Better Together partners with Potters Bank to support Stoke-on-Trent residents

A new partnership between Better Together and Potters Bank is set to provide practical financial support to local residents in Stoke-on-Trent.

Better Together will welcome Hannah Harrison from Potters Bank to their Community HQ in Trent Vale on Thursday 19th March, marking the beginning of an ongoing working relationship between the charity and the credit union. The collaboration aims to help people access clear information and guidance about affordable savings and loan options.

Potters Bank is supported by Just Credit Union, a not-for-profit community savings and loans cooperative owned by its members and managed for their mutual benefit. Established in 2001, Just Credit Union has branches in Worcester, Stafford and several other locations across the Midlands.

Like its other branches across the region, Potters Bank offers simple and secure savings accounts and fair personal loans with no hidden fees. The credit union also encourages people to build savings while supporting the wider community.

The creation of the credit union has been supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council as an additional source of financial support alongside services already provided in partnership with Citizens Advice through the council’s Supporting Our City initiative.

At the official launch of Potters Bank in November last year, Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for finance, anti-poverty and corporate services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, described the initiative as “great news for the city because it is all about providing low-cost, safe loans and helping people avoid the trap of dangerous debt”.

She added that it was “about helping those people who most need support and sits alongside the wide-ranging help we provide to combat the cost-of-living crisis through campaigns such as Help is at Hand”.

“we know that many of the people who come to our warm space and other events struggling financially... hopefully by working with Potters Bank we can help them to navigate through the confusing world of savings and loans to find a solution that works for them”

— Dawn O’Keefe, Better Together CEO

The partnership comes at a time when many people continue to face financial pressure. Figures published by Citizens Advice in January this year showed the number of people contacting the organisation for debt advice has risen by 45% since 2021. Over the same period, the average debt people were struggling with increased from £6,500 to £8,900.

Anne Pardoe, head of policy at Citizens Advice, said it was “clear that the cost-of-living crisis hasn’t gone away”, and that too many people are still “battling to keep their heads above water”.

Hannah Harrison from Potters Bank said: “we are excited to be partnering with Better Together to help people in the community access safe and ethical savings accounts and loans”.

As part of the initiative, Hannah will be visiting community venues across the city during March through the Potteries Money Hub advice sessions supported by the new credit union.

The Better Together Community HQ is located at 4 Woodberry Close, Trent Vale, ST4 5DP and is open between 9.30am and 12pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.