A NEW home for a community credit union should make the service more accessible to users, according to volunteers behind the scheme.

The Eden and South Lakeland Credit Union celebrated its arrival into Kendal's Town Hall following a period based at Sandylands Methodist Church.

Hilary Claxton, a volunteer with the credit union, said she hopes more people will be now able access it to get loans of between £250 and £7,000.

"It's in a central location and it makes it accessible to all," she said. "It's easy for everyone from young mums to disabled people or anyone who needs it.

"But also Kendal Town Council and South Lakeland District Council are supporting us financially and morally to start up what is essentially a community bank. That's very important to us because it gives the union credibility locally."

In 2015, a group of community-minded people, conscious of the many who struggle financially, determined that a credit union should be established in South Lakeland. The financial regulators approved the formation of the South Lakeland Credit Union in the autumn of 2015, but progress was slow and this led to the amalgamation with the credit union in Eden to form a new business.

This merger has reinvigorated the credit union in South Lakeland and from April, it has been operating one morning per week at Sandylands. It has now been possible to secure the use of the Romney room at the Town Hall. It will be open every week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday offering a full range of services from 10.30 am to 12.30pm. This will allow for the recruitment of members, the provision of loans and savings, and also information on how the credit union operates.

Currently, the union has more than 600 members who are currently saving more than £400,000 and borrowing approximately £144,000 between them.

To mark the start of union in the town hall, a celebration was held among the founders, volunteers, supporters and members.

"It was lovely," added Mrs Claxton. "A lot of curious people popped in to ask about us and showed an interest and that was what it was about.

"We wanted to create that curiosity and let people find out if we could help them. There will be that small catchment of the public that we can help and the credit union will be vital to them."