Local banking since 2001
We are a member-owned not-for-profit bank serving the interests of our members and the community.
The community bank for people in Hampshire & IOW, Bournemouth, Reading, Newbury, Woking, Guildford & surrounding areas.
Credit Unions and Community Banks tend to fall into two categories.
The sole aim is to support the financially excluded
The broader aim is to support and encourage local community banking
While they are not mutually exclusive and financial inclusion is a key goal, we fall into the latter category. We welcome members from every sector of society irrespective of socioeconomic status who want to be part of the local community banking.
Help people save
We help people save through Christmas clubs, workplace schemes and even when members borrow with popular our cashback loan.
Help people borrow
We help people borrow whether unemployed, low-income or high net worth. Our loans are for everyone with affordable rates and no hidden fees.
Help local communities
We help local communities grow and come together through our foundation supporting local groups with grants and a fee-free bank account.
What is a not-for-profit bank?
We don’t make a profit to benefit external investors or pay executive bonuses.
Any profits we make are called surpluses. Surpluses are invested in the local community to create a fair socio-economic system.
They are also used in pursuing our social objectives of providing fair, ethical and affordable finance.
No external influence over policy.
Members, people who save and borrow with us, own our bank together as a cooperative.
We don’t have any corporate shareholders pursuing their own financial objectives.
It’s our members who help set and drive our social goals and aims with a one-member, one-vote system.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better.
We are a small regulated bank focused on serving local people in a defined regional area.
You won’t find any international call centres, expensive offices or overheads with us.
Our friendly experienced team of local people work from our Portsmouth City Head Office.
A bank without the big call centre. We’re people you can talk to.
Be different
We have been here for you since 2001. Will you be our next member?
Supporting local communities
Honest & transparent
Zero-risk ethical savings accounts
Socially responsible
Foundation
Our community grant award scheme has helped local groups, organisations and charities across our region.
The foundation provides grants, services and support to communities within our common bond. The foundation committee meets once a quarter and distributes our foundation’s strategic aims and goals.
Our Three key promises
Invest with guarantees against depositor’s loss.
Invest with honesty and transparency.
Support economic and social development in Hampshire & IOW, Reading, Newbury, Bournemouth & surrounding areas.
Strong and safe
Our bank is solid and well capitalised with a highly liquid balance sheet conservatively and ethically invested.
Our capital ratio is more than double the level required by our regulators and we do not carry any external sources of debt.
What is fair trading in finance?
The FairLife Charity awards the fair trading mark to finance organisations that represent a pledge to price honestly and trade fairly with customers:
The provider must follow the spirit as well as the letter of any agreed regulator’s rules and principles with an emphasis on treating customers fairly.
The provider must adhere to agreed sources of profit. Any extra fees or charges being designed only to cover additional costs and not to generate additional profits.
A fair trading initiative for all areas of finance.
A route to companies that price honestly and trade fairly with their customers.
