There’s still a lot going on at HEYCU as we approach the warmer
season, which brings the traditional upswing in our loans business as members
get busy with their DIY and finalise their holiday plans...
National Champion Award from IMLT
We were very thrilled to be chosen as a National Winner of an Award
from the Illegal Money Lending Team
(IMLT) in recognition of the work we’ve been doing over the past year to raise
the community’s awareness of the dangers posed by unauthorised lenders, or
“loan sharks”. Our award was presented
by the IMLT mascot “Sid the Shark” at Boothferry
Primary School in Goole, where much of the partnership activity has been
co-ordinated by Jo Evans, our Development Officer. Mike Sibley, the very supportive Head
Teacher, and I were interviewed by Radio
Humberside and the Goole Times
were present to record the occasion.
You can read about the work we have done at Goole, and on the Greatfield
Estate in Hull, on our website.
Tony Quigley, Head of Service for the
England Illegal Money Lending Team said: “Well
done to all our winners and ‘highly commended’ runners up in the National
Champions Awards 2016. You have all contributed to making a difference and
tackling this crime in your community. Loan sharks are a scourge on society and
cause harm and misery to their victims. If you or someone you know has been a
victim of a loan shark, we urge you to get in touch with IMLT on 0300 555 2222.
You call will be handled by a trained officer and all information will be
treated in the strictest confidence.”
Nationally, Illegal Money Lending Teams
have secured more than 370 prosecutions for illegal money lending and related
activity, leading to nearly 318 years’ worth of custodial sentences. They have
written off £71.9 million worth of illegal debt and helped over 26,500 people.
DWP Payroll Membership
It is a pleasure to see our membership among the DWP staff
community steadily growing and many of those members are already increasing
their monthly savings and thinking of us when they require a loan. At the time of writing we are about to sign
up our 1,000th DWP staff
member, which is a tremendous achievement in just 9 months.
During April I visited two sites in Scotland where we have lots of
members – Falkirk and Dundee – and greatly enjoyed meeting many of them as well
as signing up some new ones. Everyone
was so friendly and helpful and it was good to see how keen they were to
support our credit union. As it was a
“working break” I found time to take a walk to see the impressive Falkirk
Wheel, have a stroll through Callendar Park, and have a look at the waterfront
regeneration taking place in the very friendly city of Dundee. I am sure I will be back before long.
Winterton residents can earn £10 bonuses
We now have a weekly contact point in the North Lincolnshire town
of Winterton. It is open every Wednesday
inside Winterton’s Co-op food store
from 12 noon and is run by our staff colleague Patrick.
Just like at our other contact points in places like Driffield and
Withernsea, local residents can join our credit union there, make savings
deposits into adult and children’s accounts and find out about our responsible
loans.
As an opening offer, we are giving £10 bonuses to Winterton area residents who sign up to save with
us. The offer will close when the first
50 bonuses have been awarded.
We are meeting the local Residents
Group and members of the Town
Council this month to explain how the credit union helps everyone who joins
to make the most of their money.
Fairbanking Foundation to survey our members
We are keen to gain some feedback from those of our members who
have taken out a CU Loan, to help us to improve your experience in the
future. The Fairbanking Foundation and Ipsos MORI are working with us to
conduct a survey over the next few weeks, so if you are contacted to take part,
please be assured that it is a genuine approach and we would very much
appreciate your voluntary participation.
No personal financial details will be requested from you as part of this
survey.
Our Region in the News
Good to see the City of Hull getting mentioned on the BBC regularly
with updates on our City of Culture
activities. The Weeping Window display of poppies at the Maritime Museum has really
drawn the crowds following the departure of The Blade, while the play The
Hypocrite played to sell-out audiences at Hull Truck Theatre. The range of events and activities never
ceases to amaze and it is fantastic that so many new visitors are being
attracted to Hull and the surrounding region.
This weekend the third Tour de
Yorkshire Cycle Races departed from Bridlington once again, wending their
way through our beautiful East Riding countryside en route to Scarborough,
again witnessed by mass crowds all along the way. Long may the popularity of our region
continue!
Grosmont Co-operative Society
It’s always interesting to learn about other co-operatives and so
my eye was drawn to an article in the Dalesman magazine marking the 150th
anniversary of one of the smallest co-ops – the village shop in Grosmont, which
apparently is the oldest consumer co-operative in Britain still in
existence. If you have taken a trip on
the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
you will have seen or even popped in to their well-stocked shop facing Grosmont
station. You may not have realised that it’s a member-owned business just like
ours. Congratulations to them, and
here’s to their next 150 years!
General Election
The recent announcement of a General Election on 8th
June took many of us by surprise as did the news that Hull West & Hessle’s
MP Alan Johnson had decided not to
seek re-election. As well as serving
the country with distinction in the last Labour Government, for 20 years Alan
was an outstanding and highly respected representative for our city. The keynote speaker at our launch event in
Hull Guildhall in 1999, Alan has been a loyal member and good friend to us here
at HEYCU ever since. We hope the region
will continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience and wish him all the
best for the future.
Five Steps to Stopping Financial Fraud
We all know that financial crime is on the increase, so it’s good
to see the Co-operative Bank issuing
some sensible advice to help people guard against the fraudsters who try to
trick us out of our money. The advice is
headed “It pays to take time; take five to stop and think”:
1 Never disclose any
security details, such as your PIN or banking passwords or share them with
anyone. Banks, credit unions and other
trusted organisations will never ask you for these by email, phone, text or
letter, so unless you are 100% sure of who you are talking to, don’t disclose.
2 Don’t assume an
email or phone call is authentic. Just
because someone knows your basic details, or tries to convince you that you
have been a victim of fraud, it doesn’t mean they are genuine.
3 Don’t be rushed or
pressured into making a decision. No
bank or credit union would force you to make a financial transaction on the
spot or ask you to transfer money to another account for fraud reasons. Stop and take time to carefully consider your
actions.
4 Listen to your
instincts. If something feels wrong, it
is usually right to question it.
5 Stay in control –
have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for personal or financial
information.
If you think there has been fraud on your card or bank account,
contact your bank immediately.
New Flexi Credit service for our payroll members
We have started a new service for those members who pay into the
credit union regularly by payroll deduction.
It’s called Flexi Credit and
it’s designed to help those members who have a sudden need for extra funds, for
example to pay for unexpected car repairs or to fix a boiler. Payroll members who have worked for their
employer for at least 12 months can apply for pre-approved credit limit of up
to £2,000 to be held on their account and accessed when they need it most. Interest is only paid on the funds drawn
down, not on the full credit limit. The
repayments – made direct from pay – remain fixed no matter how much is drawn,
so you can stay in control of your outgoings.
What’s more, the members can continue to save with us, alongside their
loan repayments, which is a very popular way to manage your money. Full details of Flexi Credit may be found here.
Spring Forward with a CU Loan
At this time of year, there are lots of exciting projects to be
cracking on with, whether it’s home or garden improvements, a new set of
wheels, holiday plans or perhaps a special family celebration. Here at HEYCU we hope our members will think
of us first when looking for financial support.
We have some very competitive deals to offer members seeking a CU Loan this spring. Please check out our website for more
details.
Remember, with a CU Loan:
·
No set up charges
·
No hidden costs
·
No early settlement fees
·
Interest is only charged on the reducing balance
·
You don’t have to bank with us to get a competitive CU Loan.
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