A 19-year-old from Devizes has been offered a permanent job at Acorn Community Bank after completing a two-year apprenticeship.
George Woollands was the bank’s first apprentice and studied for a Level 3 Business Administration qualification with Cirencester College while working at its office in Cavendish Square, Swindon.
He started in member services, helping with memberships, loan applications and credit control, as well as answering calls and emails. During his two years there, he also took on marketing work, including helping to run the bank’s social media accounts, particularly TikTok.
“Running a social media account was something I’ve always wanted to do and I really enjoy creating posts,” he said.
“When I look at something I’ve done and see that we’ve got a lot of reaction I do feel a very strong sense of pride.”
George has also helped oversee work placement students and organise Acorn’s Comic Relief day, which involved wearing a dinosaur costume.
“I ended up in a very hot dinosaur outfit, which I would not recommend to anybody,” he said.
The apprenticeship has given him an insight into the financial pressures some people face and the difference access to affordable borrowing can make.
George said: “I suppose it has brought home to me that I come from a relatively privileged upbringing where I’ve never needed to worry about a lot of things.”
He added: “It really does sort of expand your horizon to the wider world when you get an email back that says, ‘thank you for all of your help today, that’s saved my weekend’ or something like that.
“Being able to loan a few hundred pounds to people in tough situations doesn’t seem like a lot, but to our members it means everything.”
George was told towards the end of his apprenticeship that he would be offered a permanent position.
“I suppose I had been hoping for the best,” he said. “But it is a really good feeling to know I’ve got that security and I can actually use what I learned from my apprenticeship.”
Acorn’s Membership Development Manager, Phoebe Fernandes, said George had made a good impression on staff from the start.
“George brought a real level of maturity to the role in the way he approaches work and what he does day to day,” she said. “He has such a strong work ethic and is a very valued member of Acorn, I rely on him a lot.”
Chief Executive Clive Henly said George had proved himself when dealing with people face to face, on the phone and by email, while also bringing creativity to the bank’s social media.
“He is a real asset to the team,” he said.
Acorn Community Bank has more than 10,000 members across Wiltshire, Swindon, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It offers savings accounts and affordable loans to people who may struggle to get credit elsewhere.
Over the previous six months, the bank made 1,153 loans worth a total of £1,087,095.
The member-owned co-operative also offers budgeting courses and support for people experiencing financial difficulties.
More information about its services is available at acorncommunitybank.co.uk.
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