Over the past two years, we've been working together with Friends of the Earth to green neglected spaces in neighbourhoods that need it most.

It’s more important than ever to protect our environment, and many of us want to see more greenery and wildlife thriving where we live.

According to recent data, demand for seaside properties has surged by an impressive 115% compared to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that many Brits are eager to swap city living for a life by the coast. But as demand grows, so too do prices, making house hunting at the seaside a bit more of a challenge.

Your money has power – so deciding who to bank with is an important decision. Formed out of the co-operative movement over 150 years ago, we put our customers and their values before profits. 

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has devastated huge areas of Myanmar.

Our latest research reveals the most financially resilient cities in the UK, looking at employment levels, income and search volume for financial concerns.

According to recent research, just under half of people in England and Wales are shopping more in charity shops, or considering doing so due to the rising cost of living. With over 11,200 charity shops to choose from, one in ten individuals say that the majority of their clothing purchases in the next year will be second-hand.

Be aware, criminals will call you unexpectedly pretending to be from your Bank, the Police or other trusted organisations.

We’re excited about what this means for our future. Bringing together our two values-driven organisations will result in a mutually owned business that’s deeply passionate about its members, customers and communities.

This winter, The Co-operative Bank and Shelter are standing with families facing the worst of the housing emergency.

This year has seen record numbers of children living in unfit temporary accommodation. In fact, over 150,000* children in England could spend Christmas homeless in temporary accommodation, which can harm their physical and mental health, their education and, in some cases, it can even be deadly. 

There are just two apparent differences between a pink and a blue razor: the first is of course the colour, and the second? The price. The reason for this cost difference is simply because pink razors are marketed towards women — a phenomenon more formally known as the ‘pink tax’.

Fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in the UK, with scams affecting millions of people up and down the country. In 2023 alone, unsuspecting consumers lost a staggering £2.3 billion to fraud — a shocking 104% increase from the previous year.

Over the last 12 months, conflict across the Middle East has and continues to devastate and uproot the lives of millions.

Scammers are finding new ways to gain access to your phone to enable them to commit fraud. We've seen a rise in criminals using SIM swapping and call forwarding scams to trick their victims.

The Payment Systems Regulator is introducing a new regulatory requirement for victims of authorised push payment (APP) scams. This is called the APP Reimbursement Regulation and comes into effect on 7 October 2024.

This month we’re supporting Oxfam, our charity partner, to boost their Second Hand September campaign. So what does the campaign involve?

Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign runs annually and encourages everyone to come together to choose a more planet-friendly way to shop.

Secure passwords help to protect you from online security threats and identity theft. We have developed a guide to help you create a secure password to protect yourself online.

Software scams typically involve criminals posing as representatives from trusted organisations, such as the police or your service provider, and ask you to download software onto one of your devices. This type of software is often referred to as RAT (Remote Access Technology).

The rising costs of energy bills across the United Kingdom has affected most households, some in more ways than others. To help you start to reduce how much energy you are using and to contribute to reducing your carbon footprint to help protect the planet, we have pulled together some top tips you can try out in your home.

If you are looking to put money away for a special occasion, a rainy day or simply want to get into the habit of saving, then an ISA may be right for you. Read this article to learn more about ISAs, how they work and what to look out for.

There’s been a 15% drop in the number of childcare providers in the UK since 2018, according to recent research. And, with the UK being the third most expensive place for childcare among members of the OECD, sourcing and paying for childcare is becoming increasingly more difficult. Yet, childcare is a necessity for most parents.

To help us to understand the impact it’s having on parents, we’ve discovered the most affordable and the most expensive cities for childcare in the UK.

Anyone could be the victim of a romance scam. The criminals who run these scams are experts at researching victims. They understand human nature, and how to manipulate people to gain affection, confidence and trust. And they create detailed backgrounds for the characters they create – they build convincing profiles on dating apps and websites, social media and chatrooms.

Online dating can be a great way to get to know someone and find love or friendship. But it’s also one way for criminals to try to scam you. UK Finance reports that victims lost a total value of £31.3 million to romance scams in 2022.

Buying your first home is a thrilling milestone, but it can also feel overwhelming. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers — mortgage rates, deposit savings, and, of course, house prices. But while affordability is crucial, it's just one piece of the puzzle.

Your home should be a place where you feel happy, fulfilled, and connected to your surroundings. That’s why we’ve carried out research to reveal the best UK cities for first time buyers, based on a range of important factors.

Decorating your home is a fun way to bring cheer to colder days and longer nights when you're celebrating during winter festivities. But the decorations you use could have a negative impact on the environment. Follow our advice on choosing the most sustainable options for your celebration.

