A Community Banking Hub for Helston

Many people in Helston have been concerned about where to go for banking services but it's believed a solution may be on its way.

Helston Town Council say they are pleased to have been able to work with a range of local organisations to help secure the creation of a Community Banking Hub for the town.

The Council has been working for a number of months in partnership with the Helston Place Shaping Board, Helston & District Chamber of Commerce, Inclusion Cornwall, Helston Methodist Chapel, and Citizens Advice Cornwall in advance of the closure of the last bank.

Back in the Autumn, a business survey was designed and undertaken both online and face-to-face, which saw a high proportion of local businesses express their concerns about the adverse impact this would have on their trade and their customer base.

The initial application to LINK for a Community Banking Hub for Helston was not successful, so the partnership worked hard to secure a meeting with senior officials from LINK to discuss the application and to see what additional evidence would be needed in order to make a difference to the decision.

LINK is the national organisation that undertakes assessments in towns to find evidence of the need for a Banking Hub. At this meeting, which was attended by Helston Town Council, the Helston Place Shaping Board, Cornwall Councillor Mike Thomas, Citizens Advice Cornwall, and Inclusion Cornwall, further evidence was given about the needs of the business and the local community in and around Helston.

Additional evidence was also sent after the meeting to try and support the case further, which included letters of support from local Parish Councils. Yesterday, Helston Town Council received the good news that LINK had listened to the partnership and that the re-assessment had been successful, meaning Helston will get a Community Banking Hub in the near future.

The Town Mayor Cllr Tim Grattan-Kane said; "We are delighted with the news that the re-assessment by LINK has been successful as the research undertaken with residents and local businesses showed how important access to cash, counter services, and one-to-one support in a bank is to people in this otherwise digital age.

"The partnership also made the case that Helston doesn't just serve the local population, but that the town is an important centre for many more thousands of residents and businesses on the Lizard peninsula and surrounding areas. We would like to thank all the above organisations in the partnership who have helped make this happen for the town and surrounding communities."

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