Bank pop-up opens in Peak District – to support customers after bank branch closes despite campaign

NatWest has launched a community pop-up bank in Bakewell to provide support customers with any queries around their banking service, frauds and scams, as well as supporting customers to access and use NatWest’s digital services.

The Bakewell pop-up is open from 9.30am to 1.30pm on Mondays at Bakewell Library, Orme Court.

Colleagues at the pop-up can also signpost customers to other local in-person banking services, such as the day-to-day banking services offered at local Post Offices and support with local free-to-use cash machines.

Community pop-ups are cashless, so if customers need to withdraw money or cash a cheque, you’ll need to visit your nearest branch or Post Office. Staff at the pop-up can help direct customers to these services.

Colette Brittain, Local Area Director, at NatWest said: “When we make changes to our branch network, we work hard to make sure that there’s support available in the local community for those affected by the change.

“Branch closures can affect people that are less confident with the digital alternatives we offer, or don’t yet know about the alternative options available for banking in person, so our community pop-ups provide a service tailored to the needs of customers in that community while signposting to other in-person services.

“Friendly staff will be on hand to help those customers that do still want to speak to us face-to-face with their banking related queries as well as offering advice and support on using our digital services.”

This comes after the NatWest branch in Bakewell shut down on February 22 after the company said they could not allocate the resources to maintain a high street presence when the majority of customers are now banking online.

The closure has raised concerns in the community and a petition to keep the bank open has gathered over 3000 signatures – but this has not change the bank’s decision.

Since than MP Sarah Dines has called on NatWest to re-think their closure and said that it was not too late for them to ‘see common-sense and do the right thing’.