CLCU Community Impact: How Member Banking Supports Kildare & Offaly

Community Impact. Real investment. Real difference. Real impact.
 

How Being a CLCU Member Helps Our Community Flourish – Year After Year

When you borrow with Croí Laighean Credit Union, you’re doing much more than getting a loan… you’re feeding a community engine that boosts local clubs, supports families, funds education, and keeps financial services accessible for everyone in Kildare & Offaly.

Unlike big retail banks that pay profits to distant shareholders, every cent of interest and surplus here stays local and is reinvested in the communities we serve through affordable loans, sponsorships, grants, bursaries, and local support.

That’s the credit union difference, and it’s something our members care about.

As a member-owned credit union, our goal is simple: provide affordable loans while reinvesting profits directly into the communities of Kildare and Offaly. All figures on this page are sourced from our internal reporting and summarised from our annual Social Impact reporting. We update these numbers annually.
 

Our Key Community Impact Statistics (2025)

These figures reflect the direct economic and social impact of Croí Laighean Credit Union within our common bond area. Here’s a snapshot of what your membership helped make happen in 2025:

Loans & Membership Growth (Community Banking Impact)

• 5,203 loans issued
• €42,734,823 borrowed by local people
• 1,208 new members joined
• 487 new current accounts opened
• Over 60 people employed locally

Community Support & Investment

• €131,950 contributed locally through our Community Fund, Bursary, and Sponsorship
• AED equipment supplied to public areas to improve emergency readiness
• 32,564 calls answered
• 191,840 counter transactions
• 61,555 website visits
• 152 hours open per week on average — because access matters

Affordable Credit

We provide low-cost loans that help members steer clear of expensive credit cards and overdrafts, including smaller personal loans that many mainstream lenders simply don’t cater for. While most banks set their minimum loan amounts between €1,000 and €5,000, we’re here to support members who need less.

In 2025 alone, we approved 576 loans under €1,000, with a combined value of €348,575. This helped hundreds of members access fair, manageable credit when they needed it most.

What This Means for You (and Our Community)

Affordable Loans Build Local Prosperity

Low-interest loans, mortgages and savings options mean members keep more money in their pockets. And, when members take out loans, whether it’s a car loan, home improvement loan, mortgage or a Green Loan, the interest stays within the credit union and is reinvested locally. That means your borrowing helps fund community initiatives while you get fair, transparent credit from a lender that’s based right here in Kildare & Offaly.

Keeping Doors (and Branches) Open

While big banks are shutting branches and scaling back, we’re doing the opposite. Our doors stay open, so everyone stays included.

Call in for a chat, manage your money online from the sofa, or give us a ring – real people, real help, your way.

Local Support Beyond Banking

Your membership fuels sponsorships, school bursaries, community events, lifesaving equipment, and more. And because we report our impact publicly each year, everything is transparent and member centric.

What Community Impact Looks Like in Real Life

Sometimes impact is a bursary that helps a local student start college. Sometimes it’s funding for a local club that keeps young people active. Sometimes it’s accessible, affordable credit that helps a family cover a once-off cost without turning to high-interest lenders. That’s what “community banking” looks like in practice.

Want to see where community funding goes each year? View our local community programmes:

• Community Fund
• Local Sponsorships
• Student Bursary
• Local AED Programme
• Local Retail Partners

FAQs

What makes CLCU different from a bank?
CLCU is a not-for-profit Credit Union. Interest from loans is reinvested into local projects and services, not paid to external shareholders, meaning your money supports your community.

How does borrowing from a credit union help the local community?
When members borrow from Croí Laighean Credit Union, the interest stays within the credit union rather than going to external shareholders. This allows us to reinvest in local initiatives such as community funding, sponsorships, bursaries and financial services that benefit members across Kildare and Offaly.

How does CLCU support local clubs and schools?
Through sponsorships, bursaries, community contributions, and programmes like our AED Fund.

What kinds of loans can help community growth?
Any loan including personal, car, home improvement, student and mortgage loans all keep money circulating locally, and help members achieve goals without high bank fees.

How much has Croí Laighean Credit Union contributed to the community?
Over the past decade, Croí Laighean Credit Union has contributed more than €1 million to local clubs, organisations, schools and community initiatives through our Community Fund, sponsorship programmes, and student bursaries.

How often is the Social Impact Report updated?
We refresh this page each year with new numbers and stories so you can see real impact over time.