Wiltshire & Swindon Credit Union has been awarded a £16,869 grant by Lloyds Banking Group through its Credit Union Development Fund to invest in an IT upgrade and improve the members’ section of its website.
The Credit Union offers savings accounts and affordable loans to more than 1,500 members who live and work in Wiltshire.
Established in 2014, the Lloyds Credit Union Development Fund is run in partnership with the Credit Union Foundation. Over the past five years the Fund has awarded six South West credit unions with £145,149 to support members across the region.
The Fund is designed to strengthen the financial position of credit unions to enable them to provide much-needed responsible lending to local people and organisations.
Clive Henly, Chairman of Wiltshire & Swindon Credit Union, said: “Over the last couple of years, we have bought four smaller Credit Unions together, which has left us with a lot of legacy issues to deal with regarding our infrastructure.
“This grant will help us to replace a lot of outdated office equipment and to move off our aging server, which will secure our data and build an operating base that will serve the organisation for the years ahead. We will also be able to refurbish our outreach centre in Swindon to make it a welcoming place for our members, also enabling us to open it up to the community and to welcome in new people.”
Stephen Noakes, Lloyds Banking Group’s Ambassador for the South West, said: “Organisations like Wiltshire & Swindon Credit Union are vital to its members. As part of our Helping Britain Prosper plan we’re committed to promoting financial inclusion for all and joining forces with credit unions is one of the ways we can achieve this.”
The Lloyds Credit Union Development Fund grant for Wiltshire & Swindon Credit Union forms part of Lloyds Banking Group’s Helping Britain Prosper Plan, as part of which it has donated £1 million a year to credit unions since 2014, to better enable them to offer affordable loans and savings services to their members.
To find out more about Lloyds Banking Group’s Helping Britain Prosper Plan visit: www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/helpingbritainprosper.
