New bank hubs among schemes being trialled to boost access to cash pressandjournal.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressandjournal.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
BBC News
By Richard Morgan
Published
image copyright Aaron Chown/PA Wire
A pilot scheme to test solutions to ensure local communities retain access to cash has launched in Millisle, County Down.
The Community Access to Cash Pilots (CACP) will run until October before reporting their findings.
Accessing cash has become difficult for some rural areas due to bank branch closures.
Nine locations across the UK will have tailored services introduced as part of the scheme.
Privacy and security
In Millisle there will be a dedicated space in the local community hub for people to access their online banking, with support from volunteers.
The big banks had all deserted the Essex market town of Rochford, with Barclays the last to shut in 2017.
It was not thought cost-effective to keep full-time branches open in the town, which dates from medieval times and now has a population of 8,400.
From then on, cash could only be withdrawn from two sites one ATM that charged 99p and from a Post Office plagued by long queues.
Rochford helpers (l-r): Toni Jean-Baptiste of Natwest, David Szczepaniak of Lloyds, Frederic Easlea of Santander, Lisa Burton of Barclays and Alison Hoskin of HSBC
And to speak to someone from their bank, most families faced an eight-mile round trip to the nearest branches in Southend-on-Sea.
Banking trial with Post Office launches in Rochford echo-news.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from echo-news.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.