About Us

West Lothian Credit Union Forum was formed in 1999 by the three credit unions operating in West Lothian (Blackburn Seafield & District, Capital and Livingston) as well as West Lothian Council to promote credit union membership to all who live or work in West Lothian, particularly those who are financially excluded.

The objectives of this Forum are

• to advance the education of the general public, in particular the inhabitants of West Lothian, by increasing the public knowledge and awareness of the contribution which Credit Unions can make to getting better value financial services.
• To advance education and, in particular, to raise awareness and understanding of issues relating to financial capability.

In furtherance of this objective the Forum aims to:

1. Encourage dialogue between Credit Unions, Community Groups and Organisations and with other public and private agencies.
2. Formulate a collective approach to issues which are likely to affect the interests of Credit Unions generally.
3. Organise seminars, workshops and conferences to promote understanding of Credit Unions.
4. Support the development of new and existing Credit Unions through the recruitment and training of volunteers.

West Lothian Credit Union Forum is a member of the West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network.

A recent (March 2011) HMIE report stated:

"A few partners are beginning to evaluate the outcomes of their work. The annual report produced by West Lothian Credit Union Forum provides a very clear account of progress made against Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) priorities, Curriculum for Excellence and the West Lothian life stages model."

"Local people have access to a wide range of training opportunities, some of which lead to employment. The Financial Inclusion Network (FIN), which includes West Lothian Credit Union Forum, is providing effective support to credit unions and money advice organisations. Through strong local networks FIN is delivering training which is increasing the quality of financial advice available locally. As a result credit union membership locally is increasing."