SIR,

Thank you for covering the launch of the Credit Union in Chepstow. We are very excited about this expansion of our service, and plan to follow it by opening in Monmouth this summer.

We rely on our brilliant local volunteers to run these Community Collections, and I am writing in the hope that some of your Monmouth readers will offer their time.

Gateway Credit Union provides a friendly way for members to save, and an affordable way to borrow amounts from £100 up to £5,000 – good value for anyone, but often a real lifeline for our members on low to middle incomes.

We give all our volunteers thorough training and support. Many are retired, but others are volunteering as a way back to work. Most offer us a couple of hours a week, but some get more involved. They find it a rewarding way to meet people and serve the local community. Our board is also made up of volunteers.

Anyone interested should contact me at our Pontypool Office, open daily, on 01495 750020, or send an e-mail to [email protected]">[email protected].

If I could also make a correction to the article (my error), our Chepstow collection is at the One Stop Shop from 10am to noon on Thursdays, not Fridays as advertised; it is our Abergavenny collection point that opens at the One Stop Shop on Friday mornings, for cash payments and membership and loan enquiries.

Sara Burch

(Development Worker for Monmouthshire, Gateway Credit Union)