Since 1923, Swansea Building Society has built a strong reputation based on personal and tailored service, making it simple for customers to bank with them.

To help Nub News tell the stories that matter to Penarth, Swansea Building Society will be supporting our coverage of the local community.

Offering a range of savings accounts and flexible mortgages to their customers, Swansea Building Society is one of only three remaining mutual Building Societies in the country and the only Building Society or bank with its headquarters in West Wales.

Area Manager for East Wales, Richard Miles is no stranger to the Vale – as a child he lived in Llandough and throughout his career has worked in many local bank branches.

He praised the staff at the local Vale of Glamorgan Swansea Building Society branch, many of whom live in the area, on how they have connected with residents.

"Our customers will know them well and know that they can trust us with their savings," Richard told Nub News.

"We don't have any call centres, so when you ring a branch, you'll be talking to a local member of staff.

"Our frontline mortgage managers are specially trained, and we take on mortgage cases that the big banks won't because they are maybe more complicated and take more work to go through everything you need.

As well as helping Vale residents, Swansea Building Society has also supported many local causes and since 2020, Wales Air Ambulance, as the selected staff charity.

"We decided to carry it through to 2021 as it was really important to support something that provides a service to our customers in South Wales," said Richard.

"In addition to generating money through local events, we've been glad to donate over £10,000 to the Wales Air Ambulance last year."

"Bank with us the way you want to"

One of the lessons from the last 18 months is that we can't always know what to expect. Having savings as a security net can alleviate some of that worry – and knowing your money is secure is an even greater comfort.

"We're very proud of the fact that our customers have trusted us with their money. We know how hard they worked over the years to build that amount up," explained Richard.

"Your money is safe with us as we don't take any risks with what you've earned. We're committed to that."

Penarth residents will know all too well the annoyance of local bank branches closing, with many national names citing the demand for online services replacing the need for in-person support in our towns.

But Swansea Building Society are committed to not only keeping branches open but expanding into new areas.

"Since having one branch in 2010, we've opened three more and are looking to set up in Monmouthshire in the next year or two," said Richard.

"We're really proud of what we've done, our products and understanding what people need from us.

"I think customers love that we're very straightforward and I really enjoy working for a small Society where you can really make a difference."

Another benefit is that Swansea Building Society customers do not need to make an appointment to visit their local branch.

"There's no waiting two or three weeks for an available appointment, even if they want to open an account you can just come in," said Richard.

But Swansea Building Society's dedication to face-to-face services does not mean those online options are not available.

In fact, the pandemic has led to an increase of online options for Swansea Building Society's customers.

"We launched the service last year so that our online customers had access to services 24/7, so they could see their balance and then also transfer to a dedicated bank account," explained Richard.

"That's had a really good uptake. We want people to access our services however works best for them, so it's our way of banking but you get to do it the way you want to."

Penarth Nub News is thrilled to announce that Swansea Building Society has become our latest sponsor and we look forward to bringing you a range of exciting and informative articles together.