A CREDIT union is hoping to offer people living in North Yorkshire a viable alternative to banks – while helping local libraries at the same time.

Darlington Credit Union (DCU) is extending its services into Hambleton and Richmondshire by working in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council and its libraries. Together they are opening up seven new collection points where people can save with an ethical, community-led project and borrow at affordable rates.

One of the aims is also to increase footfall in the county’s beleaguered libraries, which are currently having their budgets drastically cut.

Chief executive of Darlington Credit Union, Tony Brockley said: “We were approached by North Yorkshire County Council with reference to the libraries in particular.

"We hope to support them by increasing the footfall, but we’re hoping also to use our presence as an opportunity to spread further out into North Yorkshire and engage other groups.”

North Yorkshire Credit Union went into liquidation in 2012 and since then the county has not had its own community-led financial co-operative. It had approximately £1.9m of savers’ cash, but went ended towards the end of November due to issues with credit referencing and credit control.

Savers received their money back.

DCU’s expansion into North Yorkshire is aiming to reintroduce a credit union service to the county and, in some cases, bring back a financial presence to rural communities which have lost bank branches.

It will also be one of 40 in the country that will offer online banking later this year, as part of a project backed by £36m from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Mr Brockley said they currently run a savings club for school pupils in Darlington and free banking to small businesses and were looking to work with other groups often overlooked by the banking sector.

“We’re going back to try and work with people that a lot of the banks left behind because it wasn’t economical," he said.

"Despite there being a lot of wealth in North Yorkshire, there’s also a lot of poverty. We’re trying, bit by bit, to bring back that banking presence again and to try and support the community.”

Darlington Credit Union currently has more than 5,000 members. As it is a financial co-operative, those who save with the organisation also own the credit union and can influence how it is run.

Darlington Credit Union will be manning collection points on Mondays at:

* Richmond Library 11am to 12pm

* Northallerton Library 1pm to 2pm

* Bedale Library 2.30pm to 3.30pm

* Leyburn Library 4pm to 5pm.

On Thursdays they will be at:

* Stokesley Library, 9.30am to 10.30am

* Thirsk Library 1.30pm to 2.30pm

* Catterick Library 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

For more information contact DCU on 01325-520005 or email; info@darlingtoncreditunion.co.uk