Event partners

Our sponsor Unity Trust Bank Unity Trust Bank is a specialist bank for organisations in the social economy providing day-to-day banking and much needed affordable finance to civil society...

Our sponsor

Unity Trust Bank

Unity Trust Bank is a specialist bank for organisations in the social economy providing day-to-day banking and much needed affordable finance to civil society organisations including co-operatives, charities, social enterprises community and voluntary organisations, CDFIs, councils and trade unions across the UK.

Founded thirty years ago on strong principles of social responsibility, we continue our commitment to growing a fairer society today. We promote a socially responsible and sustainable approach to banking and lending, and we aim to create positive social change through all of our business activity. We bank and lend exclusively to organisations that have clearly demonstrable social impacts, and this is reinforced by our commitment to lend £100m to social economy organisations over the next three years.

Because of this, we take a ‘double bottom line’ approach to business, which sees socially focussed values and social impact form a key part of our offering alongside financial returns. We achieve this social return by investing in organisations that in turn help their communities prosper and grow through creating jobs, services and spaces.

As well as this, we operate our business in a socially responsible way and take leadership in a number of important areas. We are a Living Wage accredited employer, ensuring we pay all of our staff a fair wage for their work – the first British bank to achieve that recognition. We are also a pioneer of the Fair Tax Mark, which acknowledges that we pay our fair share of UK tax. Alongside this, we run a successful staff volunteering programme which saw us dedicate 113.5 days to helping local charities during 2013.

If you wish to find out more, discuss your banking needs or lending requirements, we’d be delighted to speak with you. Please call the team on 0345 155 3355.

Our media partner

Co-operative News

The Co-operative News is a unique media organisation that has been connecting, championing and challenging the co-operative movement since 1871. It provides its readers – co-operative directors, managers, members and activists – with information and insight through its fortnightly print magazine and website. It is working as a media partner for Co-operation: how? in order to help the co-operative movement share, learn and talk.