...and it’s already being trialled here

ACCESS to cash is a pressing issue in Burslem. In 2018, the Staffordshire town became the first in the UK with a population of more than 20,000 to have neither a bank branch nor bank ATM on its high street.

This is one of the main reasons it was picked to be among nine locations to take part in the Community Access to Cash Pilot and it is the only one to be trialling the Sonect scheme.

About a dozen retailers in Burslem have signed up so far to trial Sonect, including convenience stores and off-licences. Bars and cafes will also join when they reopen after the national lockdown.

Mrs Umar runs the Onestop Smallthorne convenience store, which will be trialling Sonect. She says she is proud to be offering the first ‘click and collect’ cash service in the UK.

‘Our customers will get guaranteed free local access to cash and we will therefore have happier customers, who we hope will come even more frequently to our shop,’ she says.

Burslem will also be piloting a financial hub in its Methodist church, which will offer community banking support from the major banks as well as debt and money advice.

The local post office will be refurbished to offer better services to small businesses and individuals.

Two other cashback schemes will also be trialled: cashback with purchase available at an increased number of retailers, and cashback without purchase offered by PayPoint in some convenience stores.

Burslem is also trying out digital education services to help those who want to access digital banking, as well as a ‘vulnerable customer directory’, which is designed to ensure that everyone is aware of the services retail banks offer vulnerable customers.