22 Dec 2023

Helmsley’s nationwide building society branch turns 40 years old

  • Nationwide team joined by old friends from when the branch first opened
  • Local councillor George Jabbour attends to mark the occasion and share a mince pie or two
  • Average house price when branch first opened was just £28,175

Nationwide’s branch on Bridge Street in Helmsley is turning 40 years old and today held a birthday party to mark the milestone.

The Nationwide team is thrilled to welcome local councillor George Jabbour to the event. During the day branch staff will celebrate with mince pies and chocolate for anyone who would like some, and reminisce as they’re joined by employees from yesteryear, including when it first opened.

Colleagues from Nationwide will be on hand to talk people through the history of the branch and answer any questions they may have, as well as helping members with their money as usual. Nationwide has promised that wherever there’s a Nationwide branch, there still will be until at 2026 at the earliest.

Nationwide encourages colleagues to get involved with the local community, whether through charity fundraising at work, going to local schools to help deliver money lessons, or by using the two paid days’ volunteering every employee receives each year.

In recent years colleagues from Helmsley branch have held advice-giving events at the library and with the local police, as well as hosting a stand at the Ryedale Show – a traditional agricultural event - to help people stay safe from fraud and scams.

A number of archive photos of the team from when the branch first opened are attached, along with photos from today’s event.

Bev Frankland, Branch Manager at Nationwide in Helmsley, said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating our 40th birthday here at Nationwide in Helmsley. Talking to our colleagues in branch, I know that we’re all keen to share our history with the high street. Our branch promise means that wherever there’s a Nationwide branch we’ll still be there until 2026 at the earliest, so today is a lovely opportunity to show off what makes us special.”