Welcome toour newnewsletterWe hope you like our newnewsletter, which is designed toshare our news, give you lots ofinformation about our services –and invite you to join us as avolunteer.

The newsletter is part of ourtransformation plans for PCU overthe coming year. It will allow us tokeep you up to date and pass onuseful information.

Leslie LaniyanChair of the PCU Board

Bright new office(& new services on the way)The refurbishment of our Balham offices is now complete,giving us a brighter reception area and better spaces forour staff and meetings.

pcusharesMarch 2016

Our newly updated offices reflect theway we’re working to transform theentire business – to provide ourmembers with a modern, accessibleservice that better meets their needs.

On 14 April, we will hold a smallopening event. Bishop Delroy Powellfrom the New Testament Assembly willlead a service to re-dedicate the buildingand the credit union to the ministryof providing financial services to thePentecostal faith community in the UK.

InsideMeet PCU’s staff 2

Church Credit Champions Network 2

Become a PCU Ambassador 3

Involving young people 3

Tips to stay on top of your finances 3

Focus on: Our YouTube channel 4

News from the Pentecostal Credit Union

Before (bottom left) and after (belowand right). Our tired offices are nowtransformed.

Shane Bowes is our ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO)

Shane has worked for the PCU forthe past 16 years and took up hisnew role as CEO in January 2016.

“It’s a more strategic role. I’ll beengaging directly with churchleaders, stakeholders and regulators,to achieve better relationships andset up partnerships,” he says.

“It’s a very fulfilling job – andrewarding because you get to seethe results of the work that we doin the local community.”

Meet PCU’soffice staff

Lauren Humphris is our Loansand Business Administrator

Lauren has been with us for almostthree years – coming originally on agovernment apprenticeship scheme.Lauren had previous customer-facing experience as a sales advisor.

“My role is split between loans andadministration. Some days are a bitpressured, but no day is the same.

“The best bit of my job is beingable to help people if they are indifficulty – or if they need a holiday.It’s rewarding sending people outwith a smile, after I’ve agreed a loan.”

Church CreditChampions NetworkPCU staff and volunteers have been working with the ChurchCredit Champions Network, which was set up in 2014 by theArchbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to promote credit unionsin Christian churches.

The national scheme has so far reachedout to 300 churches and trained 200credit champions in the pilot areas inMerseyside, London and Southwark.

Our part of the project has involvedvisiting Pentecostal churches to givetalks on money and debt using biblicalstories, with support from the Network.

Our link to the Network comes to anend in March, but we will carry onusing the same model to explain thebenefits of the PCU.

Become a PCU AmbassadorWe’re looking for volunteers willing to act as a link between thecredit union and their church as part of our Ambassadorsprogramme. Would you be interested?

As our Ambassador, we would askyou to:

• give out information about thePentecostal Credit Union

• put interested members of yourchurch in touch with us

• promote our events• point fellow church members

towards getting any financial helpand advice they need.

Before becoming an Ambassador, wewould ask your church to give formalapproval. We would then ask you totake part in our training course.

As an Ambassador, you would be animportant part of our organisation.You would also have access totraining and other opportunities withoutside organisations.

To find out more, call 020 8673 2542.

e-blastsWe’re going to be emailing thechurches on our mailing list fromApril, to promote a roadshow ofvisits to talk about our work.

We think your congregations canreally benefit from the fair save andloan facilities offered by the PCU.We hope you will invite us!

Thank you to EmmanuelBournemouth University student Emmanuel Sampahhas just completed a very useful internship with us.

Emmanuel is studying finance and economics, whichincludes a year of placements. After time with us, he isgoing on to a paid placement with Transport for London.

Emmanuel spent three weeks helping us look at whyyoung people don’t seem to be interested in saving.We will be using his research and recommendations tohelp us reach out to a new generation of members.

Involving young peopleWe’re inviting junior savers (aged 11 to 18) to join our new Youth ShadowBoard to help us attract more young members.

The PCU Youth Shadow Board will give us a way tohear directly from our younger members.

It will meet four or more times a year and run like aproper Board of Directors. As it isn’t an elected body,it won’t have the power to make binding decisionsthat affect the membership, but it will be able toinfluence the Board.

The Youth Shadow Board will:

• help us improve our services• help us reach out to other young people• gain valuable experience of volunteering, and• access training and development opportunities.

