Project Description

The Building Society Association (BSA) is the trade association representing all UK building societies. Its members are mutual financial institutions, owned by their members rather than external shareholders, providing mortgages, savings, and other financial services.

These branches are having to navigate an increase in the shift towards digital platforms and the decline of high streets. Yet for many customers, the presence of in-person branches is more than just a place to carry out financial transactions. Hence, to understand the impact of the Building Society Branch Network on people and society, BSA commissioned RealWorth to carry out an evaluation study to examine the amount of social value generated by their branches across the UK.

In this evaluation report, RealWorth calculated that £7.6 billion in social value is generated annually by the UK building society branch network. We did this by combining customer survey data, site visits, and stakeholder engagement with Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis. This work provides a clear account of how branches create value beyond financial services, who benefits from their presence, the scale of these benefits, and what this means for decisions about the future of in-person services.

These findings highlight that building society branches function as local social infrastructure, providing trusted, accessible spaces where people can manage money, access guidance, and maintain independence.