John Glen MP wrote to frontline essential financial services to thank credit unions, banks, building societies, and Post Offices for the vital role we are playing during the coronavirus crisis.
The Government has always been clear that the financial sector has a vital role to play at a time when many face financial difficulty.
Mr Glen, Economic Secretary to treasury, recognised how challenging it has been for financial services such as credit unions to adapt to the lock down whilst continuing to provide the savings and loan services which are still desperately needed by communities up and down the country
I know that these are challenging times for those of you working on the front line to provide essential banking services during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am encouraged by the way the sector has responded and am confident that you will continue to meet these challenges.
At Northern Community Bank we may have decided to close the branches to account holders but we have continued to provide a full service with telephone and online channels, with the Online Members Area and app offering a seamless ‘start to finish’ service to transact with your account. More details regarding how Northern Community Bank is operating during coronavirus can be found on the dedicated page of the website here.
John Glen MP has been a vocal supporter of the credit union movement since taking up position in the government. Northern Community Bank has be fortunate to attend two speeches by Mr Glen at the Houses of Parliament and he has also attended two years in a row at the ABCUL conference in Manchester to outline his commitment to the development of the sector. At the March 2020 conference Mr Glen said
Communities need to be financially inclusive and resilient if they are to be attractive, productive and fulfilling places to live and work. Credit unions, by their very nature, reflect the communities they serve. You have the insight and connections to meet diverse local needs in ways that big banks and big government often can’t.
In his letter Mr Glen concluded by praising the work done by organisations such as Northern Community Bank to help the most vulnerable members of the community during the coronavirus outbreak
Finally, I have also been very encouraged to hear about specific examples of the support being provided by many of you to the most vulnerable customers. This includes herculean efforts to help customers who are facing acute financial difficulty, as well ensure that those that are self-isolating can access cash, complete their everyday banking online, and even access food and medication. It is these actions that will be remembered for getting the nation through this crisis.
