How Dudley Building Society is determined to make a difference to the community it serves

It's a mission very much at the heart of his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Dudley Building Society.

And it's something of a focus for his family too.

"My wife Jemma and I are proud of what we do, and we love working in purposeful industries," he says.

"Jemma runs a charity called Happy Mamas, which helps mothers facing challenges with mental health, by helping them to get back into work.

"That's a cause close to our hearts, and likewise for me, I want my role with the Dudley Building Society to be about making a tangible difference to local businesses and the community."

Evidence of that is already clear. Earlier in the year, Dudley Building Society re-established its Community Support Fund, where £30,000 was allocated to nominated charities, organisations or individuals who were supporting the Black Country community through the cost-of-living crisis.

Its customers and members of the community were invited to have their say in how the fund should be used, by nominating those who they thought were making a big difference in the community.

More than 300 nominations were received, resulting in 100 causes being suggested, including Leslie’s Care Packages, Brierley Hill Babybank, Black Country Food Bank and The Haven Refuge, who have each been given a donation of £3,000.

"We have a pledge, which we agreed with our members, to donate two per cent of our profits to local community causes, and this is evidence that it’s now happening,” explained James, 38, who took on his new role last summer.

“We are happy to be able to support some really good causes.

“It is what a building society should be doing in times like these and absolutely demonstrates our values. I am really proud in truth and think it will help a lot of people.”

Community and supporting those in need is, James says, one of the key pillars of the building society’s strategy moving forward.

“We want to play a more active part in the Black Country, through working with others,” he explains. “Our purpose is to help more people, through supporting them to achieve their ambitions and being there to listen and to act.

“We want to be there for the people of community and their families alike, beyond savings and mortgages.

"We have the profit pledge to use as support, but we are thinking of how we can go further to really be there for people across the region – helping them to thrive and prosper, while supporting the regeneration of the Black Country.

"We think we particularly can do more around financial education in the region."

While some banks and building societies are closing branches, James says another key point is to maintain a presence in areas.

"We want to offer a superior customer experience to our customers," he said. "We are committed to our branches.

"We will consider if it's possible to open more branches in the future, and we are certainly committed to making sure we are there in the community, offering a wide service to people who need it physically.

"We don't see ourselves as a digital bank. We want to maintain a physical presence. We are a people business and there are some who find digitalisation difficult.

"There's a role for a physical presence in the region and we are happy to be part of that."

Sustainability and growth are other key factors, moving forward.

"Climate is important, and as a sustainable business that's another pillar of our strategy," James says. "We have made a lot of efforts to improve our carbon footprint.

"We are thinking wider about how we, as a business, can be more environmentally and socially conscious and support our members to be like that as well.

"And we are investing in the business to grow, investing in the capability of our people, and reflecting on how we set ourselves up for success.

"We want this to be a place for talent to come and grow in the future. We want to grow at 10 per cent per year, maintaining and growing our profitability."

Such ambitions are not without their challenges, but James is excited by the future.

"I have worked at varying financial institutions through my life and have always appreciated the mutual sector and the values of being a member-owned business," he said.

"I am very passionate about making this a community building society. It will be a long and exciting journey.

"We have a strategy and clear vision of how we want to take the business forward and how we want to grow and help more people.

"Since arriving in July, it's been an incredible experience and the people here have a real desire to see the business succeed. The energy has been palpable.

"There are a lot of members of our team who have worked here a long time, developing the business and, at all levels, are making a strong contribution to the future direction of the business and that's been an absolute pleasure to see.

"We have seen challenges. The volatility of the past six months won't have gone unnoticed, but we are bearing up well and we are in a strong position.

"We can't be complacent to the changing environment, but we want to continue our performance into the new year and use those foundations to continue to grow."