British Credit Union Historical Society

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Lanarkshire cu

Founded in November 1991 as Blantyre Credit Union. The first year the credit union had acheived178 members with deposits worth £10,452 and loans worth £8,010.  Operating in the Blantyre Community Centre. The credit union was growing fast and larger premises were required, and in 1999 successfully negotiated the purchase of a vacant ex rent office in a prime high street location in Blantyre.

The credit union first extended its common bond to cover neighbouring Bothwell and part of Uddingston in 2006, also including anyone who works in those areas in 2007. 

The common bond was further extended to the whole of South Lanarkshire in 2009 and the name changed to Blantyre and South Lanarkshire Credit Union and the merger of ML9 Credit Union in Larkhall.Another merger took place with Rutherglen Credit Union in 2013. In 2014 the common bond was further extended to include and serve anyone who lives or works in North Lanarkshire.

Re-branded as Lanarkshire Credit Union in early 2016 the credit union celebrated its twenty-fifth birthday later in November of the same year. The Credit Union now has branches in Blantyre, Rutherglen and Larkhall.

Today, the credit union serves over 22,000 members – including almost 8,000 junior savers –saving are more than £14 million with the credit union and borrowing is over £6.2 million.

SAVVY SAVERS Founded in 2008 with support from the Scottish Government, the Leader Fund and the local council the project has flourished in to a huge success, working with over 80 schools across South Lanarkshire. The project aims to teach children of all ages how to manage their finances, and to understand debt and its effects in a fun and educating way. With relation to the "Curriculum for Excellence", the Project covers skills such as numeracy, literacy, health and well-being, and also aspects of social studies. The project also works with schools to help them establish their own Credit Union and teach children to run them independently, helping children gain valuable employment and communication skills and building their confidence. Children are given the opportunity to apply for positions in their school's Credit Union, with that they are also given an interview. This is a great opportunity for them to gain experience for the future, giving them an insight into what it would be like to apply for a job. Positions available to pupils are; Supervisor, Cashier, Teller and Development Worker. We're proud of what we have achieved over years with one of the biggest junior memberships of any Credit Union in Scotland.

Lanarkshire Credit Union is the latest in a growing list of credit unions across Britain to be officially recognised by the Living Wage Foundation for offering pay that reflects the real cost of living. The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Lanarkshire Credit Union – regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors – receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45; significantly higher than the National Minimum Wage and the new National Living Wage for over 25s of £7.20 per

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