MONEY matters in the town have moved to a new home.

Darlington Credit Union has opened for business in its new premises on the corner of Crown Street and Tubwell Row.

The non-profit organisation moved from its cramped Church Row and council offices last week (28 September) and the seven members of staff and four volunteers are settling into their new base.

Chief executive Tony Brockley, said: “We want our members to feel comfortable here and not bombarded by people with tablets and gimmicks like some other banks.

“Our core values are to provide our members with affordable loans, savings accounts and educate younger people about how to manage their money.

“We’re very involved in the wider community and with such a central location in the town, we can offer a much sleeker service for everyone.”

The former mobility scooter showroom now boasts three dedicated cashier points and two private consultation rooms with an impressive boardroom and admin space upstairs.

And from next year the union will add current accounts, cash ISAs and online banking to the existing savings and loans products as part of a £38m government investment.

Mr Brockley added: “In Darlington we’re one of only 40 credit unions nationwide to be part of the government-sponsored project.

“It means that we can be much more competitive and offer products that high-street banks do, as well as online banking and apps to help a wider range of people keep track of their money.

“It’s very exciting to be a part of and it’s the next step in our expansion which has been growing since 2009.”

The union was set up in a bid to fend off payday lenders and loan sharks from preying on those in need of short-term cash injection.

And demand for an independent service has grown rapidly since the Darlington creditors were formed following a merger of four smaller unions in the town.

The organisation has seen its popularity balloon with over 5,000 members now saving £1.5m with the group and a loan book value of just under £1m.

And with over 36 years of banking experience, Mr Brockley is convinced there is still room to expand.

He said: “We are very keen on educating the young people in Darlington and encourage them to be aware of the value of money.

“The union goes into primary schools around the town and each school has its own card which the children indentify with as they all have a unique colour.

“We hope in the future that we can work with 11 to 18-year-olds in secondary schools and colleges to prepare them for starting university and how to deal with managing their money.

“For us, these children will be our customers in the future and we want to be there from cradle to grave like banks used to be. We want to bring that back.”

The Darlington Credit Union is also expanding into North Yorkshire and will have a Reeth base to support rural communities where they already provide services from Northallerton, Catterick and Richmond libraries.