Our tips can help you choose gifts that are both thoughtful and sustainable for your friends and family this festive season.

We know that making changes to live more sustainably can be expensive. And as we’re looking for ways to save money during the cost of living crisis, we’ve got some tips that are eco-friendly and could bring you some surprising savings.

We’re proud to work with our charity partners, who continue to support the planet, and the people and communities that they work in. But many of them need your help more than ever during this winter festive season. Here’s how you can get involved.

Shopping online can be a great way to find festive gifts for friends and family, or to look for deals in the Black Friday and New Year sales. It can be quick and convenient and there are so many places to shop from, including online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Online shopping can be quick and convenient, and more of us are ordering online than ever before. But it's also more important than ever to be aware of the dangers.

Whether you're shopping for gifts or scouring the sales for bargains, the winter months are peak shopping season. Online shopping can make this more convenient than ever, but unfortunately online shopping scams are more common at this time too. Fraudsters try to tempt you with great prices and trick you with fake messages.

Whether you’re starting or continuing with your undergraduate, postgraduate or foundation degree, or other form of higher education, we can imagine it’s an exciting time for you — but we also know you might be feeling worried about managing your finances.

The average cost of a UK wedding is £18,400, according to Hitched.co.uk’s 2022 National Wedding Survey. They surveyed over 2,400 couples and found that 11% of respondents took out a loan, 63% turned to family and friends for contributions and 59% used savings to fund their wedding.

It's holiday season, and the sales have started. But anyone could be the victim of a holiday scam. Criminals are experts at grabbing your attention and gaining your trust. Here are some things to look out for when booking and managing your holidays.

Read more about the latest service information updates

On 23rd June 2023, the Chancellor announced a new Mortgage Charter, following a meeting with the UK's principal mortgage lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

We know there’s a lot of information about scams, and it can feel overwhelming. We’re always looking for ways we can help protect you and your money, so we’ve brought together our 8 key tips on how to protect yourself against any type of scam.

Criminals don’t want to get caught. So they use other people to help them disguise the profits of their crimes. This process is known as money laundering, and the people doing it for the criminals are known as money mules.

Criminals need ways to disguise the money they make through crime, and to allow them to use it. One way they do this is by convincing people to become money mules.

As the original ethical bank, we're always looking for ways to make our services better. That's why after listening to our customers, and doing plenty of research and testing, we've made some exciting changes to online banking.

Shelter and The Co-operative Bank are campaigning together to demand a fairer private rented system — ending unfair evictions and unsafe housing, and securing stronger rights for all renters.

We’re always looking at ways we can help our customers whilst banking on the go with the ethical bank of 150 years. That’s why back in November 2022 we released our carefully redesigned mobile app making it quicker and simpler to use.

Fraudsters use clever tactics to convince you to send them your money willingly. This type of fraud is known as APP (Authorised Push Payment) fraud.

Thank you for your patience over recent days while our colleagues worked tirelessly to resolve the issue we had with the login process of our Co-operative Bank Mobile App. We are pleased to confirm that the issue was resolved at approximately 11pm, Sunday 2 April.

Your personal and financial information is extremely valuable to criminals. Getting their hands on your name, address, telephone number, bank account details and card details allows them to steal your identity and your money.

Investing your money can be profitable, and that can be an exciting prospect. But if you see an opportunity advertised as low risk and high reward, think very carefully. It’s most likely a scam and could lead you to lose your entire life savings.

Lots of us are looking to be smarter with any spare money we have. Criminals are experts at making their bogus investment schemes look legitimate. They create convincing adverts, websites and leaflets for them. And they make it look as though celebrities endorse them.

This Debt Awareness Week we’re supporting StepChange by raising awareness of the services they offer that can help people who are experiencing financial difficulty and who need support to get their finances back on track.

On 6 February 2023, an earthquake struck south-east Turkey and north-west Syria, with a second earthquake striking a few hours later, killing thousands of people.

Not only do fraudsters use emails and calls to try and scam you out of your money, they’ll also use text messages and popular messaging services, like WhatsApp.

We’re proud to announce we’ll once again be supporting Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign this year; offering support and solidarity to people around the globe who may need it most.

From Thursday 24 November 2022, the Metropolitan Police have announced the deployment of a large-scale fraud operation, which resulted in significant arrests linked to an international spoofing website that targeted 200,000 people in the UK alone. 

All customers using an Apple device should make sure that their iPhones and iPads are updated to the latest version of the iOS operating system, and their Macs are updated to the latest macOS system, immediately— in order to receive a critical security update.

