‘Misconception’ to be overcome ahead of Wick banking hub opening

Wick’s new banking hub is on course to open a month from now, although “a wee bit of a misconception” persists over a key aspect of how it will operate.

The community banker service will see different banks being represented on a rota basis to deal with “more complicated banking matters”. However, basic banking can be done any day of the week, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

That was made clear by Lesley Wilson, community engagement officer for Cash Access UK in Scotland and Northern Ireland, during a two-day drop-in event held at the East Caithness Community Facility in Wick.

The hub will be located in the former Royal Bank of Scotland in Bridge Street, which closed almost seven years ago. The building is in the process of being refurbished.

It will be ready to open when the town’s last remaining bank branch – the Bank of Scotland, on the other side of Bridge Street – shuts at the end of June.

Banking hubs are owned by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company owned and funded by nine major banking providers, and are operated by the Post Office.

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Joy Jackson, who has been running Wick’s post office within the Poundstretcher store since June 2023, will have the role of banking hub operator. She reiterated that the post office is remaining within Poundstretcher – and she had even prepared a sign, on display at the drop-in event, stating: “We are NOT moving.”

Mrs Wilson explained: “We’ve now got three banks confirmed. On a Tuesday we’ll have a representative from TSB, on Wednesday we’ll have a representative from RBS and on Thursday a representative from the Bank of Scotland.

“They’ll be there from nine to five on their allocated day and they’ll be able to deal with more complicated banking matters.

“But obviously nine to five, Monday to Friday, people will be able to do all their basic banking regardless of who they bank with. And that’s the message that we really need to try and get across because I think there’s still a wee bit of a misconception – not just here but across the whole of the UK – that people can only come into hubs on the day their bank is there, when actually, if they’re just wanting to withdraw cash, or deposit cash and cheques, pay utilities bills or check their balance, regardless of who they bank with, they can come in Monday to Friday.”

Mrs Wilson said there had been more questions about business rather than personal banking over the two days, Sunday and Monday.

However, she added: “There have been personal customers as well and they’ve been reassured that they can come in any day of the week to do their basic banking, and also the fact it’s Joy who is going to be the banking hub operator. They’ve got a lot of reassurance from that because it’s a familiar face.”

All monetary transactions that can be carried out in a post office can also be done in a banking hub. But banking hub customers are not able to send parcels or buy stamps.

The post office opening times remain 9am to 12.30pm, and 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Thursday.

Mrs Jackson said: “I’ve done a rota now so I’m taking on three [part-time] staff. Between all of us, we will share the post office and the banking hub.”

There are now 161 banking hubs across the UK. After the Wick one opens, a further 14 are planned in Scotland.

An ATM will be installed where the former RBS cash machine used to be.

Mrs Wilson said an opening date for the banking hub had yet to be confirmed, but she pointed out: “It needs to be open before the Bank of Scotland closes at the end of June.”

Jan McEwan, Highland councillor for Wick and East Caithness and the provost of Wick, said customers would find the banking hub “very modern and customer-friendly”.

She added: “With the various banks committing to the hub, it should potentially be an asset for all customers, particularly when we are soon to lose our last bank.”

Since 2018 Wick has lost its RBS, TSB and Clydesdale Bank branches as well as Virgin Money.

In a branch review released in June last year, Bank of Scotland said: “Most customers are now using our mobile banking app, internet banking or calling us instead.

“This means they are using branches, including our Wick branch much less. Because of this, we'll be closing our Wick branch.”

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