The Cambridge Building Society held its 163rd AGM on 15th April at Downing College.
Members joined the Society’s Board to hear about how The Cambridge had achieved a record year in 2012, with its mortgage balances up 16% and funding balances up 15%, lending up 52%, while delivering a pre-tax profit of £0.9 million.
Chairman Ian O’Reilly said: “We remain committed to managing a Society where you choose how you want to manage your savings or mortgage with us, and when you need help we’re here at a time and place to suit you.
“To achieve this ambition we will be making it even easier for our customers to do business with us. We will be there when our customers want and will better understand our customers and how we can help them.
“We now operate a Society which offers services through branches, telephony, online and intermediaries. Throughout 2013 and beyond we will be working on integrating all of our delivery channels to offer a seamless, easy to use service.
“In the complexity of the financial services market, our aim is to present simple, value for money, products and services, that are relevant to our customers and to deliver them with the best possible service. In our customer surveys our research shows that 94% of customers were satisfied with the service we provide.”
After the AGM, the chairman presented three local charities with cheques which came from the Society donating £0.25 on behalf of each member who voted. Each member selected one of the three charities for their donation to go to.
MacMillan Cambridgeshire received £650, Magpas £585 and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity £480.
Nigel Ferrier, founder of Fringe in the Fen, a local event of which proceeds go to Macmillan Cambridgeshire, said: “We were delighted to be chosen by The Cambridge Building Society staff to be one of the selected charities to receive the AGM charity donation. We were even more surprised by the size of the cheque received.
“This will go a long way towards meeting our target this year to support Macmillan in their invaluable work in and around Cambridgeshire.”
Dr Lynn Morgan, chief executive of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received £480 from The Cambridge Building Society.
“It is important our patients live well and their families receive the best support to live on positively following the loss of their loved ones; your money will be used to directly benefit the patients of Arthur Rank Hospice and their loved ones by funding 16 counselling sessions. Thank you so much for your support.”
Debbie Florence, fundraising manager at Magpas, said: “The continued support we receive from Cambridge Building Society and its members is wonderful. We are extremely grateful to all the members that voted to support us at the recent AGM and for the wonderful donation we received on the evening. It will make a difference to our lifesaving team, who respond to serious incidents in our Magpas Helimedix Air Ambulance and rapid response vehicles – throughout the region, night and day.
“To continue to provide this service, we must raise around £2.5 million every year. Magpas receive no National Lottery or government funding, so donations like this are so important.”