Fraudsters are always updating their tactics to make their scams more believable, and often use difficult situations, such as the cost of living crisis, to take advantage of peoples’ worries. Whether the cost of living rising is impacting your household directly or you’re looking for new ways to save money, fraudsters are using the cost of living crisis as a prime opportunity to target the public.

As we continue to observe the national state of mourning to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we are keeping customers informed of any important information during this time.

Devastating floods are sweeping Pakistan at a critical level. Over 1,000 people have already lost their lives as a result of these floods, and with at least a further 33 million affected.

Thank you for your patience over the last 24 hours; we know how much you rely on our digital services to manage your money. I’m pleased to confirm that the issue affecting our app, online banking and automated telephone service was resolved at approximately 11pm last night.

A bank account enables you to deposit, withdraw and transfer money. It can also give you access to online banking and secure banking apps which can help you manage your day to day spending. We have put together a beginner’s guide to help you know what to do when opening a new bank account.

The cost of living is on the rise, which means households are having to pay higher prices for things like energy bills, fuel, food, and other everyday items.

This increase might already be impacting your finances, or leave you feeling worried about how it’ll affect you in the future.

To support you during this time, we’ve put together some guidance and useful resources that might help.

As mobile technology continues to evolve, making day-to-day spending more convenient and biometrically secure, fraudsters also continue to evolve their methods in order to find ways to navigate around these systems, through deceiving you into giving out personal information.

Following the recent announcement by the UK Government of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, we want to keep our customers updated on how this may impact you.

Our CEO Nick Slape has sent this open letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call on the UK government to intensify the response to support the millions of refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine.

Join us in supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and Amnesty UK's Urgent call to Action.

Fraudsters are finding more innovative ways to steal your money online and offline. Read more on the latest scam having major consequences.

We are proud to announce we’ll be supporting Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign again this year; offering comfort, support, and solidarity to people around the globe who may need it most.

On 21 October, ahead of the COP26 summit our CEO, Nick Slape, joined like-minded climate and ecological scientists, environmentalists, and MPs, to present an open letter addressed to the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street. This letter called on the UK government to take decisive action and push the three key outcomes of COP26 Summit.

Moneyfacts Group's highly coveted, independent awards are presented annually for excellence in products and services across the financial industry, and here at The Co-operative Bank, we're delighted to announce we've been shortlisted for 5 Moneyfacts Consumer Awards for 2022.

The Hive is a programme of support for new and existing co‑operatives. Created by Co-operatives UK, in partnership with The Co-operative Bank, it's for people wanting to start a co‑operative or an existing organisation looking to strengthen or grow.

Here we detail the latest information for customers and answers to frequently asked questions following the end of the Brexit transition period.

Whether you're working out what you have until payday or trying to save for something special, chances are at one time or another, you've sat down to work out how far your money will stretch. Sometimes it can be hard to plan for the unexpected. If it's a hefty bill to fix your car or your home, or a sudden reduction in your income, it can be a worry to know where the money will come from.

Joint bank accounts, including joint current accounts, are designed help people manage their money together. This makes paying for joint bills much easier and can save you the task of transferring money between accounts.

Have you considered opening a joint bank account but not sure where to start? We have put together a useful guide on how a joint bank account works and what to look out for.

One thing the pandemic has highlighted is the scale of digital poverty among young people in the UK. According to the Office for Students, 18% of university and college students have been impacted by a lack of access to a computer, laptop or tablet. In some schools the situation is even worse, with 60% to 70% of children in some disadvantaged areas not having access to a laptop. It’s a frightening statistic considering that school closures have turned access to technology into an educational necessity rather than a luxury.

We are pleased to share our 2020 Sustainability Report, detailing our values and ethics in action over the last 12 months. In what has been a difficult time for all of us, colleagues have pulled together to support our customers and communities, and maintain the ethical commitments we have made to you. 

The Co-operative Bank provides Greater Manchester Hospices’ with vital funds to keep families connected throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Adult hospices across Greater Manchester will use the funds to buy video enabled devices, in order to facilitate video calling between inpatients and their loved ones as the coronavirus pandemic limits face to face visiting. These devices can often be the lifeline for many families, who without a mobile phone or tablet were otherwise unable to stay connected to their loved ones at such a vital time.

It’s estimated that before the pandemic, 1 in 3 children in the UK were living in poverty. It’s impossible to know what effect the pandemic has had on that figure but it’s reasonable to assume that even more families have been impacted. So we were delighted to be able to send two groups of enthusiastic colleagues to help out at the Manchester Mission Christmas HQ to help bring some festive cheer.

