Various Savings Schemes
Chapter 8 of
Britain's First Municipal Savings Bank
It was natural that with the establishment of the Bank on a permanent basis, many voluntary organisations dealing with savings should
seek to associate themselves with the Municipal Bank, while others took occasion to transfer their responsibilities to it. Amongst
these may be mentioned the Birmingham Provident Collecting Bank in connection with the Birmingham Citizens' Society. This old-established
collecting agency, which had done good work amongst the poorer sections of the community, decided to hand over to the Bank the funds
and to discontinue operations at the end of 1919. At that time there were 5,542 contributors and seventy-six collectors engaged. For
a time the band of voluntary workers continued to act in the same way as they had done for years, but as the people became accustomed
to using the Municipal Bank the need for house-to-house collections ceased to exist. Another organisation which adopted a similar
course was the Birmingham Women's Settlement, whose funds were also merged in the Bank. In this case there were 225 contributors and
nineteen collectors. The collection arrangements have been continued in a modified form. The voluntary workers collect small sums
from contributors, and pass same to the Bank to be dealt with in the usual way.
The Adult Schools Movement, which had been prominent
for many years in teaching habits of thrift amongst its members, is now associated with the Municipal Bank. The Stirchley Women's
Meeting Class is another organisation introduced to the Bank by the then Lady Mayoress (Mrs W A Cadbury). The YMCA organisation, which
covers a wide field of useful work, and interests itself in thrift schemes, conducted for some time miniature branch Banks at their
various centres. Mr W S Body, in connection with the Small Heath Brotherhood, has worked a very successful scheme for saving in conjunction
with the Bank. His enthusiasm has resulted in many depositors being enrolled.
Many schemes have been introduced for saving amongst
workpeople to meet the particular wishes of those concerned, while some firms have distributed bonus payments through the Bank. In
this direction special mention should be made of Cadbury Brothers, who have disbursed large sums to their workers through the Bank.
Societies and organisations, too numerous to mention in detail, have realised the convenience of the facilities offered by the Bank.