings are secure with us. achieve their aspirations in a course of the year, much of which amounted to in excess of £150m three societies within the region with this programme to vote for Skipton’s profits increased to challenging market environment. provides typical building society in 2013. And then there is the is estimated at nearly £200m the organisations dear to their £102m in 2013, Yorkshire’s to More than 15,000 of these loans customers with a vital top up intangible “brand” capital that per annum, with jobs centred hearts. £199m and Leeds’s to £64m. were to first-time buyers, who income into their retirement. The in Leeds, Bradford, Skipton Throughout the challenging However, it is the virtuous circle are so vital to fuelling a buoyant three societies are now entrusted and elsewhere supporting the events of recent years, we have which we create together which housing market which is so with a combined £45bn of savers’ We plough some economic vibrancy of the region. always maintained our mutual positively impacts the economic central to economic health. balances. Added to this is the “softer” difference, and it is pleasing to vibrancy of the region, as well as Net lending, being the growth in We were able to punch above of the proceeds of aspect of what we do – giving see it really coming into its own the financial wellbeing of families. our mortgage books, amounted to our weight in this way because something back to the as Yorkshire’s societies emerge While profits and growth are £4bn, accounting for 36 per cent we’re free of some of the shackles success back into communities in which we operate from the financial crisis stronger important measure of success, of the growth in the UK market that bind PLCs. We don’t have through charitable giving of over than ever. This year and beyond we also plough some of the – well in excess of our combined shareholders to please, and take the communities £1m during 2013. At Skipton, look similarly bright despite proceeds of success back into natural market share. Our local decisions which are in the long in addition to our Charitable ongoing market challenges and the communities in which we building societies have therefore term interest of our members in which we Foundation, we do this through we look forward to continuing to operate, to further enrich them. played a huge part in revitalising rather than being driven by the a Grassroots Giving programme contribute strongly in the years In terms of bare statistics, we the country’s residential mortgage short-termism of the City. operate. which provides small donations ahead. Little the West can do as Putin flexes muscles in Crimea

INEVITABLY, the sight of invasion of Czechoslovakia in He also urged “direct Putin appears unruffled. He reflecting ’s longstanding threat of further intervention over Russian forces responding to 1968, all the evidence suggested engagement with the government clearly felt that Russia could relations with the Crimea, which the interim regime in Kiev. He the revolution in Kiev by holding that Putin’s actions had caught of ”, but Putin’s reply not stand by while a revolution was Russian until 1954. The may wish to shape the formation military manoeuvres on Ukraine’s the Western allies off guard. was all too blunt. The US-backed overthrew an elected, pro-Russian Crimea not only hosts the Russian of a new Ukrainian government borders, and then smoothly Neither David Cameron’s threat interim administration in Kiev president, , Black Sea Fleet but it also has and gain a power of veto over occupying key positions in the of a Ministerial boycott of the was “threatening the lives and and was unconcerned that a legendary appeal by virtue of any decision affecting Russian Crimea without firing a shot, has Paralympics in Sochi nor William health of Russian citizens and the Yanukovych had provoked the the two wars fought on its soil interests. sent reverberations through the Hague’s readiness to shun the many compatriots” in the Crimea, protests in Kiev by reneging on against invaders in the nineteenth Escalation, including armed international community. preparatory talks for the next G8 and in case the crisis spread to the a European Union association and twentieth centuries. Nearly confrontation, remains a risk This was an “incredible act of summit halted the movement of eastern Ukraine, “Russia retains agreement, and then by sixty per cent of the Crimean but will depend upon how the aggression, really a stunning, Russian forces. Just as ineffectual the right to protect its interests authorising the use of lethal force population is Russian. two regional powers react, with Edward wilful choice to invade another was the extraordinary 90-minute and the Russian-speaking against the demonstrators in So far the Ukraine has the military balance, at least in country”, said John Kerry, the phone call between President population in those areas”. Independence Square. responded with restraint but numbers and weaponry, heavily Spiers US Secretary of State. “We don’t Obama and Obama, by choosing not to Putin was prepared to use its position in the Crimea has favouring the Russians. want to return to the Cold War,” on Saturday night. Obama attend a high-level meeting at force decisively, just as he did in weakened after the defection of This seems a distinctly local he warned. He then threatened reportedly threatened “serious the White House, involving his Georgia in 2008, and gambled on the newly appointed naval chief, crisis and not a return to the edward M spiers is Professor Russia with economic sanctions repercussions” unless Moscow defence secretary, the director of the likelihood that the West would Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky, global divisions of the Cold War. of strategic studies at the and possible diplomatic isolation halted its military operations, the CIA, and chairman of the joint not react to a military crisis in the surrounding of two military The Western powers, despite University of Leeds. by exclusion from the G8. which were a “clear violation chiefs of staff, effectively admitted Russia’s “Near Abroad”. bases, and the severance of key siding with Kiev, will confine Despite comparisons in of Ukrainian sovereignty and that there was little that the He gained the backing of the communication links. themselves to public posturing Washington with the Soviet territorial integrity”. United States could do. Russian Parliament on Saturday, Putin is clearly holding the and possibly sanctions.

