A donation of £5,000 has been given to a community bank which operates from All Saints’ Church in Murston.

It came from the Church Urban Fund, the Church of England’s charity which helps poor people.

The money will be used to help with some of the running costs the venue incurs by being open each weekday between 10am and noon.

All Saints’ became the first church in the county to establish a community bank earlier this year.

It was created by Kent Savers Credit Union, in partnership with the diocese of Canterbury, to provide struggling families with loans and savings
accounts.

The system allows members to pay into a not-for-profit organisation, which then invests cash and lends it back to people when they are in need.

Credit unions cannot legally charge more than 26.8% interest annually, and it is hoped they will tempt people away from taking out pay-day loans, some of which have rates of more than 5,000%.

The scheme has grown and no longer just offers financial services, but has become a ‘community hub’, offering people access to a variety of services such as weekly Citizens Advice Bureau clinics, a drop-in community police surgery, job clinics, a cafe, free WiFi and other community resources.

Archdeacon Stephen Taylor said: “This money will help to cover their costs of running the building, and will mean that the wonderful volunteers here at Murston can continue to be a presence within the community and to offer it the support it needs.”