Just Credit Union First in the Country to Scoop National Award

Thursday 25 January 2024

Just Credit Union (JCU) in Shropshire is the first Credit Union in the country to win a prestigious award for its work raising awareness of the dangers of loan sharks.

The Shropshire based credit union has been awarded Partner Plus status as a recognition for its continued commitment to tackling loan sharks in the county and delivering safe, responsible and sustainable financial products for its members.

The Partner Recognition scheme celebrates the outstanding work of organisations that are helping to combat illegal money lending and make their communities safer.

JCU recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, has been upgraded to Partner Plus – the highest level of partnership offered by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT).

The upgrade to Partner Plus will allow the credit union to continue its fight against loan sharks through awareness campaigns and financial education programmes in schools. The credit union has been running sessions at schools across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to educate children on the dangers of loan sharks, how to borrow money safely and how to protect themselves and their families against unscrupulous lenders.

Karen Farrow, Chief Officer of Just Credit Union, said: “We are very proud to be the first organisation in the country to win this award. The work we have carried out over the years has helped protect many vulnerable families from being exploited by predatory loan sharks.

“Just Credit Union has been championing ethical finance in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin for 20 years. Our mission is to create a better financial future for our communities.

“We believe in fair access to affordable credit and the ability for everyone to control their finances. So, we will continue doing what we do best, putting members first and providing ethical, reliable financial services at an affordable price.”

Tony Quigley, Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team, said: “Our Partner Recognition scheme highlights organisations that have shown remarkable effort to protect their service users from loan sharks, as well as successfully supporting people who have been subjected to this vicious cycle of debt.

“Just Credit Union have been a brilliant partner to work with and they have continually gone above and beyond to stamp out loan sharks in their county. They have now been upgraded to Partner Plus level for all their hard work.”