LiveWest along with eight South West housing associations partner with Westcountry Savings and Loans to provide financial support to our customers’.
As the cost of living pressures continue, we are committed to providing support for our customers, whether that’s with help from our Tenancy Sustainment team or tips and advice on managing money with the Be Money Ready page on our website.
We have taken additional steps to address these financial pressures with a new collaboration which will help to deliver this help for our customers.
We have formed a new partnership with credit union Westcountry Savings and Loans (WS&L), the South West’s credit union, as part of our ongoing commitment to our customers' financial wellbeing.
As part of this collaboration, we have teamed up with eight other housing associations from across the region to establish the Credit Union Sustainability Partnership (CUSP), an initiative that enables us to provide customers with affordable loans and ethical saving products across the region.
The partnership offers alternative borrowing options to people who may otherwise turn to high interest lenders and loan sharks, helping in turn to keep money in households and local communities.
Gia Hancock, our Tenancy Sustainment Manager, said: “We are really pleased to be part of this partnership with Westcountry Savings and Loan credit union along with the other housing associations across the region which has resulted in the formation of CUSP.
“We understand how important it is to have this service available during a time of financial difficulty and being part of this collaboration will allow us to address our customers financial needs and wellbeing.
“By joining forces like this, we are not only tackling the challenges posed by high-interest lenders but also doing what we can to give our customers the tools they need to achieve some financial stability.
“This partnership shows our commitment to providing all-around support to our residents, helping them where possible, with their finances through a lower-cost alternative and showing them the benefits of it so they can make a more informed choice of what is available to them.”
The partnership also helps to support and sustain WS&L, ensuring the region’s homes continue to have access to the financial services and products of a local credit union.
WS&L is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning any surplus it makes is given back to its members in the form of a dividend.
Jackie Simpson, CEO of Westcountry Savings and Loans, said: “Our growing membership numbers tell us that the services Westcountry Savings and Loans provides are as in-demand today across the region as ever.
“By partnering with housing providers across the South West, we are extending our reach further into local communities and ensuring that households who really stand to benefit from our loans and savings products know there are alternatives to high-interest lenders.
“This has long been one of our key aims and is something I look forward to building on with our CUSP partners in the coming years.”
Visit Westcountry Saving and Loans for more information.