To find out more, call the office on 020 8673 2542or email us at info@pcuuk.com

Date for your diary

PCU AnnualGeneralMeeting

Saturday 19 March 2016at 6pm

Tooting Neighbourhood Centre28 Glenburnie RoadLondon SW17 7PJ

Everyone is welcome

Tips to stay on top of your financesSave on your energy bills

You can do this by:

• switching suppliers – use acomparison website or sign up tothe Cheap Energy Club atwww.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub, which tracksprices for you over time

• paying by direct debit• cutting your energy usage:

– turn your thermostat down just1 degree to cut bills by 10%

– turn off lights when you leavethe room

– wash only full loads of clothesand dishes

– boil only the water you need– install energy-saving lightbulbs,

better insulation and a newboiler to cut your bills

– give your home an onlineenergy check using the tool atwww.energysavingtrust.org.uk

• getting energy-saving grants ifyou’re on a low income – phonethe Energy Saving Advice serviceon 0300 123 1234 or email themat energy-advice@est.org.uk

1 Get better dealsYou can do this by:

• shopping around for better dealsfor your mobile and broadband

• haggling for a lower price – thisoften works with large companieslike Sky, the AA and Admiral.

Save on your food billsYou can do this by:

• avoiding waste – check ‘use by’dates to plan what to eat when

• planning your meals and writinga shopping list, so you only buythe food you need

• trading down a brand or switchingsupermarket

• comparing the priceper unit – but don’tbuy a bigger pack ifyou won’t use it

• buying itemspast their ‘bestbefore’ dateand eatingthem beforetheir ‘use by’date expires.

Take action if you’restruggling to pay bills

You can do this by:

• working out a realistic budget• claiming any benefits you are due• paying your priority bills first

(rent, mortgage, Council Tax) • contacting your energy supplier

to ask to pay at a lower rate• getting free energy advice at

www.homeheathelpline.org.uk orby phoning 0800 336699

• talking to the people you owe,to agree to pay smaller amountsover a longer period

• calling the Money Advice Serviceon 0300 500 5000 – it’s free.

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Beverley TomlinRetired nurse Beverley Tomlin is alongstanding member of the PCU.She says, “My first experience ofusing the credit union was in 1983.I decided to get somewhere to livein Wandsworth and I was able tocome to the credit union andborrow to help with my deposit.”

She adds, “I would encouragemembers of the Pentecostalchurches to join the PCU, becausethere are lots of benefits.

“You’re in a very comfortableenvironment and speaking topeople you know.”

Pentecostal Credit Union Limited 15 Oldridge Road, Balham, London SW12 8PL Phone 020 8673 2542 Email info@pcuuk.com Web www.pcuuk.com /pentecostalcreditunion @PentecostalCU

The Pentecostal Credit Union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN 213242).

Focus on: Our YouTube channel

The idea for the video came when wetalked to the NCLF (National ChurchLeaders Forum) last year, to tell themabout our upcoming campaign toattract new members.

Would you like to contribute to orfeature in a future issue ofpcushares? Call the office, we willbe pleased to hear from you!

“An excellent credit union thatunderstands faith and finance.”

A PCU member

We’re making great use of our YouTube channel, with anew promotional video on the way.

They asked for a video that we couldall use when we make presentationsabout the PCU. Several of ourmembers joined us to tell their stories– which feature on this page.

To access our YouTube channel,google ‘YouTube Pentecostal CreditUnion’. You will find that we havealready made videos about some ofour services.

You can help us promote the PCU too– by following us on Twitter and‘liking’ us on Facebook.

Patrick and TaliaOperations manager Patrick joinedaround three years ago, while hispartner, Talia, who is a personalbanker, signed up six months ago.

Patrick says, “When I was havingdifficulties paying back a paydayloan, I came to the PentecostalCredit Union in Balham and theywere able to support me with aloan. Actually, I built up somesavings as well, so it worked outreally well.”

Talia says, “When Patrick introducedme to the credit union, I washesitant at first, but they werereally supportive.

“I work in a bank, so I know howloans work. However, this appealedto me because you can pay yourloan off and save at the same time.”

Jason GreenJason Green, who has been acorporate member of the PCU foraround six years, is the Co-directorof a sports managementcompany.

He says, “I’m all about myreturns. I like to have steadygrowth as well and I believe thatlong-term the Pentecostal CreditUnion can give me that.”