Saeed is 49 and lives in Kempston. He has been a member of Bedfordshire Credit Union for 7 years and has found being a member very helpful.
Saeed has taken out three loans with BCU, once to buy a new car and at other times to travel. He expects to do so again when he needs to, and in the meantime has continued to save into his Bedfordshire Credit Union account.
Saeed always recommends Bedfordshire Credit Union to his friends and family and is happy to be part of the Bedfordshire Credit Union community to keep the good work going.
Deborah is 57 and lives in Bedford. She joined Bedford Credit Union over 14 years ago to save money.
Over the course of her membership, Deborah has taken out several loans including a Child Benefit Loan and Standard Loan to pay for Christmas expenses, holidays and unexpected life events. She found the process easy from start to finish and the staff and volunteers very helpful and polite. She feels that borrowing from BCU has helped her out of some sticky situations.
Deborah continued to save while she borrowed and now has a PrizeSaver Account to help make her savings work for her, and is saving for a new car. She would 100% recommend Bedford Credit Union to anyone wanting to join.
Michael* is 62 and lives in Bedford. He has been a member of Bedford Credit Union for at least 5 years.
Michael uses his account as an everyday current account, transacting funds onto his card from his share 1 account, while using his share 2 as a savings account. Michael makes the most of Bedfordshire Credit Union services by saving some money in his PrizeSaver Account, and has also used his Lock it Away Account to save for Christmas.
Having savings has meant that Michael has been able to borrow money from Bedfordshire Credit Union while continuing to save. He has taken out loans to cover the purchase of a car, and to purchase a new fridge when his broke down. Knowing that the option was there to make necessary purchases without eating into his savings was reassuring and he found the process of saving and borrowing simple and easy to use. Michael continued to save while he paid off his loan.
*Not his real name
Jen is 67 and lives in Bedford. She joined Bedfordshire Credit Union over 10 years ago after hearing about it from her sister.
Jen has borrowed from Bedfordshire Credit Union to go on holiday, and says she finds the staff and volunteers very helpful and non-judgmental. She continues to save because it is very useful to have an account, especially in an emergency situation.
Rob is 66 and retired, living in Dunstable. He joined Bedfordshire Credit Union 13 years ago when he was working at Aragon Housing Association through the Employer Payroll Deduction Scheme, and continued saving after he left that job.
Initially Rob was looking to save a regular small amount straight from his salary for his partners ‘surprise birthday fund’. This changed over the years to supplement holiday funds, unexpected outgoings such as white goods and unexpected car maintenance issues.
Because Rob managed to save to cover these costs, he’s never taken out a loan with Bedfordshire Credit Union, but has always been comforted knowing that the option is there should he ever need or want to.
Whenever Rob has needed to contact Bedfordshire Credit Union, he has always been happy with the simple contact requirements and immediate, polite and personal response he’s had during office hours, and how efficient and secure the process has been to release significant funds. It is that ‘refreshing personal approach’ which has kept Rob saving money with the Credit Union.
Lorna is 43 and lives in Henlow. She discovered Bedfordshire Credit Union over 10 years ago through her housing association and initially used the Lock it Away Account to save for Christmas, before moving over to a PrizeSaver Account.
Lorna wanted a savings account separate from her current account so she would not be tempted to access the funds as easily.
Lorna has taken out several loans over the past decade to pay for holidays and also to consolidate other debts. She says she really loves the personal experience she receives when she comes into the Bedfordshire Credit Union office.
Theresa is 58 and from Bedford. She joined Bedfordshire Credit Union in 2024 as her family are on a low income. She has two young adults at home, both with disabilities.
Although Theresa has not needed a loan, she feels that if she ever needed to, she would struggle to borrow money from high street banks due to her income, so is using Bedfordshire Credit Union to help her save for house repairs and as a good option to apply for a loan in the future.
Theresa has moved money into her PrizeSaver account to help her money work for her, and says Bedfordshire Credit Union staff and volunteers have always been very helpful and responsive to her queries.
Graham is 64 from south Bedford. He turned to Bedfordshire Credit Union in 2019 when he needed a bank account.
Later that year, Graham took out his first loan to help pay for his car insurance and has since borrowed amounts varying from £150 to £500 when he has needed help.
The thing Graham appreciates most about the credit union is that his loan repayments are taken on the same day he receives his wages into his account, meaning he doesn’t have to worry about keeping that money aside. He has also kept saving with Bedfordshire Credit Union and has a small amount kept by for emergencies and so he can continue to borrow.
Graham likes the friendly staff in the Bedford office and feels Bedfordshire Credit Union is always there to help if you need it.
Maria is 66 and lives in Bedford. She joined Bedfordshire Credit Union over 20 years ago when her daughter was young and money was tight. She began by saving for special things such as holidays and Christmas.
Later, Maria started to save for her daughter’s wedding dress and now uses her savings to spoil her grandsons. She believes that the credit unions provide support to lower income families that other banks don’t offer, as well as that human touch. Maria also likes that she can withdraw cash from the Bedfordshire Credit Union office.
