Cash Access UK opens its 200th banking hub: what is a banking hub anyway?

Cash Access UK has opened its 200th banking hub, helping make sure you can still access cash and face-to-face banking services in your community.

Cash Access UK is a not-for-profit organisation, funded by major high street banks. Its job is simple, to make sure you’re not left without basic banking services, even when local bank branches close.

Where is the new hub?

The 200th banking hub has opened in the heart of Billericay, Essex, in the former Lloyds Bank building.

It was recommended after the town’s last remaining bank branch closed, so you can still speak to someone in person and manage your everyday banking locally.

A chocolatey welcome

To mark the milestone, if you visit the branch,  you can explore a unique display celebrating Britain’s rich coinage history, recreated entirely in chocolate.

From pre-Roman slaters and a Roman Denarius, through to a Medieval Henry VI Noble, coins featuring King Henry VIII and Queen Victoria, and a more modern two-shilling piece, the collection spans centuries.

All of the coins were once circulated in Essex.

Alongside the display, a limited number of standard-sized chocolate coins are being given out to members of the public.

So, if you’re anywhere near Billericay, get in there quick before they’re all gone!

So, what is a banking hub?

With high street bank branches closing across the UK, banking hubs are designed to fill the gap.

How do banking hubs work?

A banking hub is one shared building where several banks operate.

That means:

• you can visit the hub and speak to someone from your own bank
• you can withdraw and deposit cash
• you can manage payments, like direct debits

Banks work on a rota system, so staff from different banks are available on different days. This way, you still get support from your own bank, just in a shared space.

What can you do at a banking hub?

Most people visit to withdraw or deposit cash, but you can also:

• make payments and transfers
• manage your account
• check your balance
• pay utility bills
• top up gas and electricity
• learn how to use online banking

Each bank decides which services it offers on its day, but the aim is always the same, to make sure you’re never left without help.

What does the Billericay Banking Hub offer?

Like other hubs across the country, the Billericay Banking Hub includes:

• A Post Office-run counter service, so you can carry out everyday cash transactions, including withdrawals, deposits and balance checks, no matter which major bank you’re with.
• A Community Banker service, allowing you to speak directly to your own bank about more complex issues on the day your bank is in the hub.

Its opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

How can you find your nearest banking hub?

Banking hubs are opening across the UK regularly, so check here to see if there's one near you. 

Why cash still matters

The opening of the Billericay hub comes alongside new research from Cash Access UK on the role of cash in an increasingly digital world.

A poll of 2,000 UK adults found:

• 47% say nothing compares to the excitement of opening a Christmas card and finding cash inside
• 46% feel more in control of their spending when using cash
• more than one third feel more connected to loved ones when giving or receiving physical cash
• 40% say they’re more likely to save cash gifts

Even in a digital age, cash, and access to it, still matters.