Founding member of Pollok Credit Union awarded prestigious award.
13 November, 2023One of PCU’s founding members, Christine Garrity, has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list and has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) following three decades of service to the people of Pollok and beyond.
Christine (pictured left) with councillor for Glasgow Pollok Ward, Roza Salih
As many of you may know, we opened our doors almost 30 years ago on the 23rd of November 1993. This was a significant moment for Pollok, which had been seeking out fairer, more community-focused ways of saving and lending. The lack of alternatives to high street banks meant that many individuals were finding themselves without access to affordable, flexible credit, in turn leading to the rise of predatory lending services.
The arrival of Pollok Credit Union was met with widespread interest and soon thousands of members were making their way to Pollok Community Centre to become a member. Among PCU’s hardworking and devoted founding members who made this growth happen was Christine Garrity. Well known for her work in Pollok as well as Leithland Community Centre, Christine devoted 29 years of service as a volunteer and director of PCU and has been instrumental in growing PCU into the largest community-led credit union in Glasgow, serving over 24,000 members over 3 decades across branches in Pollok, Maryhill, Possilpark and Royston.
Christine with Lord Lieutenant, Councillor Jacqueline McLaren
Christine, who is one of only 29 people in Scotland to receive the honour, was also invited to attend the King’s garden party this year. Our chair, Shaun Quinn, had this to say:
“We are really proud of the work and commitment Christine dedicated to the credit union and wider community service; it is lovely to see this work being properly celebrated and recognised”.
It’s fair to say we are all extremely grateful and proud of Christine, and while she may not be looking for all the attention coming her way, we sure think she deserves it!
