Cumberland underlines commitment to Annan
The Cumberland Building Society has an announced a refurbishment of its branch in Annan, underlining its commitment to the town.
The premises in High Street will close temporarily this autumn to allow major improvements to be carried out.
During the closure, the Cumberland will offer weekly drop-in sessions at a nearby café and extend the opening hours of its Lockerbie branch.
Ryan McCubbin, the Cumberland’s cluster manager for Scotland, said: “It’s an extensive refurbishment, a reimagining of the branch.
“It will look completely different. The counters are moving and the layout of the interview rooms will change.
“We’re improving accessibility with level access and an automatic door, and the counters will have a lower section for wheelchair users.
“There will be warmer lighting and technical and electrical upgrades. It’s all about improving the experience for customers and colleagues.”
The Cumberland will be the last current and business account provider with a branch in Annan when the Bank of Scotland closes in March 2026.
The Annan refurbishment follows those at its branches in Maryport, Carlisle city centre, Egremont, Preston and most recently Carlisle Rosehill.
Ryan added: “As a building society, we’re run for the benefit of our members and we appreciate that branches are valued by local communities.
“That physical presence is so important to people, the ability to speak to a real person especially when things don’t go to plan or they are dealing with a challenging life event. People are directed, more and more, to use technology but we understand the benefits of maintaining face-to-face interaction.”
The Annan branch will close at 4pm on Thursday September 11 and remain shut until the works are completed.
Its cash machine will also be out of action but Cumberland customers can use other ATMs in the town, the nearest being at Bank of Scotland.
For the duration of the closure, the Cumberland’s Lockerbie branch will open six days a week, instead of the usual three, from 9.30am to 4pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to 12 noon on Saturdays.
And Cumberland colleagues will be on hand at the Old Bank Community Café, in Annan High Street, from 10am to 2pm every Thursday.
They will be able to answer questions and product queries but are unable to handle cash transactions or accept cheque deposits.
The café is run by the food charity Kate’s Kitchen, which has received support from the Cumberland’s Kinder Kind of Kitchen initiative to help tackle food poverty, run in partnership with FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Based in Carlisle, it is the largest financial institution in the area with assets of £3.29billion, mortgage lending of £2.76billion and 31 branches across Cumbria, southwest Scotland, Northumberland and Lancashire.
In 18 of the communities it serves, from Lockerbie to Windermere, it is the only provider still offering high street banking services. Find your nearest branch.