NEWS: Ethical lender asks Stockport residents to invest in their local community

In these difficult times we all want to help each other out and the current crisis is creating some fantastic examples of neighbourly and community spirit. I am constantly seeing that new relationships are being formed in communities, and that help and support is being offered and taken by all. It's so wonderful that those who need help can reach out to those close to them and receive it.

It is with this in mind that I write this open letter to our community throughout Stockport.

WHAT WE DO? 

Stockport Credit Union is the local not for profit lending organisation which provides small loans to people in need of funds to make ends meet. We focus our time and energy helping people for whom finances are often tight, and we also help people that most banks are not willing to support. We do this in a more cost-effective way than other doorstep lenders. We don’t just lend though; we also encourage our members to save for the future to help them reduce future borrowing needs. 

In recent days we have seen many more people looking to borrow, and others are drawing on what small savings they have with us to tide them over. This is not surprising during the times we are living through. Some of the stories of hardship that we have heard are very challenging and point to some real difficulties within our community.

Being there so our community members can put food on the table, pay rent, buy uniforms for school as well as general upkeep of their homes is what inspires our paid and volunteer staff to help others. But…we are also a regulated business with professional standards to work to. 

Our business is well-run and efficiently managed so that the profit we make (we call it a ‘surplus’) is returned to our members through enhanced products, lower rates on loans and dividends on savings. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP- HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO

This is why I am writing today. We need to recruit more of our neighbours as ambassadors and members to help us do what we do best. We need people who have a little bit of spare money that may otherwise languish in a bank to become members and save with us instead. 

As a regulated business any money saved with Stockport Credit Union is fully protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Your money is as safe with us as it would be in a high street bank or building society. Plus saving with us provides two great rewards: 

Firstly, when the business performs, we pay our members a divided on savings held with us. Last year that was 0.7%, which is more than comparable to instant access accounts offered by banks. Our savers therefore share in our success.

Secondly and more uniquely, you will know that your money is being used to do good in your local community which should give you a real sense of satisfaction. By increasing the number of savers who save with us and the balances they hold enables us to increase the number of families that can help get through these challenging times.

A UNIQUE AND SECURE WAY TO HELP YOUR NEGHBOURS AND GET SOMETHING BACK TOO!

So, if you feel you could move £1,000 of your savings away from your bank into an instant access account with Stockport Credit Union, then please visit our website at http://www.stockportcu.com/friends This page will guide you through the process for joining and saving.

We’d love to think we can get a 1,000 people in Stockport to save an average of £1,000 each. This would provide us with £1M and we could then help many more of your neighbours to live just a little bit more easily and protect them from the extortionate rates often charged by the alternative lenders operating in our community.

Even if this is not something you can do at the moment, we would love to see you share our message to those who you feel maybe able to help and those who may need our help. After all that’s what great communities are all about at the moment.

I personally thank you in advance and look forward to you welcoming you as a member and as a Friend of Stockport Credit Union.