Member Update

Social Impact Strategy

Like many other businesses and organisations in the UK, making a positive social impact has become a key focus for us and with your help, we’re excited to be able to do this for the first time this year.

A portion of the funds raised through our administration fee will be allocated to supporting charities and organisations close to the credit unions’ ethos and heart. The charities chosen to receive the first of our Social Impact funding are the Communications Workers Trade Union charity, Humanitarian Aid, Say Glasgow, an organisation that offers a safe place for young women that have been the victim of assault and the Public and Commercial Services Trade Union Foundation. We don’t know yet what the exact contribution to these organisations will be but we pledge to make a contribution by October 2023 as a starting point to our Social Impact Strategy. As a not-for-profit organisation, it’s important that we support our communities.

We would like you, our members to have meaningful input on this as we go forward. For context, the three charities were initially chosen as they offer some symmetry to our membership – involving both of our trade union partners. We chose Say Glasgow because we wanted to commemorate the fact that WOCCU (the world forum for credit unions) was held in Glasgow just this summer. Financial support for the women involved with Say Glasgow enables their independence and continued recovery. We have also with the help of CWU Branch Secretary Paul Chadwick been able to donate some reusable bags to “Fans Supporting Foodbanks”, we were delighted to do this and know that these will go to deserving families.

We’re extremely proud to be able to support these charities and look forward to developing our social impact with other organisations like these in the coming years. Should you have any questions about the charities chosen or wish to donate to their cause please contact us on reception@1stclasscu.co.uk.

Cost of Living/Supplier Charges

We are in the process of sending new HELP posters to as many PCS and CWU sites to remind you that we are here for you at this economically difficult time. We promise to look at every email, loan application or enquiry in a non-judgemental and supportive way. Please do get in touch.

We are also as an organisation feeling the pain of an increase in rising utility costs and seeing the majority of our suppliers increasing their costs. As a result, we have taken the decision to raise our membership fee by £1 this year. This will help our organisation in many ways and as mentioned will also enable our community initiatives to come to life. We hope you see this as a reasonable outcome, it equates to an increase of just under 9p per month. This takes the annual membership cost to £4 which will be deducted from your account in September. We thank you in advance for your support with this. We will also review this in a year’s time.

Office Closure

On Wednesday 17thh August our office will be closed to allow staff time to receive training on our impending system change. Please keep this in mind when submitting applications and enquiries on or around this date.

As ever should you have any enquiries or feedback on any of the subjects raised please feel free to contact our CEO Gayle Adnyana at gayleadnyana@1stclasscu.co.uk or by phone/text 07901334908