CU Futures Programme begins its Eighth Year

Friday 26 January 2024

This week, young credit union professionals met in Manchester at the ABCUL office to get to know their fellow peers and road map the year ahead in the Credit Union Foundation’s 12-month development course.

CU Futures -now in its eighth year of operation- has overseen 77 individual graduates from 41 different credit unions across England, Scotland and Wales.

Over the next 12 months, the CU Futures will undertake a range of activities focused on their personal development as well as expanding their exposure to the wider sector and supporting them to think strategically about the future of credit unions in Britain.

“We are delighted to continue to enable another group of ambitious young people from across our sector to benefit from this innovative programme” says Programme Manager, Debbie Smith-Hands. “I’m incredibly proud of how this programme has progressed over the years and it brings me great pride to see how our sector continues to develop and enhance our future leaders, today.”

Graduating in the inaugural year of the programme, Debbie believes CU Futures has been integral to her own development and is delighted to lead the next class of participants. “CU Futures has been pivotal to my development personally and professionally. The value of growing your network and building confidence, with other like-minded professionals in the movement has been critical to my journey and it fills me with great pride to see so many graduates from my class have continued to flourish within the sector.

“Like every year, this class has an enthusiastic passion for our sector and are keen to get started. CU Futures is a standout programme in our sector, and I thank the enormous support from credit unions we receive each year.”

Congratulations and good luck to all the participants in the CU Futures 2023/2024 programme, who are:

Alex Maxwell – Commsave Credit Union

Chiaka Amaechi – Lodge Lane Credit Union

Hayley Forrester – 1^st Class Credit Union

Irene Mari – Serve and Protect CU

Joshua Smith – Penny Post Credit Union

Josie Shohet – ABCUL

Kelly Earl – Riverside Credit Union

Natasha Cadman – Central Liverpool Credit Union

Sam Browne – Enterprise Credit Union