Community Bank Account

LenGlover

Given the great variety of knowledge on here can anyone suggest somewhere I can open a charge free bank account?

I help run a small club for senior citizens. The club is that small it has never registered as a charity or community company nor does it want to given the aged and largely technophobic status of most of the members and committee.

We need to bank cash weekly following club meetings, hence access to a post office, and also require a cheque book to pay rent, coach companies etc.

Asking a lot in this modern technocratic age I know but can anyone help?

NorthbyEast

My wife recently opened a community account with NatWest Bank, took a couple of months in total to get sorted but we have a card, paying in book and cheque book, no charges , not a great deal of help to get started either.

Henry Irving

Museum has an account with Natwest but it was a pain in a backside to set up.

No card or cheque book but we never asked for one.

Might be best to start with your own bank as they know you.

red10

We set up an additional current account with Nationwide to support a cat sanctuary couple of restrictions on how it could be used so may be of help

cafcfan

Here is probably a good place to start. https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/our-expertise/commercial-finance/voluntary-organisation-banking-guide

Possibly the most obvious choice of a bank would be CAFBank. CAF standing for Charities Aid Foundation. Read more here https://www.cafonline.org/home/caf-bank

I am not providing a recommendation, just highlighting that it exists, has cheque books and on-line banking. I believe they charge a small monthly fee but that might be offset by the interest earned on the current account depending upon your likely credit balance of course.  Their website says they have 14k charity/social enterprise customers and are rated number 1 for customer service.

dannybeer

Our club had to move from a mainstream bank as they didn't want our business anymore! We moved to Metro Bank which has been very good for us. We are a CASC Community Amateur Sports Club,

Gribbo

LenGlover said:

Given the great variety of knowledge on here can anyone suggest somewhere I can open a charge free bank account?

Cheers Len, but I'm out on this one I'm afraid 

RaplhMilne

We are community garden volunteer group in Bexley. We have a Lloyds Bank account. This was free until this year when Lloyds changed the rules and now we pay charges. So no point going to Lloyds.

ken from bexley

I  am part of a group that raise funds and have events, such as exhibitions/three or four musical events a year, and hold educational talks, and  art groups for the local community/schools. We sell merchandise, and apply for funding grants, we are a CIC. We are about to apply for an Arts council grant, we have a 'Lloyds trustee account'. We have the usual expenses such as public liability insurance, and have to keep accounts etc. We also have a 'sum up' payment machine which gets paid into the above account. All our board members, take no money or fee's, in fact so far we have funded the CIC. Essentially we are a 'Charity', We realised that to raise money we needed to get a CIC,
 
Good luck Len, this is what  google says on a CIC, 'A community charity is an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people in a specific geographic area, focusing on local needs and fostering a sense of community. These charities operate on a "place-based" model, working with residents to address issues like poverty, isolation, and disadvantage. "

I might add that it may seem a bit 'formal' and form filling, but if you are dealing with money, and applying for grants, these days  you need to get  a few people to assist, good advice, and ask similar organisation. Both CAST, and the Charlton Museum  did that, I am no longer involved in either as I am sure you are aware. They have both gone on to be established and well run organisations, with some exceptionally qualified , and good people