About ABCUL
A co-operative of co-operatives
About the Association of British Credit Unions
The Association of British Credit Unions Limited:
- is the main trade association for credit unions in Britain
- is a co-operative of co-operatives, governed by volunteer directors
- represents credit unions to governments, policy makers and the media
- provides a full range of information, training and development services to help its members grow as sustainable financial services providers
The majority of credit unions in England, Scotland and Wales choose to join ABCUL and the Association represents the majority of the British credit union movement on every key measure – number of credit unions, number of members served by credit unions, and assets. You can view a full list of our credit unions here.
Our dedicated staff team is committed to making a difference to credit unions in Great Britain. We provide a full range of advice, training and development services to help our member credit unions grow as sustainable, thriving financial co-operatives.
Our Vision
Credit unions will become the primary source of affordable, high quality and ethical financial services for the people of Great Britain.
The Association of British Credit Unions is Owned by its Members
ABCUL is a society registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. It is governed by a Board of Directors who are elected by members.
The Board then elects its chosen officers, such as the president, vice president, treasurer and secretary from members of the Board. The Board also appoints a CEO to run the Association on a day-to-day basis.
As a co-operative organisation ABCUL puts the needs of members at the forefront of its service and seeks to represent them at all times. To achieve this ABCUL believes that communication with member credit unions is an essential part of the service it offers.
Member credit unions can ensure their views are heard through channels such as:
- Annual general meetings
- Regional forums
- Conferences and seminars
- Consultations and briefings
- Live and online forums
Our Mission
To be the principal, democratically-governed representative body of the credit union movement in Great Britain and to provide credit unions with the leadership, services and assistance they require to meet the financial needs and aspirations of the people of this country.
What our Members Say About us
CVCU are proud members of ABCUL and have benefited from our membership on multiple levels. Our team enjoy the online and in person trainings aiding our growth and exposing us to networking opportunities to build our support system.
Caroline Richardson
Cardiff & Vale Credit Union
Being part of ABCUL has been great for our credit union in making some really good business contacts with credit unions in the USA. These international connections helped us transition into a community partner hub with financial inclusion at the core of what we do.
Ian Brewer
Bradford District Credit Union
City Save Credit Union rejoined ABCUL membership recently and the difference in support been a significant improvement. The ABCUL staff team are always happy to help, and its information resource library is pivotal to our credit union’s day-to-day operations.
Sean Lynch
City Save Credit Union
We are a Living Wage Employer
We are delighted to be an accredited Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation. ABCUL meets the standards set by Citizens and the Living Wage Foundation by signing the ‘UK Living Wage Employer’ license agreement.
Why join the Association of British Credit Unions?
The majority of credit unions in England, Scotland and Wales choose to join ABCUL and the Association represents the majority of the British credit union movement on every key measure – number of credit unions, number of members served by credit unions, and assets. Our dedicated staff team is committed to making a difference to credit unions in Great Britain. We provide a range of advice, training & development services to help member credit unions grow as thriving financial co-operatives.
We are leaders
ABCUL represents 70% of affiliated credit unions in Great Britain and has delivered £50 million of value to credit unions over the last few years.
We represent your interests
ABCUL represents credit unions to governments, policy makers and the media – promoting and defending your interests.
We will support you
ABCUL provides a full range of information, training and development services to help your business grow as a sustainable financial services provider.
We are a network
ABCUL facilitates networks of credit unions to support cross-sector sharing, learning and support including the largest annual gathering in the sector.
About ABCUL’s Fostering Inclusivity Projects
Fair representation of females in the sector, support for young professionals and also our inclusivity/diversity group.
Recent News
A roundup of the latest news within the credit union sector, featuring stories from local credit unions, comments from the Association and the important talking points facing the sector across the globe.
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