Membership

"I joined the Council to learn more about Britannia and what happens “behind the scenes”. I think Britannia has a Members’ Council because they want to get their input on the way the society is run and to keep them informed of any changes that are made.

For me the best thing about being on the Council is meeting the other Members and the Britannia staff and getting to know them on a personal and professional level. Britannia are different because they consult their members on ways of improving their services and they are constantly trying to better themselves."

At first I had a preconceived idea that maybe this was just ‘corporate lip service’ i.e. that Britannia introduced the forum as a way to look as if it listened to its customers but actually took no action or active involvement. Since becoming part of the council I realised on the first day that this was far from the truth and that there is a co-ordinated chain reaction in the highest levels of the Building Society directly attributed to the work of the Council.

There are many positives in being on the Council; meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise – both Britannia management and other council members. During my time on the Council I would like to be actively involved in a major strategy/policy decision. For me it’s important to feel that I am contributing, and so far I have strongly felt this through my participation in topics raised at the meetings."

"I saw the column in the Daily Mail and thought it sounded interesting. For me the best thing about being on the Council is the feedback, so that you can see you are making a positive contribution.

I think that Britannia has a Members’ Council to act as an independent forum so that the building society can assess in as wide a cross section as possible the effect of its decisions on the general public. The Council definitely makes a difference both in giving feedback and gaining insight and understanding of the business. It’s a win-win on both sides.

Britannia is different to other financial services providers as its mutual status means like a co-operative its functions are responsible to its membership. It must be seen to be more open and transparent and answerable to its membership".

"The Britannia Members’ Council is a good vehicle for me to balance retirement with my continuing enthusiasm for business matters…coupled with the opportunity to meet and discuss with people from all walks of life and experience.

I believe that, being responsible for a mutual, Britannia’s management takes its duties to its members very seriously in all respects in two ways..both as “owners of the business” (i.e. the equivalent of shareholders in other financial institutions) and as its customers (i.e. savers, borrowers and users of other financial products).

I hope that as one of over 20 Council members I am making a valid contribution to the future of Britannia. Certainly discussions with Neville Richardson and his board at Council meetings are on a “no-holds barred” basis…and I have found discussions to be open and honest.

After the last AGM I directly raised a couple of issues with Neville Richardson about which I was uncomfortable and he gave me direct and honest views, including his own personal views; I felt that he shared some of my thoughts…and I trust him."