UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF CREDIT UNIONS TO TRANSFORM FINANCIAL RESILIENCE IN BRITAIN

In June 2025, Swoboda Research Centre and New Economics Foundation kicked off what should be a landmark project for the British credit union movement: a collaborative endeavour to build a shared vision for the sector for 2035, and a roadmap for how to achieve it. On this webpage, we will post updates and host relevant materials (scroll down for the Library) for any interested party to explore.

Our ambition is to double the size and impact of the movement, so that by 2035:

• Credit unions are part of the financial mainstream in Britain.
• Everyone has access to ethical, affordable finance.
• Credit union digitisation is governed by transparency, consent, and mutual ownership.
• Credit unions mobilise climate finance and support local just transitions.
• The sector is respected, resourced, and resilient, with roots in people’s everyday lives.

To achieve this, we will undertake research to gather the information we need, work with credit unions to understand their plans, aspirations and fears, engage with stakeholders and suppliers, and share our findings and thinking along the way. Our published materials are available to download for free from the Library below.

Swoboda and NEF are grateful to the Aviva Foundation for funding this vital initiative.

If you would like to join the project mailing list for news and updates, or if you have a contribution or feedback, please contact Sheila Murtagh, project manager, at sheila.murtagh@swobodacentre.org.

Slides from September 2025 Stakeholder Launch Workshop

Initial findings and reflections, Dr Paul A Jones, slides from Swoboda Conference November 2025