HOPE (Plymouth) Credit Union Limited

incorporating Stonehouse Credit Union Limited

HOPE Volunteers

HOPE is run entirely by volunteers - we have no salaried employees. We believe this enables us to operate with a much lower cost level than many other credit unions, with any surplus we earn going towards paying our members a competitive dividend, and our juniors a similar rate of interest. It also means that we are not dependent on grants to finance our operations, giving in our opinion a more secure and stable future.

On the other hand, this does mean that our volunteers are critical to the operation of the credit union. Several have full-time jobs, doing credit union work in their free time. We never have enough volunteers!

Can you spare some free time to help with the running of your community credit union? We have vacancies in every area of operation, and can guarantee from our own experience a challenging and rewarding environment giving you new skills and the satisfaction of contributing positively to the community you live in.

The openings we currently have are:

• Service Point officers to provide credit union facilities such as collecting money from our members and acting as a contact point for the range of services we provide. We recognise that there are many places at which we could offer credit union facilities, but have currently not got the staff to man them. We offer a comprehensive training programme to all our Service Point officers, so you won't just get thrown into the deep end!
• We need people with a wide range of skills in the following areas so we can continue to grow the services we offer to more of the community:
  • Marketing and advertising.
  • Administration.
  • Finance.
  • Training.
  • Community liaison.
  • Contacts with the education sector so we can expand our schools-based Junior Saving schemes and help to raise the level of financial awareness amongst the young.
  • Contacts with local businesses so we can expand our work-based savings schemes.
  • Contacts with other community-based groups such as Housing Associations to enable us to offer credit union facilities in these areas.

  In fact, no matter what your background or skill is, we can probably make use of it!

• Members to serve on:
  • The Executive Board of the credit union, helping to monitor its operation and steer its direction, assuring its continuing success.
  • The Credit Committee responsible for ensuring that loans are granted to our members prudently and within the rules and regulations laid down by the FSA, ABCUL and HOPE.
  • The Supervisory Committee, sometimes known as Internal Audit. This is an important independent body acting as the conscience of the credit union, and responsible for ensuring the credit union operates prudently and within the rules and regulations laid down by the FSA, ABCUL and HOPE.

If you think you can help with any of the above, or in any other way, please contact us for a friendly chat. We look forward to hearing from you!

Useful links

Registered Office: 142 Union Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth PL1 3HL. Registered Number IP00561C
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FRN 213688
A Member of the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL)