This week, the Community Investment Coalition (CIC) launched a Community Banking Charter. CIC believes that every adult, household and business should have access to a basic package of fair and affordable finance tools including:

A transactional bank account
A savings scheme and insurance
Affordable credit
Physical access to bank branch facilities
Independent money management advice.

It sets out the action it believes is required by regulators and politicians to achieve this goal.

The Charter was launched at a briefing session in the House of Lords.  Hosted and chaired by the Bishop of Birmingham, speakers included Guy Opperman MP, Lord Sharkey and Lord McFall of Alcluith.  Other guests included MPs, Peers and financial services sector industry representatives. You can read and download the Charter here.

CIC will continue to campaign for implementation of the key actions set out in the Charter.

To support the Charter, CIC partner Local Trust released a video and case study setting out the problems faced by local communities who struggle to access basic financial tools.  You can watch the video and read the case study here. You can also read the blog that Jennifer Tankard, the lead of the Community Investment Coalition, wrote for the Barrow Cadbury Trust on community banking and the Charter on the day of the launch.