[shillelagh]

when you've spoken to Bill Greenwood and Marilyn Procter .. who with a number of other volunteers set up Haslingden and Helmshore Credit Union. Then you may just find out a bit more regarding Credit unions. Marilyn has been the chair of the board for the credit union for the last 14 maybe 15 years .. cant exactly remember when she became the chair. She works for BT .. and has done since she left school. Bill is now retired .. but works for the ABCUL .. and is well known in credit union circles. As Haslingden and Helmshore Credit Union is now HHH Credit Union incorporating Hyndburn .. you wont have to go through all the training, the hassle of finding premises for the credit union, where to have collection points, etc etc and finding volunteers to help run the credit union. The volunteers at the credit union are mainly pensioners, people who have retired and have time on their hands to run the collection points. Others are mothers who's children have started school and are now finding they have time on their hands and want to do something some are unemployed .. hoping that volunteering with the credit union will look good on their CV and help them get into a job. Most of them have no experience with financial matters .. except for running their own home .. so the credit union gives them training .. enough to make sure they know what they are doing.