Ashley Dalton MP welcomes new Skelmersdale banking hub

On the first floor of the Concourse, it’s at the heart of the town centre and easily accessible.

If you come by bus, your fare will be capped at £2 thanks to this Labour Government.

As soon as I got there, members of the public were stopping to tell us how good the banking hub was and how much they needed it.

It’s so important that we have access to cash.

You can withdraw from the cash point outside the hub, or the Post Office counter inside, where you can make other banking transactions such as depositing cash.

This Labour Government understands the importance of having access to cash, which is why we have a manifesto commitment to work with industries to deliver 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament.

And we’re well on the way, with more than 275 already announced.

This is a huge part of the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, which aims for everyone to access the financial products and services they need to participate fully in the economy, manage their money with confidence, and plan for the future.

The hub, located in the Concourse Shopping Centre, offers a cash point, a Post Office counter and a private room for confidential conversations (Image: Supplied)

Most major banks have a representative at the hub one day per week, meaning if you need to speak to someone from your bank, you can do so.

We know that not everyone is able to, or wants to, use internet banking.

We also know that some things need doing face to face.

In the hub, there’s a private room to allow for confidential conversations.

Importantly, a representative from Age UK attended the opening.

Elderly people can be especially vulnerable to fraud, are less likely to use online banking and are in particular need of this hub.

It was great to be able to test out the services for myself.

I had been carrying around a cheque in my bag for months that I’d been struggling to pay in.

Finally, I have somewhere just around the corner from my office in the Ecumenical Centre that I can easily nip into to do things like that.

I’m very excited that another banking hub is coming to West Lancashire soon.

If you live in or near Ormskirk, keep your eyes and ears peeled for more news!

And if you live in Skem, make sure you head over to the Connie to check out the new banking hub.