Lucy Wright, who works for Southwark Council, had got herself into a bit of a spiral. Some bad financial decisions years ago left her with a bad credit rating, and she was getting charges from her bank every time she went overdrawn, making the situation worse.
She wanted to start saving for her daughter, but the situation seemed hopeless.
“I can’t even get a contract phone, my credit’s so bad.”
But her situation wasn’t without hope. She’d heard about London Mutual Credit Union through her work at the council, and walked past her local branch every time she dropped her daughter off at school.
“The bank I was with weren’t being understanding, or trying to accommodate. I wanted to join the Credit Union, because I knew that they were a bit more personable.”
She took out a current account, plus a savings account for her daughter. She’s used the LMCU payday loan facility when she’s needed to, and the Christmas loan.
“I work part-time, I’m a single mum. All the stuff at Christmas is extra on top of everything that you normally pay for. So to be able to borrow that bit of money, you know you can buy presents and you can have food. You can do those extra things at Christmas, and still be able to pay your bills. It takes a weight off your mind, definitely.”
Every month, £10 automatically goes straight into her daughter’s savings account. “I don’t even have to think about it, and that’s money that’s just being saved for her, so it’s really good.”
