Uni ty Trus t works a longs ideorganisations that are at the heart ofeconomic and social life in the SouthWest. As a specialist bank for socialenterprises, charities, credit unionsand trade unions, Unity is uniquelyplaced to understand their needs.

One of the most beautiful areas ofEurope, the South West is also a regionof contrasts. Visitors flock to themoorland, beaches and cliffs of Devonand Cornwall. Yet despite this natural

wealth, parts of the region continue toface economic challenges.

While Bristol is the second most affluentlarge city in England, some parts ofCornwall and Devon have among thelowest average incomes in the UK.Cornwall makes up just 6.5% of theregion's economy and receives EUObjective One funding. Following thedecline of traditional industries such asmining, agriculture and fishing, thecounty relies on income from the 5million tourists who visit each year.

This is why a vibrant voluntary sector isvital. Only London has a greaterproportion of its workforce employed inthe social purpose sector. The SouthWest has more registered charities per

1,000 people than any other region. Intotal it is home to around 70,000 thirdsector organisations. Together, theyaddress many of the issues facing the region.

In this edition of South West spotlight,we highlight an example of how Unityworks with charity and voluntary sectororganisations in the region. Fromfinancing development projects totaking care of their day-to-day banking,Unity leaves them free to concentrateon what they do best.

A region of contrasts

Sourceshttp://www.southwestrda.org.uk/http://www.southwestforum.org.uk/

The Tamar Bridge and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’sRoyal Albert Bridge linking Devon to Cornwall

� Personal service

� Tailored, flexible banking

� Value for money

� Respected within the sector

� Safe and secure

� Socially responsible

� Understanding the needs of social economy organisations

� Convenient banking whenand where you need it

One-stop shop witheverything from day-to-daybanking to specialistfinancial services

�

� Social values andcommunity spirit

Why do customers move to Unity?

South West spotlight

0845 140 1000

or visit www.unity.co.uk

Jon FieldUnity Trust Bank plcPO Box 401, Cardiff, CF11 1LET: 02920 644 422M: 07885 843 682E: jon.field@unity.co.uk

Open for BusinessMany UK banks have suffered as aresult of the global financial crisis andmany are choosing to retrench andshed jobs. The very opposite is true ofUnity and we are “very much open forbusiness”. Far from retrenching, wecontinue to grow our business, ourcustomer base and our workforce.

We have never traded in sub-primeinvestments because to have done sowould have been against both ourcorporate and social responsibility policies.

So, whilst other banks have beenfocusing on the harmful consequences oftheir investment decisions, we have been

focusing on the day-to-day issues affectingour customers and improving the range ofservices we provide to the sector. Amongstthe services we offer are:

Day-to-day bankingAs a customer you will be able to operateyour bank account via the internet, overthe phone, by post, at the Post Office, orby nominating a local high street bankconvenient to you. The choice is yours.

Loan financeIn addition to the complete range of‘traditional’ banking services, we alsoprovide a range of flexible funding productswhich have been designed specifically

for the sectors in which we operate.These include: Property Developmentfunding, Fundraising Bridging loans,Social Mortgages, Rent to Buy schemesand Grant Bridging overdrafts.

e-PaymentNo forms to complete or postage to pay,the e-Payment service provides a rangeof time-saving, cost effective BACSoptions. The service allows you to makeand receive regular payments andcollect membership subscriptions. Thissimple to use product delivers servicesdirect to your desktop without the needfor complex software installations, andis available 24/7.

UTB263November 2009

Registered office: Nine Brindleyplace,Birmingham B1 2HB.

Unity Trust Bank plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Serves Authority and is entered in the FSA’s register under number 204570. Registered in England and Wales, no 1713124.

Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) wasfounded in 1986 to provide free andconfidential help to people with drug oralcohol problems. For much of thattime, the charity has banked with Unity.“We moved to Unity from a high streetbank following a best value review,”says BDP director Maggie Telfer. “Wefelt it was important that our moneywent somewhere ethical and Unity gaveus that peace of mind.”

“Unity is secure and reliable,” Maggiecon t inues . “Tha t ’ s pa r t i cu la r l yimportant at a time when some of thehigh street banks seem to be involved inall sorts of things. We receive publicand charitable funding and we need tokeep it safe. We trust Unity to do that.”

BDP uses its funding to help over 3,000individuals and their families each year.Independent of bodies such as socialservices and the police, the charity is themain provider of free and confidential drugand alcohol help in Bristol. Banking withUnity leaves BDP free to concentrate onwhat it does best: reducing harm,promoting change, challenging prejudiceand maximising people’s potential.

“The service we enjoy from Unity keepsimproving,” Maggie continues. “It’s abank that does the basics well anddoesn’t try to sell us things we don’twant. We meet with our developmentmanager regularly and any problemsare always sorted out quickly.”

The work that BDP does has never beenmore important, as drug and alcoholproblems become mainstream issues. A2009 survey by DrugScope revealed that19% of adult Britons have beendependent on illegal drugs or knowsomeone who has. Over a quarter ofrespondents aged between 18 and 34admitted to personal direct or indirectexperience of drug dependence.* WhileBDP helps tackle this problem, it expectspublic sector funding to come underpressure in the years ahead.

As a specialist bank for charities, tradeunions and the social economy Unity iswell-placed to support the organisationin the future. “We reviewed our bankingarrangements in 2008 and decidedonce again to stay with Unity,” saysMaggie. “We feel that banking withUnity is as safe as it’s possible to be.”

Bristol Drugs Project

Actress April Pearson, former ‘Skins’star, and John Prior, Bristol DrugsProject Chair, unveil the Investing in Volunteers award

*See http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/26/drugs-surveydependent-adults-uk