Credit union lent more than £2million to people in Wiltshire last year
They've also doubled their membership in the last two years
A community bank supporting people in Wiltshire has lent over £2million in the last 12 months.
Acorn Community Bank (ACB) has also almost doubled it's membership numbers in the last two years, with 10,000 members in early 2025.
The organisation helps people get on top of their finances, provides support for people when they fall into trouble and guides people on saving money.
CEO Clive Henly tells us around a third of the UK population is either not served will by mainstream banks, or simply haven't managed to build up their savings.
"They don't have a 'rainy day' fund to back on," he said, adding: "It could be something domestic like a fridge breaking or a car that needs repairs."
Clive said that people in those types of situations may end up going to a high interest lender or even a loan shark to secure the cash they need to survive.
And while in most cases, it's a few hundred pounds that people are borrowing from the community bank, he insists that they will help those struggling to find solutions to their financial issues in order to create a stability in their finances.
Clive told us that unstable finances can lead do health issues.
He said: "If somebody is suffering financial stress, then that can affect their mental health, their performance at work and even lead to physical health problems.
"By helping to create that financial resilience for people, it helps in all areas of life."
Clive also said that many people they work with aren't receiving all the support they're entitled to.
"It's estimated that there are millions of pounds worth of benefits, if not billions, which are unclaimed every year," he said.
ACB has a team based in Salisbury that works with clients to make sure they're getting the right income.
Clive said: "A lot of people struggle with filling out the forms they struggle with using their using a computer and this team can help them do that."
He's also urging employers to do their bit in helping workers who are struggling, telling them that a number of their staff may not have substantial savings.
He said: "If they do find themselves into in a position where they need to borrow money, it's very difficult for them to find somewhere to turn to.
"So we work with a lot of employers around the county to set up salary savings schemes where members of staff can save regularly through their through their payroll."
With membership numbers doubling over the course of the last two years, Clive has become the Community Bank's first CEO.
He said the role was required in order to expand the professional team, which works alongside volunteers.
He's hoping to build on the credit union's growth and ensure that more people have the financial stability they need.
"I'm excited that I've now got the opportunity and the time to give to what I believe is an organisation that's part of the jigsaw of our communities,” he said.
We can find out more about financial support from Acorn Community Bank here.