HEY CU’s Christmas Blog

The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching, and with it comes presents, clothes, holidays and shopping lists so long you’ll have to check them more than twice! The festive season is the most expensive time of year for most of us, so we at HEY Credit Union have put together a few handy tips to help cut the cost of Christmas this year.

1.    Stick to the budget!

It may seem obvious, but sticking to a set budget is one of the best ways to make sure you don’t overspend this Christmas. Sit down before you start shopping and draw up a list of everything you can think of – including presents, food & drink, clothing, transport, and so on – and the amount you estimate to spend on each. You can then keep track of how much you’re spending on each item, and tick them off the list once purchased. You’ll also be able to see where most of your budget is being spent, and will find it easier to reduce costs where possible.

2.    Beware of Christmas ‘deals’

Retailers know that almost everybody is in shopping mode the closer it gets to December 25^th. Almost every advert and email you come across is trying to persuade you to part with your cash in exchange for Christmas gifts, with the promise of discounts and exclusive offers. In recent years, Black Friday and Cyber Monday promise slashed prices, and whilst you may be able to pick up the odd bargain – it’s essential to remember that retailers are trying to get you to spend as much as possible. Beware of overspending on items you don’t need, and be especially careful of Black Friday scams.

3.    Try ‘Secret Santa’

Gifting presents doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and the gifts we remember most are the ones that come from the heart. If you usually have a long list of people to buy for in your family or friendship group, why not try a Secret Santa? Each person gets given their own person to buy for – so you can really think about getting the perfect gift, whilst saving a pretty penny! It all adds to the excitement and thoughtfulness of the holidays.

4.    Take advantage of loyalty schemes

If you shop at a supermarket throughout the year, make sure to take advantage of any bonus or loyalty points you’ve accumulated. All of the major chains provide loyalty schemes to keep customers coming back, and Christmas could be a perfect time to cash in on the purchases you’ve made in the past 12 months. 

5.    Proper preparation

Despite it only being just the one day, we all know preparation for Christmas starts well in advance of the 25^thDecember. By making sure you get a head start on the festivities, you can save yourself quite a bit, especially if you’re booking travel over the Christmas period. Trains and flights tend to shoot up in price the nearer to Christmas you go, so try to plan ahead and book as early in advance as possible. 

Whilst planning in advance is a great idea, it’s worth bearing in mind that many retailers drop their prices in the January sales. It could be worth keeping this in mind when shopping, and promising your loved ones their presents after the Christmas rush.

6.     Open one of our Christmas Saver Accounts for 2020!

This year, our members broke records, as they saved a huge £850,000 in this account over the course of 2019! We believe it’s the safest, and biggest, festive savings pot in the whole of the Humber region. By putting away as much or as little as you throughout the year, you can take the financial stress out of Christmas. Get a head start on 2020 and apply for an account today.

As November ends and December begins, here are a few fantastic events to get you in the mood for Christmas 

Hull Christmas Market

With a magical Christmas tree, Kids Zone and festive food and drink stalls, you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere better to kick off the festive season. It’s also walking distance from our Head Office!

Driffield Christmas Lights

Come see us in Driffield Town Centre on Friday 29^th November for the Christmas Lights Switch On, and say hello to Penny the Pennywise Penguin!

Scunthorpe Food and Gift Fair

For one day only on Saturday 14^th December, Scunthorpe town centre will be transformed into a winter wonderland with gifts, treats and snacks aplenty on offer.

See Santa’s Sleigh in Bridlington

Take the little ones to see Santa’s Sleigh in all its’ glory this December, as he makes his way around the streets of Bridlington from 1^st December.

Wishing everybody a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year, from all of us here at HEY Credit Union.

John

CEO, HEY Credit Union

Johns Blog - October 2019

It’s time to bring you up to date with all that’s been happening at HEY Credit Union during October, so here goes .…

OUR 20^TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN HULL

As part of our 20^th anniversary celebrations we revisited our birthplace – Hull Guildhall – for a special Member Recruitment Day on 19 September.

As it was the monthly Council Meeting, we booked the Reception Room and invited our original members as well as Council Members and Officers to a sponsored afternoon tea.  A display of City of Hull Credit Union memorabilia, and a rolling presentation about the impact we’ve made over the past 20 years, created lots of interest.   

