A Lanarkshire banking project is now being used as a leading example across the country.
The BankHub in Cambuslang has proved so successful that the initiative is being adopted in several other places across the UK.
The project, which started in the town as a response to all of the banks there having closed and has placed banking facilities in the local post office, has seen millions of pounds worth of transactions take place and been hailed for having a positive impact.
The BankHub celebrated its one year anniversary last week, with stats showing that the Cambuslang Main Street branch, and another pilot project in Rochford, handled over £11.6m between them in cash withdrawals and deposits.
As a result of the overwhelmingly positive response from the local community, last December the Cash Action Group announced they would continue to run the initiatives until spring 2023, at least.
Cambuslang Community Council (CCC) helped lead the BankHUB pilots.
Chairman John Bachtler told Lanarkshire Live : " We are delighted to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Cambuslang BankHUB and we are very proud that Cambuslang has piloted a new model of high- street banking that is now spreading to the rest of the UK.
"When CCC applied to be a Community Access to Cash Pilot (CACP), we were clear that improving access to cash in Cambuslang, following the closure of three bank branches, required a physical space that was secure, private and trusted and where customers could speak to someone face-to-face for their banking transactions.
"The result was the BankHUB pilot – the product of a great partnership between the CACP team, the Post Office, five major banks and CCC. The BankHUB was an immediate success in Cambuslang.
"Very quickly it has generated high levels of use, with excellent customer assessments for the quality of service.
"The BankHUB has significantly improved local access to cash for residents, especially vulnerable people, and businesses. People no longer have to travel to other towns for banking transactions.
"Being able to conduct banking business on the Main Street has led people to spend more money in the town centre.
"Hubs are now being slowly rolled out elsewhere, and CCC are very pleased to be providing peer support to share its experience of improving access to cash with other towns and communities across the UK."
New Hubs are now slated for Troon and Angus, as well as elsewhere in the UK.
Of the £11.6m in cash transactions, £9.2m has been business and personal cash deposits and £2.4m has been personal cash withdrawals.
Martin Kearsley, Post Office banking director, told us : "We’re incredibly proud of the positive contribution the first two Hubs are making to local residents and businesses.
"The Hubs, as well as Post Offices more broadly, are providing a convenient and secure place for businesses and the self-employed to deposit much needed cash takings."
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