Gender equality is part of who we are. That's why we're proud to support International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

Supporting the communities and customers we serve is at the heart of everything we do. We’re always looking for ways in which we can provide the best service to our customers, so we’re pleased to have launched our new 100% electric mobile van.

This year’s Queen’s birthday honours list has included ordinary people, who have been recognised for the incredible way they’ve pulled together during the pandemic. 

We’re incredibly proud of our colleague, Kathryn Davies, who has been awarded an MBE for her outstanding and selfless work during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Working co-operatively has been key to helping small businesses stay afloat during these unprecedented times. Back in May, we announced our accreditation to offer the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to our existing business customers. These government-backed lending initiatives were designed to support UK businesses that faced losing revenue and seeing their cash flow disrupted as a result of coronavirus. Leeds Bread Co-op is just one of the many businesses that we’ve been able to support in this way.

Our heritage is founded in the roots of the co-operative movement, and our values and ethics drive us to continue to support co-operatives, and co-operative groups. We do this by offering free banking for co-operatives, charities and social enterprises through our Community Directplus Account, and our funding of The Hive, a business support programme for co-operatives delivered by Co-operatives UK.

A guest blog from Chris Greenway, Executive Sponsor of The Bank's colleague inclusion network, Proud Together, talking about our involvement in this year’s Manchester Pride celebrations.

Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Wallet give you the ability to make contactless purchases via your smartphone, tablet, laptop or smartwatch above the £100 contactless cards limit, where retailers allow. 

We have made significant progress with our plans to transform The Bank over the last few years, and we are grateful for the ongoing support of our customers, the hard work of our colleagues and the support of our shareholders, which has enabled us to enter this period in a resilient position.

Whilst outdoor Pride events across the country have had to cancel this year, Hits Radio has today announced it is launching a new LGBTQ+ dedicated station, Hits Radio Pride, to ensure the party can still go on!

As the UK looks to recover from coronavirus, we reflect on the financial implications the pandemic has had on some of our existing business customers, how lockdown impacted their operations, and how, with our support, they’re able to start planning for the future.

The Digital Bees are helping young women realise their potential. Naomi Mason talks about why she got involved in the DigitalHer project.

We always love to hear what the Digital Bees are organising next, with their latest task being one to empower students.

In the first half of 2020, UK Finance (UK Finance, 2020 Half Year Update) reported that victims across the UK have lost £36.7m to criminals posing as either the Police or Bank staff. These kind of impersonation scams are very common, and are when criminals imitate Police or Bank staff to convince people to withdraw or transfer large sums of money.

Over recent months, we’ve seen fantastic examples of co-operation across all parts of society. Millions of us have applauded our key workers on Thursday nights and we’ve worked together (whilst staying apart) to support the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Being a victim of a burglary isn’t something we think will happen to us, but if you ever are the victim of a burglary, it’s important to know what to do first. Familiarising yourself with the below points can help guide you if the worst was to happen.

Since September 2019, we’ve been proudly supporting Amnesty International UK’s ‘Rise Up’, a training programme for young human rights campaigners.

Formed over six months ago, the Digital Bees have gone from strength to strength, improving the awareness of the digital world and helping others in all aspects of 'digital'.

The coronavirus crisis has changed all of our lives. For some of us, it means working from home and distancing from those usually closest to us. But, for many others, the effects of coronavirus have been devastating, leaving the most vulnerable in our society looking for guidance and support. It’s often through the unwavering commitment of community groups, charities and trusts that those most impacted by this crisis are able to find the vital help they need.

A co-operative approach has always been at the heart of The Bank’s values, and now, maybe more than any other time, our customers and colleagues are showing the real value of working together.

If you are concerned about coronavirus having a financial impact on your business, we are here to support you.

We are pleased to confirm The Co-operative Bank has complied with the Government's guidance on managing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19). We have compiled a comprehensive risk assessment that identifies the risks and outlines the controls that we have put in place to manage those risks effectively for the safety of our customers and colleagues.

When you face financial difficulties it can be hard to see a way through, but there can be light at the end of the tunnel. There are ways of managing your debt.

Our new podcast channel educates, entertains and inspires. Anyone can listen to our great content but here we answer a few questions you might have.

The Coronavirus has led to a number of travel plans, events or products being cancelled and we’re here to help. If you have paid on a Co-operative Bank or Smile debit or credit card, you may be entitled to a refund.

Cheques can be used to pay money in and out of your account. They are still widely used by individuals and businesses in the UK, which is why we have put together a helpful article about how to write and process a cheque.