We were thrilled that so many members who work at Hull City Council popped in to see us, including several who’ve been with us from the very beginning, and two of the founder directors!  It was obvious that they were still as enthusiastic as ever about the organisation that they helped to found.  Several Councillors also congratulated us on our achievements and more signed up to join.   

If you work at Hull City Council, you can save and borrow with us using our popular payroll deduction scheme. 

NEW BRANCH AT GOOLE OFFICIALLY OPEN

Thursday 17 October was International Credit Union Day, when events take place in over 100 countries to celebrate the work of credit unions.   It was also the day when the Mayor of Goole, Councillor Josie Head, came to officially open our smart new branch in the town, in the presence of HEY Credit Union directors, staff, Local Members’ Group members and guests.  

The Mayor praised our “Team Goole” for providing such a professional service for local residents, especially at a time when the big banks are reducing their local branch networks.  Our new branch – in the splendid Old Station Hotelbuilding – is ideally placed in the town centre to attract more people to join.  

Do pop in and see us if you live or work in the Goole area; from this week we’ll be open four days a week – Mon, Tue, Thu and Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm.

TEN YEARS OF FAIRBANKING

Recently I was honoured to represent HEY Credit Union at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of The Fairbanking Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the financial well-being of consumers.

We are proud to be one of 26 credit unions recognised with its highest accolade, the 5 Star Fairbanking Mark, for the way we support our members to afford their lives with responsible Credit Union Loans.

Speakers from the Money and Pension Service, Ipsos Mori and the Association of British Credit Unions paid tribute to the Foundation for highlighting good practice in financial services and we received a cut glass trophy on behalf of the members of HEY Credit Union.  

COULD YOU BE A CU DIRECTOR?

At this time of year, we invite our Members to consider standing for election as one of our 12 Directors.  Being a Credit Union Director is a volunteer role but a very satisfying one, as you are part of a team dedicated to the success of an organisation with fantastic values and ethics.  Because we’re a co-operative, owned by our members, our directors are voted into office by them at the AGM, with four being elected each year.

If this is something that may appeal to you, take a look at our Director role profile here, or pick up the phone to arrange an informal chat with John (CEO) to find out more (01482 778753).   

One of our strengths is that our Credit Union Directors come from all walks of life, you don’t have to be working in the financial services industry to apply, and excellent training and support is provided.   

Nominations for this year’s Board elections close at 6 pm on 25 November. 

CHRISTMAS SAVINGS UNLOCKED!

We are into the busiest season of the Credit Union Year, as members can now withdraw the funds in their Christmas Saver accounts.

This year our amazing members have saved up a record £830,000 while bonuses totaling £3,025, funded by the Stop Loan Sharks Team, have been credited to those eligible.  For many of our members, being able to spread the cost across the year means “Christmas is sorted” and they have peace of mind that their funds are locked away in a completely safe account until the festive season. 

Christmas Savers carry on from one year to the next, so there’s no need to set them up again.  This also means you get a full year to save up.

SUPPORTING OUR FOSTER CARERS

On Friday 1^st November we were proud to support Hull City Council’s event at the KCOM Stadium to celebrate the contribution our City’s amazing Foster Carers make to our community. We ran an information stand, showing how families can benefit by joining the Credit Union and provided some goody bags and prizes for the free raffle.  The Foster Carers do some magnificent work helping to nurture the next generation of citizens and well deserved their “thank you” certificates presented by the Lord Mayor.

More Foster Carers are needed all the time and you can find out more about becoming one by clicking here.

RECOMMEND A FRIEND AND WIN £50

 Our Members are very good at spreading the word and encouraging their friends to join the Credit Union Family, so we thought the opportunity to earn a reward would be welcome.

We are therefore inviting Members to Recommend a Friend to apply for a Credit Union Loan.  We’ll enter both the Member and their Friend in a Prize Draw to each win a £50 Shopping Voucher.  Refer a Friend slips are available here or in branch. 

The draw will be made on 20 December.

With Christmas on the way, it’s an ideal time to encourage a friend, family member or workmate to sign up – so let’s get recruiting!

Members – pop this date in your Diary – your AGM will be held on Tuesday 10thDecember in Hull Guildhall at 5.45 pm.  More on this next time!