Our Values

Cumberland Building Society is a mutual organisation, owned entirely by its savers, borrowers and current account holders. We do not invest any of the Society’s money in stocks and shares and, as such, many of the issues normally associated with ethical investment do not apply.

As a mutual organisation, we do not need to maximise profit for external shareholders and the Society is run in the best long-term interest of its members. We encourage members to take an active role in the Society and we are pleased to say that we have one of the highest voting figures at our AGM of any UK building society.

It is a key principle of the Society that our products and services are clear, straightforward and accessible. We recognise our duties in terms of responsible lending and financial inclusion and are committed to treating our customers fairly.

As an independent regional building society, we believe we have a responsibility to support our local communities. In the last financial year, we donated more than £100,000 to support local community, educational and charitable initiatives. We also believe our branches are important to the local community and have designated several of our smaller branches as ‘community branches’. These offer a range of free services to the local community including photocopying, faxing, ticket sales for local events and a recycling collection point.

Our staff are encouraged to be active in the local community and recent collective activity has included fund-raising for Eden Valley Hospice, Eden House Children’s Hospice and Lake District Search & Mountain Rescue Association. In addition, all staff are offered a day’s paid leave each year to support their preferred charity or community project.

All relevant waste (paper, printer cartridges, cardboard and plastic) is recycled and we dispose of old electrical appliances and IT equipment in an environmentally friendly manner. The Society has been designated a ‘Fair-Trade’ organisation.