Now in our 38th year, we were established with a vision to create a business bank that would serve the needs of its customers and enrich society. Our purpose is to help organisations to flourish and make a positive difference to the economy, local communities and the environment. Our lending helps to create and protect jobs and support the development of community and health care facilities, and earlier this year we were shortlisted in the Excellence in Responsible Business category at the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Awards.

Unity has a ‘double-bottom line’ strategy which means that we assess sustainable financial returns alongside social impact, using the United Nations Social Development Goals as our guide. All of our funding comes from customer deposits and as an ethical bank, you can trust that we never lend your money to a company or industry that doesn’t share our values.

This approach, along with our aim to pursue safe and sustainable growth, has ensured that Unity remains financially strong and resilient.

Here are some of the social impact highlights from the first 6 months of 2021:

• 334 Jobs and 23 apprenticeships created or protected
• 229 Bed spaces created and renovated
• 1,225 People provided with housing
• 268 Day care spaces and 68 community facilities provided
• 44 Borrowers accessed loans through responsible finance providers

To find out more about how Unity makes a difference, read our 2021 Half Year Impact Report.