Becoming a member of a credit union
Making local people better off
Like all credit unions, we're a mutual, financial co-operative. We are owned and operated by our members.
GWCU members, lend, borrow, and save together. Itās finance by the community, for the community. We offer fair interest rates on loans, competitive interest rates on savings accounts, and generous annual dividends. The money we all share stays with local people, in local communities.Ā Ā
Any profit we make is reinvested into our services or shared between our members.
Your local credit union
Membership benefits
- There are no shareholders at GWCU. We are led by our members
- Apply for loans and borrowing with fair, affordable interest rates
- Save your money securely and get competitive interest rates
- Access popular salary deduction schemes through your employer
- Cooperative finance created for our members and their circumstances
- Support from our specially trained Member Engagement Team
- Be part of a movement which champions financial equality and inclusion
South west England’s largest credit union
Helping thousands of people manage their money
GWCU is proud of the financial difference weāve made in our membersā lives over the decades.
Since 1999 we have lent money to thousands of local people when they needed it. Thousands more have trusted us to keep their money safe in savings accounts and ISAs. There have been many mergers over the years, but the last one was in 2021. It was then that we became the largest credit union in the region, and our name became Great Western Credit Union.
When you join GCWU as a member, you become part of our mission to make everyone better off.
Our members, their families, their communities, and the whole region all benefit when we work together.
Join a local credit union
Together, our savers and borrowers create a pool of money that we use to help our members and our communities.
Savings accounts, while always protected and secure, directly contribute to the fair and affordable loans available to our members.
Your savings support ethical banking which helps local people. Especially those who are underserved by high street banks, or vulnerable to payday loans.
When you borrow money from GWCU, your repayments include a small amount of interest. This interest covers our costs and helps us provide the services our members need.Ā
Any profits made by GWCU are reinvested back into GWCU. Members get better interest rates and dividends and our local communities benefit too.
Our local credit union members
Your community is our community
Findings from our member survey
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17% of savers are from Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds
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More than 50% work full-time, part-time, or are self employed
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59% of savers are aged 55 and above
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59% of savers liked the idea of their savings helping local people
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15% of borrowers are from Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds
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37% of borrowers are single parents
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30% of borrowers describe themselves as having a disability
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Almost 90% of borrowers rent their home
Loans and savings for local people
Working for the local community
GWCU serves people in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dorset. If you live or work in any of these counties you are eligible to become a GWCU member.
Reinvesting in our local communities is a key GWCU promise.
Community-focused credit union
Our members are our priority
Some of our members are people who have struggled with money in the past.
We understand they may not always be able to stick to their loan agreement. For reasons outside of their control, members may be dealing with decreased income (16%), sickness or disability (23%), mental health (33%), changes to family situations (14%), and other life changing events.
Our specially trained Member Engagement Team support members with repayments and finding affordable solutions.
GWCU is dedicated to helping our members, improving their financial wellbeing, and providing financial equality.
Become a credit union member today
Fair finance for ordinary people