The Association of British Credit Unions this week announced its rebrand, taking the name All Together Money, and presented members with the its new digital engagement platform and updates on its affiliate programme.
CEO Matt Bland told the launch, held in Birmingham after the apex’s AGM, that the changes are designed to help the sector realise its potential and “emulate the success of our credit union cousins around the world”.
He added: “People need to know that we exist … We need a name that speaks to what we’re all about, what we stand for, to what makes us different, to all our values”.
“It’s about strength in numbers,” he said, “about the power of connection – it’s about people not profit, co-operation not competition. Because when we all stand together, none of us stand alone.
“We’re the largest network of credit unions in Great Britain, and working side by side, sharing our knowledge and amplifying our voice together, we build resilience together. We do money differently, campaigning for smarter, more ethical finance the way credit unions have always done, only now we’re bringing it to the forefront in every part of the nation, because with All Together Money, we’re better connected through events, industry access and our app.”
The rebrand comes in turbulent times, with geopolitical and economic instability continuing to put pressure on the communities credit unions serve. Bland said he hoped the relaunched apex will more effectively communicate the benefits of the credit union movement. “We trade in hope,” he added, “that’s the spirit of co-operation.”
He said the name change drew inspiration from organisations like Responsible Finance in the UK and, in the US, Inclusiv, which rebranded in 2018 from its former name, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.
There has been concern in the movement in recent years that the term ‘credit union’ is old-fashioned and only for poorer people. Some credit unions in the UK have recently changed their branding to adopt the term ‘community bank’, and the Co-op Credit Union became the Money Co-op in 2025.
But the All Together Money rebrand is keeping the strapline ‘credit union movement’, and Bland paid tribute in his speech to the work of his member organisations, citing several individual cases of people helped out of financial difficulties.
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There was some discussion during the audience Q&A of how to build on the rebrand by publicising the credit union message. Bland argued that a TV ad campaign would be expensive and only effective in the short term. As such it might be beyond the pockets of the movement while failing to deliver results, while a multi-channel approach, using more effective methods like social media and radio, would be more economical and reach a broader demographic.
The event also saw the launch of the All Together Money app, which been designed as a digital companion for the credit union movement in Britain, designed to keep users connected with news, policies, and industry peers, and to provide a forum for discussion.
Available on Google Play Store, it provides access to agendas for conferences, training materials, and networking opportunities, aiming to support the growth and collaboration of credit unions.
Bland also provided an update on All Together Money’s affiliate programme, which is modelled on the associate member schemes operated by other trade bodies. The goal, he said, is to bring into the conversation the supporters, suppliers and partners of the credit union sector.
One key partnership is with the Co-op Bank, which sponsored the launch event. Its dedicated credit union relationship manager, Jennifer Bolton, celebrated the bank’s return to mutualism after its acquisition in 2025 by the Coventry Building Society, and said the bank will continue to develop specific products for the credit union sector.
The event also welcomed the apex’s new president, Emma Norledge, who replaces Paul Norgrove.
