Created: 18/10/2017, Updated: 19/10/2017
Today, 19 October 2017, is International Credit Union Day. For almost 70 years (since 1948) people around the world have celebrated the spirit of the global credit union movement on the third Thursday of October.
This year's theme is "Dreams Thrive Here". Aiming to illustrate how credit union and other financial cooperatives serve as catalysts to make different professions, personal choices and career paths real. Read more about the history of credit unions by here and see that they still offer everyday people the chance to make changes in their lives, one small step at a time.
The spirit of the day is active here in Fife. Fife Voluntary Action are currently funded by Fife Council to provide capacity building and development support for Fife's credit unions. The Fairer Fife report also proposes (Recommendation No. 21) that employers encourage their staff to join credit unions emphasising Fife's commitment to the principles of the Credit Union movement. FVA have recently started working with Fife Council, Fife's credit unions and key stakeholders, to make best use of this investment in our local credit unions. This work is closely linked to the Council's plan to set up a CDFI (community development financial institution) in Fife - which was a recommendation in the Fairer Fife report (recommendation 18). CDFIs work well alongside credit unions, typically offering complementary services and helping to ensure more people can access lowest cost credit and advice and information on saving, budgeting and more.
The ultimate goal of the day is to raise awareness about the great work that credit unions are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged. If you're interested in finding out more about credit unions in Fife, including how to encourage your staff, volunteers or service user to join a credit union then please get in touch with us on 0800 389 6046 or e-mail
There are currently 6 credit unions in Fife:
Fife Voluntary Action Bulletin 26 October 2017 Opens a MS Word document containing information and links