A Clearing Bank or an alternative to run a simple local charity....difficult

eddyinfreehold

My retired wife who is involved with her local Church and several other small local charities is finding that dealing on a day to day basis with local clearing banks is becoming more and more difficult. Their administrative processes appear to be designed to make life as difficult as possible in terms of depositing cash, writing cheques, changing personnel within the charity etc.

It appears that your traditional clearing banks are doing everything they can to offload themselves of these unprofitable accounts, small time under £100,000 turnover affairs. Not worth their while, get rid.

Can anyone recommend a financial High Street organisation that encourages voluntary or socially engaged charities or cascs to manage their financial affairs? I have heard that Virgin Money are up for this but would love to believe the small time remaining Mutual Building Societies are too.

Currently, dealing with the awkwardness of the Clearing Banks is making my wife's genuine attempts to help people impossible.

SiliconChip

This MSE article from 2021 suggests that at that time free charity accounts were still being operated by Barclays, Co-op Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Banking Group, and Starling. Whether this is still the case 2 years later I don't know, but it may give you a starting point.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/09/thousands-of-hsbc-customers-to-be-affected-as-bank-reveals-chari/

DiamondLil

Until recently I was treasurer of a small local charity. We banked (and still do) with TSB. Very helpful and a good phone support service as well as the in branch service.

[Deleted User]

Virgin Money is a clearing bank. 

eddyinfreehold

Yes, I realise that Fred, but does it encourage or discourage charities and cascs? There is little doubt that Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds etc are doing anything except making the life of a small time organisation as difficult as possible. They want rid is my guess.

eddyinfreehold

DiamondLil said:

Until recently I was treasurer of a small local charity. We banked (and still do) with TSB. Very helpful and a good phone support service as well as the in branch service.

No TSB anywhere near us unfortunately...just checked.

WillPS

eddyinfreehold said:

Yes, I realise that Fred, but does it encourage or discourage charities and cascs? There is little doubt that Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds etc are doing anything except making the life of a small time organisation as difficult as possible. They want rid is my guess.

Encourage, perhaps more than any other high street name right now:
Charities Choice Account | Business | Virgin Money UK

eskbanker

eddyinfreehold said:

Can anyone recommend a financial High Street organisation that encourages voluntary or socially engaged charities or cascs to manage their financial affairs? I have heard that Virgin Money are up for this but would love to believe the small time remaining Mutual Building Societies are too.

Have you identified which ones operate in your area?

lr1277

If you are near a Metro bank, they offer an account for charities/community organisations.

wmb194

eddyinfreehold said:

Yes, I realise that Fred, but does it encourage or discourage charities and cascs? There is little doubt that Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds etc are doing anything except making the life of a small time organisation as difficult as possible. They want rid is my guess.

What are they doing to make things so difficult?

claire07

I am a treasurer of a small charity and we have always banked at Lloyds in their Treasurer's account.  This can be managed online but also has a cheque book and accepts paying in of cash.