Supporters.

By supporting the credit union you are helping us tackle financial exclusion. We offer affordable credit and easy to access savings accounts to people on the lowest incomes. If your organisation is works with people facing financial difficulties then we may be able to help.

Individuals can best support us by investing their savings so we can lend this money to our members and increase our trading income.

Organisations may find the examples given below illustrate some of the benefits of working with the credit union.

For the latest news, why not download our Members' Newsletter from March 2008?

Hyde Housing Association
We have been working with part of the Hyde Group, Chichester Diocesan Housing Association to encourage membership of the credit union amongst their tenants. To date we estimate that we have around 5% of the Association's tenants as members of the credit union and that they have £25,000 in savings. Back in 2006, Hyde helped the credit union pilot its Instant Loan service and in 2007 funded the introduction of Pay Point.

Southern Housing Group
The Southern Housing Foundation gave a grant to the credit union to help meet the costs of re branding our service following our common bond extension, including the costs of keeping this website up to date. In the summer of 2007 we worked together on a campaign to attract membership of the credit union amongst Southern Housing tenants and are currently looking at further promotional work in the run up to Christmas.

Around 65% of our members live in Registered Social Accommodation. If you are a landlord and would like to work with the credit union, you can download our leaflet on joint working. Financial Inclusion organisation, Transact, has also published information on the benefits of RSLs supporting financial inclusion initiatives, called 'Making the Link' which you might find useful.

Brighton & Hove City Council
Passing a motion of support in favour of the credit union in 2004, the City Council has offered a payroll deduction scheme for its employees for some considerable time. Between 2004 and 2006 the council funded a volunteer training programme at the credit union and since April 2007 has provided us with £7,000 per year in core funding.
Trading Standards perform our internal audit, also known as the 'supervisory committee'

Marit And Hans Rausing Fund
We are grateful for the support given by the Marit and Hans Rausing Fund which has enabled the credit union to make its first tenantive steps into East Sussex. From February the credit union will be at the Summerhayes Centre in Newhaven every Wednesday morning (by appointment) between 10am and 12pm.

Brighton & Hove Bus Company
Like the City Council, and a number of other local employers, the bus company runs a payroll deduction scheme for their workers. 10% of employees are now members of the credit union and in the Spring of 2007, bus company workers became net savers with the credit union, investing almost £55,000 in the organisation.

We would also like to thank the University of Brighton, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals Trust and City College for offering payroll deduction schemes for their employees.

The Big Lottery Fund
Starting in Autumn 2007 the credit union has an in-house adviser funded by the lottery for an initial three years. Helping our members and non-members deal with basic debt problems our adviser can help people make sure they're getting all the money to which they are entitled, help you negotiate with your creditors, open a bank account and budget for the future. See our money advice section for more details.

Contact us if you have any further queries

This page was last updated on 3rd June 2008