Formoreoffers visit: Real life pain of online tirade of hate by ‘trolls’ www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/ReaderTravel 2daysbyCoach,fromONLY IT WAS the sound of sobbing that drew walked home together after leaving that is the number of young people my friend to his teenage daughter’s them at the gates. whose suicides last year were linked to £139.95pp bedroom door. Inside, she was This only deepened my friend’s cyberbullying. inconsolable. Red-eyed, distraught, sense of disbelief. How could this Some figures have suggested that as she’d plainly been crying since going up be happening here, in an affluent many as seven out of 10 young people to her room ostensibly to do homework Yorkshire suburb, to two decent families using social networking sites have been a couple of hours before. and a group of children doing well at a subjected to bullying. He and his wife had noticed that successful state school? Trolling is an insidious and especially she hadn’t been herself over the There was little sleep for anyone in the hurtful form of psychological warfare previous few weeks. She’d been quiet, house that night, not least because of because it eats into its victims’ souls, preoccupied, even slightly withdrawn. what the following day held. My friend sowing self-doubt and despair. And Andrew All attempts to get to the bottom of what and his wife decided to divide up what when it is directed at children growing was troubling her had failed. had to be done. He would go to school through the fragile and complicated Vine They’d been through the teenage to talk to the headteacher, and she emotions of the teenage years, it can be years once already with their elder would go to see the ringleader’s mother. especially harmful. daughter, so knew perfectly well that it pressure: Olympic swimmer Rebecca Hers was the harder task. Over coffee, Even those grown to adulthood are every tuesday was not unusual for a 14-year-old girl Adlington also suffered online abuse. the other mother went from outrage to not immune from its effects, as shown Florimania to be moody. They decided the best incredulity to bewilderment before, in by the public breakdown of the Olympic at Hampton CourtPalace approach was softly-softly, keeping a Her self-confidence and self- the face of the indisputable story told by gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca close eye on her and waiting for the esteem were being shredded by these the messages on the phone, tears came. Adlington, who was subjected to &Windsor right opportunity to find out what unremitting attacks. The victimisation As the two mothers hugged, both disgraceful abuse about her looks via Departing Saturday29March 2014 was on her mind. But they hadn’t had left her isolated, helpless, even knew that their families’ relationship social media. expected this. Through the tears, it all ashamed, to the extent of feeling unable could never be the same again. And The consequences for my friend’s •Overnightstayata4star outer London area hotel with a came tumbling out. And what she said to tell her parents what was happening. as the victim’s mother took her leave, daughter and her tormentors are still 3course evening meal and full English breakfast shocked them to the core. Almost as if the trolls sensed that the she left behind a woman wondering playing themselves out. The only •Return boattrip on theThames fromWindsor She was the victim of internet trolls, more isolated she became, the more how well she really knew her daughter certain thing is that there will be no to Boveney Lock who had been tormenting and abusing their attacks would wound, their malice if she was capable of plumbing such quick fix. She is only gradually returning •Admission to Florimania and Hampton CourtPalace her via a social networking site for increased. With every passing week, the depths of cruelty. It had all begun as a to her old happy and outgoing self, and and grounds weeks. The story was there on her pack circled more menacingly until its result of some trivial spat which would there is a question over whether the •Return coach travel from Leeds,Bradford, Harrogate, mobile phone, a stream of vile and cruel victim felt hemmed in with nowhere to usually have resulted in a few days of ringleader of her abusers can return to insults that had reached its climax that turn for help. not speaking to one another until it all the same school. Woodall Services,Woolley Edge Services &York evening with a wish that she was dead. What made it even worse was that the blew over. But somehow, it had got out How twisted it is that a form of Organised by Omega Events Ltd, ABTA Y590X It had been merciless. Over and over ringleader of the group of girls who had of hand and developed into something communication intended to bring tomorrow: again, they had called her “ugly bitch”. been tormenting her lived nearby. The much darker. people together and foster friendships Formoreinformation or to book,please call: No aspect of her appearance was off children had grown up together, and How many other families out there can be perverted into a means of quoteYPN Bernard limits. Her hair, clothes, shoes, even the both sets of parents were on friendly have been plunged into turmoil by torture. And how sad that the word 0113 819 91 05 bag she carried to school were derided terms. When the two girls were at trolling? Certainly there are nine whose “troll” should have become a hateful OPENING TIMES: MON-FRI 8.30-19.30 Ingham and jeered at. primary school, their mothers had often lives have been blown apart, because part of so many children’s lives. SAT8.45-15.30 SUN 10.00-15.00 or visit: www.yorkshirepost.reader.travel If you wish to comment on the issues raised on this page, write to: The Editor, Yorkshire Post, No.1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds LS12 1BE. Email: [email protected] Single supplementapplies.Subjecttoavailability.