Meet the Volunteer-Nicky Roberts, Llandrindod Wells

Hi Nicky. It's great to catch up with you again. You've been with us a while now so we want to learn a bit more about your role at Smart Money Cymru and why you volunteer with us.

How did you get into volunteering with Smart Money Cymru?

I was asked to join a Builth service point by the new directors of the Builth & Llanwrtyd CU. Was fairly cynical about how CU would work in practice but respected the other people I knew who were involved and liked the way they came together though from many different backgrounds. I then continued my role after the merger of Smart Money Cymru and Red Kite Savings and Loans

What do you get out of volunteering?

I enjoy meeting other people. Some worry and stress too as a Director but it's worth it being a part of a positive group endeavour

You’ve probably seen some changes over the years since starting Red Kite?

Less cash deposits from individual members, these are rare now as there's other ways to pay into accounts. Having a paid workforce taking care of loan applications is a big change as these involved a lot of work and now are assessed a lot quicker

What do you think the advantages of saving, and borrowing, are with a credit union?

It's useful to have savings held separately from your current bank account and its good to be able to borrow smaller amounts. It's important to me that money saved is lent to others in our communities too.

Thanks Nicky! It's easy to see how passionate you are about alternative finance in your community Nicky.

Nicky is at our Llandrindod Wells branch every Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am-1pm.