A city bank has marked opening just a few doors down the street from where it used to be on Fishergate.

NatWest moved into the new premises and it includes a community space for use by local businesses and community groups.

Volunteers from Preston Community Hub were invited to cut the ribbon on the new branch and the charity has also received a £7,000 donation from the banking giant.

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Izzy Arnold, community food bank co-ordinator at Preston Community Hub, said: “We were thrilled to be invited to cut the ribbon at the new NatWest Preston branch. It’s it is a really vibrant, welcoming space that local organisations like ourselves can use for free, even if they have no existing connection to the bank. It’s got a real sense of community, which is fantastic.”

Funding for the Community Hub helps them offer their ‘community fridge’ foodbank to those in need in the city.

Founder and trustee of the Hub, Taz Ali, said: “The donation we received from NatWest was totally unexpected and is very much appreciated. The cost-of-living crisis has meant that our costs have gone up at a time when people in the community need us more than ever, so the money from NatWest will enable us to keep feeding those families that are most in need.”

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Among those seeing the opening of the new bank was chair of NatWest’s North Regional Board Malcolm Buchanan.

He said: “I’m delighted to be able to visit our new Preston community hub and meet some of our colleagues who will be working here, as well as one of the local charities that our cost-of-living donations have benefited.

“There is a real risk that smaller, local charities that rely on community support could suffer during the cost of living crisis as their costs have risen at a time when many supporters might be forced to cut back on their outgoings. This localised funding is an opportunity for the bank to target support to those charities that our local colleagues know are working hard every day to deliver vital support to our communities.”

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