The Bank Workers Charity – here to support you and your family
As the Coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate the news, uncertainty is all around. As a leading professional body, we are dedicated to providing support and guidance to our members during these difficult, and unprecedented times. We are maintaining an oversight of the knowledge and skills needed to help to navigate the current climate; sharing resources, webcasts and an extensive range of thought leadership with our members, and the wider banking community.
I am pleased to share with you recent blog posts from the Bank Workers Charity. We have a very positive relationship with the Bank Workers Charity, who offer a wide range of services to help banking professionals. These blog posts detail how they can provide support for you and your family.
Please share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn, stay safe and stay in touch.
Joanne Murphy began her career in the early 1990s in London, working in television before transitioning into finance. She spent a decade at General Electric, becoming qualified in training and Six Sigma, and a further 10 years at RBS (now known as NatWest) in various roles.
Joining the Chartered Banker Institute post-financial crisis, Joanne developed and led the implementation of the CB:PSB Foundation Standard, helping over 340,000 individuals globally achieve a common standard of knowledge and behaviours. She also collaborated with Nottingham University to create a professionalism index for banking resilience and with YouGov to produce detailed research on perceptions of UK banking.
In 2014, Joanne became the Institute’s first Operations Director and the first female member of the Leadership team. She introduced the Core Values—Collaboration, Integrity, Innovation, and Excellence—and established the Member One Forum, leading to ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) recognition for the Institute. Joanne also heads their global membership forum, aligning member views with the Institute’s strategy.
After earning her MBA in Banking and Finance in 2016, Joanne pursued studies in Artificial Intelligence impact on Business Strategy with MIT Sloan School of Management. Her leadership and inclusive personality were pivotal during her tenure as COO and as Deputy CEO, especially during the global pandemic in 2020.
Joanne recently won the Accomplished Leader, Women in Leadership Award at the CCA Global Excellence Awards. This prestigious honour recognises her exceptional leadership skills, visionary impact on business and people, and unwavering dedication during her tenure as COO.
Joanne was appointed as Interim CEO of the Institute in May 2024.
The Bank Workers Charity – here to support you and your family
We all face situations where we could do with a little extra help – stress at home or at work, unexpected bills, a bereavement, or something else entirely.
That’s where the Bank Workers Charity (BWC) can help.
BWC exist because a group of bankers wanted to support the banking community and over 100 years later, they’re still doing just that. It’s important to know that they’re independent of banks and their services are free and confidential.
Who do BWC help?
As an employee of a bank in the UK, BWC can support you. And their support doesn’t stop there – their services are available for your partner and dependent children too.
What services do they provide?
BWC offer a range of services, including:
- Mental health support: providing access to specialist services such as counselling or other therapies.
- Debt and money management: supporting with debt management, identifying possible benefit entitlements and helping to apply as well as providing access to professional advice.
- Disabilities and long-term conditions: giving personalised support and advice, referral to further specialist advice and help to get back to work.
- Relationships and bereavement: helping deal with the emotional and practical aspects of losing someone close to you and guidance and counselling for your relationships.
- Financial assistance: including short-term general living expenses, funeral costs or disability aids.
There are lots of other ways they can help too, so it’s always worth getting in touch to find out how they can support you and your family.
How can you get in touch?
If you’d like to find out more about their services, visit their website, they also have Live Chat if you prefer to use that. Or to speak to an advisor, call their helpline on 0800 0234 834, they’re open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm (except bank holidays). Once you’ve had a chat with a member of their team, they’ll be able to assess your situation and give you personalised advice and guidance.
You may not need BWC’s support right now, but it’s worth keeping them in mind in case you do in the future. BWC are your charity and they’re there to support you and your family.
How BWC helped Sarah
Sarah had worked at a UK bank for eight years when her husband Peter died unexpectedly, leaving her and their six year old son feeling shaken and worried about their future. Sarah was off work on bereavement leave when her line manager sent her some information about BWC.
When Sarah gave us a ring, she told us that, in addition to the grief of losing her partner, she was also managing chronic pain and type 1 diabetes. She told us she was barely making ends meet and had a few debts, and that everything Peter had left had been put towards his debts.
Sarah was clearly going through a tough time, so our team funded six sessions of bereavement counselling to help her manage her grief. As well as this we helped her access a government grant towards Peter’s funeral, and made a contribution towards these costs too.
We also referred Sarah to our partner charity StepChange, who specialise in debt management, to help her address her and Peter’s debt. When we spoke to her a few months later, Sarah said “your help came at just the right time. Without it, I would’ve sunk. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.”