ABCUL Marks Black History Month 2025 with Rooted Finance – Championing Inclusion and Building on the Legacy of Credit Union Pioneers

Friday 24 October 2025

As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion across the credit union sector, ABCUL is marking Black History Month 2025 by highlighting the voices and organisations driving positive change in financial inclusion.

To mark the occasion, ABCUL sat down with Muna Yassin, CEO of Rooted Finance to explore the themes of financial resilience, equity, and representation in today’s financial landscape. Rooted Finance is a pioneering charity tackling financial exclusion and systemic inequality, helping people to rebuild confidence, balance their budgets and shape fairer systems that work for everyone.

Muna’s full blog, published on the ABCUL website is available here.

Reflecting on the discussion, ABCUL Chief Executive, Matt Bland highlighted the importance of partnerships like this and their connection to ABCUL’s broader inclusion agenda.

Matt said: “Muna’s work through Rooted Finance is inspiring and deeply aligned with what credit unions stand for. Her reflections remind us that financial inclusion is about more than access – it’s about dignity, fairness and representation. The principles of community finance have always been rooted in social justice, and it’s vital that we continue to honour and live up to that legacy.”

Rooted Finance also leads the Equity in Finance programme – a cross-sector initiative promoting equitable design, fairer access, and greater representation in financial services. The programme brings together organisations including ABCUL, Responsible Finance and Fair4All Finance to embed inclusion in practice, not just principle.

Matt has recently joined the Equity in Finance advisory group, reinforcing ABCUL’s commitment to advancing diversity and representation across the credit union movement.

“Equity in Finance is an important platform for challenging inequality and pushing for measurable change,” Matt added. “It aligns completely with ABCUL’s mission – to build a more inclusive movement where everyone has access to fair, ethical, and community-focused finance. Through our ABCUL Inclusivity Group and collaborations like this, we’re ensuring inclusion becomes part of the DNA of our sector.”

He also reflected on the legacy of the pioneers of the British credit union movement – many of whom came from Caribbean communities that brought credit union saving traditions to the country in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Black History Month is a time to honour those pioneers. The credit union movement in Britain owes much to the Caribbean communities who built the first credit unions in GB out of necessity and pride. Today, we stand on their shoulders to ensure that no community is left unsupported or unseen.”

“ABCUL’s partnership with Rooted Finance, along with its Inclusivity Group and leadership role in the Equity in Finance programme, reflects its vision of a fairer, more representative financial system”.

Read the full blog with Rooted Finance on the ABCUL website here.