The Credit Union Mission Statement
The mission of the credit union is to promote the financial well being of its members. To achieve this purpose the credit union is committed to providing a broad range of innovative financial products supported by the excellent service of a dedicated, well-trained staff team, assisted by volunteers from service point staff to the helpers in the office, all overseen by our voluntary Board of Directors.
Our fair financial products and services are administered in accordance with sound management practices to maintain the financial strength of the credit union. The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the credit union hereby affirm that the efforts of Bristol Credit Union will be consistently and professionally dedicated to the accomplishment of our mission - providing fair financial services for all.
The Credit Union Story
The modern credit union movement traces its origins to Germany and to Friedrich Willhelm Raiffeisen, the Mayor of a small town in southern Germany, who in 1849 formed societies, which later evolved into credit unions. The purpose of these credit unions was to enable people to help themselves in relieving debt and poverty.
A credit union is a democratic, financial co-operative owned and controlled by its own members. Each credit union is run only to benefit its members, all of whom have something in common - the 'common bond'. Bristol Credit Union's common bond is that all members live or work in Bristol, Bath or the surrounding area (basically the whole of the former Avon county).
Credit unions in the UK were in existence for some time before the movement gained momentum in 1979, when the Credit Unions Act was passed.
Since then, the Credit Union philosophy of mutual self-help has proved very popular, and there are now over 450 Credit Unions affiliated to the Association of British Credit Unions (ABCUL) throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
In the UK over 750,000 members have recognized the value of credit unions, and have savings of over 500 million pounds with their credit unions. There are thousands employed in the sector and many more thousands are volunteers involved in the movement. | 
