Welcome to the Credit Union Database

The Credit Union Research Forum has provided a database of credit union information for Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland for the years 1996, 1997, 1998. This database will be updated periodically when new data becomes available.

Background papers to the UK credit union sector are available.

The first paper is 'An Outline of the Origin and Background Characteristics of Credit Unions'

In this overview an attempt is made to highlight the distinctiveness of credit unions. This distinctiveness centers upon their co-operative credentials. These co-operative credentials encompass a number of attributes. Open membership and democratic control are defining features of a co-operative. Equally, limited return on share capital and profits belonging to members are also indispensable defining features. The role of education, so that members can exercise real control of their co-operative, is similarly essential to co-operative identity. Credit unions, as member owned democratic institutions emphasising self-help and voluntarism and with social objectives concerning educational and developmental concerns, particularly for weaker, disadvantaged segments of society, clearly fit neatly within the co-operative family. Each of these aspects is addressed in this overview.

The second is 'Structure and Legislation: UK Credit Unions'

This overview considers the legislative and structural framework within which UK credit unions operate. An effort is also made to highlight salient trends within the sector with attention, in this instance, placed on trends that have emerged particularly during the 1990's. Evidence of the strong growth performance of the UK movement is seen in the growth of credit union numbers, members and the total asset volume under their control. The analysis, however, also reveals that a considerable dichotomy has emerged in the relative wealth and risk profile of large and small credit unions with the latter very much the poor relation.

Please note that these papers are available in adobe acrobat format as pdf files. To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF files click here

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