The Credit Union welcomes donations to support our volunteers who play an important role helping to prevent problem debt and dealing with the consequences of debt and poverty in our communities.
Our large and growing team of volunteers is key to the Credit Union being able to deliver low cost financial services to those in need. Our volunteers are members who are seeking paid work and want to stay active, gain new skills and help others in the process.
As well as office duties, volunteers carry out a wide range of roles, from workplace and community champions to membership of the board of directors. Without our volunteers we could not keep growing and meeting the needs of people desperate to move away from borrowing and into financial stability.
It is important to us at the Credit Union that we are able to pay out of pocket expenses to those who give up their time as volunteers to help the Credit Union. In order to pay for travel, out of pocket lunch expenses and the costs of training, we are seeking financial donations.
Often our volunteers are recovering from illness or have come to this country to escape civil war or famine in their home country and want to ‘give something back’ to the country that has given them a safe home. We offer friendly support to improve written and spoken English, a wide range of work experience, and we help people rebuild their confidence and improve their CVs so they can get back into paid work. We are very successful in getting our volunteers into paid jobs by improving skills and boosting self-confidence.
The Credit Union is not registered as a charity, because it sells services, however it is widely considered that our aims and objectives are broadly ‘charitable’. Our social objectives include contributing towards the alleviation of poverty within the community and contributing towards the economic regeneration of the community.
We achieve this, for example, by promoting thrift among our members through the accumulation of savings, by creating sources of credit for members at fair and reasonable rates of interest, and through the training and education of members in the wise use of money and in the management of their financial affairs.
Martin Groombridge, Credit Union Chief Executive, said: “We rely on our volunteers for the day-to-day running of our Credit Union and they play a vital role in providing support to some of the most vulnerable in our communities. By donating to us, you can help us provide work experience and opportunities to people who want to give something back to their community, whilst also enabling us to deliver fair and affordable financial services to those who need it most. We are grateful for donations large or small.”
Click here to find out more about our Volunteer Support Programme and to donate.
