Somerset’s first banking hub in Wellington opens

Somerset's first banking hub is now open in Wellington at 26 Fore Street.

The hub was opened officially on Friday 3rd January by Mayor Janet Lloyd and Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington.

The hub offers a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. It also offers a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated issues on the day their bank is in the hub. In Wellington, the Community Bankers are available on the following days:
 
Monday: HSBC
Tuesday: NatWest
Wednesday: Lloyds 
Thursday: Santander
Friday: Barclays
 
This is the first hub to open in Somerset but there are three more planned for Frome, Keynsham, and Nailsea.  

In December, Cash Access UK opened the 100th banking hub in Darwen, Lancashire. To date, 176 have been recommended.
 
Gareth Oakley, CEO at Cash Access UK: “I’m happy to announce the opening of our Wellington hub, ensuring crucial access to cash and face-to-face banking services for residents and businesses across the community. Customers can visit on any day of the week for their everyday banking transactions and if you have a specific or more complex enquiry for your bank, a Community Banker will be there to help on the day they’re in the hub.”

Mayor Janet Lloyd: “We are delighted that the permanent Banking Hub is now open in Wellington. In a town of our size having easily accessible banking facilities is essential for our residents and local businesses. As a Town Council we have been pleased to be able to work with Cash Access UK to provide a temporary home for the hub thereby ensuring there was no gap in banking provision between the last bank in the town closing and the permanent hub opening. We will continue to work with the Post Office to try to secure post office provision in the town alongside the banking provision.”