A Speech
by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at a Reception for Credit Unions
Clarence House, 21st October 2014
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Thank you all so much for coming
from far and wide to Clarence House today to celebrate International Credit
Union Day. As many people will verify I am no Financial Wizard, but it doesn’t
take a money expert (and we have plenty of those here today!) to recognise that
Credit Unions can offer a common-sense basic banking service to so many
people.
Credit Unions serve people, not
profit. They provide a friendly financial community where members mutually
benefit from advice, as well as savings accounts and loans. And in case this
all sounds too casual, remember that money saved with them has the same
Government protection as bank savings accounts.
‘Friendly’ and ‘mutual’ – these
old-fashioned financial terms might ring a bell with those of us with long
memories! I believe Credit Unions can change the way we talk and think about
savings and loans. They can encourage those who have the means to save, and
bring in from the cold those vulnerable people who struggle to qualify for
loans.
I opened a Credit Union account with
my local branch last year. The simple fact being that if more of us support
them by opening savings accounts, they will be able to offer more loans to
those who really need them. And as people discover how well they work for all
their members, the word will spread and the momentum will grow…
On this, International Credit
Union Day, I hope that it will be useful to come together under one umbrella to
share your different experiences and expertise. I do believe that Credit Unions
could be a real force for change in the financial landscape and are truly a
cause worth championing! |
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