A new banking hub has opened at Enfield’s Ordnance Unity Centre Library

A new banking hub has opened at Enfield’s Ordnance Unity Centre Library by Cash Access UK, an organisation set up to protect nationwide access to cash. Located on Hertford Road, the hub was officially welcomed to Enfield by the Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Ergin Erbil and the MP for Enfield North, Feryal Clark, on 17 January.Cash Access UK is operated by the Post Office and offers residents a counter service to carry out regular cash transactions, deposit cheques, pay utility bills and more.It also offers a Community Banker service where residents can talk to major high street banks about more complicated issues on their allocated day. To know which bank is available on what day, click here.  

Cllr Ergin Erbil, the Leader of Enfield Council, said: “It is important banking services remain personal to ensure those with accessibility needs can get help without any difficulties. This temporary banking hub at our library here ensures face-to-face cash and banking solutions, with exceptional support for customers, five days a week.”

The temporary hub will be open five days a week and services will be available until a suitable, permanent location is found. 

Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, said: “I’m happy to announce that the new banking hub in Enfield North is now open, giving local residents renewed access to cash and in-person banking services. Customers can visit on any day of the week for their everyday banking transactions and if you have a specific or more complex enquiry for your bank, a community banker will be there to help on the day they’re in the hub. We're grateful that the library has provided us with this temporary space and we are looking forward to sharing positive news about the hub’s permanent location soon.”  

Enfield Council is committed to creating a borough that offers accessible services that are much needed for local residents to access. 

For more information, visit Cash Access UK.  

Notes to Editor
The full address is Ordnance Unity Centre Library, 645 Hertford Road, Enfield, EN3 6ND.

Cash Access UK is a not-for-profit company owned and funded by major banks. Their work is part of a new, collective approach to protecting access to cash. They provide shared services in communities where they are needed most. For more information, visit cashaccess.co.uk.

Who owns Cash Access UK?

Cash Access UK is funded by the UK's biggest banks, including AIB NI, Bank of Ireland UK, Barclays, Danske Bank, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money. These firms have come together to provide shared services available to all their customers.

What is a banking hub?

A banking hub is a shared banking space on the high street. Hubs offer a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday. The hubs also offer a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated banking issues. The Community Bankers work on rotation, with a different bank available on each day of the week. Community Bankers are usually provided by the banks with the most customers in the local area.

Cash use is in decline. Why are you setting up new banking hubs?

Cash is still important to millions of people in the UK. Between 5 and 6 million adults say they rely on cash in their day-to-day lives. Digital or online solutions don’t yet work for everyone all the time. We've found that banking hubs can make a real difference to individuals, small businesses and the communities they live in.

Can small businesses use the banking hubs to do their banking?

Business customers are welcome to use the counter services to make cash withdrawals, cash and cheque deposits and other cash services including floats and coinage.

How long does it take to open a banking hub?

Opening a banking hub can take several months from start to finish. These are the steps involved:

Find a suitable property that meets our requirements. These include size, condition and location.
Negotiate terms with the landlord.
Once an offer is agreed, solicitors carry out the legal work so the lease can be signed. We may need to get planning approval from the local authority before we work with our architects on the layout and design. Where the building is listed or in a conservation area, we make sure our design and the building work complement the area.
Post Office appoints a banking hub operator and the banks identify Community Bankers so they are ready to serve customers on the day we open.
Carry out final checks to make sure everything is working so we can open the doors.
Who decides where to set up a banking hub?

LINK, the UK’s cash machine network, decides where new services are needed. LINK is an independent, regulated company with many years' experience in assessing communities' cash needs. LINK reviews the impact of every proposed branch closure by our member firms. A community can also ask to LINK to carry out an assessment of the community if they feel they need better access to cash.  

Why isn’t every bank and building society involved in this?

Cash Access UK is funded by the UK's biggest banks. These cover the vast majority of personal and business customers. Cash Access UK is open to any bank or building society to join as long as they meet certain criteria.