Pioneer Credit Union Middlesbrough Community Bank

Our primary aim at Pioneer is to provide our members with saving and affordable loan services, although we also offer some other services. We are a community based credit union, and want our members to be able to meet us in their communities as well as contact us in other ways. We are an ethical, fair organisation. We aim to be as inclusive as possible and to help the communities our members live in. We want to increase the number of collection points we can offer across the town so that we can increase our membership and help as many people as possible.

Pioneer Credit Union was formed in 2009 from a merger of four smaller community credit unions in Middlesbough - A19, Central Middlesbrough, Park End and West Central Middlesbrough. The common bond created was that members must live or work in the Middlesbrough authority area (within the area managed by Middlesbrough Council) and has recently added all tenants and employees of Fabrick Housing Group to this.

Two further credit unions, Hemlington and TBN, joined Pioneer in October 2013, increasing the number of members, volunteers and collection points available across the town.

Pioneer is a voluntary run organisation, with a volunteer board of directors. We have an administrative office in Hemlington and hold regular monthly board meetings. We also hold an AGM (annual general meeting) every year which members are free to attend.