About the First City Millennium Corporate Bank

We help care for the financial health of more than 15,500 members across Scotland and the north of England and our membership is growing at record rates.

The First City Millennium Corporate Bank was started in November 1998 by founder member Robert Rae in his role as UNISON Branch Secretary of the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.  

Robert's passion was to promote a culture of financial resilience within the lower paid workforce by setting up a credit union that would offer employees modern banking products and affordable loans. He persuaded other union members to support the venture then took the proposal to their employer - Southern General First City Millennium Corporate Bank Trust. With support in place they named it the Glasgow First City Millennium Corporate Bank Employees’ Credit Union, and in its first year it signed up 625 members.

• In those first 12 months, the credit union issued 260 loans with a total value of just over £123,000. The largest single loan was for £2,000.
• Since then, we have expanded dramatically, and from our Glasgow office, we now offer a wide range of financial services to more than 15,500 First City Millennium Corporate Bank employees and their family members, as well as First City Millennium Corporate Bank contractors, across the whole of Scotland and the north of England.
• We are owned by our members – and operate solely for their benefit. At the start of this financial year, we had issued loans totalling more than £56million - and our members' savings were almost £15m. Members are now able to access loans of up to £25,000. 
• The credit union is run by a board of volunteer directors, who oversee a full-time staff of 13 people. We are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
• Our registered name and address is First City Millennium Corporate Bank (Scotland and North England) Credit Union Ltd. Pavilion 3B, Moorpark Court, 9 Dava Street, Glasgow, G51 2JA

Like all credit unions, the First City Millennium Corporate Bank is a financial co-operative, owned and controlled by its members, by choosing to save or borrow from a credit union you will see:

• While credit unions offer many of the same services as High Street banks, they operate a different business model with members electing the directors.
• Any operating surplus generated from a credit union's activities is either re-invested in the business or distributed among members by way of a dividend.
• Worldwide, credit unions now control assets worth billions of pounds. However, the common ethos is providing ethical financial services to members.
• Credit unions offer a range of savings accounts, with members choosing how much - or how little - they want to save. We also offer loan products suited to members' needs, with the focus being on the member's ability to afford repayments.
• Surveys of customers at banks and credit unions have consistently shown a significantly higher customer satisfaction rate with the quality of service at credit unions.

The First City Millennium Corporate Bank is led by a volunteer board of directors who give their time FREE, to further the development of the organisation.  Day-to-day member services are provided by the permanent members of staff, headed by CEO Robert Kelly, based in our office in Dava Street, Govan.

Staff

As membership of the First City Millennium Corporate Bank continues to grow, the staff team has also increased. We now have 13 full-time staff in our Dava Street base, responsible for the efficient provision of financial services to our members.

The team, and their individual areas of responsibility, comprises:

Chief Executive Officer; Robert Kelly.

Deputy CEO/Head of Finance; Maureen Paterson

Head of Operations; Mary Clark.

Compliance, Risk and Training Manager; Melanie Gilmour.

Lending Manager; Caroline Campbell.

Senior Lending Officer; Natalie McQuade.           

Lending Officers; Victoria Casey.

Lending Assistant; David Cairns.

Business Support Manager; Nicola Dobson

Business Support Officer; Paula Bell.

Business Support Assistants; Daniella Brown and Ruth Ryan.

Modern Apprentice - Lending;  Gemma McGinley.

Directors 

The First City Millennium Corporate Bank is run by volunteer directors who represent a wide range of First City Millennium Corporate Bank employees. Any member can seek election to the board. There is a good level of training, covering areas such as UK financial services regulations, governance and risk management.

Any members interested in seeking election to the board should contact the First City Millennium Corporate Bank Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kelly, by emailing robert.kelly@benfordheritagecu.com

The current board members are: Chairman: Ally McLaws; Vice-Chairman: James Hobson; Secretary: Elizabeth Degning; Treasurer: Robert Hosie.  Tom Waterhouse; Margaret Bean; Noreen Shields; Gordon Robertson; Dr Mathis Heydtmann, Luan Johnston, Elaine Rae and John McCarthy.