A guest blog from Hannah Jones, Centrepoint Regional Fundraising Manager (Manchester)

Like all of us, the team at Centrepoint has spent the last few weeks reacting to government advice and preparing for the uncertain months ahead. We continue to do everything we can to be there for our service users and help them through this difficult time. 

You can do many things through online and mobile banking without having to leave your home. This can help you stay safe while keeping on top of your finances. We have put together a useful article on how to keep on top of your finances from home.

We recognise that this may be a troubling time for many of our customers and I want to reassure you that we are here to help you during these unprecedented times. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to providing the vital support you need.

I recognise that you may have concerns during these unprecedented times and I want to reassure you that The Co-operative Bank is here to help you. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to providing you with the support you need to manage your money during this time.

We can confirm that we will be reducing our mortgage SVR by the full 0.50 percentage points decrease announced by The Bank of England this morning. We will also apply that to our tracker mortgages in line with the terms and conditions of the mortgage.

Have you wondered what happens to the old card readers you’ve sent us for recycling?

We understand that customers who have a booking with Flybe will have some concerns following the recent news that the company has ceased trading.

We can confirm that we will be reducing our mortgage SVR by the full 0.15 percentage points decrease announced by The Bank of England yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2020).

At The Co-operative Bank, we’re proud to offer every one of our colleagues two paid volunteering days per year to make a difference in their communities. Our colleagues make the most of their volunteer days each year by volunteering at local charities and organisations.

It’s LGBT History Month, and this year’s theme is ‘Poetry, Prose and Plays’, celebrating the hidden histories of LGBT literature through the ages.

If you have a poor credit score you can make steps to improve your score. This guide provides you with all the tips you will need to improve your credit score for the future.

In November 2019, over 200 people braved the cold at Victoria Baths for Centrepoint’s Manchester Sleep Out.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued loyalty. We have an exciting year ahead, with a number of initiatives and digital developments planned that we look forward to sharing with you.

If you need a helping hand with your phone, laptop or tablet or maybe you want more information about staying safe online, no matter what your question might be The Co-operative Bank’s Digital Bees will be on-hand from midday on Thursday 30th January in Manchester Central Library at their free digital drop-in help session.

You've found your dream home, exchanged contracts and sorted your mortgage. All that's left to do is move in. That’s the easy part, isn’t it?

There are many things that we may not always think about after we have been through the buying process. We have put together a guide on the 7 most commonly asked questions when moving house.

Last year we made a commitment to send zero waste to landfill by the end of 2020. We’ve now analysed the waste we create in our business operations, looked at our supply chains and followed the journey our waste currently goes on. As a result, we’ve started to identify ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle effectively and efficiently in the future.

A balance transfer is when you move existing debt from one card to a new credit card. Although this moves money from one card to another, this process would not reduce the amount you owe. The main benefit of a balance transfer is to get a lower interest rate, save money on finance charges and pay off what you owe faster.

Over the last few months, we’ve taken time to understand what our Co-operative Bank customers and people in general would find helpful when doing their everyday banking, money management and finances. We’re using our findings to create plain speaking guides and articles that should help answer all of these questions.

In a 2015 study, The Money Advice Service suggested four in ten adults in the UK do not have more than £500 in savings. At one time or another we have all had an unexpected expense come out of the blue. A boiler repair, a vet's bill, or maybe a car breakdown. If you've no savings to fall back on it can leave you feeling very stretched or maybe even put you into financial difficulty.

Price plays a big part when choosing Home Insurance but there are other important factors to consider. If you are buying home insurance for the first time, moving home or your policy is up for renewal, take a look at our home insurance guide below.

We know that saving can be difficult, but you don’t have to give up the things you love to start. Like most things, getting started is the hardest part.

There isn’t an easy way to save money, but making small changes to your spending habits can make a huge difference.

Whether you want to save money on your food shop, your energy bill, or you just want to know the best way to save some money every month, these hints and tips should help you start saving smart.

If you’re new to credit cards, or seeking more information about credit cards, take a look at our handy guide below. We’ll take you step by step through everything you need to know before applying for your first credit card, from what a credit card is, to what the eligibility criteria is when you apply. We’ll also explore the pros of using a credit card, as well as the watch outs you need to take into consideration when making the decision to apply for a credit card.

Gender equality is part of who we are. That's why we're proud to support International Women's Day on 8 March 2019.

For the second year running, Centrepoint's Sleep Out Manchester will be supported by The Co-operative Bank.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge celebrated the achievements of homeless young people at The Centrepoint Awards at Kensington Palace on Thursday 8 February 2018. Now in its third year, The 2018 Centrepoint Awards was supported by The Co-operative Bank.