Welcome to Issue 98 of Working for You, the Heritage Bank quarterly member newsletter. Scroll on to find out what we've been up to!
Impersonation scams are on the rise in Australia. $169 million was lost to these scams in 2022 – find out how to protect yourself.
A heritage-listed former boutique hotel in Toowoomba with a 150-year history, which is now being converted back into a family home, will feature on Heritage Bank’s annual calendar in 2024.
Footy dreams have come true for students from Marymount Primary School, after they won the chance to take over Heritage Bank Stadium for a day with their Gold Coast SUNS AFLW sporting heroes.
Twenty-two community groups from the South Burnett have shared in a massive $250,000 in grants from Heritage Nanango Community Branch.
With 2023 fast drawing to a close, I wanted to say thank you to all members for your continued support during what has been an extremely eventful year.
There’s been a lot of positives throughout the year and we have plenty to celebrate. I’m also mindful that the current economic conditions are posing some challenges, and I’d like to remind you that we are always here to help where we can.
Of course, the highlight of 2023 has been the merger between Heritage Bank and People’s Choice, to create Australia’s leading customer-owned banking organisation.
The merger became official on 1 March this year, after the members of both organisations voted overwhelmingly in favour of the merger in November last year.
Since then, we’ve been doing something very rare. We’ve been building a new bank. A better bank. One that will deliver positive change for people across Australia.
The merger process has been going very well, with excellent progress being made across all aspects of our integration activities.
Most importantly, I am very proud to say that we have remained 100% committed to serving the interests of our members, despite the potential distractions that the merger process has posed.
Our reason for being is to serve the needs of you, our members, and we continue to deliver on that mission. More than that, we also embrace our responsibility to support the communities where our members work and live, and that community ethos continues to shine through initiatives such as the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation and the People’s Choice Community Lottery.
We know just how much our members value the fact that we are driven by purpose, rather than profit. That’s what sets us apart.
Another massive milestone for us in 2023 was the recent announcement that the new brand for our organisation will be People First Bank.
People First Bank is a fantastic name. It honours the strengths and values of both organisations, while also standing out as a compelling and fresh proposition in a highly competitive environment.
The first elements of our rebranding will be seen from March next year, and a gradual transition process will roll out from there.
I want to stress that while our name and brand will change, our commitment to our customers, employees, local communities and being proudly customer-owned remains the same.
So, thank you again for your continued support. Please stay safe in the festive season and enjoy spending quality time with family and friends. Let’s also look forward to a fantastic 2024!
Heritage and People’s Choice’s immediate post-merger performance has built an outstanding foundation for its goal to become Australia’s leading purpose-driven alternative to the major banks, members were told at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
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