Banking hub operator warns Haslemere to use its hub or risk losing it, just six months after it opened.

Cash Access UK opened Haslemere’s Banking Hub in December 2023, two years after the last bank closed. It was the first in the country to have an external cash machine and one of the first to open in the South.

However, Ying Shi, the hub’s operator, urges the community to help keep this vital resource running.

“We need more people to support the hub. It is a big asset for the community, and people need to keep using it. Every day, elderly people come in and tell us how much they need the bank.

“Once, we had three people come in at the same time because scammers had told them their bank accounts were empty. One man was so distressed that he started crying.

“It is a really important community hub because many of these people don’t have access to online banking and really need that face-to-face support. We are here for you, whatever you need, even if it is just a chat.”

But it’s not just residents who use the hub.

Helena Knight, assistant manager at Cancer Research UK in Haslemere, said: “The banking hub has been an absolute lifesaver. Now we don’t have to drive here, there, and everywhere or keep huge amounts of cash on the premises. It is crucial for the community, and the hub team is so lovely and helpful.”

The hub can handle cash deposits, withdrawals, and cheque deposits for all major banks, all day, every day. Five banks also offer a community banker service for more complex issues, with a different bank available on each day of the week:

- Monday: Barclays

- Tuesday: NatWest

- Wednesday: Lloyds

- Thursday: HSBC

- Friday: Santander (morning)