Smart Money Cymru's Christmas Success!

This Christmas marked a special milestone for Smart Money, reflecting the trust our members place in us and the dedication of our team to supporting the community when it matters most. We are proud to say this has been our most successful Christmas to date.

Across the festive season, we lent over £800,000 to members, offering vital financial support during such an important of the time of. In December alone, we issued 308 loans totaling more than £250,000. Alongside this, our members also saved an incredible £68.7k specifically for Christmas, helping them prepare and manage costs in a positive, sustainable way.

Saving is increasingly important to our members, and this year’s figures highlight just how valuable that habit can be. We are encouraging good saving habits, and we look forward to seeing this practice grow in the years to come. Setting money aside throughout the year gives households greater stability, builds resources to meet unexpected bills and prevents reliance on high‑cost credit.

Clearly, this year, more than ever, members turned to the Credit Union for fair, affordable, and ethical lending, choosing us as a trusted alternative to high‑cost credit providers. The feedback we received highlights the real difference this support made. One member told us:

“What an amazing service. I cannot thank Smart Money for such help. Keep up the good work.”

Messages like this remind us that behind every approved application is a person or family feeling supported, reassured, and able to enjoy Christmas with greater peace of mind.

Our Chair of the Board, Alun Taylor, summed up the achievement, saying:
“This year’s Christmas performance demonstrates the strength, resilience, and trust at the heart of our Credit Union. It reflects our commitment to responsible financial support and the value we bring to members when they need us most. Encouraging good saving habits is at the heart of what we stand for”.  We strive to encourage saving and to offer ways to make it as easy and as effortless as possible, for some our payroll deduction scheme may be the answer, there other options of course.

 This success story was made possible thanks to the exceptional commitment of our staff and volunteers. December is always our busiest month, and the team worked tirelessly to manage increased demand for loans in such a short period.

As we move forward to next Christmas, we will continue to encourage the saving habit whether with Christmas as the focus or not. Good saving habits and affordable, responsible lending is at the heart of what we do. Let’s hope the next Christmas period will be even better than the last demonstrating the savings habit is continuing to grow.