The Sound Pound Group Launch its Bee Network Bus Saving Scheme

Thursday 5 December 2024

People across Greater Manchester can now access big savings on their annual bus travel thanks to the new Annual Bee Bus Ticket . The Ticket is delivered through an innovative  partnership between The SoundPound Group of credit unions, the Mayor of GM and Transport for Greater Manchester .

The new Annual Ticket costs £800 for unlimited bus journeys across Greater Manchester all year. People will be able to spread the cost over the year for no extra charge through a loan from a participating credit union. The loan can be repaid weekly or monthly to suit the applicant. It represents a saving of 23% or £240 compared to a 7 or a 28 day bus ticket over the course of a year. Everyone in Greater Manchester can access this offer.

The credit union doors are now open for applications and the first ones have already been completed. Tickets will be activated from January 5^th 2025.

Ciara Davies, Executive Lead of The SoundPound Group and Chief Executive Officer of Metro Moneywise Credit Union, said, “We are really excited to be able to offer this product through our credit union as the weekly and monthly savings people can make by purchasing an Annual Bus Ticket is fantastic.  We can’t wait to pass these savings on to our members and we hope more people find their local credit union as a result of this great initiative”.

The SoundPound Group are encouraging people to say “yellow” and discover the many benefits of being a credit union member for life. Credit unions exist to serve everybody and  always offer all people a way to anchor themselves, and their money, into the community for the long-term.

Mark Brazendale , CEO of Salford Credit Union commented;

“Salford Credit Union is pleased to work with the other community credit unions in Greater Manchester to deliver this pioneering collaboration. This is the first project where 9 regional credit unions have joined together to offer an affordable way of paying for annual bus travel and Salford Credit Union is delighted to be able to save members of the community money.

Credit unions are community-owned financial institutions offering safe savings and access to affordable credit. Greater Manchester credit unions have been improving lives in the city region for over 30 years, and have been delivering community benefit together through The SoundPound Group since 2016.

The SoundPound Group is a robust collective of 14 credit unions based across Greater Manchester, focused on delivering ethical and fair financial products that make a real difference. They are empowering Greater Manchester communities with access to financing that’s designed to enhance everyday economic stability, turning pounds into power together.