Following a successful bid for EU grants, the existing Credit Unions based in Narberth and Pembroke, together with the new Haven Credit Union, based in Milford, have recently appointed a marketing and recruitment officer to help develop services covering the whole of Pembrokeshire and much of western Carmarthenshire.

Peter Webster, until recently general manager with DPS Aerospace in Pembroke Dock, and formerly inward investment officer with Pembrokeshire County Council, brings many years of marketing, senior management, and economic development experience to the new role, and sees it as an exciting challenge at a time when the Government has indicated that it envisages an increasing role for credit unions.

"This is an important time for the credit union movement in the UK, and I believe that they can make a significant contribution to the economic health of areas like Pembrokeshire, which still have problems of low incomes, relatively high unemployment, and associated personal debt burdens.

"I find it very encouraging that the Pembroke and Landsker Credit Unions, along with the new Haven Credit Union, have developed a joint vision to work so closely in partnership, and I look forward to being a part of it.

"You could say that the goal is to create a 'Pembrokeshire People's Bank', owned by and run for the benefit of everyone in Pembrokeshire and the Landsker borderlands, and I believe this fits in extremely well with the strategies of the mainstream development and regeneration bodies, many of whom are already offering us their support."

Credit Unions are co-operative financial organisations, owned by their members, working to provide financial services which are efficient, ethical and economical, with all surpluses retained for the benefit of members, and the local community. They are particularly structured to offer a safe and easy way for members to save regularly, however small the amount, and to provide low cost loans for these members, who can therefore avoid high interest rates on, for example, many credit cards and storecards. They are fully operated and controlled by their own members, and regulated by the FSA.

According to Gaynor Ford, chair of the Joint Project Steering Group, the local credit unions have no doubt that the potential is huge in the county, and the benefits to members and the wider community can be substantial:

"Credit unions have yet to take off in most of the UK, and we know that awareness of what they can do is very low at present. This project will begin to address this locally, and we have ambitious targets for growth in membership over the next few years, and for closer partnership within the area," she said.

Current local operations are run from Pembroke/Pembroke Dock and from Narberth. The forthcoming launch of the Haven Credit Union will add a number of collection points in Milford, and is anticipated within the next two months. This will be followed by a presence in Neyland, Haverfordwest, and hopefully expansion to cover the whole county as soon as possible thereafter. Anyone living or working in the area will be able to join, saving by standing order if preferred.

Peter Webster added; "Obviously we hope to have more members joining up; it only takes £1 to join. As member-run operations, we also need to recruit volunteers to help at our cash collection points, and with admin, even if it's only for a few hours a week. Full training is available, and we can certainly offer a chance to get involved in shaping something fresh and dynamic, which can make a real difference to people's lives."

For more information about membership or getting involved as a volunteer, contact Peter Webster on (01646) 694080.