A family saving money with a piggy bank

Financial citizenship: building financial security, capability and inclusion in communities

Funder

Coventry University

Total value of project

£7,583

Project team

Dr Lindsey Appleyard

Collaborators

Shaun French (University of Nottingham)

Duration of project

February 2016- January 2017


Project overview

The project explored the concept of ‘financial citizenship’ and the extent to which credit unions are able to secure financial inclusion, financial capability and financial security of their members. This is because individuals are increasingly responsible for their own financial security as the state is shifting further away from providing a universal welfare ‘safety net’.

Project objectives

The key aim of this proposal was to test the operability of the concept of ‘financial citizenship’ (Leyshon and Thrift, 1995) by undertaking empirical research with UK credit unions.

The research also aimed to produce appropriate policy recommendations to benefit financially excluded groups, the credit union movement and the broader financial sector to build financial security amongst the community.

  • This project produced a number of key outputs including: a submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion, an article for the Conversation on the key research findings and an invited keynote presentation ‘Financial Inclusion: priorities for policy following the Financial Exclusion Commission’ for the Westminster Business Forum, London in July 2017.

  • Appleyard, L. and French, S. (2017) You've got to fight! For your right! ... to fair banking (theconversation.com)

    Appleyard, L. and French, S. (2016) Submission to House of Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion.

    French, S. and Appleyard, L. (2016) 'Securing Citizenship: Financial rights and the UK Credit Union movement'. Paper presented at Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) Annual Conference, London, UK.

 Queen’s Award for Enterprise Logo
University of the year shortlisted
QS Five Star Rating 2023