Unity Trust Bank is on track to hit its three-year lending target of £100m by the end of 2015, according to its new Social Impact report, and aims "to become the go to bank for the civil society" in the UK.
George Osborne yesterday announced that £75m of fines imposed on UK banks will go to military charities. But community activists argue the money would be better invested in financial services for those excluded from mainstream banking sector.
With the launch of the UK Financial Inclusion Commission's final report, community finance has been at the forefront of debate this week. Sector leaders tell Pioneers Post that legislation must follow.
Two million adults in the UK do not have bank accounts, finds research by the Financial Inclusion Commission. A new government must make finance more accessible, says chair Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles.
