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Castlefields Credit Union started, giving loans to members in the Castlefields area of Runcorn
Widnes Credit Union began as St. Basils and All Saints Credit Union.
Priory Credit Union came to be, lending to everyone in Runcorn except those in Castlefields. Regulators weren’t keen on overlaps back then! Also, St. Basils and All Saints Credit Union became Widnes Credit Union, now serving all of Widnes.
Castlefields Credit Union started, giving loans to members in the Castlefields area of Runcorn
Two development workers and an admin officer joined the team.
They tackled standardising forms, promotional stuff and how Halton operated
CEO Gareth started his role as a credit union development officer.
Marketing and Development Manager Tracey also joined as a development officer.
On 2nd January 2002, Castlefields, Widnes and Priory Credit Unions amalgamated into Halton Credit Union.
This was the first amalgamation of credit unions in the UK. This is when Tracey become Marketing and Development Manager and Gareth, Finance Manager.
Louise and Mary joined our team as part time Credit Control officers, when Mary retired, Louise took on the role full time, later becoming our Member Solutions manager.
We launched our Family Loan to help people with low income, first called the ”LIC Loan” but later renamed to something friendlier: the Family Loan. This came just as the Farepak collapse hit, and thanks to some help from the DWP.
Jane Goldsmith joined us in the November of 2006 as a data processor, she soon become one of our finance officers.
Tracey Oldfield started out processing data and quickly worked their way up to join Jane as a Finance Officer.
We opened a branch in Runcorn Shopping City, or Halton Lea as it was known back then.
This move was driven by a surge in new members, thanks to DWP funding, and because we had outgrown our old space in the Old Police Station.
That same year, the DWP grant helped us achieve a huge milestone: we became fully self-sustainable. Eric joined us as a bank rec officer.
We teamed up with local housing associations like Halton Housing Trust, Liverpool Housing Trust and Riverside Housing.
They provided funding to offer new members (their tenants) an introductory loan of £300, encouraging them to save as well.
These associations let us recycle their funding over and over—a smart move since it kept helping more people. Recently, we’ve absorbed these grants into our credit union’s funds, but we still use the money for loans.
The year started with a sweet reunion as Gareth and Sue, one of our then Member Service Officers who dated Gareth back in school, rekindled their romance. We also moved to a larger spot in the center, driven by our need for more room.
The old space was too cramped and lacked privacy for conversations. With more staff joining to support our growing membership, the move was essential for better service and confidentiality.
Ste Oldfield joined our team, originally as materinty cover for Sue, all these years later and he’s still here.
We always wanted a town centre branch, but it was tough to find the right spot.
Our Queens Avenue location in Ditton was busy but not central, forcing some members to take two buses. After lots of pushing, we finally secured a place, and the mayor cut the ribbon on launch day.
The location, shop front, and publicity drew in more members, making it a big success.
We opened our branch on Widnes Road. What’s more, we expanded our service area to include all of Cheshire and the rest of the WA postcodes in Merseyside.
Meanwhile, we expanded our service area to include all of Cheshire and the remaining WA postcodes. This expansion aimed to serve areas without a credit union and to foster further growth.
Aimee and Alyson joined as Member Services Officers, Aimee would progress to become the PA to the CEO and Alyson is now our Finance Assistant.
We set out to expand our online services and explore opening more branches.
Then everything changed. The pandemic pushed us to fast-track our digital plans, making it easier for members to apply for loans and withdraw shares online.
With Covid-19, some staff were classed as vulnerable, so we quickly adapted to homeworking. That shift stuck, and today, hybrid working not only supports our team but also frees up office space.
Our CEO, Chris, began planning for retirement after some time off. Gareth stepped up as Deputy CEO.
Chris will always be respected for leading the merger of three borough-wide credit unions and building the foundation for a strong, county-wide one.
She also guided us from relying on grants to becoming fully self-sustainable—a huge milestone.
In July, Gareth became CEO. His knowledge of IT, digital systems and our accounting software, CUSTOM, made him the perfect choice.
He knew the credit union inside out and was ready to help it grow. Helen Jezzard, Helen Savage and Joanne Whittaker joined the gang as Member Service Officers.
Sadly, we closed our Queens Avenue branch. Covid changed how members used our services, with most switching to online banking. It was the right move, but still a big moment for us.
Tom Boynton joined us as the new Finance manager.
We launched our app, making it easier than ever for members to manage their money.
With improved digital services and a new interactive website, members could apply for loans and access their accounts anytime, anywhere. But we knew face-to-face service still mattered.
We started exploring new ways to connect in person. One idea was a Beacon Bus—a mobile branch that could visit different areas, making it easier for members to access our services.
Our team was joined by Dylan and Sue to complete our current Member Service teams.
We became Beacon, driven by a dedicated team, great services and a strong commitment to putting people and the planet before profit. With this foundation, we were ready to make an even bigger impact.
We introduced new products to better support our members, making borrowing and saving even easier.
With a strong team, improved digital services and a growing community, Beacon was ready for the future—focused on helping more people and making a real difference.
Tom Boynton is retiring and Paul Hopkins has come in as our new Finance Manager
We owe so much to the countless people who supported us, both past and present. Every hand that helped, whether briefly or over many years, has been crucial in bringing us to where we are today. They lit the beacon for credit unions in Halton, helping us grow into the first Cheshire-wide credit union.
Words can’t fully express our gratitude. I’ve worked in this sector since 2000 and been a member since 1997. I cherish the memories we’ve made together— the laughter and the tears that have shaped our journey.
I’m thrilled to keep creating these memories with you all.
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