Last month, Manchester saw four more bank branches close their doors, as part of a nationwide closure of Santander, Natwest, Lloyds and Halifax branches.
But while high street banks are retreating from communities, Manchester-based Suits Me is stepping up.
On the 5th and 6th August, the Suits Me Bus will roll into Piccadilly Gardens, offering friendly multilingual face-to-face financial support to help Mancunians with personal account sign-ups and advice.
The Suits Me bus will bring face-to-face financial support to Manchester, staffed by a friendly, multilingual customer service team ready to help with personal account sign-ups and advice.
Designed to serve those who struggle to access traditional banking, the mobile branch meets people where they are, ensuring essential financial services stay within reach despite difficulties accessing traditional banking systems.
With thousands of customers already in Manchester, the Suits Me bus aims to empower the local community by making banking accessible to everyone, especially those who have been underbanked or left behind by conventional banks.
Most recently, the bus visited Hull, where it was celebrated for reaching communities most affected by a lack of traditional banking access, ensuring vital financial services stay within reach.
Suits Me Makes Banking Accessible
Across Britain, an estimated 1 million people are unbanked or underbanked, which contributes to poverty, financial exclusion, and weaker community ties. Those most affected include new migrants, gig and zero-hour workers, the elderly, non-English speakers, people without a fixed address, ex-offenders, and individuals with poor or limited credit histories.
Since launching in 2015, Suits Me has helped hundreds of thousands of people build their financial lives after being refused traditional high street bank accounts. The company was founded by Executive Chairman Matthew Sanders, inspired by the challenges migrants faced in accessing banking services – and, by extension, state benefits and other support – due to a lack of proof of address.
Executive Chairman, Matthew Sanders said of the bus’s visit to Manchester:
“The symbol of Manchester is a worker bee for a reason. We work hard here, and we want to look after our money. But what if that isn’t an option for you, and traditional banking services turn you away? If you haven’t lived it, it’s hard to truly understand the struggle of being unbanked or cut off from basic banking services, and how deeply that shakes your sense of financial independence. Yet, in our communities, so many are being let down – by a lack of financial literacy, by the closure of local branches, and by the simple fact they can’t speak to a real person when they need help.
Every person we meet is someone we can support to take back control of their finances and reclaim their independence.”
